Social media has rapidly evolved over the past few years. Facebook and Instagram is no longer just a place to share your pictures, memes, or funny videos. Social media has become a tool for people to have full-time careers. In fact, it has created new job categories like digital copywriting, app development, and digital marketing. But the most interesting new career opportunity that has been created by social media is social media influencing. Thousands of people are now using their social media accounts to market different products to their followers. This is what social media influencers do. Lisa Nicole is one of those influencers.
Lisa has always enjoyed doing her natural hair. Since the age of 11, she says that she has styled her hair herself and by the age of 13, she had made it her hobby. Wanting to help other women embrace their locks and show them how to style and maintain their hair, she created her Instagram page, LisaLovesCurlsLocs. On her page, she likes to share the different hairstyles she's created, motivational quotes, and fitness tips. But like any other career, being a social media influencer isn't as simple as it seems.
"When I first started," Lisa said, "I had no clue how to create a Video. I didn’t even have an Instagram account. But, I watched a lot of YouTube [to learn]. And then, the amount of work you have to put in. It’s another job. I have two Instagram pages, FaceBook, Pinterest, & Tik Tok. So I’m constantly doing hair, photography, advertising, and posting. "
Lisa juggles a full-time job working at an alternative high school, being a mother to her two children, and being a social media influencer, which is like having a second job. Despite all of her responsibilities, Lisa says that she finds the energy to create content because it's her passion. She loves that being an influencer allows her to connect with people all around the world. "I like finding out things I have in common with people I would never guess," Lisa said.
Her passion for creating content lead her to turn her social media into a business. With the rise in popularity for social apps like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, brands now seek out content creators who have a decent following to advertise their products. They typically try to find someone who has a strong presence in a particular niche. In Lisa's case, she dominates the beauty world. She partners with hair care companies, skincare brands, and even athletic wear lines. She has promoted products for blissful.journey, mellowcosmetics, athiaskin, zesica.official, among others. For the promotion on her page, she receives financial compensation (the amount varies depending on the brand) or products from the company.
Lisa hopes that someday she can turn her passion into a full-time job. Making a career out of social media influencing is entirely possible too! According to an article at foxbusiness.com, the average social media influencer can make $30,000-$100,000 per year through promotions. Influencers with over 1 million followers can even make over $100,000 per sponsored post. It might seem like you need hundreds of thousands of followers to make a profit but even "nano-influencers" who only have a few thousand followers, can make about $30,000-$60,000 per year with the right partnerships. So, if you have a passion for a particular niche, like Lisa does with natural hair care, and are dedicated to your craft, you can make a career out of being an influencer!
For all the women who want to take the plunge and become a social media influencer, Lisa says that you should just do it!
"Keep motivating yourself to be your best self. Don’t let anyone or anything stop your dreams. The sky’s the limit when you have dedication. "
Instagram: @LisaLovesCurlsLocs
Photos: @prescient_photos
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