Everyone’s seemingly an influencer, but who’s actually making money?
If being an influencer was easy, everyone would do it. Well, seemingly everyone is doing it, but it’s not as glamorous – or profitable – as it sounds.
According to a new feature from the The Wall Street Journal (Social Media Influencers Aren’t Getting Rich – They’re Barely Getting By), racking up millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers does not guarantee massive paydays and a cushy lifestyle anymore. And even if you are striking algorithm gold every so often, it’s not an automatic that you can quit your day job and turn to the Internet full time.
Sarah E. Edelman and Ann-Marie Alcántara spoke to one full-time creator who has over 400,000 followers and averages 100,000 views on his videos. He’s been at it for three years and “ his income last year was less than the median annual pay for full-time U.S. workers in 2023—$58,084, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.”
For every Alix Earle and MrBeast , there are hundreds, if not thousands, of creators failing to hit it big, let alone earn a liveable wage.
Per the article, 48% of creator-earners made $15,000 or less in 2023, according to NeoReach , an influencer marketing agency. Only 13% made more than $100,000.
Those numbers could continue to dwindle. Between platforms clamping down on compensation for content creators and brands becoming choosier about who they work with, it will be increasingly difficult to break into the influencer industry.
ICYMI:
- Live streams for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends: Instagram will now allow users to start a live video broadcast to Close Friends only.
- Put a pin in it: Pinterest users can now share boards to other platforms, like Instagram and TikTok. Three sharing templates will be available – two slideshow-style videos and one static board image. (h/t Lia Haberman )
- Whee, another app: TikTok’s latest app is a photo-sharing app where images can only be shared with friends.
- Some much-needed insight: Slowly making improvements to their analytics, X will soon show users when their audience is most engaged and active on the app.
- Creators/long-form creators rejoice: YouTube announced users can now edit videos that are longer than six hours, something live streamers have been asking for.
LIKE//RETWEET//SHARE//ETC
Napoleon, give me some of your tots (pants).
To quote @realbrookewhite, Ore-Ida ( Kraft Heinz ) and Jon Heder really dropped this just in time for ‘TOT GIRL SUMMER.’ Because time is not real, it has somehow been TWENTY years since Napoleon Dynamite entered our lives and had everyone regularly saying ‘Tina, you fat lard,’ so let’s revisit Preston, Idaho, and explain why this partnership is even better than throwing a football over them mountains:
- Napoleon Dynamite and Tater Tots are the 2004 version of peanut butter and jelly. They just go together and this is a logical partnership that feels like a long time coming.
- Nostalgia is king 👑 Pinning this partnership to the anniversary of the film gave this a timely and relevant hook. Although to be honest, even if there wasn’t an anniversary angle, no one would complain about some tot pants.
- It’s all in the details. From the fist pump to the body language to Uncle Rico’s orange van (or at least one similar), the commitment to recreating the magic of the original movie is there tenfold. It also helps that this was directed by Aaron Ruell, who played Kip Dynamite.
- What made the movie so successful is the same thing that makes the social post so successful: it is highly quotable and highly shareable.
Make it work for you: It’s never too late for a smart idea. The tot-protecting pants would have crushed (see what I did there) two decades ago, but the impact is somehow more meaningful in this day and age where there are more social platforms to blast this on and an entirely new generation of fans who can go out and buy ‘Vote for Pedro’ shirts.
Vogue calls him ‘the best-dressed guy on Tik Tok,’ but that’s not true. Wisdom Kaye is the best-dressed guy on social media and quite possibly the most creative.
Every video the uber talented multi-hyphenate creates is a must-watch, but this one in particular – where he interprets popular fonts into fashion – is striking a chord with his millions of followers. Let’s dive into why it made such an ✨impact✨
- The challenge prompts have become one of Wisdom’s staples, but they just keep getting bigger and better. Why? Because creativity breeds creativity. Wisdom has cultivated a following that is an extension of himself — obsessed with fashion and daring.
- His intros and quick cuts are so. damn. good. From ‘that’s impossible’ to ‘completely and totally pulling it off’ in 9 seconds. That’s how you draw people in and keep them from looking away.
- It checked so many boxes for his audience’s core interests, making the fashion lovers, art appreciators, and typography obsessives join together and share their appreciation in the comments.
- The rewatch impulse is strong with this one. Not only do you want to share it with all your friends, but you also want to go back and take another look at Franklin Gothic (trust me).
- The designer mentions are the cherry on top. They should be jumping into the comments, but regardless it shows off his range and gives them recognition, while also putting himself on their radar (as if he isn’t already).
Make it work for you: Listen to your audience. Respond to your audience. And in a world where minimally produced, iPhone shot footage is rampant, it is a nice reminder that really strong editing and high production value can still deeply resonate and feel personal.
Post of the week
Happy The Bear week to one and all.
(via x/sonyashea3)