Hi friend,
I won't lie - what I'm about to tell you is the yummiest part of being a creator.
It's what makes Insta influencers rich AF.
But you know me - that platform doesn't work for me, regardless of the money... because it just makes you feel so terrible and insecure.
As usual - I play the game that aligns with my personal values instead of what gives me instant results.
I'm talking about brand collaborations on LinkedIn.
I had 11 LinkedIn brand collaborations and two newsletter ads.
This amount was paid between July - November.
So over 18K in 5 months via 11 LinkedIn posts :))
You don't need to be an influencer for this
My first brand collab happened via an agency reaching out to me on LinkedIn.
I didn't have a lot of followers back then.
You don't need lots of followers for brands to pay you.
(More on this soon)
In 2022, one of my friends with under 10,0000 followers was making $1300 (₹1 lac) a month.
I was making $0 at that time.
Even my student Madhav Pangarakar started earning money via well-renowned brands when he had under 3000 followers.
What I'm trying to say is, your follower count doesn't impact this. Your
- impact
- message
- engagement
is what influences this.
Fun facts:
- Most 'influencers' you see with lots of followers find it hard to make money online
- They also settle for $200/post rates
- Many profiles with a small following are quietly making $
So there's a huge opportunity here.
I left $5000 on the table
This year, I was arrogant about a few things.
You see, I'd had enough of Indian agencies
- making me chase them
- going back-and-forth on the draft
- negotiating hard, even 90% below my rate
I realised - I left my job so I don't have to work with people I dislike.
Why should I do that now?
I'm doing my own thing, and I set my own standards. That is
While it is completely opposite of the culture we're brought up in, it's what my standard is.
So while most companies run away when they hear this, I get the invaluable...
My mental peace ✌🏼
And professionalism, where my art is respected.
For that, losing money is worth it.
Here's what I recommend
Do this:
- Decide a price that works for you.
- Put it somewhere publicly. 99% people don't, which is why there are so many negotiations involved.
- Ask for at least 50% advance if not 100%.
- Create content consistently.
How do you get these brands?
Create BLOODY GOOD content.
I won't ask you to reach out and ask for sponsorships because
- it doesn't work that way
- it gives others an upper hand
- its very spammy and most companies work with agencies
Forget about getting the most likes, comments, or followers.
I know people with 100K followers who get paid max $200 per post because they do a shit job with their content quality.
They were too busy wanting more followers instead of focussing on creating good content. And when you do that, things don't quite work out in the long run 🥲
Don't be like them.
Grab LinkedIn Growth Toolkit and learn what works. Save yourself months of 'figuring it out'.
The brands I work with take a maximum of 30min of my time from closing to posting.
That's over $18K earned in 8 hours.
Finally
Listen... this is a long game.
There's no point of sugar-coating it.
30min for a $1500 post may seem like a lot of money. But think:
- it took me 3 years+ of writing on LinkedIn to get these deals, unlike many of my students who got in months.
- brands pay for visibility not the amount of hours you work for.
- To get these 'low effort high money' opportunities, you need to put in a lot of effort.
Plant the seeds now 🪴
The rewards will start flowing in when you start and show up for long enough.
You got this!
Love,
N