Influencers are the celebrities of the Internet Age. Whether they’re on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or any other social media network, influencers are heroes to thousands of fans.
These eager fans often want new ways to interact with their hero, see what they’re up to, and show their dedication. Influencers, on the other hand, need ways to monetize their presence on different social media channels and have deeper interactions with their fans.
Thankfully, there are actually a lot of ways that influencers can have deeper, more meaningful interactions with their fans while also creating new monetization opportunities. Here are a few examples of ways for influencers to monetize their social media presence and drive fan engagement.
Host exclusive live stream events on a custom app
Many fans are eager to hear every last nugget of wisdom they can get from their heroes. Also, many fans would like to feel like a member of an exclusive club that rewards their fandom.
Live stream events are a great way to drive engagement with your fans in real time. Putting these live streams on an exclusive platform dedicated to your personal brand not only lets you engage with fans on a deeper level, it can lead to more monetization opportunities.
For example, you could create a “members only” subscription service that gives fans exclusive access to live streams, recorded webinars, and other content.
Add an online shop to your personal mobile app
Adding an online store with a variety of themed or customized products is a strategy that a lot of influencers use, but it’s still worth mentioning here. The important thing is to make sure that any goods you put onto the shop are appealing to your fans and fit in with your brand identity.
For example, what kind of influencer are you? If you’re a motivational business speaker, then some great products to have on your store might include books you’ve contributed to, workplace coffee mugs, motivational work posters, and other workplace-appropriate decorations.
On the other hand, influencers in the gaming industry, such as critics, might see more success with things like custom game controller skins, t-shirts with funny quotes from their most popular videos, and novelty items fans can put in their bedrooms.
One side note: wearable branded items can help turn your fans into promoters wherever they go. Others can see your branded gear and might get curious enough to look you up online.
While these broad selections are a good starting point, it’s important to dig down into your core fan base and learn what really gets them excited and engaged. You might learn something about your fans that you didn’t expect which could influence what does and doesn’t sell on your store.
Which brings to mind another important strategy for monetizing your reach on social media:
Collect data on you fans; the more, the better!
Having detailed information about your fans can tell you who they are, what they like, and why you’re their hero. Knowing this lets you tweak your online shop and even your messaging to draw bigger crowds of even more devoted fans. This is why it’s so important to collect data about your fans.
But, many of the major social media networks don’t give you control or even access to much of the data you need to learn about your fans.
This is where having your own custom fan app can be important. On your own app, you’re the owner of the data the app collects. So, you know exactly what’s being shared the most, which pieces of content are getting the most engagement, and when the majority of your fans are on the app.
Post content around your fans’ own schedules!
If you know when the majority of your fans are going to be online, then you know what the best time to schedule new content such as blogs, videos, and livestreams will be. Posting content when more fans are on your app drives engagement and makes your fans feel like you’re trying to personalize your content around what’s most convenient for them.
Also, if you have advertising on your videos or posts, then getting more viewers equals more revenue generated per piece of content. Of course, it’s very important to carefully consider who you advertise with if you monetize posts and video content in this way.
These are just a few strategies for monetizing your social media presence as an influencer. For more ideas, or help building a custom app to make your ideas a reality, contact FanHero today!
