So you’ve finally arrived.
You’re a bonafide social media influencer (or micro influencer) but…. where’s the money?
Can influencers make money or is that a pie in the sky dream?
You thought you’d already make money by now… but… where’s it at?
You’re not alone.
Influencer Marketing 101
(The Struggle is Real)
Lots of influencers and micro-influencers are in the same boat.
Making money with influencer marketing is the new dream.
Build a blog.
Get a YouTube subscriber base.
Grow an Audience.
Gain Instagram Followers.
Be a Bazillionare.
But you may have experienced that fact that when influencers make money… it’s not that simple.
So you took action, you grew your audience… now what?
Where’s the Bazillion dollars?
You thought there would be more cash at the end of the rainbow, right?
I feel ya.
I never thought I’d have the traffic I do on this site and hopefully it will continue to grow.
BUT, I definitely believed monetizing would be much, much easier.
Get traffic.
Get Sales.
Make Money.
Done.
Truth be told, the traffic is way easier than the monetization.
That’s the way it was sold to me years ago when I googled “how to make money with a blog“.
Apparently, most the easy money I read about when I started was either a myth or the days of easy money died out long ago.
Maybe you have a blog like this you want to make money with, but maybe you don’t want to plaster ads everywhere and ruin the user experience.
Besides the obvious pain to your audience, Google would eventually downgrade your rankings if the user experience was bad.
Or maybe you already plastered ads but you’re still not making an real money.
Perhaps you’ve grown an Instagram brand and now you’re a bonafide Instagram influencer.
Your influencer marketing is done, right?
Of course not.
What good does that influence or micro-influence do if you don’t make money?
It just becomes an empty exercise of the ego, combined with a little false hope.
The ego is fed by every extra follower or reader you get and the false hope comes from thinking things like “If I just get 100 more followers” (or 1,000 or 10,000… or 100,000)… then I’ll make money.
Where does it end?
At some point all that traffic and influence must be leveraged into income, otherwise you’re just wasting your time.
You might as well be playing a video game, watching shark tank, or sitting at a sporting event.
Heck, those options would all be cheaper and easier than growing your brand.
Of course, they wouldn’t be as fulfilling.
They wouldn’t fire you up in the morning.
They wouldn’t make an impact on the world.
You see where I’m going, right?
Being an influencer is more than just earning a living from your passion.
You’re making an impact!
Whether you impact 10, 100, or 1,000….
You have the ability to change lives!
But at some point, wouldn’t it be nice if this little thing you’ve got going could pay the bills?
Better yet, what if you could monetize to the point that it paid the bills AND there was money left over?
That’s what this post is about.
I’m going to share with you one of best ways to monetize your personal brand, whether you have 1,000 followers or 100,000+.
It’s not a list of 89 random ideas posted just to have the highest number for clickbait.
When influencers make money using this strategy it can grow disproportionately to your brand (and even help build your brand)
This post has the potential to change your entire model and monetization strategy, but you may have to throw off some of the things you think you already know.
It can help you leverage the work you’ve already done and turn it into a healthy side hustle income.
Before we dive it, let’s define a few things.
What Exactly is an Influencer Anyway?
At it’s basic level, the type of influencer a person falls into comes down to the number of followers they have.
These levels are not completely agreed on across the board.
I looked at a few articles and charts before writing this and the numbers were all slightly different.
But here are some rough guidelines to get us started.
Nano Influencer: 1,000- 10,000 followers
Micro Influencer: 10,000- 50,000 followers
Mid-Tier Influencer: 50,000 – 500,000 followers
Macro Influencer: 500,000 – 1,000,000 followers
Mega Influencer / Celebrity: 1,000,000+ followers
As of this writing, these numbers typically refer to Instagram followers, but if you have an audience (or plan to) and that audience listens to what you have to say, then you are indeed an influencer.
You could classify yourself using the same numbers if you’re inclined to like rankings.
For example, if you have a podcast that 15,000 people listen to on a weekly basis, you’re definitely an influencer.
By these numbers you would be a micro-influencer.
