There are a lot of kids out there that are currently telling their teachers that when they grow up, they want to be an influencer. Astronaut is out: influencing is in. Some parents might lament that but think about it. Astronaut takes decades of education and physical preparation before you can so much as enter a rocket, has no mid-tier options, and pays well but only to a select few. Influencing, on the other hand, is just a freelance marketer. It can come with or without fame, depending on how you do it, has a clear path to success, is open to anyone who can do it well and allows for integration into many different career paths.
So how do you get started? What are those magic first moves that a teacher should point their student to, to get on the affiliate ladder? Take a look at our suggestions for first moves.
What kind of influencer are you?
When you think of influencing, you might think of big names like Tana Mongeau, PewDiePie, James Charles, etc. The ones that flip-flop between wanting their privacy and showing up at the Met Gala. Depending on what kind of person you are, the fame aspect might delight or horrify you. If it delights you, read our “build your following” section of this page. If it horrifies you, still read that, but there are options to do it while keeping your privacy.
There is the Dream approach, where your face never appears on camera and the focus is the content you’re making. Depending on your niche it can be easier than you think. This approach lends itself well to crafts, and film and game analysis, for example, but it might take some workarounds if you’re looking into commentary or reviewing clothes, etc.
Choose a niche
This all feeds into the idea of choosing a niche. You don’t need to niche right down or resort to a gimmick to succeed, but you do need to offer your audience something that they don’t get elsewhere. That can be authenticity or brutal honesty, a polished high-quality appearance or a gritty DIY approach, interesting topics or editing or a sparkling personality with great insights. You might focus on local reviews and issues to gain a more loyal audience or come up with your own niche.
From there, you’ll need to determine your demographic, which leads us to the hardest and most underrated part of affiliate marketing and influencing: the data.
Build your following
Data is invaluable as an affiliate marketer and it’s going to dictate how successful you are in this industry. Consider reading up on social media data and even taking a course in it. You need to understand your audience, and the best way to do that is with data. There is engagement, but that is a loud minority. You want to target the silent majority too. Use your social media presence to analyse who is engaging with your content and create a profile. From there you can target elements of this demographic that will respond positively.
Make your money
Nothing more demonstrates this need for data like the fact that your income will be directly affected by your following numbers. Typically, affiliate marketing programs grant commission based on a “Pay per click” program, and the barrier to entry for how to get one of these affiliate deals is a total subscriber/following count. You can find affiliate programs at the bottom of a lot of retail and casino sites, plus Instagram has installed a matchmaking feature for affiliates and affiliate managers.
But there are other ways to make an income. Various forms of crowdfunding are an option. Look into sites like Patreon that allow subscribers to pay a fee for some extra content, and despite its reputation, OnlyFans is a good option for this as well, even with above-board content. Live stream chats allow your audience to put in their two-pence for a fee and make donations just because they fancy it.
And there is merchandise. It’s easier than you think to get started selling items that show that your fans are out and proud about loving you. It can all be done through a third-party company like AwesomeMerchandise.com.
Conclusion
These are some of the basics, but remind your student that getting into influencing can take a lot of different avenues – and it’s a lot more business than red carpet stops. They might want to take up a creative vocation to help make content, but take a business management class to really know what they’re doing.
If you’re interested in gathering some more affiliate and social media marketing insights, take a look at our blog, or for a more personalised approach, book a free call with a member of our team.
Or, for advice that comes from industry peers at the top of their careers, take a look at the content from our Elevate Summit. Over 14 hours of content are available featuring advice from talks, panels, and workshops for you to gain all the best advice.
