Become an Instagram Facebook YouTube and other influencers. To be an Instagram (and other social media) influencer you will need fans, lots of fans; but it is quite possible and even common.
Getting paid just to post on social media is a dream job for many people. But for others, it’s their full-time job. They get paid to advertise a car, stay in a hotel, or wear-free clothes.
Some people, like celebrities, get followers instantly because of their fame, but ordinary people need to build an audience.
For most of us, it’s not that simple. It takes time, effort, and a lot of work before we can get paid for our social media posts. This does not mean that it is impossible. You can get paid as an influencer on social media, even if you’re starting from scratch.
What is an Instagram influencer? What is influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is a marketing strategy used by companies and big brands. They ask ordinary people who have a good social media audience or who are experts in their fields to promote their products.
Using influencers is a way for businesses to get real people to promote them on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube instead of using traditional marketing like print or TV ads.
Influencer marketing pays off for businesses, and it’s a way for influencers to make money while posting on social media.
How does an Instagram influencer (and others) make money?
These influencers usually get paid in three ways: free products, brand referrals, or affiliate marketing.
Free products
Most influencers will start making money in the form of free products. This could include beauty care products, a mattress, or baby clothes. The company will send these items for the influencer to discuss on their channel/page.
Free products are a good way to learn how your audience reacts and what items interest them the most. If you’re just getting started, it’s tempting to accept all the free products. However, you have to choose the products to promote on your channel.
If you’re a beauty influencer, your audience might not appreciate a travel bag ad.
Partnerships with companies and brand sponsorships
Another term for this category is brand ambassador, which means that a company or brand will pay you to act as a spokesperson for them.
You share with your audience the positive aspects of a business, such as how its products can help you sleep better or be more productive, to increase your brand awareness and sales. You may also need to post on social media about the business a set number of times per week or participate in social media campaigns.
Influencers usually earn a fixed fee for business partnerships, but they can also make money through affiliate marketing.
Affiliate Marketing
When an influencer makes money from affiliate marketing, they share a special link or code for a product with their audience and receive a portion of the sales made through that code or link.
If you are a well-known book blogger and frequently recommend books, you can join Amazon’s affiliate program and every time a reader buys a book through your link, you earn a small commission.
It’s a more passive way to make money as an Instagram, Facebook, or youtube influencer.
How Much Money Does an Influencer Make?
There is no average rate or median salary for influencers. The amount you can earn depends on factors such as:
Your number of subscribers
The level of engagement your posts receive
The duration of the advertising campaign
How much are you asking from your audience?
The bigger and more engaged your group, the more money you can make. Even those who are just new to social media can still make money as an influencer.
Even if you only have 1000 subscribers, you can suggest companies to work with you. What really matters to businesses is that you have an engaged customer base that listens to your recommendations.
The amount you earn also depends on the type of products you use. Free products usually don’t convert money (unless you sell the product when you’re done using it), but brand referrals and affiliate marketing can generate significant income.
If you can, try to have multiple sources of income (eg, affiliate marketing and free products) to make the most money.
No matter how many revenue streams you have, it’s important to promote businesses and products that you believe in and that provide value to your audience. You don’t want to compromise your morals or the trust of your subscribers for a small fee.
Working as a social media influencer is a business, so you need to hone your negotiating skills and managing business expenses. You can also consider connecting or collaborating with other influencers for advice, opportunities or support.
Choose your social platforms
Choosing the right platform is essential for making money as an influencer. If you already have more than one, take a look at your stats like a number of subscribers and amount of comments. The one where you get the most followers and engagement, pick that one to start.
The type of products you advertise or the company you partner with can influence which platform you choose. Their products could work better on Instagram and not on Facebook, for example, it will be the case if the product is mainly visual.
Instagram is one of the best sites for influencer marketing. From IGTV to stories to posting photos, there are plenty of ways to share with your audience.
If you want to become an Instagram influencer, work to grow your account to a minimum of 10,000 followers so you can use the ‘swipe up’ option. Once your subscribers have the option to “swipe up,” you can drive traffic to your own website or to specific affiliate products that you are promoting.
Even if you have a small Facebook account, you can still partner and promote brands on your Facebook page. If you’re comfortable with Facebook Live, it’s even better for you as an influencer.
Many companies require influencers to use the Facebook Live feature on their business pages to share a product or service. Some influencers even have a contract where they are required to visit a company’s Facebook page live at regular intervals to talk about a product or educate that company’s customers.
Youtube
YouTube offers several ways for influencers to make money. If you have a large following, you can monetize your channel with ads, sell your own products, and even set up a subscription for premium content. You can also partner with brands to make videos and recommendations.