You may not show up on a social media influencer list, but you know the size of your audience and you know what they like.
Believe it or not, you can leverage that into massive financial income and success.
Anywho… we have defined the categories of influence in the world of social media.
Now let’s talk about how to monetize that influence and your brand so you can be highly profitable.
How Do Influencers Make Money (Usually)
Let’s start at the beginning.
This will be beneficial whether you have an established brand or you’re just starting out.
There are a few traditional ways influencers make money.
In this section I’ll discuss the most popular monetization strategies and look at the potential downfalls of each one.
Then, we’ll look at the often overlooked influencer marketing strategy with the highest profit potential.
Let’s get started…
Brand Ambassador
This is number one on my list because it’s typically what every influencer is shooting for.
In the ideal brand ambassador deal, you have found a company with a brand that matches your unique audience.
That company agrees to hire and pay you as a brand ambassador with (preferably) an extended long term contract.
Problem #1: You probably became an influencer partly for the freedom. Now you find yourself signing a contract with certain legal requirements.
You’ve basically become an independent contractor. Now you work for your sponsor.
The more they pay you, the more they own you and the more you need them.
Tough but true.
Problem #2: It can accidentally lock you in and cap your income.
What if you sign a long term contract because you need the money and you’re sick of not being profitable?
Next thing you know, something goes viral and your audience 10x’s in size.
Hypothetically you should be making 10x the money but good luck convincing a large company with big money (and an oversized legal department) to renegotiate your contract before it expires.
Sponsored Posts
This is often seen as the first step to big money as an influencer and the first deal can be exciting.
You grew your audience, they listen to your recommendations, and for a fee you agree to review or promote a product or brand.
The larger your following, the larger the companies that want you and the more you can earn per post.
Why? Because big companies have deep pockets.
If you can get $1,500, $2,500, $5,000 or even more per sponsored post, you can live a pretty decent lifestyle by most standards.
PROBLEM #1: The issue with this strategy is that as an influencer, you are a content creator.
You like to create content.
You’re good at creating content.
You may not want to do lots of promotions… but you may need to for the cash.
On top of that, your audience may get tired of you always promoting various products.
For the sponsored post strategy to work, you’ve also got to be able to sell and convince companies to pay for your sponsored posts.
After a sponsored post has been created and promoted, that income goes away unless you can get another contract.
This method doesn’t provide long term income or even stable income.
It creates a glorified job.
You have a job to do, you get paid.
You’re more like an independent contractor who will always be working just as hard to make money as you are producing content.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just create content and let the money come in and grow automatically?
Stay with me, I’ll get to that.
Affiliate Marketing
This is how most influencers make their first bit of money.
Affiliate marketing just means that you promote a product or service using an affiliate link.
When a person clicks on that link and orders the product, it is tracked by a computer and you get a commission.
There is usually a simple process to get approved.
Since companies don’t pay you until you produce a sale, it’s less risky for them and they can afford to have as many “influencers” as they want doing affiliate marketing.
Problem #1: Affiliate sales can be difficult.
Everyone is selling the same product and competing with each other so you better be good at marketing and possibly at funnel creation.
Problem #2: It takes many, many consistent sales to create long term sustainable income unless you’re in a niche with high priced products.
If that’s the case though, you’re going to be working harder to get each sale.
Problem #3: Affiliate companies can change percentages or discontinue programs at will.
We’ve been very selective with the affiliate programs we’ve offered here at wealthanize.
We’ve only worked with reputable affiliate programs we thought would be around forever.
But guess what, at some point almost all of them just discontinued the program without informing us.
We noticed when the checks stopped.
Here’s what that looks like and how it happens.
- You find a product you believe in and that fits your audience.
- You create a bunch of content (hours and hours) with links back to the product which you earn affiliate commissions from.
- You start getting paid and keep optimizing the content for more views and clicks.
- You suddenly stop getting commissions.
- You call the company and the response is either “Oh, we discontinued that program” or “we changed the commission structure”.
It sucks!
