Social media is about the people! Not about your business. Provide for the people and the people will provide for you.
Matt Goulart, Founder of Ignite Digital
You've likely heard the term "influencer", but what exactly is it? Influencers are popular online personalities who are perceived as experts in a given field. Most of what they post to their followers is related to this field. Influencing may seem like a job filled with flexibility and positivity; however, there are upsides and downsides to becoming a social media influencer that you should know about before you get started. In this article, we'll go through the skills you need to become an influencer as well as all the major pros and cons of doing it.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| High earning potential through sponsorships, advertising, and brand collaborations | Income can be unstable and depends heavily on popularity and trends |
| Flexible schedule and freedom to work independently | Limited job security compared with traditional careers |
| Opportunity to receive free products, brand partnerships, and exclusive perks | Influencers depend heavily on social media platforms and algorithms |
| Ability to build a loyal online community around shared interests | Exposure to online criticism, trolling, and negative comments |
| Possibility to start part-time and transition into a full-time career | Pressure to stay relevant and constantly create content |
| No formal qualifications required to start building an audience | Privacy concerns as personal life may become public |
The Advantages of Becoming a Social Media Influencer
There are many advantages to becoming a social media influencer, if not many people wouldn't be attempting to do it themselves. While the advantages of influencer marketing are clear to businesses and companies, what are the advantages that make people want to become influencers?
A social media influencer is someone who has built a following on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube and can influence their audience's opinions or purchasing decisions. Brands often collaborate with influencers to promote products because followers tend to trust recommendations from people they follow online. Influencers usually focus on a specific niche such as beauty, gaming, travel, fitness, or education.
Financial Opportunities
While there are a few types of influencers, the main advantage they all have in common is their earning potential. The very best influencers can make millions and even respectable influencers will earn more than a typical salary.
According to ZipRecruiter, social media influencers can earn over $91,000, but depending on your work you can earn much more!
As with every "dream job", though, you have to remember that the top earners are always in the minority. This doesn't mean that it's not possible to make a good living as an influencer, but don't imagine that you'll instantly become a millionaire by creating an Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube account!
@halleykate ♬ original sound - halley
Not all influencers earn the same income. Micro-influencers with smaller but highly engaged audiences can still earn money through sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and partnerships. However, earnings often depend on factors such as audience size, engagement rates, niche, and the number of brand collaborations secured.
Flexibility Over Their Schedules
I think right now, more than ever, there's somewhat of a lack of originality
Jackie Aina, Beauty influencer and content creator
Social media influencers mostly work for themselves, which means they can enjoy a lot of freedom in terms of their work schedule and how they plan the day. As an influencer, you're the boss and can choose how and when you work. Many influencers as well as the self-employed, entrepreneurs, etc. also enjoy these freedoms, which can be even more beneficial if you have other commitments like friends, family, and a life that you'd also like to live.
Job Perks and Benefits
To become a successful influencer, you have to play the game. The "game" is essentially creating a personal brand where your opinion holds weight. Influencers use their "influence", brand, and audience that they develop through content creation to earn money by selling products. In the past, this was done by celebrity endorsements and testimonials, but in the world of social media, more approachable or inspirational people can do the job just as effectively.
Companies recognize this, too, so rather than paying an expensive celebrity to tout their products, they send free goodies to influencers in the hope they'll talk about them on their channels.
More often than not, these pr boxes that you have to talk about are yours to keep. The more popular you become, the more likely companies and brands will send you things to promote and in many cases, you get to keep them even if you don't use them or talk about them. Don't expect lots of free things the second you become an influencer, though. Remember that you need the right tools for the job and work hard at building your brand and channels.
The Opportunity to Go From Part-Time to Full-Time
The flexibility offered to social media influencers over their time means that you don't have to fully commit to becoming one. Instead, you can become a social media influencer on the side, while still working your regular job and earning a steady income. This is great because as your social media brand grows, you can ultimately work less and less on your day job until you make the leap to become an influencer full-time!
Building a Community
Social media influencers get to build a following, which is arguably a huge part of the appeal. As you create valuable, useful, or engaging content, you'll see your audience grow. Influencers need to have a following as that's who they exert their "influence" over. However, it's far less malicious than it sounds. Many influencers enjoy very healthy relationships with their communities who can offer support when things get tough, fight for the same causes, or simply chat about the shared interests that brought you together.
Influencers Don't Need Any Credentials
The skills that influencers need can be developed by anyone without needing to go to college or pay for expensive courses. Influencers don't need any academic qualifications, not even a high school diploma. Of course, you do need expertise. Your expertise in a given area is what gives you credibility as an influencer so if you want to focus on an academic field, then you may need qualifications.
Khaby Lame (known simply as Khaby) got his start from humble beginnings in social housing and then lost his job just before starting his TikToks. From there, he went onto becoming the second most-followed person on TikTok and working with the Italian soccer club Juventus, the Venice Film Festival, and working with Hugo Boss!
