The life of a social media influencer can seem incredible.
They make sponsored posts about places they’ve visited or products they’ve used, and they make money “just” for posting about their life online via social media channels.
Almost anyone who spends time online on any social media platform is sure to have considered becoming an influencer themself at one point or another.
Before you jump into the deep end, there are a number of things you should know and consider.
What can you look forward to in this article?
Important disclosure: we're proud affiliates of some tools mentioned in this guide. If you click an affiliate link and subsequently make a purchase, we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (you pay nothing extra).
What Is A Social Media Influencer? 🧐
Before we jump into the things you should think through before becoming one, let’s talk a little bit about what an influencer is and what they do.
Social media influencers are people who are able to grow their followers and make a profit off their social media accounts.
They can do this by selling their own products, but more often they partner with brands and promote and sell their products.
Influencer marketing is a fast-growing trend.
There are many different levels of influencers and many different types of influencer marketing campaigns. We are here to tell you that...
You don’t have to have 100,000 followers to be successful.
Your number of followers or audience size does not always determine your level of influence🙌.
In fact, micro and nano influencers can, at times, be more successful than those with much larger followings.
- Micro-influencers are those who have between 10,000 and 50,000 followers.
- Nano influencers only have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers.
You may be looking at your followers and realizing at this point that you may not have what it takes.
👉Do not and we repeat do not attempt to buy fake followers to make it seem like you have a wider audience.
Companies will see right through this the moment they ask for your engagement rate. After all, they are looking for genuine influencers that drive engagement rather than just people with plenty of followers.
It might seem like it would be difficult to be successful as an influencer marketer with a smaller following, but that’s not necessarily the case.
Yes, celebrity endorsements and mega-influencers still have their place and value.
However, smaller social influencers can often build deeper relationships with their followers, which in turn leads to more trust between them.
Human connection is often valued over a material connection.
Because these social media users are more trusting, they’re more likely to make purchases that the influencers recommend💸
Pay Potential 💰
As we mentioned, influencers typically make money by promoting other company’s products.
There are two main ways these partnerships take place.
First, the company provides the influencer with a particular link or code that they can pass along to their followers. Typically, these also offer a discount to those who use them.
The influencer receives a portion of each sale, like a commission🤝
Second, how the influencer partnerships can work is that the company pays the influencer a set amount for each sponsored post they create💵.
These posts can be a Facebook or Instagram post, Facebook or Instagram stories, IGTV videos, Reels, TikTok videos, blog posts, or just about anything else they agree to ahead of time.
Often brands will request to see these posts before the influencer posts them so they can approve the copy, image, and overall feel of the post before it gets posted on any social channel.
The actual amount that influencers can make per post varies, depending on how many followers they have and their engagement rate.
- Nano influencers could get a couple of hundred dollars per post and have an earning potential of $30,000 to $60,000 per year.
- Micro-influencers can get a few thousand dollars per post or more and can earn up to $40,000 to $100,000 each year.
- Bigger mega-influencers, like celebrity accounts, industry experts, or those with 1 million followers could earn $100,000 per post.
If you do decide to start working with a brand/company as an influencer, it makes sense to have a social media contract in place. This way you're aware of all the ins and outs of what you're getting into while protecting yourself simultaneously.
Common Types of Influencers 💁🏼♀️
Just as there are different levels of influencers, there are different types of influencers as well. Typically these are sorted by niche, or what the influencer likes to talk about naturally.
In fact, that’s what makes influencers successful.
Since they make their money by promoting others’ products, they want to be able to partner with and promote brands that are easy to talk about and fit with their brand.
There are five primary types of influencers that you’ll find on social media.
Food 🌮
You might find an influencer who has made their way cooking, reviewing restaurants, or even tasting others’ foods.
No matter the pathway, food influencers are commonly found and have no limit of brands they could promote.
Let's be honest. There is A LOT of food out there and enough foodies to match. How do you make your posts stand out from the rest?
Be unique.
Although that is easier said than done, we suggest showing your followers something from your unique point of view.