The worst part is, you either have to go back and find every link just to stop sending traffic to them or accept the fact that you are now lining their pockets but it’s too much of a headache to turn off the traffic flow.
Additionally, if they are software companies (like many of the highest paid affiliate programs), they will continue to get paid on the customers you sent them for years into the future (maybe decades).
Just be extremely careful.
It’s so easy to create affiliate programs and just as easy to shut them off once there is momentum in the marketplace for that particular product.
We’ve always been selective about our affiliate content but since we’ve been cut out of the deal multiple times by reputable companies, we rarely sign up for new programs.
It’s just not worth it.
Digital Product Sales
If you’ve got a good relationship with your audience, this can be an extremely lucrative thing to do.
In fact, I would suggest all influencers eventually have their own digital product.
Your followers already love you.
They will pay to learn a topic from you even if it’s offered elsewhere in the marketplace.
We don’t have one yet, but we eventually will.
With digital products, you have full control of the creation of the product and also get all the profits.
Plus, nobody will ever shut you down.
If you create a $50 product and sell 10 per month, you make an extra $500 a month.
Problem #1: It takes a long time to create a good, solid, professional product.
Problem #2: What if you don’t sell any or sell very few?
All that time creating the product was wasted (could be 6-12 months or more).
The Biggest Influencer Marketing Industry
In a minute, I’m going to explain a little known secret strategy that top influencers make money with.
This money comes from a VERY large industry.
Let’s look at some exciting numbers.
The richest sports franchise (the NFL) hit a record year in 2015 when they brought home a record 12 billion dollars in revenue (CNN).
The industry I’m about to introduce you to is the largest industry in the world and because of that, it pays out the most.
This industry hit record revenue in 2015 as well when they brought in a whooping 183.7 billion dollars in revenue (ZNSFT).
That’s 15x the revenue of the NFL.
73 billon dollars of that was paid out in revenue to influencers!
Just in case you’re wondering, that’s 6.1 billion per month.
Put another way, it’s 201 million dollars in revenue paid out to influencers every single day – 365 days a year!
Now… those influencers make money!
Somebody’s got to make that money using this strategy, let’s see if it would work for you.
Best Influencer Marketing Strategy to Create:
(BIG – Consistent – Reliable – Recurring Income)
To make this strategy work, you’ll need to think outside the box and be willing to be flexible.
The strategy is this:
You use your audience to launch a drop shipping sales organization with multiple tiers.
This is the best and highest paid influencer marketing strategy I know of.
This industry has changed quite a bit over the years and must be presented in in the right way.
It all comes down to making sure you’re professional in how you’re communicating.
Plus, it pays VERY, very well.
To easily explain how it works if you’ve never heard of it, it’s kind of like starting a franchise without the physical buildings.
It’s like having a virtual franchise.
Every person you get started is like another franchise location if you owned a franchise.
You earn money on all their sales…. and all their peoples sales…. and all those peoples sales…. forever and ever in perpetuity (as Mr. Wonderful would say).
Let’s look at some of the benefits of this model when paired correctly with your brand or audience.
Unpacking This Influencer Marketing Strategy
#1) Choosing the Right Product
If you choose a health and wellness company, most people in your audience will be interested either in some of the products OR in the business itself.
Whereas, a physical product may only interests a few.
This increases your potential customer base (within your audience) and increases the probability of sales.
#2) Give Your Followers What they Want
Many of your die hard fans and followers would jump at the opportunity to work directly with you.
Also, you can increase their loyalty to your brand by giving them a financial vehicle to change their life forever.
#3) Professional Presentation
Often what turns people off to the industry is the way it’s presented.
Your audience already likes you, so you can present however you usually do (professionally, aggressively, humorously… whatever your normal style is).
You already know what resonates with your audience.
#4) Working the Numbers
As mentioned earlier, industry is extremely large and you’d probably be surprised to learn how many of your followers are already involved to some degree or another.
Chances are there are already people in your audience who have been in this industry before and they believe in the model already.
They would be excited to go down this road with you.
There’s also a great chance that they would rather work with you than the company they are with.
People are loyal to people, not products.
