One of the biggest things I hear when I tell people that I’m a content creator is “Oh, that sounds like fun!” “You just post pictures and get free stuff or GET PAID? I want to do that!” “I can’t believe you get paid for that” Most people do not know the many roles that influencers play!
Going to be honest – this stuff gets old! After almost 4 years as a blogger and content creator, I know that we wear MANY HATS! Influencers have absolutely revolutionized the marketing industry. Nowadays, influencers fill many roles that were once required in the traditional marketing environment for every ad campaign.
Did you know that influencer marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry? Yes, you heard me right, billions with a B! Business Insider predicts that the influencer marketing industry will be on track to be worth $15 billion by 2022.
Knowing Your Worth
In the past, for marketing campaigns, advertisers would have to hire a stylist, makeup artist, photographer, editor, videographer, content copywriter, AND pay for ad space in a newspaper, TV commercial, or magazine. Influencers have effectively replaced ALL of this for many campaigns! Influencers are able to provide all of these resources to brands, at a considerably lower cost. This is not to say that influencers will ever FULLY take the place of an expert in each of these categories, but rather, that influencers can wear many hats and replace traditional costs for brands.
Mediakix surveyed marketers back in 2018 to see how influencer marketing campaigns compared to traditional marketing campaigns. It turns out that 89% said return on investment was comparable or HIGHER than any of their other channels.
The crazy part? Often times, brands are receiving this amazing return on investment and raised brand awareness for FREE or very little cost. Many brands ask influencers to work for free in exchange for products.
If you’re a content creator reading this, think of all the value you can provide to a brand. When I first started, I did many unpaid collaborations because I thought it would help me build up my reputation as a content creator. If I could go back, I wouldn’t change that. However, I would start providing my rates to brands sooner, once I had “established myself” as a creator. I wish I would’ve really understood the VALUE I provide to brands with my content. You can read more about my journey as a content creator here, but let’s dive into the many roles an influencer plays.
The Roles an Influencer Takes On For Each Collaboration
Marketer/Account Manager
As a content creator, I’m constantly seeking out new opportunities to work with brands. Simultaneously, I’m managing my relationships with the brands I currently partner with.
One of my biggest goals as a content creator is to establish strong relationships with the brands I partner with as well as the PR contacts who often manage campaigns. Because I want to work with brands on a long-term basis, I’m in constant communication with these contacts. I work to provide my content to them prior to deadlines.
Maintaining brand guidelines is a priority of mine. I constantly read and re-read my contracts to make sure I’m within the guidelines requested by the brand, in efforts to avoid a reshoot.
These efforts take time, but they also make me a better partner to brands. Maintaining those relationships is of the upmost priority to me, so I try to really put myself in that account manager role.
Creative Director
For every brand collaboration I work on, I provide creative content ideas to the brand, whether it’s in my initial pitch email or once we’re already chatting. I am constantly looking at Pinterest to get inspired. For many shoots, I even create mood board to determine the creative direction of the content. Before shooting content, I’ll create a shot list so I know what content and deliverables to provide to the brand.
Finance/Accounting
I’m mostly kidding here since financial advisors and accountants have expertise and licenses, but influencers do have to maintain a certain level of business acumen when it comes to money!
While I do pay an accountant AND a financial advisor to help me out, it is important to me to keep track of my own finances as a blogger (click to download my budget sheet if you haven’t already!)
Often times, this looks like going after brands who have not paid me yet when it’s past the due date. As a content creator, I know I have to be my own biggest advocate, and much of that comes from being incredibly familiar with the numbers and payment terms. I am personally MOTIVATED by numbers, using my financial goals to propel my content strategy and decisions for the year.
Of course, it is IMPORTANT to consult a financial advisor and/or an accountant for specific questions related to topics like investing, retirement, and taxes, to name a few.
Law
Similar to the above finance/accounting role, no, I am not an attorney. However, in a similar sense, I do have to advocate for myself as one of my roles as a content creator to ensure I am not being taken advantage of. Reading contracts is just one of the many roles I play as an influencer – check out my tips here!
Like with the above finance/accounting role, it is ALWAYS important to consult an expert when you have questions! An attorney can provide you with the contract guidance you may need.
Hair & Makeup Artist
Of course, hair and makeup artists are incredibly talented and can be a great resource for bloggers on shoots! I know I personally have had my hair done for shoots to make everything a little easier on my end. However, for most shoots, one of my roles is doing my own hair and makeup. And, no while I’m certainly no hair or makeup artist, I am able to get myself ready enough to shoot content!
Model
When I was younger, I always wanted to be a “model.” I think this because I’ve always loved fashion! My parents never allowed it, and even if they did, I would’ve never met the standards required to model at the time as I’ve always been super short at only 5’2″!
In the weirdest way, I am getting to live out this childhood dream? No, I no longer want to be a model in the traditional sense, but I like that I can serve as a realistic model for younger girls. This is one of my favorite things about the content creator industry. In the content creator space, ANYONE can be a model. No more strict requirements about who can and can’t be.
It’s not to say that there aren’t crazy unrealistic standards for beauty out there. There absolutely are, especially in the age of Instagram and Facetune. However, I like that my feed is full of other content creators from all different backgrounds, shapes, sizes, and hey, even heights!
In my time spent “modeling” for my own content, I have come to appreciate the talent required by editorial models. Some days, it is HARD to be always ON, always smiling for photos. There are some days where I feel really insecure, and stepping in front of the camera is the last thing I want to do. But, it has been nice to get more comfortable in front of the camera, learning what poses and tricks work for me.
