This is how you can become an 'influencer' on TikTok and Instagram and earn a lot of money

By Ananya Mehrotra -

It's easy to think that taking a cool photo to post on Instagram or recording a fun dance for TikTok will make you famous overnight.

The reality, however, is that becoming a user with millions of followers (known as

for their supposed influence over their fans when promoting ideas or products) is not so much about finding a trend to follow as it is about constant planning. and strategy to build a brand from scratch.

Many people don't fully understand the behind-the-scenes work that goes into becoming a full-time

.

Although this career path may seem like a risky, even mysterious lifestyle, there are several concrete steps you can take to turn your passion into your full-time job.

Like all entrepreneurs, successful

always start their careers with an idea of ​​what they are passionate about and the content that best suits their talent.

Talia Lichtstein and Audrey Trullinger knew they wanted to break into entertainment, specifically comedy or late-night TV, so they used social media to create fun videos that allowed them to showcase their talents and work towards their future goals.

Lichtstein, who now has 1.1 million followers on TikTok, is known for her "things I hate" lists and her generally satirical content.

"It all started with the 'things I hate' character and that has evolved, but this character remains at the core of everything I post," Lichtstein explained.

"The people who follow me are mostly there for that and I know that. You have to be aware of why people like you and why they follow you and then keep creating the content that they follow you for," he added.

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His one-minute rants (like the one below) are chock-full of things Lichtstein hates, from boys in tube socks to red nail polish.

And each of them includes a notice that she may not agree with her opinion, but you cannot change her mind.

She will tell you straight up that she likes to fight, so if you don't agree, go for it.

Trullinger turned to his comedic passions on his TikTok account and has amassed 1.4 million followers who love his point-of-view, skit, and story-time videos.

Her dances first went viral on TikTok, but she figured she could use the platform for content she's more passionate about.

For some

, building a brand starts with one or two viral videos that let them know what their niche is and what content they should focus on.

That was the case for Claire-Lise Greve, a Texas

known for her sorority tips that have netted her 944,000 followers on TikTok.

After going through sorority recruiting at UT Austin, Greve saw how difficult the process could be and took to social media to share guidance that helped her find her home in sorority life.

"I was making sorority recruiting videos and they were getting tons of views and I was like, 'Okay, this is something that people respond to, something that younger girls want to know a lot about, so I started doing a lot more about it. , pretty much answering any question I could," he said.

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In this minute-long video, Greve goes over the top reasons you might not get into a sorority, including low grade point average and inappropriate social media posts like alcohol or tobacco use by minors.

What makes these 'influencers' successful?

Jay Baer, ​​author,

, and founder of marketing consulting firm Convince & vinConvert, outlined the three courses of action that work for successful TikTok content creators:

The first strategy is to create an emotion in the viewer.

According to the expert, these are the five emotions that unlock growth on TikTok: 

1. Happiness

2. Sadness

3. laugh

4. Anger

5. Inspiration

The second is to create perceived intimacy.

Baer says that "this happens when the audience feels like they are part of the account creator's life."

That's why you see a much more "raw" production on TikTok compared to Instagram or YouTube.

It feels more real.

The third and last line of action is utility.

Baer explained that “many of the best TikTok accounts are similar to the best YouTube accounts in that they simply answer questions that people have a hard time finding answers to otherwise.”

Baer analyzed the accounts of the

aforementioned

Talia Lichtstein, for example, has seen success because she is able to ignite an emotion (anger) while creating a feeling of intimacy with her audience, while Audrey Trullinger's content also brings out an emotion (laughter). and allows you to create intimacy with your followers.

Claire-Lise Greve relies less on emotion and uses a combination of intimacy and utility to attract her followers. 

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When deciding what content to create, take some time to derive your particular success equation and how you intend to use it.

How will emotions, intimacy, and utility combine to form your brand?

just do it

One of the scariest steps is that first post where you actually make your content available to people.

"Anyone who is interested in the idea of ​​entertainment has to do it," Lichtstein said.

"He already has a camera in his hands, he has the editing software right there."

While it's easy to let the fear of being judged by your peers stop you from posting, the advice repeated by all the

was to simply get started and get past the fear.

