Your favorite Youtuber, Instagram comedian, and/or fashion blogger are not living their lives out online for free. In fact, many companies reach out to those with a huge follower base in order to help advertise their products. Detox tea anyone?
This new age career that they have stumbled on just by finding a niche online is a social media influencer. A Social Media Influencer is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry. A social media influencer has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach. The idea is that a company pays these influencers to make a specified amount of posts about a product, and in return the influencer’s followers often end up purchasing the product simply by taking the word of the influencer of the product’s credibility.
According to Forbes, some influencers are charging between $3,000 and $5,000 per post, and between $20,000 and $100,000 per campaign. An Instagram user with 100,000 followers can command $5,000 for a post made in partnership with a company or brand. A six-figure salary based off of follower base? Yes, this is a real thing.
Not only are these influencers cashing out, their influence on social media is taking them to bigger audiences. I remember a few years ago, I followed the comedic sensation, @BlameitonKway based off of his hilarious impersonation of his alter ego Titi. Kway has transformed from posting a few ads for virgin hair companies, to having his on tv show and now opening his own restaurant.
Yes, social media is a career and it will only continue to increase for these influencers. Got a niche? Post it online, hashtag it, gain followers, and maybe you will be able to jumpstart your career on social media! Do you think that social media is a substantial career?