How To Become a Social Media Influencer in Retirement and Make Extra Money
Written by
Nicole Spector
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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When we think of social media influencers, our imagination may go straight to conjuring up images of young people. After all, younger generations are generally more savvy with social media platforms than, say, retired boomers.
But make no mistake: there are boomers and even older folks out there who’ve garnered droves of followers on social media. For example, Günther Krabbenhöft, fondly dubbed “Berlin’s Hip Grandpa,” is 79 years old and a successful social media influencer. He has over 311,000 followers on Instagram.
How can you become a social media influencer in retirement and generate extra income by doing so? GOBankingRates spoke with various experts to find out.
Know Your Niche
Most successful influencers have a specific niche. If you’re looking to create an additional income stream in retirement via social media, narrow down exactly what topics you’ll be focusing on and sharing about.
“Pick a specific niche that really interests and suits you — anything from gardening to traveling,” said Tom Jauncey, “head nerd” at Nautilus Marketing, a full service digital marketing agency. “Niche influencers usually have higher engagement rates; it can be as high as nearly three times greater than general ones.”
Note That You Don’t Necessarily Need To Be on Camera
Sofia Wakabayashi, founder and CEO of Waka Growth, a social media marketing agency, finds that one of the biggest concerns for retirees is the idea of constantly being on camera or taking countless selfies.
Ditch this unnecessary concern if you have it.
“There’s a growing trend in social media known as faceless marketing and it’s just as powerful — sometimes even more so — than traditional on-camera content,” Wakabayashi said.
“You can still share your voice, your ideas and your stories through compelling copy, while using visuals or viral videos that don’t require you to be front and center,” she added. “This approach allows you to maintain your privacy and comfort while still building a strong and engaged audience.”
Create Consistent Content Regularly
To succeed as a social media influencer in retirement, you need to create and post content regularly and often.
“The average influencer posts five to 10 times per week to maintain engagement and build a loyal following,” Jauncey said. “You can save yourself ample time by scheduling your posts using tools like Buffer or Hootsuite.”
Partner With Sponsors To Monetize Instagram Posts
Danielle Hu, business mentor, founder of Wanderlover and social media influencer with over 113,000 Instagram followers, said that you can monetize your presence on social media influence.
“Sponsored posts involve partnering with brands to promote their products,” Hu said.
According to Shopify:
- Nano-influencers (500 to 10,000 followers) can make $10 to $100 per sponsored Instagram post
- Micro-influencers (10,000 to 50,000 followers) can earn $100 to $500 per post.
- Mid-tier influencers (50,000 to 100,000 followers) can expect to reel in $500 to $5,000 per sponsored post.
- Macro-influencers (100,000 to 500,000 followers) can earn $5,000 to $10,000 per post
- And mega-influencers (500,000 or more followers) can get as much as over $10,000 per post
Ensure You’ve Never Posted Anything That Could Hurt or Insult a Brand
Dian Griesel, Ph.D., founder and president of Perception Dynamics, who is also an influencer under the account “Silver Disobedience” (which has over 158,000 Instagram followers) urges aspiring social media influencers to ask themselves whether any of their posts (old or new) could hurt a brand’s image.
“This is an important question,” Griesel said. “These days, people are quick to post about any number of topics without thought of the consequences. I’ve had companies vet my posts back as far as five years to be certain I wouldn’t hurt their brand.”
Don’t Wholly Depend on Any Influencer Income
Though you can potentially make great money as a social media influencer, it’s recommended that you don’t put all your nest eggs in this basket.
“While being an influencer can be a fun and potentially lucrative side gig, it’s important not to rely on it as your primary source of income,” Griesel said. “Compensation may come in the form of money, products or both.”
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