Show Me the Money

The monetary aspect of being an influencer is a grey area for many people. How do you make money? Where does the money come from? These are two of the most common questions surrounding influencing as a career.

The simplest and most obvious answer to these questions is that influencers make their money off of promoting products or services and are paid by those companies. However, when you yourself are trying to become an influencer, this comes with a plethora of follow up questions.

The most important question is why would a company choose you to promote their product? This where your influencer brand is the most important. If you read either of previous posts, "Five Steps to a Better Feed" or "The Feed of an Influencer", you probably understand the importance of creating your own unique brand and how to best accomplish this. Your feed (or profile depending on the platform you're using) is your online identity, so the content being placed here (and how it is placed) is the only representation that brands see of you.

As long as you have a narrow enough focus and carefully curated content on your feed, the types of products or services that you intend to promote should be obvious. Such brands typically make contact with you first, especially if you show experience in your field. However, if you're just starting in the influencer industry, know that there is no need to wait for companies to reach out to you. While it may be more flattering or more encouraging, there's no shame in reaching out to similar brands or brands that you would like to showcase on your feed. Waiting for a company to find you first is sometimes a waste of time, when you can be making the introduction yourself.

In addition, you should treat this as you would any business investment. You may have to start by first buying products or services at retail value and advocating for those brands without anything in return. However, this will still help with your own brand's exposure. You may also want to consider in investing in other users who promote your page, but this is often not necessary. In due time, the next step will likely be purchasing products or services at a discount in exchange for content. Then, eventually, you will be in a place where products will not only be given to you for free, but you will be paid to endorse them.

The expression, "slow and steady wins the race," perfectly describes this industry, as it does most business ventures. But remember, the monetary profit has proven to exist in influencing if you continue to work at it.