We all have our dreams in life. Some of us are good at visualizing them and working towards achieving them, whereas others can be more so daydreaming and doing nothing to take action on their aspirations – but they still have an idea of what they want out of life.
There are many different ways you could go about making money, but this article focuses on one aspect of making a living that also can make you money whilst doing something that doesn’t feel like work.
Some people say how ‘lucky’ they are to have hobbies or enjoy things because they get paid for it, but if you find your true love and passion in life, then it doesn’t feel like work to do the things you love. You’re happy doing them, and so, therefore, it doesn’t have to feel like ‘work’ to enjoy what you’re doing.
The world is changing, and people are moving from jobs they don’t enjoy into ones that they do with ease as there’s a demand for them. There are many different ways of making money in this day and age, so if you want to make more like this, then we’ll explore what it involves.
If you’re a business owner, this article could be the perfect resource for your company or business as well!
What is Influencer Marketing?
How does it work? And how can I get involved?
What are the benefits for businesses working with influencers?
In short, it’s a fascinating way of earning money that is mutually beneficial and allows you to work with someone else in exchange for compensation. It’s similar to affiliate marketing, but they have an audience instead of being connected to brands or companies directly. They can bring attention to you too as a brand or company.
The ‘influencer’ will promote you to their audience via what they already do best: social media! They can write about the product/service, tell their followers why they love it, talk about how great your business is on video, Snapchat, etc. If someone buys something after being referred to you, then they’ll get a commission for successfully persuading influence over their audience.
For example:
1) You can have an Instagram account and take pictures of items you sell. Show the product in use or what it looks like in different settings, tag names, or brands whenever possible – also include the price and encourage people to comment or like.
2) Someone else can do this for you as an influencer and have the same content on Instagram with the same pictures they’d taken at your place of business. They’ll mention your company name in every post and also link it via a username to their personal website/blog so that anyone can follow you.
3) Their audience might be interested in what they have to say or the products they’re selling, so some people will hit a ‘shop now’ button online and buy from your website. The influencer will get a percentage of what you charge for each sale as the referral – this is how it works!
Who can you work with?
Agreeing to this doesn’t just have to be between a business owner and someone else. You could also hire influencers for a job. For example:
1) You could create a company where you’ll design custom products with various images printed on them. You can find influencers who’ve got the aesthetic or branding you’re looking for and send them details of the products. You can offer them a part in designing the product or leave it to them, and then once they’ve finished making your design, they’ll take photos of it – tagging your business name if possible.
2) In exchange for providing free products as compensation, they’ll post pictures on their social media accounts, and followers will get interested in what they’re selling. The influencer can tell them about the products, how much they cost and where to buy them as well – this is referred to as ‘ affiliate marketing. ‘
What are the benefits of Influencer Marketing?
There are many benefits for businesses or individuals working with influencers, here are just a few of them:
1) The influencer’s audience is people who already know and trust the influencer, so they’re far more likely to listen to what they have to say than if it were from a random advert. Even if their followers aren’t really interested in your product, you’ll still reach new audiences that may be.
2) It’s a mutual agreement because you’ll be helping each other – they benefit by earning some money from your business, and you do as well in return. In affiliate marketing, it’s often just one way, where you pay the influencer to endorse or promote your brand/product with no compensation for them.
3) The influencer will be able to show off your product in the best way possible. For example: if you need someone to take a photo of something, they’ll use filters, angles, and lighting to make it look as nice as possible. They can also write about how great the brand is without bias so their followers will see them as an honest authority on what you’re selling.
4) Since they already have a large social media following with trust, they get more authority to endorse products successfully – it works for both sides!
The only problem here is that you’ll need to find the best influencers who are popular and trustworthy and have the same attitude as yours in terms of what you stand for. If they don’t have a similar attitude to your company or brand, it could come across inauthentic and make people feel uninvited by what you’re selling.
What You Need To Know Before Starting
1) Be Sure Of Your Brand’s Purpose – look for people who already have a similar audience that you want to reach. If they don’t, then you’ll be wasting your time with them, so make sure there’s a mutual benefit on both sides.
2) Create A Budget – even if it’s just a rough idea of how much you can afford to give them. Don’t be too stingy or generous either. Remember that influencer marketing is still pretty new, so they might not want to work with you until you’ve been around for a while and have a larger following on social media.
3) You’ll Have To Start Small – even with the most popular influencers, they have to work for themselves and not just take any job that comes up. Talk about the things you’re passionate about and find someone who can relate to you on those terms – this way, it shouldn’t be too difficult to start in Influencer Marketing!
4) Be Patient – if your first few influencers don’t go according to plan, then it’s okay! Take a deep breath and look for more until you find the right ones. Keep in mind that influencer marketing is still new, so even if most people think of this as a new way to make money online, not everyone will be talking about it – but they soon will!
Think about what you’re looking for and try to talk to as many influencers as you can – it’s easier if you have something specific in mind! 5) Be Specific – you’ll need to be very specific and clear about what sort of things you’re looking for from influencer marketing. For example: maybe you want someone to take a photo of your product on an angle that shows its features the best way possible? Or perhaps you need someone who can write a positive review about your brand without bias?
Just think of a few possible candidates that come to your head and reach out to them. If they don’t respond, then that’s okay. Just look for one who does! 6) Test The Waters First – before you start finding the right influencer, start small.
Conclusion
So, there we have it! Influencer marketing is a new but exciting way to make money online that can benefit many aspects of your business. It’s not as easy as just sharing content on social media and then watching the money roll in, and you do have to be very specific with what you need from them to get successful results!
Opinions expressed by AsianBlurb contributors are their own.
Maham Qasim is an English Literature and Economics student at Forman Christian College University with an interest in writing. Maham was born in Pakistan and raised in Saudi Arabia and is now pursuing her education.