So you've decided to be an influencer. Or you've at least realized that you have a channel following that might have potential. Either way you are sitting on some money, and in this economy - why not leverage your follower base into some extra cash? The question is, how much cash can you really earn? There are a few main factors that determine the fee's a creator can charge that range from influencer reach, engagement rate, which social media channel you post on, the type of content, and generally how much effort will go into "production". Without further ado, let's get into each...

Influencer Reach: The industry typically breaks out influencer tiers by their reach, as follows;

As you might have guessed, the higher the following, the higher the rates the influencer can charge. Don't let the high numbers intimidate you though, certain channels like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook still pay a pretty good rate at the lower tiers (find average rates by channel below).

Engagement Rate: What % of your followers will interact with your content?

Engagement rates are really a reflection of 1) Relevance (is this post helpful or useful for the audience) 2) Authenticity (does it feel organic and on-brand or is it commercial and the tone feels less inspiring to take action) 3) Frequency (are you constantly posting sponsored content or is your frequency well timed and feel genuinely interesting to your follower base?). People don't like to be sold anything, so do your homework on the partners you work with and make sure it's a product/service that you really believe in and trust personally, because it's ultimately a reflection of you. Pro Tip; smaller influencers tend to have higher engagement rates because they own a niche and command a more loyal base. Brands playing small ball can often outscore home run hitters through thoughtful and efficient partner selection.

Type of Content: Aligning branded content with marketing objectives;

The type of content a creator is producing will have a huge impact on the pricing and the more effort that goes into production, you guessed it, the higher the fee will be based on their reach tier. Time, money, energy, resources, and opportunity cost all factor into consideration when determining a rate structure - so consider all the moving parts that go into the content before negotiating your fees. Last but not least, always align on the marketing objective first and foremost which can help you agree on the type of content to produce. Pro Tip; Can't go wrong with paying for performance and agreeing to % of revenue from sales driven by creator platform through a unique discount code. This helps eliminate any concerns about follower quality and wasted media spend. 

Looking at each channel, we'll break down the tier by the influencer reach tiers for consistency. Depending on the other factors, the fee's can be on the higher or lower side of these averages and remember - these are just estimates based on recent industry data and only meant to guide your research. 

These numbers are all fluid based on market dynamics, past performance, target audience and influencer follower overlap, and more. But now that you have an idea how much you can earn, hopefully you feel educated to have conversations with brand partners and know what the content is worth! Risefluence aims to be your partner in the creator economy and help you understand and unlock what your creative is worth in the influencer marketplace.

*Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered official financial or legal advice. Readers are advised to consult with qualified professionals for personalized guidance regarding financial or legal matters.