My biggest tip for “modeling” is to just MOVE! Creating movement allows for your content to be more dynamic and for you to become more comfortable during your shoots.
Stylist
For most fashion shoots, a professional stylist is consulted. However, for my shoots, I serve as the stylist! This is somewhat similar to my role as creative director, as my decisions often align with my goals as a content creator. What I wear in each photo is a VERY conscious decision. Though I don’t consider myself a true “fashion” blogger (my focus is more in the lifestyle space), fashion and style are a HUGE part of what I do and what makes my brand unique.
Since styling is one of my roles as a content creator, I like to use a rental service to select fun pieces for my content. Lately, I have been using Fashion Pass and I absolutely love it! You can use my code EMILY9K for $35 OFF your first month.
Photographer
Photography is something I personally REALLY value. My dad is a commercial photographer who creates editorial content for brands. He is often in a number of roles for my shoots – photographer, videographer, editor, AND creative director. I think hiring a photographer and learning how to use a professional camera can really help you to level up your content!
That being said, I know that many influencers actually serve as their OWN PHOTOGRAPHER! So, not only are they serving in the many other functions I’ve outlined above, but they are also SHOOTING THEIR OWN CONTENT! Pretty crazy stuff. Many influencers opt to use a tripod and bluetooth remote to get the job done. Just another one of the roles influencers play!
Videographer
In the age of Tik Tok and Instagram Reels, many of us have had to assume the videographer role. I was hesitant to start creating video content at first. However, now I see the value and have gotten more comfortable with both Instagram Reels and Tik Tok. While most of us are serving as videographer in selfie mode on our iPhones, it can be a difficult job! Don’t discredit yourself – this is a real skill!
Editor
Like I mentioned, in my case, since my dad is my photographer and he is a professional with over 30 years in the industry, he takes care of much of the editing. In the case of my content, our editing style is pretty minimal – no retouching beyond just a blemish and just adjusting exposure/saturation/etc. My dad will apply the edits for me on the raw (HUGE image files) images and send me the photos. Once I have them, I typically apply a preset and tweak it to match the flow of my feed.
Recently, I have had to dive into video editing! For Tik Tok and Instagram Reels, the editing is not too extensive, but there is a learning curve and it is time-intensive. The time commitment is always something I keep in mind when providing pricing options to brands.
Graphic Design
Graphic design is an area I have more recently explored. In efforts to increase engagement with my Instagram stories, I’ve experimented with some simple designs. These designs are just graphics I’ve created in Canva. For my blog posts, I also create a visually appealing graphic to drive views through Pinterest, Instagram stories, and on my blog homepage. One deliverable I’ve been asked to create recently is a unique Pinterest pin for a branded blog post. This is definitely something that required a little bit of graphic design!
Though my work does not replace the services of a traditional graphic designer, I’ve had to learn the ropes to create the simpler graphics needed for my personal brand.
Content Copywriter
Many influencers are content copywriters without even knowing it. For every single post you create, you likely create a caption. When partnering with brands, there are likely a set of guidelines you must adhere to when writing your caption. Over time, writing captions gets a bit easier, and that is because it is truly a learned skill!
If you’re a blogger, you are ABSOLUTELY a content copywriter. Hubspot states that for ideal SEO purposes, blog posts should be between 2,100 and 2,400 words. If you’re creating even one blog post a week, that is a TON of copywriting (not to mention, editing) you are doing! I always factor this into my cost when pricing out blog posts for brands.
Social Media Expert
Last but not least, social media expert is one of my BIGGEST roles as a creator! I am constantly educating myself about the industry, whether it’s reading blog posts, listening to podcasts, or joining Clubhouse chats with other creatives. In my almost 4 years of blogging, I’ve learned a thing or two about social media, just based off of my personal experience, and trial-and-error.
I believe this is the number one value add I can provide to brands. As a seasoned content creator, I know what posts perform. I have built up a community and following of over 19,000. Every day, I hop on stories, DMs, or in the comments section to chat with my audience. I know my niche and I know the type of content my audience wants to see from me.
My social media expertise is also what keeps many of you around! Especially those of you reading this post 😉 My Tip Thursday series is one of my key content pillars, and something I know my audience values from me. This series would not be possible without my marketing background and degrees and years of learning as a content creator.
Your Worth as a Creator
If you are reading this post and you resonate with even just ONE of these roles, you should consider showing brands what YOU can bring to the table. These roles are the differentiators we have as creators to provide valuable content to brands, in exchange for payment for our worth.
Of course, there are many industry professionals in each of the areas I mentioned that are absolutely irreplaceable and incredibly talented. There will always be value in hiring a photographer, or bringing on a graphic designer, or a videographer. However, influencers are able to provide brands with SO MUCH VALUE in one package! And, this package is often undervalued. I hope this post inspires you to explore paid collaborations and to share your worth with the brands that you partner with.
Are you a new blogger or content creator looking for more resources? Check out these recent posts:
- How to Choose the Best Platform for Blogging
- How to Provide Quality Content to a Brand
- My 2021 Content Calendar
- 9 Blogging Essentials You Need
- How to Maintain Relationships with Brands
- Pitching to PR Contacts (+ How To Find Them)
- Boost Your Instagram Story Engagement
- How to Get Noticed By Brands for Collaborations
- Pitching to Brands as an Influencer (+ real email templates that I actually sent!)
- The Tea on Instagram Giveaways
- Influencer Marketing Platforms to Help You Make Money
