How to Earn Money From Social Media

To spread the message about your organization and communicate with your clients, we know how important social media is.

But for more than those relations, you will make money as well! There are a few types of people on the social media channels– some are ‘killing time,’ while many are making the best of their time by earning on these platforms.

You will not need a huge following, or an expensive camera, or expensive makeup.

Besides, there is no requirement for years of experience. All you need is- DIRECTION.

Data has found that the average user spends approximately two hours a day on social media.

Still, you’ll spend even more time trawling through the ‘gram!’ in the case of a social media addict.

In this blog, I will share my knowledge and experience from the past years of my career.

To start with, let me introduce you to the secret called- ‘influencer marketing.’

Also, I will tell you about the suitability of influencer marketing to various people.

It might suit some, but not all. Plus, having the right knowledge is also essential.

Let’s get started by knowing what influencer marketing is in real terms.

Whether you have one lakh followers, thousand followers, or a hundred followers, if you are active on social media and already connect with people, you are already an influencer.

But are you ready to earn as a social media influencer? Well, you need to know what the companies are precisely looking for.

This blog will help you in understanding the right trend too. 

First and foremost, what is the primary need of a company? Putting it straight- ‘selling the products.’

To spread knowledge about its products, a company does various activities ranging from advertisements, branding, word of mouth, door-to-door selling, ads on radio, celebrity endorsements, social media marketing, and many more.

In the very recent past, companies began to realize that instead of paying heavy amounts to the influencers, why not distribute the piece to a thousand influencers active on social media.

The benefits of endorsement to influencers

1. Less budget
2. Variety of ads
3. Diversified reach
4. Running the ads at per own pace
5. Stay within the stipulated budget

Now, companies started to try this concept by reaching out to celebrities on social media.

Based on their profiles and number of followers, the marketers designed the approach and strategy.

For example, a few influencers were offered a gadget and then asked to share its review on their handle. 

Similarly, some influencers were offered a hotel stay and asked to share their experience.

Companies directly provided the products to these celebrities and asked them to share their reviews.

These celebrities were benefited in terms of free services, products, and experiences.

On the other hand, the companies witnessed some fantastic results. And the proof for the same is- 

In 2019, the influencer marketing industry stood at 8 billion dollars and predicted to range between 15-20 billion dollars in 2021. 

Imagine! A good number of people are taking advantage of the influencer marketing industry.

When the brands were asked to share their reviews- they were too optimistic about the results.

76% of the marketers responded to increase their budget in the next year, owing to influencer marketing’s fantastic work. 

The logic is simple! India has over fifty crore internet users, and the brands have realized the benefits of reaching out to such colossal folklore.

It is crystal clear that the results will be unique using these influencers, which is the most economical option.

And it is not only about the money motive, but here are other reasons too:

Why are influencers preferable to celebrities?

Owing to the huge fanbase, the celebrities might not have a strong connection with their audience.

Still, the influencers have a stronger relationship because of a comparatively lesser number of connections. The big numbers might not always bring better results.

Accordingly, one celebrity might not be able to spread the message to a massive group of people.

Still, the influencers are enormous in number- they can spread the word to a more significant number of people.

Another concern remains with the usage and review of the product.

Celebrities like cricketers, actors, actresses might not necessarily use the product.

But the influencers use the product and share their genuine thoughts. 

After having a catch hold of influencer marketing, you should also know about influencer marketers’ types.

Read More:- Top Influencer Marketing Companies (2021)

The influencers who use video content are video influencers. Similarly, there are blog influencers, social media influencers, and celebrity influencers.

But, for a broad understanding, you need to know all of them properly.

Types of influencers

1. Mega Influencer
2. Macro Influencer
3. Micro Influencer
4. Nano Influencer

1. Mega Influencers

Mega Influencers are those people who work through social media channels but have a vast base.

Typically, one million above followers on Instagram, and a similar figure over YouTube.

But, this considerable base comes with a drawback! The audience gets divided here, and the charges of the influencers are very high.

So, every company might not prefer to reach out to the influencers in this category. Also, there is a chance of low engagement.

2. Macro Influencers

These influencers own a base between one lakh and ten lakh people on the Instagram handle and YouTube.

These influencers are most suitable when the message is to be conveyed to a specific group.

Owing to the huge fanbase, the disadvantages will fall here, similar to the mega influencers.

But let’s take an example of suitability here. If a brand needs to convey its message to a group of females, then a mega female influencer can be approached as they are more likely to base.

3. Micro Influencers 

These people are in the highest demand owing to an assortment of factors.

The brands usually prefer to collaborate with these influencers because of the benefits they bring.

The micro-influencers have a following between ten thousand to one lakh. The set of audience is very well defined. 

