How to become a paid influencer: 4 musts for the journey

What comes to mind when someone asks what an influencer is?

Do you picture a celebrity in luxury gear hopping off a private jet in style? If so, you’re not totally off the mark, but that’s only one type of influencer. The term is far more encompassing.

An influencer is anyone who can persuade an audience to get excited about a product, service, or idea. The audience trusts the influencer’s opinion on a particular subject, and thus, influencers successfully pique viewers’ interest.

Influencers can represent high-end brands, but they can also collaborate to promote social causes or artists. Think about someone you saw wearing a cool outfit or reading an interesting book that you wanted to copy. They influenced you.

Social media influencers with large followings may attract more interest from big companies, but the quality of one’s following is key to success. If an influencer’s followers look up to the influencer and stay engaged, this connection is more valuable for brands looking to establish rapport with a specific audience.

So, what does this mean for a budding influencer and expert content creator like you? It means that no matter the size of your following, you have earning potential in influencing people in your niche. Stay with us to learn how to become a paid influencer.

What types of influencers are there?

Influencers are ranked by the follower count they have, and each category has its appeal to marketers. Remember that the quality of an influencer’s engagement with their followers is as important as the number of followers. Here are four influencer tiers, ranked by follower count:

Nano-influencers (1k-10k)

Nano-influencers generally have under 10,000 followers but high engagement rates. Think about your personal social media accounts and who follows you. It’s your friends, family, and colleagues, right? These people genuinely care about what you’re up to, and therefore, are likely to pay attention to a post recommending a product. Nano-influencers have that personal touch.

Micro-influencers (10k-100k)

Micro-influencers have fewer than 100,000 followers and often retain an authentic vibe. Brands like partnering with this kind of influencer because of that authenticity. Plus, micro-influencers offer more affordable rates for posts and usually have more availability than macro- and mega-influencers.

Macro-influencers (100k-1m)

For macro-influencers, who have up to 1 million followers, maintaining a social media profile can be a full-time job. This means they're constantly creating relevant content for a loyal audience of followers. These influencers produce a lot of posts and connect with hundreds of thousands of people (including other successful influencers and celebrities), which makes them attractive to advertisers.

Mega-influencers (<1m)

With millions of followers, mega-influencers certainly have the golden touch. Even though a good number of their followers may not be personally invested or could be passively viewing posts, mega-influencers have what others don’t: star power. Often, they’re celebrities who’ve made their name in other industries. Their endorsement goes a long way when recommending products. They might be popstars like Selena Gomez or Shawn Mendes, or actors like Kate Hudson.

What is influencer marketing?

As you may have gathered from the sections above, influencers make money when they work in collaboration with brands with a certain target audience to promote products or services.

If you want to become an influencer or, better yet, a paid influencer who can make money through Instagram posts, you can get your start with the following steps. And if you already have a significant following, use these 4 tips to improve your influencer strategy.

1. Find a niche

Rule number one of how to make money as an influencer: remember that “target audience” is an important term for marketers. Companies want to reach people with specific interests that align with their brands. Find your niche, show people what you’re passionate about, and set yourself up for the opportunity to work with a brand in that specialty area. Do you make wellness content or are you working with designer brands? Are you a DIY expert who could sell paint to the masses, or maybe an interior designer that would influence people to buy a really great sofa?

2. Research your audience

Learn more about your target audience, including its favorite hashtags and other references. As you begin to post content, you can analyze your metrics to see what resonates. Since you already have a specific niche, try to go a level deeper in your specificity and figure out exactly what kind of content keeps people coming back or draws new users in. If you have a fashion account, for example, identify the trends or brands that people connect with the most.

3. Reach out to brands

Before you approach a brand, prepare for the interaction by making a media kit (which is like a social media resume that shows off your stats). Consider joining an influencer marketing platform that will make reaching out to the right people at these brands easier. If you’re big enough to have a manager, they can help with this process. You can also apply for affiliate marketing opportunities directly on social media platforms like Instagram that offer this service.

4. Optimize social media bio and profile

Think of your social media bios as your elevator pitch. If a brand takes a look at your account — which should be in tip-top shape before you reach out to companies — they should be able to quickly gather who you are and what you do just by reading your bio. Link to all of your other social media channels, sites and even your podcast with a Linktree URL. This way, when a brand clicks on the link in your bio, they can see more than just one site; they can see the whole picture that is you.

Is it all worth it?

The amount of money influencers earn depends on factors like followers, engagement and content. Don’t give up if you don’t earn thousands off your first gig. As you gain experience, you’ll become more successful.

Even influencers with small followings can earn a few hundred dollars from a post or score free products. If you’re influencing in a niche you love, those products may be of great value to you.

And, remember, there’s no harm in trying. If you think you have what it takes to persuade your friends and family to try a product or service you’re passionate about, why not try to make a buck in the process?