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"People around you may put you down a little bit, thinking you're never going to be an influential person," Trullinger said.

Everyone has encountered haters on the internet, even when you've just posted a comment on someone else's Tik Tok or Instagram post.

But you should be prepared that when you are a public figure, you will receive a lot more comments, both positive and negative.

"People will always bring you down and you always have to move on if it's something you really want to do," Trullinger said.

“Try to block out people who are unkind because it's often rooted in jealousy.

Plain and simple.

They would like to have the courage to do so.

Who doesn't want to make a living making funny videos?

How to increase the number of followers

As most of us know, having a natural talent for something doesn't automatically translate to gaining a following or becoming famous.

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"The key to a successful post is creating content that is based on feedback from your audience," said Sam O'Brien, director of marketing at Affise, a company specializing in the use of trackers and analytics to simplify associations between creators and brands.

"That will not only help you gain more followers, but also increase engagement on your posts," he added.

"Hang out on the forums," O'Brien advised.

"When people chat with you in the comments, take the time to really respond. That increases engagement, so you'll get more people following you and more people appreciating you as a person," he said.

This means that staying in the app and interacting with anyone who comments on your content will help you build stronger relationships with people who already follow you and expand the reach of your posts to help you gain more followers.

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Once you have a post or two gaining traction, it's more important than ever to stay intimate with your followers, letting them into your life and making them feel like they really know you.

"If you look at some of the most successful

, one of the things they have in common is that they let their audience in. They're not afraid to be vulnerable. They're not afraid to show their audience pieces of their life," he said. Baer.

"They turn their audience into a community by making their audience feel part of their success," she specified.

It's also important to remember that depending on the app you primarily use, there are different tips for using the app's algorithm to your advantage and increasing your reach.

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According to Shopify.com, here are some of the best ways to grow your following on Instagram:

1.    

– Instagram has been promoting

as a newer feature in the app and you are more likely to show your posts if you create high-quality content.

This is a great way to end up on the browsing page of potential followers.

2.    

: If you use other social networks, such as TikTok or YouTube, you can get more engagement with your posts if you publish them in all your accounts.

This helps you to be seen by a wider variety of people and to increase your following.

3.    

right

: Using popular

makes it easier for people looking for specific content to find your posts and account.

It is important that instead of using many

you make specific choices that help promote your content to your target demographic.

4.    

– Tagging your location helps new followers discover your posts when they travel to that area.

5.    

: Highlights provide a quick way for followers to learn more about the type of content you post and help give an idea of ​​what they might see if they follow you.

If you're just starting out on TikTok, here are some of Shopify.com's top tips for building a bigger audience:

1.    

– TikTok promotes videos based on several factors, including whether users finish watching it.

To increase your chances, go straight to the point in the first two or three seconds.

It should prevent the viewer from jumping to the next video in their queue.

2.    

: Since video completion rates are a big factor when promoting videos, it's much easier to gain views with a shorter one that people won't scroll through.

3.    

– To increase engagement on your posts, you need to post during the hours when your followers are most active.

Look at your TikTok analytics to better understand your audience's activity and post when they're most likely to be on the app.

4.    

– TikTok has a strong focus on audio, so the social network's algorithm will show your videos to people who engage with posts with that same audio.

Using audio that is

means people are more likely to be engaging with that audio clip.

5.    

– Use subheadings that make it clear what your post is about without being too long.

This will capture viewers' interest and make it more likely that they will stop scrolling to watch your video.

How to start earning money?

Coming up with an idea for content may seem like the hardest part of the job, but according to

, what comes after gaining followers is the most confusing and hard to manage.

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Once you have a solid fan base, you are in a position to start making money, and this often comes in the form of brand deals.

is paid to

promote a product or brand on their account.

It is the most common way to start earning money on social networks, but it is not always the most stable income if you do not know how to negotiate a payment that faithfully reflects your value in terms of commitment to your followers.

According to Convince & Convert's Baer, ​​if you expect some of your favorite brands to notice you, you can optimize your account by focusing on increasing your audience size, increasing

, and being clear on your topics of interest.

Having a short and incomplete bio is a common mistake, as brands often use these bios in their search for brand ambassadors.