For example, if an influencer creates content related to travel, the audience will be very strongly connected.

Only the people related to the traveling industry will be found here.

This will be the right choice for the people who want to spread the word about travel.

4. Nano Influencers

They have a meager audience, but this audience is very well engaged. The followers and subscribers range up to five thousand. 

A Nano influencer may charge up to eight thousand rupees, a micro-influencer with around thirty thousand followers may charge up to eighteen thousand rupees.

In comparison, a mega influencer with a following of nearly five lakh people can charge up to seven lakh rupees.

The influencers with lesser following are more preferred because of the low costs and focused audience.

Moving ahead, now there is no need to quote an example when we talk about the social media stars who came from a very ordinary background.

Some people became stars by showing their talent, while many gained popularity by sharing their knowledge.

Just by teaching and educating people, showing their talent, or showcasing their ability, many people from middle-class backgrounds have climbed up the ladder of success and achieved greater heights.

You all might be following, or at least know some faces like these.

Now, I will guide you to let you know whether you are a perfect fit for becoming a social media influencer and how to be the one.

Several people ask me about the successful tips and tricks, but when I ask their reason to become a social media influencer, people reply by saying that they want to have the name, fame, and become famous. And my revert to these people is a – ‘NO .’

If the mindset is restricted to fame and money, then the field is not the right choice for similar people.

You might be wondering what the quality mindset that needs to be present in a social media influencer or an aspiring social media influencer is.

Well, the answer is simple- ‘THE PASSION TO CHANGE LIVES OF PEOPLE.’

If you have this kind of passion, then the field is welcoming for you.

For say, I have the power to teach people about digital benefits. Similarly, some people have a passion for making people fit, while some people have a passion for sharing their knowledge, making people laugh, or educating about technology. 

Are you passionate about people?

Some people consider the job of influencer marketing as real leisure without any hurdles and difficulties.

Truth said- ‘nothing comes easy. And as they say- ‘no gain without pain’!

If you are the one that loves challenges, ups and downs, experiments, uniqueness, and a lot of learning, then this is the field for you. 

The best part is that you have a lot of learning if you have the qualities mentioned above.

And if you are happy with the comfort zone and fixed salary,  then this might not be the right fit for you.

You need to have that passion that will keep you going here. Now, let’s move forward and know about the steps that are required to follow. 

Steps for becoming an Influencer

First and foremost, you need to decide the field and category to be the influencer.

It can be the field you like the most, talk about most, or continuously think about.

You can create your passion into the career, and your career in your passion; the choice is yours.

People often say that I don’t want to become a lawyer or a doctor but an influencer.

Well, the field is open! Even if you’re going to be a doctor or lawyer, you can be the influencer in your domain, giving you the twin benefit. 

Next, find out the domain in which you incline. It could be anything from cooking to sports to technology and digital marketing.

Read More:- What is Digital Marketing and How to become a digital marketing expert?

Think about your favorite topic to talk about or explore. Whether you want to have a career like Juhi godambe, Praveen Bhatt, or Himesh  Madan, it all depends on you. 

Selecting the right platform follows the next step to decide the most suitable platform for your content.

You want to create content with video marketing or video graphics, then the best platform for you is YouTube.

Similarly, if you’re going to move with pictures, then Instagram is the right platform for you.

Finally, if you are fond of words and want to go with the texts, then Twitter is the right platform for you. 

Among so many, you can choose the one. I would suggest that you select one platform at a time.

This will enable a better growing scope. You can select the other platforms later on once you have achieved considerable growth. 

The next step is significant as it correlates with value creation. Here you need to think and work upon the points where you can create something new.

The ultimate objective is to drive the people based on the content you create and your experience.

Another important consideration is to stay realistic here. Don’t make goals that are too high or unattainable.

Being a practical and Nano influencer can help. If you have the most defined content for a specific niche and specific people, you can quickly start earning.

There are many examples over the web where you will see that people do wonders and create some out-of-the-box content just by deploying creativity.

It gives them both money, fame, and kickstart. Eventually, the people grow from here.

Well, the road is not easy. At times you will find people demotivating you about the risks and potential failure.

But you have to keep going. Make sure you don’t get distracted by the people around you.

Big or small, every influencer, and for that matter, every person starts from a point.

You, too, need to create; only then will you have a way forward.  Even if you have a handful of followers, you are still an influencer.

Start teaching people, go for training, teach, learn from google, whatever you do, and make sure you do your best. Build a strong connection with the people and your audience.

Once you reach the heights of success, don’t forget the people who bought you to the top. Stay strongly connected with your audience. 

Since India is going digital, the demand for influencer marketers is high, then why not reap the advantages by keeping up here.

And as mentioned earlier- if you have the passion to influencing people around you, this is the right time. Start from day one!