[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The world of the “Instagram Influencer” often get a bad wrap. We see them all over Instagram, people who post stories, videos and content promoting a product, offering you a discount code, or telling you to swipe up to order. Unfortunately, a lot of these people end up being called out for not working or being questioned about whether or not they have a real job. I have to admit this is kind of hard for me to see, hear and read about because as someone on the INSIDE I can tell you that Instagram influencers 100% work and that there is A LOT more involved in being an Instagram Influencer than what meets the eye.
My goal is to break it down for you in a way that helps you have a better understanding of how much these influencers actually do and why those haters should STOP IT!
Influencers have to be CONSTANTLY available
One thing about being an Instagram influencer is that the concept of 9-5 does NOT exist. The days of clocking in and clocking out and ignoring your phone are a thing of the past for them.
Most influencers rep and work with brands that are international. Why does this matter? It is imperative for the influencers to be available at times that work for their contracted advertisers. Say for example you live in Arizona like me and work with Skinny Tea? Well they are based in Australia! Therefore, HELLO time difference! This means that the influencer has to be available crazy early in the morning or REALLY late at night to manage communication between them and the client.
Rules, Rules, Rules
The second thing about being an influencer is that the amount of rules that have to be followed is crazy. Between privacy laws, sponsored rules and regulations agreed upon between them and the client it is pretty crazy! There is A LOT to know, and even more to make sure you pay attention to.
Here is another BIG thing about the rules that Influencers have to follow is taxes. Sorry I know that is a scary word but it is an important one. All influencers are technically self-employed so they therefore get 1099’ed by every single client they promote and get paid by. Even if it is product in exchange for promotion and not money, they still have to claim it. If you are a bigger influencer you may end up dealing with quite a few clients all at the same time and therefore being informed about tax laws is really important.
Influencers excel spread sheet like a BOSS
If you are an influencer there is a 99% chance that you have some killer excel spreadsheets. Why? Between coordinating what clients you have, when you get paid by them, when and how often you have to post for them, specific links associated to your account with them as well as whatever your specific “code” is for them, there is NO shortage of things to make sure you have documented.
Client Management and PR Skills need to be on point
When it comes to being an influencer there is a TON of client communication you have to deal with daily. I think it would be safe to say that the term influencer is equivalent to the job title “brand rep specialist” or something fancier if you want to go there. I myself am an Influencer (ultimately where my “Instagram Influencer Coach” title came from) and ill speak about this one from my very own first-hand experience.
I deal with anywhere from 5-10 different brands every single day. Some days it’s about coordinating upcoming posts we have scheduled, some days it is about discussing payment for the posts, and some days it is simply relationship management type conversation. What is important to note about this is that when you are dealing with so many different people every day it is crucial to be able to know who you are talking to and to remember what your relationship and agreement is with them. It is a full-time job managing so many different people every single day.
Also, have to make sure this one is known. Not every day is a GOOD day when dealing with so many brands. Public Relations is a field I personally had a lot of experience in when I started working on Instagram so that really helped. However, having the ability to put out fires if things go wrong, talking clients off the ledge about the Instagram algorithm and having the ability to communicate with them when their ads success isn’t what they expected, is a MUST! Influencers who don’t have these skills at first, very quickly end up having to learn them!
How good is your business sense?
One thing that is often overlooked when you think about an Influencer is the fact that most of them either have some sort of business degree or marketing degree. If not, they basically get one while learning on the job.
Navigating the financial mind field of being an Influencer is really hard honestly. There is a big catch 22 between wanting to make money, but also needing to make sure that you don’t under sell yourself and the value that your page can provide to them. There are a lot of brands who want a screaming deal and don’t want to have to pay for it. In addition to that side of things, it is equally important for the Influencer to make sure that they understand the platform of Instagram as it is. There are a lot things to navigate that matter when it comes to how much they can sell ad space for (see my blog article about SFS and L4L which are super important when it comes to page growth).
In general, being an Influencer is a 100% a full time job. There is no 9-5 and there is no corporate office training that can teach you how to do it. It is a hands on experience that is really something I have loved every second of being a part of.
I also LOVE teaching people how to be a part of this world. If you are ready to jump into that world and monetize your Instagram presence then jump over to my membership page and see which works best for you…lets get started![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]