Can Influencer Marketing Platforms Help Brands Find Creators And Help Creators Get Paid?
For some content creators it can be a struggle to get compensated for their hard work and generating free and valuable content on the regular. Most social media platforms have incorporated tipping, allowing social media influencers and other creators to directly receive money from their fans. I recently met with Katya Allison, Director of Content at GRIN, the influencer marketing platform that recently added $16 million to its Series A to revolutionize the creator economy. Katya explained how the social media tipping works and why you would want to consider using this method as an influencer. Katya Allison GRIN  According to reports, influencer marketing is expected to be worth $13.8 billion in 2021, an increase of 42% from last year. The surge in consumer spending online has reinforced the importance of digital marketing, with influencer marketing being a core contributor via content production and organic impressions. If influencer marketing is done well, it can be the most effective way to build a valuable brand. When people trust someones endorsement of your brand, when they sense the relationship between the influencer and the brand is authentic and real, they believe it, ultimately resulting in a purchase of your product. How tipping works  The audience member buys badges and during an Instagram live if they like what the influencer is talking about or the content they are offering, they can give them a badge. Badges have a monetary value attached to them and at the end of the live the influencer can cash in their badges with 100% of the profit going to the creator. Its a great way for influencers to connect with their audience and get compensated by them. It is also a good way for the influencer to know if they are providing good content by the amount of badges they receive. Advantages of social media tipping for content creators:  Builds community  Social media tipping is a great way for an audience to interact with the influencer, and it builds a community around the influencer at the same time. People love being part of a community and feeling like they belong somewhere, so when there is a community, people will participate repeatedly. Helps identify influencers who have a true connection with their audience  When you review the data you can see which influencers have a true connection with their audience. Not all audiences can be treated the same. An influencer with a smaller audience may have higher engagement than another influencer with a much larger audience. Helps brands find the right influencer  When you have the proof and see that the influencer has a connected and engaging audience, it makes it easier for a brand to partner with that influencer. They will have reassurance that their marketing dollars wont be wasted. The bottom line is that it pays to get creative with your marketing efforts. As consumers get wiser and can filter out the marketing noise more, influencer marketing is a creative new way to reach a niche audience.