How do you make money as a social media influencer?
As easy as it may sound making money as a social media influencer is not that easy. People assume that all you have to do is keep posting on social media and eventually you’ll get a following and then you attract relevant brands from nowhere. For starters, you need to know if you have influence, you could have 4,000 followers but have really good engagement or 20,000 followers but little influence. If you have established that you have influence read these tips and see how you can make money.
1. Get sponsored posts
Sponsored social media posts are one of the most popular ways for influencers to make money on social media. It’s when brands or marketers pay you to promote a certain brand or product in a social media post. Your posts don’t always have to be obviously advertising, you could create review posts, informational posts, or simply feature and tag the products.
2. Become a brand ambassador
Becoming a brand ambassador is one of the best ways to make money but it depends on the brand you are representing. This is usually a partnership between the company you’re working with and yourself as a brand. This would normally be an extended contract lasting for at least a couple of months instead of just a one-off partnership. In some cases, the contract may last for several years as well. When you’re a brand representative or a brand ambassador, you’ll get free products from the brand. In exchange, you’ll have to promote these products on social media.
3. Join affiliate marketing
In this type of arrangement, you can approach brands or retailers that offer affiliate programs. And once you’ve been accepted as an affiliate marketer for the brand, you will be provided with a unique link or code that will be used for tracking your conversions. You basically hustle while using your brand to sell products. You can create posts in which you review, feature, and/or promote their products. Depending on which brand or retailer you’re working for, you might have to buy the product yourself.
4. Let products use your name
If you’re a big enough influencer, the brands may benefit from having your name on their products. And you’ll be generating even better income through this partnership. So this type of collaboration is a win-win. She posted photos and videos showcasing the product and encouraging her followers to get the collection.
5. Start your own line of products
Influencers like Joanna Kinuthia have their own cosmetics and line of products. With your already made influence, starting your own line of products would be the greatest move since people will buy due to loyalty.
6. Sell your pictures
This is one of the lesser-known ways to make money on social media but is effective nonetheless. You can actually sell the photographs you took for social media posts if they are of high quality. This is a great way to make money on social media, especially, if you are active on Instagram and love photography.