It’s not too late to enter the space of influencer marketing or content creation. As your account grows, questions around content monetization inevitably arise. How many followers do you need before you can get paid? What should you charge for your content? How do I find brands that will hire me?
During May’s HashtagMKE Social at Supermoon Beer Company – a Milwaukee-based networking event for area content creators and social media marketers – we invited four special guests to share their insights into earning money from content.
These special guests included Meg of @MilwaukeePhoto, Adam and Hannah of @GettingStamped, and Nick of @Milweb1. Watch JMatt’s interview with each of them to learn more about how you can start making money as a content creator.
Advice from Meg (@MilwaukeePhoto)
Meg is the Digital Media Manager with Discovery World in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is also a content creator with her largest following on Instagram as @MilwaukeePhoto. Watch her extended interview for additional social media tips.
What has your experience with taxes been like?
For Meg, it was an eye-opening experience because she had to completely change the way she thought she was running a business. She recommends talking with a professional who knows what they’re doing. You should also organize the way you lay out your finances, Excel sheets would be one way to do so.
What was your transition to social media like?
When Meg started at Discovery World she was on the education side and spent a lot of time promoting the educational programs offered. There are 10 classrooms that field trip groups are constantly taking labs in. There are also weekend workshops.
COVID changed the dynamics and structure of Discovery World, she was doing a lot of marketing while doing virtual teaching and eventually transformed her 9 to 5 profession. With 9 years there, Meg has a unique perspective that drives content creation in her current role as Digital Media Manager.
When was the first time you got paid for a social media post?
In 2020/2021 companies started reaching out around the time Instagram Reels launched. Brands were ready to shake up their marketing approach. Fortunately for Meg, her content speaks for itself and she hasn’t had to cold call any businesses yet.
She uses two different rate kits, one for bigger brands versus another one for small businesses that she wants to support.
What would you say to encourage a creator to charge?
There are a variety of options to consider with content monetization. You can sign up as a content creator on various websites that connect you with brands; these websites provide your analytics so they can see your followership and engagement rates before deciding whether to hire you or not. It’s also important to engage with your audience.
How can someone get started?
Everyone is different, but you can start by doing background research which will inform you on the direction to take. Treat this like a small business and try to make as many connections as you can.
Advice from Adam and Hannah (@GettingStamped)
Adam and Hannah are a travel couple turned globetrotting family of four known on social media as @GettingStamped and maintain a website (GettingStamped.com) which is built for travelers. Watch their extended interview with JMatt for more insights.
What was first, website content or social media?
The Getting Stamped website was created at the beginning and socials quickly followed. Over the years, more monetization opportunities emerged. We provide a good mix of free content and content for hire. But the paid content isn’t necessarily consumed by our audience directly, it’s sometimes more behind the scenes. They take a multi-faceted approach and try to get at least three ways to profitability with their efforts.
At the core, Adam and Hannah prioritize putting out great content that helps people, that the public wants to engage with. From that, they can generate income through affiliate sales and influencer posts on social media.
What advice do you have for creators just starting to charge for their content?
Read your contract. A lot of pricing can be determined from what the client wants – like exclusivity, usage rights, and deliverables. Consider how much work it is and how long it will take for you to complete the project. What you charge may be different from other creators because of what it’s worth to you. There is no universal price structure.
Your following size doesn’t matter as much as it used to. If you have great content that engages well (especially in video format), you can get as many eyes on your content as creators with big followings. Micro-influencers are a real thing, you don’t need a huge following to get into the game. You can still be successful and generate decent income from your content.
What would have helped you when you first started?
You need to be everywhere. Facebook used to be the only social media platform you needed to worry about. Now, you have to pay attention to what the next thing is. Take your content and put it everywhere, each platform magnifies the eyeballs you get on your posts.
Have a place for your content that you own (like a website or email list), don’t rely solely on having a presence on the big social media platforms.
If nothing else, make sure to grab your social media handle on new platforms. There’s nothing worse than waiting too long and missing out on having the same handle because someone claimed it before you.
Advice from Nick (@Milweb1)
Nick is a business creator who approaches content monetization slightly differently than the average influencer on social media. His business, Milweb1.com, provides custom vinyl banner printing. He has gained millions of followers on social media (TikTok: @Milweb1) by making compelling content.
Watch our extended interview with Nick, especially if you’re a small business owner looking for social media advice.
What does content monetization look like for you?
There aren’t a lot of brands looking to sponsor Nick’s content due to his specific niche relating directly to his business of vinyl banners and yard signs. Instead, he focuses his efforts on product sales. His content tends to be more fun and educational (and slightly salesy) to make sure viewers know what he sells. Taking the time to explain his products while still having fun with it, has been very successful in educating the public on his business.
What’s your advice for getting a product on the TikTok Shop?
If you have a product that can come right off the shelf and be shipped to the customer, TikTok Shop is where you need to be. It can be difficult to get into it, but once you’re in, it can be very profitable. If your product offers customization, like Milweb1, it may not be worth your effort. It’s very difficult to customize products with the TikTok Shop – though, this hasn’t stopped Nick from paving the way and finding workarounds.
Are social media creator programs helpful?
Creator programs have had their ups and downs – Facebook and Instagram have gone away from paying but TikTok and YouTube have stayed strong in getting you some money …if you’re able to produce viral content. It’s tough to create content that’s both entertaining and drives sales, it’s certainly not for everyone but if you can figure it out, you’ll be in a good spot!
How can creators improve their storytelling?
Nick says that he’s still trying to figure it out himself. Each time he does a new voiceover, he wonders how he can make it less salesy and more fun.
One thing to do is talk about your experience as a business owner. Share stories from your bad days and anything realistic from when you started out (don’t fabricate your stories). Show your passion for your product and your business. Nick has done voiceovers where he talks about how his banners and signs are made, how he started, what it was like when he started out, and more.
Giving the history of your business or explaining some behind-the-scenes of your brand doesn’t tend to sound salesy and people love hearing these stories.
What would you do first, if you were to start an account from zero?
For Nick, sometimes he wishes he could just start over because it’s “easier to manage a smaller amount of people.” There’s a misconception that having a lot of followers results in sales and views. The fact is, you could have no followers and still get a million views.
You should try to get enough followers to be able to go Live on a platform (for TikTok you need 1,000 followers). Going Live allows you to connect with people who may choose to follow you. Those who follow you from your livestream are people who care about what you’re talking about.
HashtagMKE Socials
Our free networking events are hosted by JMatt on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. at different venues throughout the city of Milwaukee. Check out our calendar for details on upcoming events. You can also sign up for our e-newsletter to stay in the loop.
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