A new job is on the rise for millennials. If you spend any time scrolling on Instagram, then you know what I am talking about.
Instagram influencers are aspirational fashionistas, photographers, makeup artists, travelers, athletes, foodies and other experts in their field who collaborate with brands to reach and engage with consumers who spend hours a day on social media platforms. You may not even realize it, but these Instagrammers influence you to make purchasing decisions every day.
This sounds like a pretty nice gig, almost too good to be true. So I can just go about my daily life, posting pictures of whatever, and get paid for it? That’s not exactly how it works, though; your favorite Instagram influencer has a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes.
According to Mashable, influencers on Instagram can earn from $100 to $11,006 for content they post in collaboration with a brand. Someone with over one million followers can expect to earn between $6,104 and $24,406 per post. Not too shabby for a little square picture! A lot of this also comes in the form of exchange, where the influencer might get free product if they post a certain number of pictures each month.
So is it time to start building a social media following?
Influencer Marketing Agency (IMA) helps brands connect with the world’s top influencers to develop and manage creative influencer marketing strategies to effectively spread out a brand's story. This makes the product more tangible and real to the consumer.
A lot plays into how much a blogger or influencer gets paid. They need to have a strong relationship with their followers, be likeable and credible. This works because what we see on Instagram often reflects everyday life; the makeup, clothes and products that are frequently posted are not ads on TV -- they are real people really using the products.
This shows that people are choosing to listen to each other over brands. We believe that influencers know what they are talking about; they have tight-knit communities and can reach many people. It at least feels more authentic when we are seeing the product being used by people we admire or trust.
The popularity of influencers has caused some backlash, especially in the fashion industry. Alessandra Codinha, a Vogue.com Fashion News Editor doesn’t believe that influencers will last: “I have to think that soon people will wise up to how particularly gross the whole practice of paid appearances and borrowed outfits looks.” She believes instead of celebrating actual style, the influencers today seem to be more concerned with getting followers rather than being a true fashion enthusiast.
When you think about how profit plays into being an Instagram influencer, is it really sincerity the Vogue team is worried about? Or competition?
For an influencer, being concerned about your followers isn’t vanity, it’s business. Reaching the Instagram community is a central marketing strategy because social currency is capital. Labels aren’t just looking for help reaching niche Instagram communities; they also want assistance creating effective marketing strategies. Corporate brands aren’t interfering with the Instagrammer's creative process; they are merely using people already involved in the community to present their products in a very homegrown sort of way.
So if you are already doing something you love, why not try and make a little cash on the side?