To get yourself started it is a good idea to check out other food influencers and interact with them as well as the other food-related brands you like.
Pro tip: start brushing up on your photography skills NOW📸.
Fitness 🏋🏾♂️
A Social Media Fitness influencer is another popular type of influencer found on social media.
They might be personal trainers or simply fitness enthusiasts, but you’re sure to find posts with workouts, motivation, nutritious meals, and other health products.
Every body type matters.
This means that you don't need to be chiseled and slim to be a fitness influencer.
People want to see someone that they can relate to rather than a "perfect" body type they may perceive as impossible to achieve.
Look past the idea that fitness is only built in the gym, you can be someone who exercises outdoors, dances, does yoga, or pilates.
You don't need to be pumping iron daily in the gym to be a fitness influencer.
👉 There are other fitness and exercise niches you can fill.
Travel 🏝
Another very common type of influencer is in the travel industry.
Their posts typically showcase locations they’ve visited, hotels they’ve stayed in and travel tips and hacks they like to pass along to their followers.
It is your job to inspire wanderlust✨
Not everyone will be able to afford ultra-luxury vacations so it is important that there is a range of travel influencers that showcase a variety of places and accommodations.
Budget? Check. Unique? Check. Luxury? Check.
Fashion 👗
No list of common influencer types would be complete without fashion.
Fashion influencers might be the most common type, actually, as many people enjoy showing off their #OOTD (outfit of the day) and latest fashion finds in places from boutiques to Amazon.
You do not need to be a model (or even look like one) to be a fashion influencer.
You could be a fashion influencer that makes their own clothes, one that wears established brands but has an exceptional or unique style, or even an influencer that knows how to "get the look" but for less👔.
Lifestyle 💆🏽♀️
Finally, lifestyle influencers are also easily found online.
👉They share all aspects of their life and often include all of the categories we’ve mentioned already.
You’ll likely see their favorite fashion tips as well as their weeknight recipes with some fitness and travel posts sprinkled in, too.
Lifestyle influencers do it all.
Becoming a lifestyle influencer usually means your family and friends are involved too, so make sure they are on board first.
Things To Consider For Potential Social Media Influencers 📝
If you’re thinking about growing your social media following to become an influencer, there are a few things you want to think about first.
Let’s dive deeper into the six things you should consider before putting the time in to become an influencer.
1. What Is My Niche? 🤔
Before trying to become an influencer, you need to identify what your niche and brand will be.
While you can always change your niche down the line, it’s important to spend some time really thinking about what you want to focus on 🔍
You will be the face of your brand as the influencer, so you want to pick something that either comes easily to you or is very interesting to you. Or both.
Ask yourself...
⭐️ What do you enjoy?
⭐️ What are you good at?
You’ll be working with brands that align with your niche, too, so this is an important decision to consider
Take some time to actually think about and answer these two questions so you can choose something that aligns with your values and interests. It wouldn’t make sense to choose food as your niche if you have no desire to spend hours in the kitchen.
2. Who Is My Target Audience? 💘
Who are you going to be speaking to with your posts? Who will your customer base be?
This will help you narrow down your niche even more. Choosing travel is a great start, but there are plenty of travel influencers that exist already.
The more specific you can be, the better you’ll be able to target followers and attract the right kind of audience.
You don’t want to be too broad when you’re creating posts, or you could end up missing out on potential loyal followers.
Just remember: you can’t be everything to everyone😰
As you narrow it down and pick a specific audience, you’ll also find some people who don’t want to follow you and perhaps those who flat-out don’t like the content you create.
And that’s okay!
You’ll be building a loyal following of people who do like your content. Choose your target audience and then stick with them fiercely.
3. Am I Comfortable With The Limelight? 🤩
This question is a little different from the first two, as it makes you look inward a bit more.
There are plenty of benefits that come with being an influencer, like brand deals, promotions, and being self-employed if you so choose. With those benefits and opportunities, though, come challenges, too.
As an influencer, your life is now going to be open to the public.