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Another thing to keep in mind is that even if you think certain jokes or posts get a good reaction from your followers, it doesn't mean that this is what brands are looking for.

"Most brands don't want to associate themselves with

who walk too close to the edge. It's hard because that stuff that's a little edge actually hits with the audience, but you have to remember that for a company to send you a check, She has to be really comfortable with everything she's put out." 

Hire a manager

One piece of advice that all the

emphasized was to find a manager or someone to help negotiate and understand the contracts you are signing.

Both Lichtstein and Trullinger work with managers who negotiate their brands' contracts and allow them to better understand how transactions work within the industry, so that they are paid proportionally to their value.

Trullinger explained that his management company even helps him edit his videos, giving him more time to focus on creating more content and growing his account.

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As an

, it's up to you to seek out a management company if you think it will help your brand in the long run.

Trullinger found that he had a hard time determining the fees to charge brands when negotiating deals.

It was then that he found the management company that best suited his needs.

"If you want to start monetizing, the best thing is to get some guidance. There are people whose job it is to calculate the rates you can charge and they can help you a lot," he said.

Without a manager, he faces the risk of misreading contracts or underselling himself to brands, which could slow down the expansion of his business.

However, it's important to note that managers take a cut of every deal, so if you can't afford to give up some of your profits just yet, it's best to wait until you've reached a larger following and can charge higher fees. tall.

Trullinger had around 200,000 followers when he took an interest in management and found that with his help he could turn brand deals into a full-time job.

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However, with new technology that tracks your analytics, it's getting easier to handle trades on your own.

If you don't have the budget to hire a manager, you can look into data analytics platforms like Affise.

Affise's O'Brien advises creators to look for platforms that show them their analytics and reach so they can expand their opportunities without giving up a chunk of their revenue.

This will allow them to invest their money in other companies and start creating more stable income streams.

"I would go on the side that creators should get more for their money. Find a platform where you can get recurring revenue from your traffic," O'Brien said.

"Start selling to people instead of focusing on brand posts. Focus on selling a product, selling a subscription, and so on."

He recognizes that brand partnerships and sponsored posts are a good way to start earning money, but building a stronger revenue stream and business model is important to building a career.

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You've already started making money, now what?

When you start making money from social media, the revenue can be turned into savings or invested back into your brand.

A big common misconception is that becoming an

is only possible if you are in a position to take risks without having to fully support yourself financially.

Although it can be a risky or unstable career at times, if you start while you're still in college or already have a full-time job, you can grow your following without taking the kind of risk that might be true later on.

Greve explained that while she's starting to make money from brand deals, social media isn't her full-time job, and as she prepares for graduate school, her earnings go into her savings account to help her in the future.

This strategy allows you to keep growing her account without relying on social media for her total income.

[Estimate that 4.62 billion people use at least one of the available social media platforms]

Trullinger, who graduated from college in May, has used her income as an

to pay off her student loans, rent an apartment in New York and pay for her day-to-day needs.

This is how he described the way he balanced his livelihood while starting his new career on social media.

"My parents took out loans, but there are also loans I have myself. I felt really bad depending on them, so the first two years of college I worked as a waitress in my college bar. That's how I supported myself for the first two years. Sometimes when you want to start, you can't drop everything. Sometimes you have to start working 9 to 5, or work in a service or in a store, to be able to support yourself while you grow until you have the opportunity to monetize your content, " Trullinger detailed.

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Gaining followers takes time and it's important to make sure you don't rely on the account as a full-time job until you earn enough money to not only support yourself but to save for the future.

Trullinger had to quickly learn how to manage her finances because, as an

, income can fluctuate from month to month, making planning and saving difficult.

"I decided to look into credit cards, investments and high-yield savings accounts," Trullinger said.

"Every time I get a check, I put 15% of it in a high-yield savings account, so if a month doesn't go super well, I always have that money to fall back on. Plus, since I'm technically self-employed, Every time I get a check I put 25% in a different savings account for my taxes.”

Advise others to take the time to research the best financial options that will work for them if they are serious about building a career in social media.

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Baer advises that they be conservative with their spending, even if the money is going toward building their career.

"No

, unless they are the most important, should assume that the fact that they have been successful means that they will be successful tomorrow," Baer stressed.