The Cons of Becoming a Social Media Influencer
The life of an influencer sounds pretty wonderful. After all, you get to build a wonderful community, share your passions and expertise, and be paid or given free things for doing it. However, it's not all fun and games and while becoming an influencer may appear exciting, there are many disadvantages and challenges are part of it. Here are a few of the drawbacks of becoming an influencer.
Job Security
When you work for yourself, you won't have as many protections against unemployment. Every entrepreneur will warn you of these risks. If the work dries up, it's up to you to keep the money coming in. If a company or business changes how they want to do things and that no longer involves using you to create content promoting their products, there's not much you can do.
Of course, you can always create work contracts, but even these will only apply for a limited time. Endorsing products and creating content online means that you won't necessarily earn a regular paycheck, either. Many TikTok influencers were fearful that their jobs would be eliminated due to the app's ban on January 19, 2025. Fortunately, for both creators and users the ban lasted only a few hours, but the app's future in the US is still unpredicted.
@bbcnews TikTok has gone offline in the US, hours before a new law banning the platform was due to come into effect.#TikTokBan #TikTokBanUS #US #SocialMedia #Ban #DonaldTrump #BBCNews ♬ original sound - BBC News
Income Instability
Generally, the bigger your audience or brand, the bigger your earnings. That said, certain niches pay better so you could earn more with a smaller audience in a more lucrative niche. However, within your area of expertise, a larger audience will often result in higher earnings, which means a large part of your job will be chasing trends and having to do popular things rather than just because you want to do them.
While many influencers do enjoy freedom over how they work, they also have to have their ear close to the ground and regularly work on becoming more popular. Not all influencers make similar money. How much you earn as a social media influencer depends on how popular you are and how wide your audience reach is. The more users you can reach with your videos and posts, the more businesses will be willing to pay because they'll see a better return on their investment. However, if your popularity declines for any reason, it's likely that your income will also take a significant hit.
Social Media Influencers Are at the Behest of the Platforms They Use
Social media influencers get most of their business through their social media platforms of choice. This means that if the platforms decide to work against you, suddenly become unpopular, or something happens to your account, you could end up in trouble. Many social media influencers mitigate this risk by having several accounts across several platforms, but even then, they'll likely have accounts that are more popular than others and wouldn't want to lose them.
Mental Health Challenges
If you've spent any time on the internet, you're probably aware of how awful certain areas of it can be. The biggest downside of doing anything online is the comments and abuse that come from having a public online persona. If you build a good community, there'll be people who have your back, but that won't necessarily stop the trolls from posting horrible things. Before you become a social media influencer, remember that this is always a possibility and sadly, something that every influencer has to deal with.
Privacy Concerns
The loss of privacy is one of the less-obvious aspects of being a social media influencer. As an influencer, you have to share large parts of your daily life as you connect with your audience. Openness can help build trust and authenticity, but it also blurs the lines between your personal and professional lives. The more popular you grow, the more followers will become curious about your private life, location, or relationships. This attention can become intrusive, so influencers need to be careful about the personal information they share.
Do you think the pros of being an influencer outweigh the cons?
Essential Skills and Qualities of Influencers
Social media influencer is a newer kind of career and while there aren't any formal requirements, you need to have what it takes to become an influencer if you want to enjoy any kind of success. The most important thing for a social media influencer is that they communicate effectively. This goes beyond speaking, too. You have to be able to write effectively. Influencers have to be creative, too. They need to constantly come up with ideas for content and posts, creatively solve problems, and attempt to predict what the next big trends are going to be.
Social media influencers or content professionals need to be relentless, too. Social media platforms require users to post regularly, but so do most audiences. You need to keep your followers interested in what you're doing with lots of content, but you also need to listen to them to ensure you're making the right content for them.
Becoming a successful influencer rarely happens overnight. Most creators spend months or years building their audience, improving their content, and understanding platform algorithms. Consistent posting, audience engagement, and adapting to new trends are essential for long-term growth.
If you're interested in becoming a social media influencer, learning more about marketing, branding, and content creation can help you build your audience more effectively. A private tutor can guide you through topics such as social media strategy, video editing, and digital marketing. On Superprof, you can find experienced marketing tutors who can help you develop the skills needed to grow your online presence.
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Do celebrities hire social influencers who pretend to be that celebrity?
Hello Steven, thank you for your comment! That would depend on each celebrity and what they decide with their management team. To learn more about influencer marketing, contact a Superprof tutor today!
hey thanks for the help
You’re welcome, William! We’re happy you enjoyed the article!
Thank you for yor help
Thank you for your help. I hope you will be a popular influencer one day.
all good jennie tried my best
Hey guys! Thanks Hailey for the help and also like the article! Good work. :)
Hi Kayden! Thank you for the comment and support! We’re glad you enjoyed the article!