How to Use Social Media Sites to Become Your Own Girl-Boss
If you’re sick of your usual 9-to-5 job, with dramatic coworkers and demanding managers then make a change! Social media is growing more and more every day, as is the need for freelancing. Here is a list of the top 4 social media sites you should be utilizing from home, which in turn will allow you to become your own girl-boss.
Facebook has an average of 1.45 billion daily active users according to statistics from March this year, which means this is a great time to start your business on this platform. As easy and effective as creating a business page is, people are starting to use their own personal Facebook to earn cash.
You may have noticed that one or two of your Facebook friends are starting to post about the same website constantly, if not, that could be you soon with affiliate links. If you sign up to work with companies they can provide you with your own unique affiliate link which you can then share with your friends. If any of your friends choose to purchase after following the link you will receive a percentage of the profits.
Beauty brands such as Younique and Avon are always on the lookout for potential influencers. You just need to be motivated and convincing enough to sell their products to your Facebook friends.
The Facebook marketplace is a helpful feature that allows users to purchase items nearby. This allows a faster sale and delivery of your pre-loved items faster than Amazon’s process. The buyer could potentially collect your item on the same day as your listing, earning you some quick cash. There is likely to be a lot of items you own that you could quickly re-sell to earn. You can get creative with the marketplace by scouting out some vintage clothing in charity shops and selling for a higher price to earn a profit.
Instagram has 1 billion users worldwide, up from 800 million in September 2017 which is already a good enough reason to consider earning money on the platform. Businesses use advertising tools to hit their target market, but there is a way to work Instagram without having to cash out for fancy ads. First decide what you’re going to post about, and update the content regularly.
Next make sure that you stick to the theme of your products, for example, if you’re posting about makeup keep it related to that. If you’re looking to become an influencer you can build on the followers you currently have and make your profile public. This will give you a head start with engagement from your followers, and hopefully, future supporters will follow suit.
Consider offering a service to your followers such as beauty appointments, custom clothing, hand-crafted items etc. Make sure to take plenty of pictures of your work to keep your followers updated, which will ensure that there’s a lot of content for your followers to search through.
Keep in mind that you should also always take a deposit when offering a service that requires a chunk of your time, which you can do securely through PayPal. I highly recommend PayPal.me which allows you to send the customer a link to transfer money into your account without giving out any bank details.
Just like Facebook, affiliate links are also popular on Instagram. Make sure you are posting links about products that you and your audience are genuinely interested in, otherwise your followers may start to become disinterested.
Companies are always looking for influencers to promote their brand, so once you build up your audience start contacting them. You may be able to develop a collection of free clothing from these brands to post for more content on your Instagram, which allows regular updates and for more use of affiliate links or personal discount codes to earn a commission.
Depop
You may not think it, but Depop is another essential social media site to consider utilizing for your business to grow. The popular app currently has 9 million registered users, which means there is a lot of potential to grow followers. The app is easy to use, simply list your items and select the appropriate categories for each. You can also follow certain trends, and by looking at similar items as your own you can adjust your prices for a better chance of generating sales. It’s best to make use of the hashtag feature available as well so that potential buyers will be able to find your product more easily.
As previously mentioned, companies are always looking for influencers to promote their brand. Although this may not be as easy through Depop, once you have collected enough free clothing from Instagram collaborations you could sell the items through your personal Depop account. Make sure you state if the item has been worn to comply with the company’s terms of service.
Posting clear images of new items regularly will draw people to your account. Before you start, keep in mind that Depop keeps 10% of each sale. However, if anything goes wrong they are there to help resolve any issues.
YouTube
Another essential social media site you should get on-board with is YouTube. As of June 2018, the video sharing site has 1.5 billion users. There are many ways to start earning on the platform such as posting content to begin building an audience and once your channel starts growing, you can join the YouTube Partner Programme. This programme requires the creator to have at least 4,000 minutes watched in a year plus 1,000 subscribers before they can generate ad revenue from their videos. The content must also be advertiser-friendly.
It is crucial to decide the theme of your videos before you start, and to do some research to come up with some new video ideas. A big part of growing your channel is engaging with your audience, making your videos look visually appealing with the right set-up and equipment.
Once you have gained a well-respected following, you can start reaching out to brands regarding free items for review or sponsored content. Brands are always looking for new up-and-coming influencers to showcase their products, and you could be one of them. You can link this platform up with your other social media platforms to divert traffic and build your audience base.
There is also the opportunity of creating and selling your own merchandise when your engagement increases; this is important as it’s also an opportunity for extra income outside of relying on YouTube ad revenue.
Using these sites in conjunction with one another will allow a greater chance of exposure which in turn will generate a larger income. Motivation goes a long way and hard work is recognized. Start taking charge of your income and you will get back out what you put in!
This post was written by Chris Smith. He is an independent writer and blogger at Spend It Like Beckham. His blog mainly focuses on finance and sports, and he has had features about a variety of topics published on sites including the Huffington Post, GoDaddy, The Guardian and The Telegraph.