Let’s Be Honest About the Influencer Market

Photo Credit: W. Eric Snell, Sr.

When you read the word influencer, what comes to mind? What do they look like, sound like, offering to you, and what’s your initial reaction? Some of you may have thought of a pumpkin spice macchiato wielding blonde woman offering a discount code for the next diet fad. Others may see something completely different. Perhaps you want to see you – and you are who I’m writing this article for.

Frankly, years ago, I pictured the blonde woman offering a discount code because that’s all that was posted up on my social and mainstream media. While I’m not against anyone’s hustle, discount codes for diet culture and underwear promising to remove toxins from my body wasn’t my thing. In turn, the first time I was called an “influencer,” I almost lost my entire shit. I was and on special occasions am, anti-influencer but I am that girl. Ah, contradictions, come hug me.

Quick Facts About the Influencer Game

Whether you hate us or not, influencers are everywhere. After all, influencer marketing is a $21.1 billion dollar industry. And can I tell you another thing: A lot of us aren’t being compensated our worth. I’ll be frank: My first REAL year of influencing was less than a McDonald’s employee yearly salary, but my face was plastered everywhere. Depending on where you search, that number looks like $30,000 yearly but according to ZipRecruiter, the average United States social media influencer makes $57,928 yearly and New Yorkers like me in the game is on average of $63,375. I’d argue that this ‘average’ number doesn’t factor in gender identity, race, body composition, neurodivergence, religious beliefs and subdivisions that may have a cult following like being a momfluencer or a running athlete – like me. If you are a subscriber to the Washington Post – sorry, I don’t have an affiliate code, y’all – you can see a bit of transparency from two handfuls of influencers in this article. I’ve gone to enough industry events to know that most people are inflating the hell out of their numbers in conversation and crying about their finances in private. Conversely, since the birth of Threads, I’ve read my share of commentary from influencers breaking down their strategy, how they made money, lost money, paid taxes and more. Of course, there’s an occasional self-proclaimed guru but I don’t advise anyone to buy a $1K internet guide – sorry influencer bestie. Some of us, including myself, are willing to share some tips and tricks for little to no cost, but as entrepreneurs, everything isn’t always free. We’re not gatekeepers; we are charging for our time, expertise, back research done on our own and possibly will share resources with you as we evaluate your strategies.

Photo Credit: Adam C. for HOKA

A Really Long but Informative Rundown

1.      Numbers mean everything and nothing: Al Gore’s Rhythm – or algorithm – is the first thing we’re yelling about on social media platforms. Frankly, I think it is a bit rigged at times because, yes, these platforms are a business too. Beat the “system” by figuring out how to lead with passion and remaining grounded. This means use this opportunity to experiment with thought processes and flows until you create things that make YOU happy. Numbers matter but fuck them numbers, too. Things to consider:

a.      Would you make this content for free if there was no incentive?

b.      Do you feel entertained, inspired, educated, or empowered by your own work?

c.      When the like/heart meter isn’t going up, what does your comment section look like?

d.      Are people saving your videos?

e.      What does your inbox look like?

f.        Are you interacting with your followers, so they know there’s not an android doing all of the work behind the screen?

g.       Are you providing a blend of content that’s relevant, useful, and relatable?

2.      Yall not gonna like me but it’s okay: Some of y’all aren’t that interesting. Lemme explain before you wait for me while I’m on a training run. You are interesting to someone but are you factoring in your target audience. Better yet, consider these things:

a.      Are your videos and images the same thing every single day?

b.      Are you trying to engage 25-year-olds with commentary appealing to an older market?

c.      Do you even KNOW your target audience? Hint: It’s not E for Everyone. Everyone can like one thing from you but not EVERYONE is your audience, understand?

d.      Are you industry jargon heavy? For instance, are you using acronyms for every single video or caption? Can a newbie listen to your video or read your work and not feel overwhelmed?

e.      Are you asking for feedback and reading the constructive criticism coming in?

f.        Are you taking too much advice from strangers and now your work is unrecognizable to you?

g.       Are you seeking visual or written perfection and neglecting the fine details?

h.      Are you too structured? Like honey, are you so calculated that you feel like a warning label for the newest drug on the market?

