The question that I’m asked over and over and over again is “how do you make money"” and also “how much money do you make"”.
This Influencer industry is one of those that doesn’t have a “typical” or predictable annual salary like some other career fields or jobs. Like many creative industries, the income potential varies dramatically.
There is a lot to cover here so I’m just going to dive right into my 2 main streams of revenue: Contracts and Affiliate earnings.
Since signing with an agency in 2015, my contract breakdown is about 90% provided by my agency, and 10% self-pursued. A contract with a brand can vary widely and can be as simple as a few Instagram stories for a flat rate or can be an ongoing long-term contract with a variety of deliverables for a flat rate. A birds-eye view of what the contract process looks like (again, this is shared from my perspective as a creator, and I’m sure a marketing professional would have a more thorough take on this):
A brand wants to pursue an Influencer marketing opportunity. Brand hires an agency to run the influencer marketing program. Agency reaches out to talent management agencies or directly to the influencer. Talent management vets talent to create an ideal partnership between brand and influencer. Influencer agrees (or if it’s not the right fit, declines) and the contract is developed. The influencer creates content and sends it to the agency for lega...