You certainly still have control over your posts and what you share, but you won’t be able to keep everything private. Influencers become popular and successful because they show the behind-the-scenes of their lives.
Their followers see them as friends, and that’s why they trust them.
Your followers will most likely expect to know everything that is going on in your life and will want you to be personable and real with them.
If this isn't something that you are comfortable with, you might want to think again before heading into the spotlight💡.
4. Can I Handle the Criticism?😡
On top of having much of your life put in the spotlight, you’re also opening yourself up to criticism. People will not always agree with your decisions or lifestyle.
Some of your own loyal followers might not agree with you sometimes. Some people won’t hesitate to be vocal about things they disagree with you.
For many well-known influencers, cyberbullying can be a very real problem.
Any time you put something personal out into the world, you’re giving people a chance to criticize you. Being an influencer means you need to have thick skin.
It’s easy for people to be mean and rude on the internet. They can hide behind anonymity or the knowledge that they will likely never see the other person in real life.
Just know that you need to protect your heart, set boundaries for yourself, and realize that this kind of negativity could happen to you as an influencer.
5. Does This Fit My Lifestyle? 🤷🏾♂️
Depending on the type of influencer you choose to be and the niche you want to specialize in, you might need to take a hard look at your lifestyle and see what you really want to do.
For example, if you want to become a travel influencer, you’ll need to factor travel into your lifestyle. You may need to be on the go far more frequently than you currently are, always visiting a new location and trying out new places and products.
That life can be fun and exciting, but it isn’t for everyone.
Also, making a living as an influencer can sometimes take some time to get started.
When you’re just starting out and sending out those initial influencer outreach emails, it might be hard to find brands to partner with you, or you might not score well-paying gigs until you grow your following.
Make sure you have a plan for how you’ll be able to support yourself until this pays off. If you need to keep a full-time job, traveling constantly might not work out well.
Another thing to consider is your family👩👧👦
Whether you currently have a partner, kids, or other family or not, it’s still an important consideration.
Living the influencer lifestyle can mean long hours, lots of time spent on your phone, and perhaps even brand shoots you might need help with from those around you.
Although here is a tip, use social media management tools such as Sprout Social or NapoleonCat to make your life easier. With these tools, you can easily schedule posts, engage with your followers and analyze your findings.
You can be a successful influencer with or without a family, but if you’re planning on starting this type of lifestyle, it’s worth having a real, honest, heart-to-heart discussion with your family so everyone is on the same page💕
You can also set boundaries about what will and won’t be posted online about your family and your lives together.
6. What Are My Values? 👏🏼
When you’re establishing yourself as an influencer, you need to take some time to outline your values.
As you start to gain momentum and brands begin to notice your follower growth and success, there will likely be a point when they begin to flood your inbox.
It can be tempting to want to accept any partnership, especially when you’re just getting started and could use the income and notoriety.
Before you sign on with any brand that slides in your DMs, take some time to evaluate the company and compare them to the values and mission of your account and of you personally.
Remember that you are building your brand’s reputation with every single post you publish online. The more consistent you can be, the more your followers will know they can trust you.
For example, imagine that your brand and branding frequently talk about protecting the environment and clean living. You wouldn’t want to then turn around and promote a company that goes against those values.
This can hurt your reputation in the long run, as your followers won’t know what to expect from you anymore.
👉Make sure all your partnerships fit your brand so your followers know you’re being authentic and consistent.
The success of an influencer is based on trust from their followers. Partnering with the wrong brand can negatively impact that trust.
Is Becoming A Social Media Influencer Right For You?🌟
Once you’ve thought through and considered these six questions, give yourself some time and walk away from the idea for a few days. Come back and look over your answers.
Is becoming a social media influencer a good idea for you? Are you ready to join this community of marketers?
You’re the only person who can determine that but think about it carefully before you make a final decision one way or the other. If you decide that it is something you want to pursue, you’ll be glad you took the decision so seriously.
Being a social media influencer is more than just an Instagram post or two, it is a lifestyle.