Do you want to start monetising your instagram but have no idea where to start?
Let me help you...
Do I need a big following?
The simple answer is no, you do not need a large following to start landing paid brand deals. There has recently been a big shift away from the typical large 'influencer' to the 'micro influencer'. The main reason for this is that we as consumers are looking for a more genuine recommendation online and we don't want to feel like we are being 'sold' something. Think of it as your friend telling you about their new favourite cafe. You would be much more likely to try it out if they told you rather than if you saw it on a billboard right?
What do I have to offer?
There are a few ways that you can provide value to a brand and therefore be paid. If you have any skills like photography or videography you can 100% use those to start making money online. Likewise if you have an audience(of any size) that trust you and your opinion that can hold value for a brand. Many businesses, especially small start ups, are always in need of both high quality content for their advertising needs as well as help spreading the word on their product or service. Typically brands will offer product for post type deals which is called a contra based deal. These are relatively easy to land and a great place to start. These deals will allow you to build a portfolio and get a feel for what its really like working with brands and achieving set deliverables.
Once you find your feet and are confident in the service you are providing it's time to start turning it into $$. It's important once you start charging for post that you stick to your guns with brands that approch you for contra deals. This is not saying you can't do free or contra post anymore it just means you should be very selective with who you donate your time to. You don't want to devalue what you have to offer. I love helping out small starts ups that I believe in with unpaid posts, however, if a larger company approaches me I will always reply with my media kit.
Here are a few examples of content I have created for companies. Some are contra deals and some are paid posts.
How much should I charge for a post?
There are a lot of variables that effect the amount you can make per post/job in the social media world. Here are some of them;
Your skills/experience
The size of your online following (based on engagement not just number of followers).
The amount and type of content you are going to produce.
Like any job there is no set price list or wage for a content creator. As a rough guide if you have less than 10K followers with a decent engagement rate but you are just starting out you would be looking at roughly $50-$100 per post and $50-$80 per story. Remember these are just guidelines and ultimately your skills and confidence in yourself will determine what you actually charge. A good way to generate more money from a client is to create a bundle so that they are getting more bang for their buck but ultimately you are walking away with more money in your pocket. For example I like to send my flat rate for a post and stories and then offer a bundle of 1 post and 5 stories for x amount.
How to find brands that are willing to pay for content?
My biggest advice to those starting out is to believe in what you have to offer and don't be disheartened by a few no's. Find a few brands that align with your messaging/brand that you know your audience will get behind and send them a message. I like to email where possible as I feel it keeps things a little more professional than sliding into their DM's but sometimes thats all you can do. Think of your proposal as an online resume. You want to introduce yourself, tell them what you do and what you would like to provide for them. I do not add pricing in my proposal email but rather finish with, "I would love to chat further about ways we can work together." This opens the conversation up so you can find out exactly what they would like from you and you can then attach your media kit and begin negotiations. Remember not everyone can afford to pay for social media collaborations so be prepared to have to send a few proposals out before you land a client.
As your following online grows brands will start to find you. The main way that they come across your account is through Hashtags so make sure you are tagging all the relevant tags. There are also some apps like VAMP and TRIBE that simply link to your instagram and then you can directly apply for brand deals throught the app. My experience with these apps is that they can often take a long time to land your first job but once you land one you seem to have more luck. Another way you can find brands to work with is to approach a PR agency or social media management agency. These companies often work with larger brands and with bigger budgets as they have access to multiple influencers.
Content creation is quite a saturated market these days but remember no one is YOU and that is your point of difference. You should have a clear idea of what your niche is before you start to approach brands. For example our niche is travelling family so we wouldn't really work with brands that are selling furniture or large homewares but instead focus on product that bring value to tiny living, travel and beach life.
Remember be selective with who you work with
You have worked so hard to build your online following and your audience trusts you so it's important not to say yes to anyone willing to pay. You need to stay true to your voice or your audience will see right through your ads. My biggest advice here would be to be clear on your deliverables and what captioning is required before agreeing to the contract. For example some brands will require you to sound like an advertisement ie. "Check out this new product form XYZ. It guarantees to help you sleep longer or your money back." I have learnt the hard way that these types of captions aren't real and come across forced. Stand your ground and let the brand know that your audience trusts you and what you have to say therefore using your own words will be much more effective. For example it might sound more like, "Guys! I have been sleeping like a baby since I started using XYZ and I can't thank them enough. If you struggle with sleeping through the night I highly recommend giving it a go. They even have a money back guarantee which is awesome!"
It will be tempting in the beginning to say yes to anyone who is interested in working with you but trust me it's not worth it in the long run.
What's a media kit?
A media kit is basically a resume for digital content creators/influencers. There are lots of free templates on canva that will help you create your own media kit that reflects you and your brand. Your media kit should introduce yourself, give insight into your online reach and your audience demographic. It should also give examples of previous work and testimonials from past clients. Think of your media kit as your sales pitch - why should brands work with you.
It is really important to keep your media kit up to date with things like follower numbers, accurate insights and your best images.
Here are some screenshots from my media kit to give you an example.
I really hope this helps you find your feet when stepping into the content creator world. It can be so daunting. Please feel free to slide into my DM's with any questions you may have!
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