What does an influencer’s job look like?

Seen from the outside, above all, it looks like a dream job! The world created by influencers looks more like an everyday American dream than grey reality.

Do influencers really lead a fairy-tale life? Do they earn a fortune and, apart from posting photos online, simply lie on the shore of a tropical island, sunbathing all day long? Or do they work 24 hours a day, because social media “never sleeps”? And one more question – does experience matter at all?

The birth of an influencer

You have to start somewhere – as in any business, what counts is an idea, hard work and… a little luck – it isn’t that easy to win people over, attract an audience’s attention and build an online community centred on yourself. That is why the initial image concept and keeping up a steady dialogue with your audience matter so much. Battle-hardened influencers are true content veterans and specialists in making an effective impression.

Time and place

Choosing the right channels is hugely important and shapes the nature of an influencer’s “work” in the near and more distant future. Creators usually choose the most popular platforms, such as: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter. Thanks to their fame, these sites gather large numbers of people who could become potential followers, fans or customers!

What matters most is the kind of community the influencer dreams of – when choosing their field of activity, they should consider the subject matter they want to cover and the age group they want to speak to. Of course, a creator doesn’t have to limit themselves to just one platform – every influencer has a different working “method”.

The influencer – the neighbour from your block of flats or a celebrity?

Anyone can become an influencer (we wrote about how to do it here). It doesn’t have to be (though of course it can be) a celebrity such as an actor, musician or athlete – someone completely unknown at the outset can also make a career in this profession. A celebrity whose profile is already popular has a much easier path to taking on advertising partnerships, but as always – that has its pros and cons.

The influencer at an influencer marketing agency

Popular social media profiles catch the attention of many companies. They are waiting for the right advertising partnership, one that will present their products to potential customers in the best possible way. Building consumer awareness is an extremely important part of a brand’s image and translates directly into its profits, which is why companies often entrust the search for influencers to professional influencer marketing agencies, which offer specialist advice in this area. People who agree with the views influencers express and share their way of seeing the world are quick to make product purchases when their idol recommends them. An influencer’s opinion matters, and it is on this enormous importance that international companies, local businesses and the community following the influencer’s daily updates all rely at once. Everyone gains from this arrangement.

What the profession involves

Put very simply, an influencer’s job consists of taking on various advertising partnerships and exerting a particular influence on their audience’s behaviour. The colourful lifestyle of a creator, their interests or views can fit perfectly with the values represented by a whole range of brands. This creates limitless opportunities for “human advertising”, which, alive and personified, reaches the audience in a completely different form from a “dry” advertising message displayed furtively somewhere – one that is increasingly passed over by the eye.

An influencer who becomes the face of one or more brands can count on considerable financial rewards. As a temporary representative of the company, they try to persuade the audience effectively of the value of the brand and its products. An influencer’s credibility in the eyes of their audience is often built over years, but spectacular results don’t always take long to arrive. In this profession, as in life – everything is relative.

Big reach – big rewards?

Influencers’ rates do not always depend on the size of their online community. Great popularity doesn’t always bring great earnings – besides the number of followers, what also counts is how often and how the community reacts to the content published. Within their advertising partnerships, influencers can expect payment for, among other things, publishing photos and giving reviews, e.g. unboxing. An influencer at the top of their game can make a product they recommend just as fashionable, and its sales will rise.

A partnership isn’t always based on cash payment. Companies also send creators full-value, often expensive products, which the influencer shows to their community as a way of “returning the favour” to the company – in this case it is a barter partnership with an influencer that involves exchanging products for an advertising service.

The sums paid for an influencer’s advertising services can vary enormously. Sometimes a single post with a story can earn as much as several tens of thousands of zloty, while at other times the amounts are in the region of a few hundred zloty for a series of, say, 3 posts. The specific amounts are, of course, the sweet secret of the advertiser and the influencer.

It’s not all upsides

Advertising, exerting influence, creating content – a true creator, psychologist and salesperson all in one? Followers’ expectations are not always easy to meet – this can bring stress, or a quick decision to give up a profession of this kind. The influencer is “condemned” to posting regularly, following trends and, at the same time, creating unique content, which for some can be a source of endless experiences and inspiration, and for others too much pressure, uncertainty and stimuli coming from every direction.

An influencer should neither bore their audience nor shock them – they are directly exposed to criticism, which they also have to face (often repeatedly). In this profession there is no guaranteed stability and not much regulation – instead, there is freedom, flexibility and practically unlimited possibilities, steered by the person making the choices – it is up to them how their unique career path unfolds.