If you’re serious about being an influencer, it pays to treat your content creation as a business. Whether you’re working as an influencer full-time or are leveraging your channels as a side hustle, consider taking a business approach to your content generation. We’re sharing some influencer business tools and tips you should consider.
Tips to set up an influencer business
Ready to get your influencer business started? Here are some tips to turn your content creation into a legitimate business.
Create an influencer business plan
Every business, no matter what its product or service, needs a business plan to be successful. A business plan is a road map that your business will follow to be successful. This document should include:
- Executive summary: What your company is and why it will be a hit.
- Company description: Explain what problem your company solves.
- Market analysis: Explore the industry and identify your target customers.
- Marketing and sales: Report on ways to increase your exposure.
- Finances: Present current and future funding streams.
A resource to help: Write Your Business Plan, Small Business Administration
Register your business
To formally set up a business, you may need to register it with your state government. While it sounds daunting, there are just a few steps to follow.
Pick an influencer business structure
There are a handful of different business structures, but influencers usually pick between a sole proprietorship or an LLC.
A sole prop has virtually no setup process. It’s not registered with the state and doesn’t offer liability protection.
An LLC is registered with the state and does offer limited liability protection, which safeguards your personal assets in the event of emergencies, like being sued or going bankrupt.
It’s a good idea to speak with an attorney and an accountant to help you select the right influencer business structure.
Pick a name
What do you plan to call your business? It needs a name. If you plan to run a sole prop, your business name can be as simple as your legal name. If you want to pick a different name, you can file a DBA, or a “doing business as” so the IRS knows the business belongs to you.
If you plan to set up an LLC, you need to make sure your name is available in your state. No two businesses can have the same name. Most states have a business name directory that you can check.
Register your business
Sole proprietorships aren’t registered with the state, but LLCs are. You’ll likely file forms known as Articles of Organization. This short form, which can often be found on the secretary of state’s website, asks for basics like the company name, address, owner, and point of contact. Once approved, you have a legitimate business.
A resource to help: Guide to Register Your Business, Small Business Administration
Have contracts ready
As an influencer, one of the ways you’ll generate money is by working with brands and endorsing products on social media. You’ll need an influencer marketing contract.
Whether you supply a contract or the brand does, the following components should be included in an influencer marketing contract:
- Description of work
- Deliverables
- Deadlines
- Payment and terms
- Ownership of work
- A non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
When you use an influencer marketing platform like The Creator Marketplace®, you can create listings for your services and set your contract terms directly in the platform. You can also update your contract if needed to revise the time left to complete the order, the number of revisions and the price of the listing.
A resource to help: What’s the Best Content Creator Platform?
Create a media kit
As brand collaborations unfold, you’ll need a media kit. Think of a media kit as a visual resume that showcases your content, previous partnerships, and KPIs like your engagement rate.
After working with a brand, update your media kit with new examples and job descriptions.
A resource to help: What to Look for in an Influencer Marketing Platform
Tools to use to help your influencer business
Running a business is no small feat. To help, every small business relies on a series of tools to get tasks done. Here are a few to try:
Influencer marketing platform
To find brands to collaborate with, join an influencer marketing platform like The Creator MarketPlace. Here, you’ll create a profile that highlights your work and gain access to Casting Calls, where brands call on influencers to help them with a specific campaign.
Social media scheduler
As an influencer, you should create a fresh stream of regular content. Rather than manually scheduling posts, consider using a social media scheduler like Buffer or MeetEdgar.
Editing tools
It’s rare for an influencer to snap a photo or video and share it straight from their camera roll. Usually, there’s a bit of editing involved. Whether you tweak the exposure, add text, or use a filter, editing tools can help you generate unique content.
Try VSCO or Adobe Express.
Bio link tools
Most social channels give you limited space for personal bio links. If you want to share more than just, say, your blog, you can use a bio link tool like Linktree or SeedProd that serves as a mini landing page with multiple links.
Becoming an influencer is about more than snapping a few pics, it’s a personal business. Use these tips and tools to take your influencer marketing game to the pro level.
