10 years ago, if you asked little kids what they wanted to be when they grow up, they’d give you the typical answers: a doctor, a detective, a ballerina or a police officer. If you ask this generation of kids what they want to be, now you’ll hear the words “vlogger,” “Youtuber,” or “Social media influencer.”
The fresh allure of these innovative vocations is generally attributed to the millions of views, fame and fortune that can be seemingly achieved by a one-time viral video or an established online following. It seems anyone can click a button and upload a picture or video, and if the universe aligns, their life can change overnight. Arguably the most appealing aspect of these modern-day careers is apparently easily amassable wealth that a viral video or million follower platform can get you.
It’s not that becoming rich and famous from social media is rare, per se. Success stories happen by the second, with one new “star” after the other. It can happen to anyone – your classmates, neighbours, family members, even you could achieve internet virality and fame. The most recent social media sensations? TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, and Addison Rae. Little by little, billions of views and millions of followers built up through 15 to 30 second lip syncing or dancing videos. Once regular high school and college students, Charli, Dixie, and Addison have net worth’s in the millions thanks to corporate sponsorships, brand deals, even their own product lines and merchandise.
“I never thought this would happen,” said Charli. But unlike Charli, many head into the profession of social media hoping for precisely this.
Former “Vine” stars also provide a critical reference point when examining money earning potential from social media. The app responsible for platforming 6 second viral videos paved the way for Jake and Logan Paul, Lele Pons, Shawn Mendes, and David Dobrik, among many other recognizable names. Once again, regular school-aged kids or working young adults managed to convert 6 seconds of fun into lifelong careers and millions of dollars.
So, easy money, right? Turn on your camera, grab some friends, sing, dance, or act and then post and hope for the best. Not so fast, and YouTube content creator Kevin Parry will be the first to tell you.
According to Parry, a viral video of his with 75 million views has not earned him a dime, leading him to the conclusion that fame and views don’t always correlate with wealth.
One reason is often stolen content posted without the creator’s consent or awareness, meaning they lost a potential monetization opportunity.
Photo by George Milton from Pexels
TikTok star Jake Sweet has over 3 million followers, but does not have millions or even thousands of dollars. He says he only gets enough money for groceries and video props. In 2019, Malloy Cornelison, a Youtuber with 109,000 subscribers (at the time) reported a mere $12,000 annual income. A 2015 article by Youtuber (with over 600k subscribers) Gabi Dunn remains striking 6 years later –“My Instagram account has 340,000 followers, but I’ve never made $340,000 in my life collectively.”
So how come someone with 300,000 followers might make a fortune, and someone else with 300,000 makes a pittance? Dunn attributes her unmatched social media fame and income because her channel is too small for brand sponsorships, and too big for fans to give her donations. In Parry’s case, TikTok does not monetize Canadian creators.
Sometimes, creators are simply unlucky.
Krystal Bick, an Instagrammer with over 139,000 followers, cites “trust” as another factor that can make or break the bank. To earn from a brand partnership, influencers need to build trust with their followers, because when trust is “compromised whether that’s a brand partnership, if this doesn’t fit aesthetic wise, or just doesn’t ladder up to your overall brand vision — people … are very attuned to that.”
Just because you have the followers doesn’t mean you have the personality, work ethic and/or authenticity to garner their financial support or attract other income opportunities. You can even buy followers to create an illusion of success, but it doesn’t mean you have something worth selling.
A final consideration, the identity of the social media creator themselves. TikToker Sydnee McRae went viral in 2020 with a dance challenge, leaving her hundreds of thousands of likes and one million followers. McRae, a black woman, earned approximately $500 for creating content for individuals and companies. Addison Rae, a white woman who copies McRae’s dances, earned thousands. Disparities in pay between white and black influencers can mean the difference between an average annual income or millionaire status.
The digital revolution brought us social media platforms and career options that didn’t exist even a decade ago. In a world saturated with digital illusions (or delusions) of grandeur, an upload and click away, can you really blame this generation of kids for believing it all? While the reality of social media earned wealth and fame is a viable reality for some, it simply won’t be and can’t be for everyone with a camera and computer.
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