#5) Influencers Are Pre-positioned for HIGH Income
Earning big money ($100,000+ per year) in this industry takes less work than you may be thinking.
The biggest earners in this industry typically launch by enrolling 40-50 people (or more) as business builders in their first 90 days.
They help train those people and also go on to enroll more.
Obviously, the more people you have the more money you make.
It’s like the difference between fishing with 1 pole and fishing with 50 or 100.
These 30-50 people working together create momentum that compounds very quickly.
Since you already have an audience, you have a unique opportunity to really maximize the compensation plan.
The compounding effect & power of momentum can’t be overstated nor can the fact that you earn income based on how many total people are in your organization.
To put it in perspective, it grows exponentially and can take on a life of it’s own.
We all have a bit of a better understanding of exponential growth because of the coronavirus.
But most people still don’t quite understand the power of compounding and exponential growth when applied to business or finance.
#6) You’re Already Positioned for Worldwide Growth
You can get teams going all over the country (and the world) because as an influencer, you aren’t bound by the normal distance conundrum.
You don’t need to build locally.
Your audience probably spans the globe already or at least different areas of the country.
I know when I look at my data for this site, I’m always surprised by how many readers I have in various parts of the world.
So How Much can Influencers
Really Make doing this?
Traditionally, I’ve seen local influencers create large, substantial monthly incomes very quickly.
By local influencers, I mean people who have influence in their local community.
People know them, like them, and trust them.
People join them because of who they are… not necessarily because of what they are doing.
This business model is just starting to scratch the surface of what can be done on a large scale.
It’s less than 100 years old and was born before the advances and connectivity of modern technology.
Now that there are people with audiences, reach, and influence that spans the globe, you can truly create a worldwide business organization.
There are usually 8-9 ways to make money and they all build on each other.
So the further you go and the bigger your organization grows, the more money you make.
The income possibility is off the charts and way better than how average influencers make money using traditional influencer marketing strategies.
That’s because the efforts of you and your team begins (and continues) to compound over time.
It’s like the well known story of a penny.
Would you rather have a million dollars now or have a penny that doubles every day for 30 days?
Most people say a million buck now…. but if you double a penny for 30 days, you end up with over 5 MILLION DOLLARS after 30 days!
That’s the power of compounding and exponential growth.
As your organization grows, you have the potential to reach tens (or hundreds) of thousands of people.
You can earn residual income off all the products being drop shipped through your entire organization.
It 50 years ago, if you were making money as a top earner using this business model, you were probably making over $100,000 per year.
Now, there are so many $100,000 a year earners it doesn’t mean anything.
In fact, if I could list out every person you know I would venture to believe that one of them has (or currently is) making a substantial income from this industry and you just don’t know it.
Most of my friends don’t know how much I’m making.
They weren’t really interested so I took my message online and am helping people who are.
The point is, $100,000 a year is a lot for an influencer to make…
but it’s barely a blip on the radar in this industry.
If you want to stand out, you need to be making at least $10,000 per week in most compensation plans or you’re not even considered a high earner.
To put is in the words of our CEO… “You can make whatever you want. I have paid people $100 a week, $1,000 a week, $10,000 a week, and over $100,000 a week. It’s truly up to you.”
You heard that right, $100,000 a week in commissions off of the sales volume of thousands of people….
Again… exponential growth and compounding in action.
This concept is is really hard to explain in text, so if you have some interest, I would recommend watching my detailed video on how it works.
The fact is, for a very small investment (under $200) you could start your own team, try this out as an influencer and see how you do.
Worst case scenario: It costs you $180 or so, you get some good product to try, & then decide you it’s not for you.
Middle case scenario: You create a decent income ($1,000-$10,000 per month) while taking healthy supplements.
Best case scenario: Your audience helps you build an empire, you earn $100,000+ per month or more, and you improve your health with some of the best all natural supplements on the market.
From a risk vs. reward standpoint, there are few (if any) business models that can compete with the this business model.
There are definitely no better monetization options for a social media influencer with a following (large or small).