If you are successful in developing a YouTube channel, you can start or collaborate with businesses and earn money as a YouTube influencer.
Other platforms
If you are not comfortable on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram, you can still work as an influencer on networks like:
Snapchat: Similar to Instagram, you will need a large, engaged audience to make money on this platform.
TikTok: Formerly Music.ly, TikTok is growing rapidly as a viable way for influencers to make money from short videos.
Twitter: Although not as popular as other platforms, you can use sponsored tweets and affiliate links to make money on Twitter.
Whichever platform you choose, make sure you follow all of their posting guidelines, especially those related to disclosing business relationships or sponsored content. You don’t want to accidentally lose your influencer status (and income).
7 steps to become an Instagram influencer (and other social networks)
While it is not easy to become one of the top influencers in your area, launching your influencer business is fairly straightforward.
1. Choose your niche
Choosing a niche is the most important step you will take as an influencer. Your niche will define you and the companies you work with. Many influencers choose a niche like cooking, home decor, motherhood, fashion, and crafts.
Pick a niche that you are passionate about and know about and that you think will interest you for a long time. You can’t progress as an influencer if you get bored every time you touch the phone.
2. Configure your social media accounts
When setting up your accounts, be consistent. Whenever possible, use the same name, profile or branding and description on each platform.
Use a similar voice, tone, and personality in your posts to build trust and connections with your audience. Be genuine, honest, and relevant in your posts.
3. Create a publication schedule
As you grow your audience, your audience will expect regular content from you. To do this, consider creating a publishing calendar or an editorial calendar. You can plan ideas, topics, track campaign dates, and anything else that helps you meet your obligations.
Consider using scheduling software to have your images automatically posted online on time.
Set aside time each week to create and edit videos or images. You can even hire a virtual assistant to stay organized as your business grows.
4. Know your target audience
As your accounts grow, use any analysis or information available to understand your target audience. Ask questions like:
How old are they?
Where do they live?
What is their level of education?
What do they like?
Which posts get the most interaction or engagement?
What time of day do they interact the most?
The more information you have, the more you can organize and tailor your content to your audience. It also helps you target the right businesses and brands for your followers.
5. Request affiliate partnerships and contact sponsors
As your influence on social media increases and you get to know your audience better, you can apply for affiliate partnerships. Make sure you read the terms, conditions, and requirements carefully before applying and note which ones you are not eligible for. If you don’t meet the criteria now, you may be eligible later as your following and influence grow.
Also, make a list of companies that you would like to work with or have sponsored. If you are just starting out, consider working with smaller or newer companies first.
You can also contact local businesses. By working, collecting positive testimonials, and building a good reputation, you can start working with bigger and more prestigious companies.
6. Promote your accounts
One of the best ways to grow your accounts, after posting consistent, useful, and engaging content, is to cross-promote your accounts. For example, you can refer your Twitter followers to your Facebook page and your Facebook followers to your Instagram account.
You can also work with other emerging influencers to promote your accounts. The idea is to let people know where they can find and follow you and to attract new fans.
You can also consider an advertising campaign to help people find you. These can be expensive and not generate the buzz you want, but if you can get a hundred new subscribers, it’s worth it.
Whatever you do, don’t pay for the subscribers. It’s a shady practice that will make your existing followers not trust you and make influencers and brands unwilling to work with you. It is better to grow your followers slowly than to pay for followers.
7. Interact with your followers
Commitment is essential when it comes to developing a brand. Interact with your followers by answering their questions, responding to comments and direct messages, and even commenting on some of their content. It shows interest in your followers, which will make them loyal and even more interested in purchasing the products or services you recommend.
If you don’t want to stay connected to your profiles 24/7, choose a schedule dedicated to interacting with your followers every day. You will still enjoy the commitment and confidence without having to do it all day.
Can you become an Instagram (and other) influencer?
It may seem impossible at first, but it is possible to make money as an influencer on social media without being famous or having a large following.
While you may need to introduce brands and companies early on, as your audience and reputation grow, companies can reach out to you. And when you start working with bigger companies, you will start to make more money.
Be honest when negotiating with companies, charge them a reasonable price. But do not forget that it is also a business for them. They want to work with an influencer who will direct a lot of potential customers to their products or services.
If you’re interested in working as a paid influencer, pick a specific niche, set and stick to a posting schedule, provide useful content, and engage your audience. You will earn their trust and they will use that trust to buy the products and services you recommend.
If you found this article on “how to become an Instagram, Facebook and other influencers” useful, don’t forget to ask your questions and leave a supportive comment. Thanks and good luck!
