Well, news flash, online content creation, or influencing gigs, might just be the most lucrative and highest-paying career today. Here is why!
A recent discussion on Instagrammer Eli Mwenda’s platform earlier this week revealed the numbers on many creators’ rate cards. The fashion influencer on Monday night took to his Instagram stories to ask content creators to reveal anonymously how much they charge brands for promoting their content on the different avenues available on Instagram. The aim of the reveal was to sort of streamline the creatives’ payment standards, a matter that has remained inconsistent due to the hush-hush tones surrounding rate cards.
For two consecutive days, different influencers reached out to him and shared their charges in the format of the number of followers, pay-per-story, static posts and reels. Some 115 content creators participated in the reveal, with the discussion gaining popularity among influencers and non-influencers alike.
Here is what it revealed: for as little as 1,000 followers, one can commercialise their posts and earn Sh2,000 per story post and Sh1,000 per static post. Many influencers falling between 5,000 and 10,000 followers earn at least Sh10,000 for Instagram stories.
GLARING DISPARITIES
With 50,000 and above followers, influencers are raking in from Sh20,000 to Sh50,000 per story. Out of the 115 who volunteered their rate cards, only 20 had followers above 100,000, meaning a huge chunk of the creators represented had a little below 90,000 followers. Reel charges were most definitely the highest among all the rate cards revealed.
While the least charge on a reel is zero as some content creators don’t charge for reels yet, the highest charge for it is Sh2.8 million by a content creator with a following of 2.3 million — the average annual salary of an engineer in Nairobi, according to glassdoor.uk. The static post comes in second in charge per influencer. The highest pay for a static post is at Sh1 million by the 2.3 million-followers influencer, and the lowest is at zero for an influencer who doesn’t charge for a static post.
There were some glaring disparities in the charges. For example, an influencer with only 1,000 followers is charging Sh5,000 per story, while an influencer at 145,000 followers is not charging for a story. Another influencer has 1.1 million followers and is charging Sh150,000 for a reel, while an influencer at 800,000 fewer followers is charging the exact same amount.
While some of the influencers are clearly overcharging (for example, an influencer with only 120 followers charging 50,000 for a story, Sh100,000 for a static post and Sh150,000 for a reel), others are seriously undercharging (for example, an influencer at 145,000 followers charging Sh5,000 per story, Sh6,000 per reel and zero for a static post).
Instagrammers Sharon K Mwangi and Eli Mwenda say the huge disparities are informed by a number of factors, including content engagement and sales conversions.
“I mostly charge highly for content that performs best on my platform. For example, I don’t charge for stories but I charge highly for reels,” Sharon said.
Eli said, “I would charge clients from the fashion industry higher versus clients from the car industry. This is because people come to my page for fashion.”
SETTING THE PRICE
Platform followings can also be bought, making brands focus more on engagements and conversions than followers.
“There’s a website called socialblade.com, where brands check on page engagement versus following. Someone with a small following can have a huge engagement than one with a huge following. In this case, they are allowed to charge higher,” Eli said.
Sharon pointed out, “There’s also a difference between a celebrity and a content creator. The celebrity can have the presence but not necessarily the skills to push content, hence less engagement.”
So with all these disparities, what is factored into price charges for the different posts and or platforms?
“I know of a content creator who charges for physiotherapy after content creation due to body cramps after shooting, so for me, one should budget for time, props bought for the shoot and the talent hired for the shoot,” Eli said.
Sharon added, “I am keen on consulting charges with the other influencers hired on the same gig. I also charge international brands differently than local brands due to budget differences in the two markets.”
How, then, do you help your favourite influencer rake in the amounts quoted on their rate cards? Like and share their beautiful content and most importantly, engage with it as much as possible.
And as you toil at your 9 to 5 job, watch out, as content creation may just be a more lucrative and fulfilling career than any other!
This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Zainab Mohammed and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