3.      Videos and Imagery: Maybe you have something powerful to say but you’re missing that special sauce:

a.      Can we wrap up 3 minutes into 60 seconds?

b.      Can we benefit from a few long form videos in the bunch without worrying about the numbers?

c.      Did you add a hook at the beginning of your video? A content hook is something that will keep your audience’s attention and sparks curiosity. And it doesn't have to be clickbait. This gives your audience an understanding of why they’re here instead of doom scrolling.

d.      Are you ALWAYS selling something? People aren’t stupid. Don’t underestimate the people who are following you. Your most loyal followers will want to support you either financially, emotionally, professionally or a blend of ways unimaginable. But here’s the thing: They don’t want to feel like they’re always interacting with a business. I don’t care what the company that hired you said: Everyone doesn’t want to feel like they are either dodging a bill collector or about to open up their pockets EVERY TIME they see you.

e.      Do you have signature content and a few experimental wild cards? For a while, I created an unhinged, informative, and unorthodox “get ready with me” style series that was born from my neurodivergence, mental health and love for fitness. This signature series went on for close to a year and was an instant hit on my Instagram and TikTok. I created the series because I was depressed and knew other people were probably going through similar feelings. What did this accomplish? I was able to educate my community about a specific topic, showcase companies that I was working with, took interest in or wholeheartedly love and entertained them with all of the over-the-top dialogue that I usually suffocate my family with. I am revisiting this series soon. If you haven’t figured out your “signature,” remain curious and test out different techniques. When you find it, ask yourself if you want to give it a shelf life or make it a staple.

f.        Can I see and hear you, boo? Crappy lighting and sound are enough to turn people off.

g.       Accessibility: Consider using descriptions for your videos and adding in captions. Captions are helpful to hard-of-hearing people (correct me if this is politically correct terminology) and those who prefer watching your content with the sound off. Additionally, if you’re placing music in your videos, please give credit to the artist AND if you’re talking over it, reduce the volume on the background music. We want you to shine and compliment the artist.

h.      Incorporate B-Roll: Sometimes we need to break our videos up with some old-fashioned B-roll. Incorporate other elements like what you’re looking at, the environment and maybe something off script.

i.        Behind the scenes: Hold onto your bloopers and process. You can make great content with this stuff, especially on slower days.

j.        Everything is content: Stop overworking the process. Maybe the video is literally a 15 – 30 second video with a powerful message.

k.       Tell me a story: I want to know who you are behind the screen and why I should give a damn about you, not the influencer or your job description.

         i.      Here’s a video from my marathon finish as a back of the pack athlete: Example One

         ii.      Example Two: My honest thoughts about content creators/influencers

         iii.      Example Three

l.        Give people permission to be your internet friend and confidant. Here’s an example of how I want people to feel around me: Internet Bestie, Let’s Swim Together.

m.    Amplify someone else: Main characters know how to support everyone else in their production.

n.      Don’t be afraid to have low engagement – it’s not the end of the world. My version of low engagement is not your version of low engagement.

o.      Take a break – maybe you’re overproducing and burnt out. Your audience loves a well-rested creative.

p.      Learning photography and videography are essentials beyond having a well-lit room. Hint: You can do a lot with a decent camera phone if you know composition, the rule of thirds and how to fill up the frame.

q.      Collaborate with others and share the stage. While on vacation in Toronto, I met up with some internet faves and we did a group workout. I collaborated with them, and my audience loved seeing us together. I was able to enjoy our time in real time and edited it later on when I had a chance. Another example of this stemmed from a random thought that popped in my head after my friend and podcast partner, Martinus Evans, asked me to take some photos in his Slow AF Run Club line.

r.        Find another way to amplify the brands that you work with. I am in a year partnership with HOKA and while this is not a sponsored post, I genuinely love their products that I naturally promote them without trying. I tagged the companies of where all of my items came from and didn’t leave my audience in the dark on how to copy this look. P.S. I’m not a fashion influencer.

s.       Don’t be afraid to talk directly to the camera. This may take some people time to do but experiment with your voice and remember to breathe.

i.      Example One

 ii.     Example Two

iii.    Example Three

t.        Give people instructions: What do you want them to do with your video or image? Do you want them to follow you, answer a question, provide feedback – say that.

Wrap it Up

Honestly, there’s so much more that I can share here but here’s some essentials in under 2000 words. If you’re interested, reach out to me. Let’s chat and explore your strategy, brainstorm some concepts and if anything, have a conversation with someone who understands the highs, lows and nuances that exist in this space. Remember, the influencer market is old and new at the same time. Give yourself grace – you deserve to take up space here, too.

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