‘I worry about the world of influencing and content creating… I just feel like there’s only so much you can do,’ said Maddison Lynn, the latest influencer to quit the industry for a ‘normal’ job.
Struggling with an inconsistent schedule and feeling like she was ‘losing brain cells’ making content full time, she decided to deprioritise social media and get back on the career path she left for it two years earlier.
Maddison boasts 502,000 followers on TikTok and 21,000 on Instagram, but switched posting seven days a week for a standard nine-to-five as a social worker, which she says gives her more ‘purpose’ and makes her feel more ‘fulfilled’.
‘I wholeheartedly believe that influencing will put you so out of touch,’ she said in a recent video. ‘It’s overwhelming, the consumerism. How many products can these influencers keep putting out there? What is the longevity of this?’
Sammy Albon, 32, also gave up influencing after becoming disillusioned with the lifestyle. He and his twin brother, Niki, started their YouTube channel in 2013, and racked up hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
This earned the pair hosting work at The BRIT Awards and the CBBC Official Chart Show, a BBC Radio 1 podcast, and the chance to travel the world. They’ve also interviewed everyone from then-Labour leader Ed Miliband to Daniel Radcliffe.
‘My golden era of influencing was 2016, so you had top talent like Zoella and Alfie Deyes creating this image in mainstream media of “wow, these teenagers are earning millions of pounds from their bedroom”,’ Sammy tells Metro.co.uk.
‘Actually, you don’t often have holidays, you’re often working unsociable hours, or you’re trying to be reactive to tentpole moments happening on the internet.’
These days, he works as an influencer strategy lead at creative communications agency PrettyGreen, saying he realised when Covid hit that content creation was no longer what he wanted as ‘the persona [he’d] crafted online was at odds with who [he] was.’
Although he didn’t make the change solely due to money, and doesn’t wish to go into too much detail about his finances, he says he’s making more money now than he did at the peak of his influencing career.
‘I’m much more financially secure in full time employment than I was as an influencer,’ adds Sammy.
According to Scott Guthrie, director general of the Influencer Marketing Trade Body, being an influencer can be lucrative, but you need to find your audience and make the most of it.
He tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Successful content creators are those who can bring their communities and expertise with them into different revenue streams. Mrs Hinch reportedly earned £7million in the last three years from her influencer work, but also through TV appearances, book sales, and her supermarket home range, for example.
‘You don’t need to be a top-flight creator like Mrs Hinch to earn a living as a content creator. But it’s wise to diversify income streams to limit risk exposure and to seize opportunities like selling subscriptions, earning from tipping, selling courses, creating new products, or moving inhouse as a content strategist or creative director at brands.’
Sammy agrees, arguing that capitalising on additional skillsets offers the best chance of longevity in the industry.
‘From partnerships to creator-owned brands to traditional presenting, there’s just so much capability now of making sure that you’re earning revenue for what you do,’ he explains.
According to Sammy, it’s also important not to get too ahead of yourself before embarking on a social media career; authenticity is vital.
He says: ‘I think the best content creators are those that have stumbled into it and not from the outset thought, “here we go, I’m going to be a full time creator.”
‘Stick to your niche. Follow your values and what makes you you. Also, own your value and make sure that you’re working with agencies or brands that trust your creative process.’
How much can you make as an influencer?
According to a study by Maddyness, influencers with between 1,000 and 100,000 followers earn and average of £1,021 per month, while mega-influencers with over a million followers average at £11,050 monthly.
However, only 4% of the 2,000 surveyed in the research claimed they were able to live solely on their influencer income.
Given the average UK salary comes in at just over £2,913 (before tax and other deductions) it’s understandable many prefer to diversify their income streams over and above content creation.
Not everyone heeds this advice, however, as vice president of creator integration at BENlabs, Mark Bassett, 38, can attest to.
Having working in the industry for over 15 years – ‘since the days when influencers weren’t even a thing’ – he’s seen his fair share of successful (and not so successful) content creators. What sets the two apart tends to be how seriously they take the role.
‘I’ve got an arsenal of tales,’ Mark tells Metro.co.uk. ‘Like the time a creator passed up a million-pound deal because they didn’t fancy a trip from Brighton to London. Or the young influencer who lost a highly confidential USB at an exclusive event, a mistake costing them £100,000 and a permanent blacklist.’
He continues: ‘Influencers are essentially entrepreneurs. They’ve got this innate drive for innovation, constantly thinking of new ways to monetise, engage, and expand their reach… It’s a lifestyle that’s glamorised online, but behind those perfect Instagram shots is a grind of 12-16 hour days, brimming with hard work, skill, and a dash of luck.
‘Success in this field is a blend of talent, strategic insight, and sometimes, just being in the right place at the right time.’
Mark believes it’s definitely a viable career for those that have the tenacity to make it. Elsewhere, though, there are roles within the influencer ‘ecosystem’ like managing, editing, and tech developing.
Since the world of influencing is going nowhere fast, content creators also have a unique insight that can be put to work in the world of PR and marketing after they hang up their ring light.
Sammy adds: ‘I think it was a hugely invaluable experience for me, and I wouldn’t be as successful in my career now without it… What I bring to it is like “I’ve done it, this is what influencers want”, and “I’ve worked in agencies for four or five years, I know what the brand wants.”
‘It’s really helped me develop my strategic mind for influencing.’
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