"Many people want to be an

and the competition will be fiercer tomorrow than today. You have to operate in the

business as if it were a short-term business," she said.

How to work as an influencer full time

Greve, Lichtstein and Trullinger were college students when they opened their accounts a couple of years ago and were able to pursue their social media careers full-time right out of graduation, creating marketable and sustainable brands centered around their talents.

This is not something that happens to everyone, of course: you may have to do it as a hobby or side job at first and have a job that pays your bills on the side.

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La transición de ganar algo de dinero con las redes sociales a convertirlas en su trabajo a tiempo completo requiere una investigación exhaustiva de las opciones profesionales que tiene a su disposición y de cuáles son las que mejor se adaptan a sus seguidores. Para algunos influencers, esto significa trabajar en podcasts o programas. Este fue el caso de Lichtstein, que explicó que firmar un contrato para trabajar en un podcast suele significar un ingreso más estable y consistente.

"Da un poco de miedo porque es un poco inconsistente. Sabes que puedes tener un mes en el que tienes tres ofertas de marcas que publicas y al mes siguiente no consigues ninguna", dijo. "Necesito un flujo constante de dinero para sentirme cómoda. Supe muy pronto que necesitaría aprovechar mis seguidores en una oportunidad en la que pudiera obtener una paga consistente y eso significaba podcasts y, en mi caso, un programa de Snapchat", detalló.

Lichtstein ha estado trabajando para hacer crecer su alcance a través de un podcast llamado "The Influence" por Doing Things Media, una plataforma que se originó como una cuenta de memes y ahora se está ramificando en otras formas de contenido. También presenta un programa de TikTok llamado "Just The Tips", creado por Fallen Media, en el que da consejos sobre citas.

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Baer también respaldó esta idea de buscar fuentes de ingresos a partir de emprendimientos cuidadosamente elegidos que resuenen mejor con su audiencia. Según su experiencia, aunque muchos influencers tienden a gravitar hacia acuerdos con marcas, programas y podcasts, también deberían buscar proyectos que incluyan hablar en público, escribir libros, crear cursos de formación o vender sus propios productos. Esto a menudo puede significar un flujo de ingresos más constante y ayuda a aprovechar los diferentes grupos demográficos de la audiencia.

"Hay que enterrar lo antes posible las fuentes de ingresos y crear todas las que se puedan", señaló Baer. "Si tiene tres formas de obtener [ingresos], lo más importante que puede hacer es convertirlas en cuatro. Cada forma adicional en que alguien puede pagarle crea menos riesgo en tu negocio", agregó.

Cualquiera puede convertirse en un 'influencer'

Para la mayoría de nosotros, la idea de convertirse en un influencer parece casi inalcanzable: un grupo glamuroso y exclusivo de personas que son capaces de ganar grandes cantidades de seguidores simplemente compartiendo sus vidas a través de las redes sociales. Pero, en realidad, la mayoría de ellos son simplemente empresarios muy trabajadores que buscan utilizar su talento para conectar con la gente.

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Lichtstein was hesitant at first, but now she loves being a content creator and sees that it is an industry that opens the door for anyone to follow their passions and create the lifestyle that suits them best.

"Me gradué en la universidad y estaba buscando un trabajo de 9 a 5 en el ámbito de los medios de comunicación y luego, de forma paralela, estaba haciendo estos videos porque pensé que podría empezar a practicar, y pensé que tal vez en 10 años podría presentar videos para otra persona y cobrar por ello. Fue una mezcla de suerte y estrategia y me volví súper viral el verano después de graduarme. Me costó mucho tiempo convencerme a mí misma y convencer a mis padres de que no tenía que hacer lo convencional. Fue como si me hubiera saltado un paso y tuve algunas dudas a la hora de aceptarlo. Me pareció muy poco convencional, pero al fin y al cabo quería ganarme la vida con el entretenimiento y ocurrió más rápido de lo que pensaba y en un medio diferente del que esperaba", reconoció.

So if you want to do it, you have to work hard.

You need to be out there creating content as often as you can, engaging with your followers and figuring out what works.

Also, the more active you are, the better your appearance on camera.

And you never know where that can lead.