Team AdfluenceInfluencers have existed long before the term was even coined (Remember Princess Gayatri Devi and her distinctive sense of style?) but the air of mystery surrounding them remains. What do they do all day? How do you become an influencer? Is it as glamorous as it looks?
The hypothetical answers to these questions, while juicy to contemplate, shall be answered some other time. Today, let’s talk about the perks of this ‘influential’ profession and why, if you’re considering becoming an influencer, you should hold onto those aspirations and march ahead on a path that leads to fame, glory, and success.
Perk No. 1: You are your own boss
If waking up at 6 a.m. every day, commuting in an overcrowded metro to a 9-to-5 job, only to eagerly look forward to the end of the workday does not appeal to you, then it’s time to ditch the glass cubicle and switch professions.
The best part about being an influencer is that you can be your own boss. This has several perks – the freedom of a flexible work schedule, the financial rewards that come with business ownership, and the chance to follow your dream. As an influencer, you’re a legitimate entrepreneur and a businessman (or a businesswoman, as the case may be), and you get to leave hierarchy, reporting structures, and ego tussles far, far behind.
A word of advice: Being an influencer is not all vacations, late mornings, and lounging around in pyjamas. Setting up a business is a labor-intensive pursuit, especially during the initial stages. You have to build a reputation with both followers and prospective clients, generate interesting but genuine content, map out a strategy for social media, widen the audience base, network within the industry, and pitch for business. All this demands long hours and consistent effort, so be prepared to burn the midnight oil trying to establish your street cred. Sounds like a lot of work? Well, nothing worth having comes easy but the best part is, all those blood sweat and tears are so worth it in the end.
Perk No. 2: You get paid to express your opinions
Imagine a job where you do what you love and get paid for it too! More importantly, you’re paid to tell the world what you think of a product or service. Stuff of dreams, right? Well, that’s the life influencers live. But, how much money do influencers make?
That’s a difficult question to answer because there isn’t a median salary that we can cite. The top influencers certainly rake in a lot of money, but even mid-level influencers are able to make enough for them to consider doing this as a full time job. That said, the earning potential varies from influencer to influencer, and in addition to monetary compensation, they can also expect perks like free hotel stays, complimentary products, and trial run of services.
Word of advice: While influencers have higher earning potential, making it big as an influencer isn’t all sunshine and roses. This profession does not guarantee easy money. There are a lot of factors that can affect the success of an influencer – their niche, the platform(s) they chose, and most importantly, the content they create to engage their audience. To command a good price for their work, influencers have to be unique and authentic and their content has to resonate strongly with the people they’re interacting with.
Perk No. 3: You get to follow your passion
A wise person once said, “Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life”. Being an influencer definitely puts this wisdom to practice. Breaking free from the shackles of a monotonous day job is exhilarating. Every single day, you wake up and do something that genuinely excites you. You’re part of a dynamic environment where strategies are constantly being tested and you use your skills to add value to a brand’s marketing strategy. Engaging with your audience everyday, creating meaningful content for them, seeing your campaign kick off and be successful, and reaping the rewards of your hard work … every aspect of being an influencer is fulfilling.
Word of advice: Following your passion is hard work and many a times, you have to give yourself a strong pep talk to stay on course. There are days you’ll face rejection, deal with failures, and be held accountable by brands for not delivering results. You will have to be prepared for the lows and take steps to not let them affect you. Now that we’ve discussed the bad, here’s the good. Being an influencer comes with some big perks like fame, exclusive access, a loyal fan base, the opportunity to work with some of the renowned brands in the industry, influencer incentives be it cash or kind and the freedom to do what you love.
A decade ago, very few people were discussing the possibility of becoming an influencer. Today, however, influencers have become a growing, thriving community, and more and more people are looking at it as a viable career option. We’re still some way from convincing parents and society that it’s a legitimate profession, but for those of you bright stars out there, our advice: Live, Learn, Follow Your Passion, Reap the Rewards, and Repeat!