It’s the Best Way for an Influencer to Make Money
Think about this when comparing the ways influencers make money.
There are leaders in this industry who do over a million dollars per month in commissions!…
and what’s interesting is, if you’re not in the industry, you’ve probably never even heard of them.
Realistically, regardless of how big your following gets, ask yourself if it would even be possible to earn a million a month off the other influencer marketing strategies.
Sure, you may launch a high ticket item and make a million bucks one month.
But I’m talking about a million a month… each and every month for years and years.
Lifestyle Influencers in This Space
If you’re new to this business model, you can read about the top industry influencers here.
These influencers all helped many people build an empire with them.
Most of them didn’t have the benefit of the internet.
It’s the team you build that causes exponential growth and profitability.
It’s the only business model I know off that offers true financial (and time) freedom.
It’s a lifestyle business on steroids!
The more people you personally help (either customers or business builders), the more money you make.
The more product your business organization moves, the more money you make.
The more people you help make money… the more money you make.
It’s the best business model ever!
On top of commissions, you also get rewarded with extra bonuses for building a successful team.
Our company offers $50,000, $100,000, $200,000, $300,000, $400,000, $500,000, & $1,000,000 bonuses to influencers like you who build large teams.
Those bonuses stack (you can earn them all and they are on top of the regular commissions I’ve talked about).
The company also offers lifestyle trip bonuses such as luxury cruises and luxury trips around the world.
Remember, if you can influence 40-50 people, you’ll likely be high earner.
I mention all of that just to help you understand that there is big money in this industry.
And, it’s not salespeople that make the most… it’s leaders and influencers who can build a tribe and help others be successful.
It’s you doing what you’re already doing but getting paid better for it.
You may already be selling for somebody else (sponsored posts, etc.), why not spend your selling bandwidth on something that can pay you much better?
What do you have to lose?
How Do I Get Started?
If you’re an influencer and this is something you want to explore further, I encourage you to contact us and set up a phone appointment.
I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have, plus I just like to talk to people who have landed on our site.
Most driven, ambitious people I work with like to pull the trigger quickly.
They take action and then figure it out as they go.
The thought of slowing down to talk on the phone is not going to happen with some people… usually it’s the right people with the right mindset.
If this is you, you can get started with us for under $180.
Right now, as I’m updating this post, we have free enrollment but it will be ending soon!
We love working with people who want to build online!
That’s what makes the most sense to us and we want to build a team that can be the leaders in online business building.
You can learn more and apply to work with us here.
It’s only a few years old at the time of this writing and it’s just starting to have the explosive growth typical of this business model… so right now is the time to get going.
Just look at what these leaders and mega influencers from the financial sector have to say about what we’re doing…
When 3 people with this much financial expertise say these things, you know the company is positioned well.
It’s also 100% debt free and privately owned.
This company is not well known yet.
That’s a great thing.
Rarely do I sell this hard in my articles, but as a social media influencer, you’re in a position that gives you a distinct advantage.
You can inform your audience, monetize your brand, and benefit in real time as the company becomes mainstream and well known.
I believe this company will be the Mary Kay, Avon, and Pampered Chef of the health and wellness movement.
Most people forget that the companies above are direct sales companies.
There are distributors at the top of those organizations getting paid (and getting paid well) when product moves.
Can you imagine if you had started in one of those companies years ago and built a massive organization of hundreds of thousands of people?
Now is your opportunity to do that in the health and wellness space.
Not many online influencers are utilizing this business model yet.
There are a few, but it’s not yet common.
That makes is an incredible opportunity.
I imagine it will only take 1 influencer who builds a huge income and recruits others before it starts catching on as a legitimate strategy.
If you want to get started and give it a shot, you can join us directly at the link below.
Get Started Now.
You must order at least 80 points of product to be eligible for commission (and free enrollment if it’s still going on).
After joining, I’ll give you a link to our quick start launching guide so you can be up and running quickly.
We’re here to help you succeed.
The better you do, the better we do.
That’s the beauty of the business model.
Live Boldy & God Bless,
Jason & Daniele
