Are you already an influencer with 1,000 to 100,000 followers on social media? If so, you have a unique opportunity to turn this advantage into an exciting career. There are several ways you can leverage your online presence and robust following to make a living in the influencer marketing world.
1. Sponsored Content on Social Media
One of the most popular ways you can generate income as an influencer is through sponsored content, such as video reviews or posts promoting products, across various platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram.
The amount you earn for such content is determined by multiple factors, such as your follower count, the level of engagement, the advertising niche, and the quality of your promotional efforts. Before creating the content, you’ll need to negotiate the remuneration with the advertiser, based on their requirements. As a guide, you can use the industry standards according to Hootsuite or Later, two of the world’s most popular social media management platforms. Although influencers with larger followings are able to negotiate for more payment, many smaller brands with a tighter budget prefer to partner with nano and micro-influencers who have smaller followings.
2. Performance-Based Collaborations or Affiliate Marketing
In addition to sponsored content, influencers can also leverage on performance-based collaborations with businesses, commonly known as affiliate marketing, to generate income. By promoting products or services through your channels using a unique tracking link, you can earn a commission for each sale made via your digital promotions. The amount of money you earn is influenced by several factors, including the terms of your affiliate contract, the number of your followers, and the number of brands you partner with for such promotions.
3. Sponsored Content on Your Website or Blog
Alternatively, your advertiser may prefer to advertise on your website or blog, with a sponsored article or product review, or even banner ads and/or links in the sidebars, provided that you have a proven high traffic flow to your website or blog. You can create blog posts, articles, or reviews that feature the brand’s products or services, and in return, receive remuneration for your efforts.
One way to start is by reaching out to brands that align with your values as an influencer and brands that have a similar target audience.
To ensure transparency with your readers or followers, it is important for you, as an influencer, to disclose that the content is sponsored or paid. This helps build trust with your audience as it shows that you maintain your integrity as a content creator. Additionally, the content should be engaging and valuable to your audience, so that they find it helpful and informative, rather than just a random advertisement.
4. Brand Ambassador
You can also become a brand ambassador through an agreement between you and a company. This involves signing an agreement to promote their products or services exclusively, and to be affiliated with the brand for a specific duration, typically a year. In exchange for the promotion, you will receive remunerations, which may include monetary rewards, free products, or other incentives.
As a brand ambassador, you can negotiate the terms of your remunerations, which could be a one-time fee, a monthly salary, or a commission-based structure. The commission may be based on the number of posts, or a percentage of the sales, generated through your promotions. It all depends on the agreement reached with the brand. This approach is popular among influencers as it allows for a stable, ongoing relationship with a brand and can lead to long-term collaborations.
5. Livestreaming
Livestreaming took the world by storm during the lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and its popularity continues to surge until today. Influencers can monetise their livestreaming efforts by obtaining advertising revenue or using features such as Super Chat on YouTube, where viewers can pay to promote their comments. Livestreamers typically generate revenue through fan funding, which involves viewers sending payments as “gifts” during live streams. As a livestreamer, you can establish a niche and specialise in a particular area, such as beauty, singing, fashion or gaming, to showcase your talents and promote yourself and/or your business.
Different platforms have varying levels of popularity for specific niches, so it is worth researching to find out which the platform that aligns best with your niche before deciding on a specific platform.
Conclusion
Building a sustainable career as an influencer requires you to create a strong, authentic personal brand and attract a good number of dedicated followers. In addition, you need to have the ability to consistently produce high-quality, targeted content in your area of expertise and build a close relationship with brands and potential partners. If you are already an influencer, the learning curve has been shortened, so it is now easier for you to turn your passion into a career. You can also grow your expertise in digital marketing by enrolling in relevant marketing courses at PSB Academy, or if you want to take your content creation to the next level, the social media pathway in partnership with NAS Academy under the Diploma in Media and Communications course equips you with the necessary skills.
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