Many people dream of becoming a social media influencer in our day and time. The popularity, the admiration of people and the brand deals are all very enticing, and it is a possible dream for those who wish to devote enough time to their social media accounts.
Being a social media influencer will help you make a good income if you know how to use your connections to your advantage. Here are some of the most common ways in which social media influencers make money online.
Being Ambassadors for Brands
Being a brand ambassador for a brand usually means that you will have a long-term contract or partnership with that said brand. This is a great opportunity for an influencer to have a stable income and to further build their brand and attract a bigger following.
Working with a brand in this kind of way will provide you with certain products or services which you will need to advertise as well as a commitment to producing posts specifically promoting this one brand. Both more famous and more local influencers can become ambassadors for brands as it mainly has to do with the goals the company has set.
Advertising Sponsored Products
You have probably come across one of the many posts from any Kardashian sister, where they advertise flat tummy lollipops, teas that help you lose weight and belly cinchers. While people might have gotten used to these posts by their favorite influencers, you should know that these are a really good source of income for these people.
Advertising a product on your page and sharing it with your followers can help you earn a lot of money very easily. Such posts do not make the influencer an ambassador for a certain brand, but it is not impossible for the company to ask the influencer for more collaborations in the future.
There are many different types of posts one can create for a sponsored ad, and they can be anything from a picture of you using the product to a video where you speak about it. Before you decide to promote such a product or service, make sure that it is not only legitimate but also helpful so that your name isn’t associated with a bad company or product.
Selling their Own Merchandise
Influencers from all over the world are creating their own merch and selling it to their followers through their social media accounts. The merchandise an influencer creates is something that is pretty personal to them and their followers.
Teenagers and younger fans are always excited and ready to spend their parents’ money on buying the merch of their favorite influencers. Depending on the audience you are trying to attract, you should make sure to create merch which will be appealing to the age of your followers and their preferences.
You can sell anything from t-shirts to hats and any other object you might consider interesting or fun for your audience. There are companies which will handle your shipments and production of your merch, and it will really be a profitable situation for you.
Having a Patreon Account
Something you have probably noticed if you are following famous influencers of YouTube is that most if not all of them have set up Patreon accounts. Since the monetization on YouTube has been a mess lately, many creators have turned to Patreon as a way of making an additional income.
Many influencers apart from YouTubers use Patreon though. Through this platform, they can provide their audience with personalized messages, pictures and early access to videos and other content. There are different amounts a follower can pay and based on that; they will get certain privileges.
A Patreon account is a safe way for an influencer to make money and it will actually help them to also come closer to their audience and bond with them more. It is accessible by anyone who wishes to join and a very safe and easy-to-use platform.
Podcasting
Many online influencers decide to start their own podcast. Depending on their niche and the topics that interest their audience, they are creating content which will be interesting, fun and informative for their followers.
Podcasts are not too expensive to produce, and they can be easily accessible by everyone online. Influencers producing them can charge their subscribers a small fee in order for them to be able to download and listen to the new episodes.
The CEO of PickWriters notes, “Podcasts can be both fun and educational for the audience, and it’s up to the influencer to do enough research and make them worth the listener’s time and money.”
Attending and Hosting Events
Influencers are known to go to big events and attend all sorts of interesting gatherings. In most cases, bigger brands which want to get more popularity or a more diverse following will invite popular influencers to join them at events they host.
Apart from attending different events though, influencers can also make money by hosting events for different brands. In case you are working as an ambassador for a brand, and you have a good amount of followers, it is very possible that the brand you are working with will want you to represent them at a certain event or a new product launch.
This is beneficial for both of you, as you will get a good payment and the brand will get more exposure to your audience. Apart from that, it can help you get in contact with other brands and fellow influencers who will give you the opportunity to collaborate with them in the future.
Making your income as an influencer
While sharing your life with the world through your social media accounts can be rather hectic at times, there are also fun portions of this situation. Making an income doesn’t have to be too difficult and the more followers you have, the more likely you are to work with bigger brands which will be able to provide you with a bigger check.
Making your own merch and attending events can be a very fun way for you to earn some money and through collaborations with brands you will be able to try new products and make connections. Starting out might be a bit tough, but once you start gathering a following, you will be able to make a steady and good income.
If sharing your life isn’t for you, make sure to check out these other ways to make money online: