The Truth About Becoming a Full Time Content Creator with Less Than 10K Followers

Now more than ever, becoming a full time content creator is possible. Creatives are forging career paths in the digital space. Influencers, content creators, bloggers, UGC creators – I see you!

If you’re anything like me, then you’re drawn to this lifestyle like a magnet. You want to be in control of your schedule. To finally use your creative energy (and not just in your down time). And you have an entrepreneurial spirit. 

To help shed a little light on what it’s like working in the influencer industry, I’m sharing my story of becoming a full time content creator!

Why There’s No One Path to Becoming a Full Time Content Creator 

Before we get too far into it, let’s get on the same page: What is a content creator?

You’re not alone if you’re not sure what a content creator is, so here’s a basic definition:

A content creator is someone who produces photo, video, and other materials for marketing use – either for their own brand and/or for other brands. Most of the time, this relates to marketing use specifically on social media (although it isn’t limited to it).

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Are you a part-time or hobby influencer? Or maybe you feel curious about social media but haven’t fully committed?

I’ve been there.

Knowing the career and lifestyle you want is possible. You see the “evidence” everyday. 

A lifestyle influencer partners with a brand you’ve loved for years. A travel blogger goes on a sponsored trip to a destination on your bucket list. A YouTube vlogger shares a “Day In My Life” video with the type of flexibility you wish for. 

Who doesn’t love a good success story?!

Yet, you wonder if you could do it too.

Thoughts like:

• Is it too late to become an Instagram or TikTok influencer? Is it too saturated? 
• How will people in real-life judge me for my social media presence?
• Will I ever make enough money to replace my 9-5 income?

All of these are common concerns. 

I’ve experienced them, and I bet that all of my creator friends have too. 

While I’ll be sharing my story, please know this isn’t a step-by-step guide for how to become a full time influencer too.

Sorry if that’s what you were hoping for…

But, the truth is that no two creator journeys are the same.

We can’t completely control what resources we start with, which opportunities come our way, or how fast our audience grows. 

So while you take lessons away from my story, know that yours will look different. And you should look forward to that distinctness – it’s YOUR unique journey!

Looking for practical tips on becoming a full time content creator? Follow me on Instagram for weekly #MicroInfluencerMonday chats!

Because of my obsession with content creation, I talk about all things influencing every Monday. The highs, lows, and inspiration to help you keep going when you feel like the new kid on the block.

Missed a few Mondays? No worries! Click on #MicroInfluencerMonday in my Instagram bio to catch up with the series.

The Part I Don’t Usually Share: Kara the Fashion Influencer Pre-2020

Social media is a funny thing. 

And by “funny” I mean constantly changing, endlessly frustrating, and yet totally rewarding.

Only a couple of years ago, I felt so in the dark. 

As I scrolled on Instagram, I primarily saw fashion influencers with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of followers. Constantly buying new, expensive products to review (and link). 

To me, it seemed like the only way to succeed on social media was to be JUST like them. To look, talk, and interact with your online community a certain way. 

So, I tried to embody that persona. 

It’s cringy, I know. 

And don’t get me wrong — I have a lifelong love of fashion! 

In high school, I often received compliments about my style and even interned with Nordstrom. 

If you’re curious about Kara the Fashion Influencer, here’s what some of her content looked like:

Shoutout to my best friend, Brianna, for taking SO many OOTD (outfit of the day) photos of me in the mornings before school. 

But ultimately, fashion wasn’t my deepest passion. So, I wasn’t motivated to post consistently. For example, I’d post everyday for a week and then I’d be silent for months…

Plus, I didn’t really develop my OWN voice on this subject. Therefore, it did nothing to build my one-of-a-kind personal brand.

Looking back, what I didn’t realize then was I wasn’t personally connected to my content in a purposeful way.

In other words, I wasn’t sharing high quality content. I wasn’t bringing very much value to my audience (mainly friends and family) because I didn’t have a real reason or mission behind what I was doing.

Like in anything you do in life, passion shines through.

When you really care about a topic, niche, or product, people feel it. 

Likewise, when you’re creating content from a place of uncertainty, expectations, and even imitation, people feel it too. 

Ever since I created my Instagram account in high school, I knew I wanted to create content regularly (although the term “content creator” wasn’t around yet).

So for the next few years I experimented with posting on Instagram and my blog mainly in the fashion niche. 

Main Takeaways

• Growing a genuine, engaged social media following is HARD
• Posting consistently is basically the golden rule of being an influencer, yet it’s much easier said than done
• You need to love your content before others will
• You don’t need to know what your niche(s) is before getting started. Try posting about various topics and see what you and your community enjoys the most!!

Growth Year 1: Landing My First Brand Collabs in 2020 

After graduating from the University of Washington, there was nothing I dreaded more than getting a 9-5 job.

I know, I know. They can come with tons of benefits like health insurance. They provide financial stability. They are why you went to college right?

Because I knew that lifestyle wasn’t for me, I tried my hand at multiple entrepreneurial pursuits. 

I’ve never shared this on my Instagram, but for a long time, I made a living in the e-commerce space. I sold secondhand clothing and products on Amazon.

This was my job both during college and for a while after graduating. 

At the same time, I gained more social media experience by running an Instagram account for my clothing business. To my surprise, it grew way faster than my personal account and I thoroughly enjoyed creating content for the first time in a while!!

Because of this, I was (once again) motivated to turn my personal Instagram into a business. 

It’s really this time, in early 2020, that I consider to be when I “started” as an influencer.

Why?

• I posted consistently 5-7 times a week on Instagram
• Grew a highly engaged community of 900 to 6,000 people
• I landed my first partnerships with brands
• A few months in, I noticed I kept receiving similar questions about one topic: Washington State Travel. So, I zeroed in on that moving forward!

In some ways, it feels like my first gifted collaboration was yesterday. I can still feel the excitement when a box from Velvet Heart Clothing arrived in the summer of 2020.

In fact, I was too nervous-excited to open the package myself. Instead, Kyle helped me out and unboxed it lol! 

In exchange for a few free pieces of clothing that I selected, the deliverables were 2 in-feed posts. 

After a handful of other gifted collaborations, I was confident that it was time to get paid.

During that time, I gained photography and copywriting experience – all while growing my community and demonstrating professionalism.  Plus, my media kit had plenty of examples of brand collaborations!

Next, in response to every partnership inquiry I received in my inbox I began asking “What is the budget for this project?” – and I never looked back. 

At about 1,200 followers, I landed my first paid collaboration in late summer 2020. Honestly having no idea what to charge, I set my very first rate at $35 per Instagram post. Can you believe that?!

Soon after, I raised my rates almost every week to reflect growth, manage all of the amount of opportunities that came my way, and to appease the unnerving sense that I was undercharging. 

Honestly, I know so many micro influencers who struggle to attract brand partnerships and that’s not lost on me. I am SO thankful for every brand who reaches out!

As 2020 came to a close, I was so happy to be partnering with brands and to be finally turning this little hobby into a small business.

Growth Year 2: A Year of Opportunity, Hustling, & Hard Decisions in 2021

2021 was the year of opportunity for me. Seriously.

Continuing to create my own path as determined to avoid getting a 9-5 as ever, I started the New Year as an intern for a local magazine while running my online e-commerce businesses. 

That may sound out of left field, but I’ve always loved writing!

In college, I worked at my university’s paper as a writer and photographer. So, this opportunity helped me explore that passion.

To my surprise, as soon as I started that internship another opportunity popped up in my inbox. 

Long story short, a college mentor of mine recommended me for a marketing role. And, they wanted me to start ASAP!

Going from completely self-employed to self-employed, intern, & part-time employee was a lot to handle.

To manage, I only worked 5-10 hours a week in the marketing position until my internship was complete in the spring. 

Then, I dove full-time into marketing! Thankfully, I avoided some of the worries I had about 9-5s because this position was fully remote. 

All the while, I rose before the sun so that I could spend about 2+ hours every morning on Instagram before clocking in for my day job. 

At the moment, I had no idea that my Instagram business was about to boom. 

Honestly, most people underestimate influencers – in more ways than one.  But in this case, I mean how much money you can make. 

Throughout 2021, my income from social media matched (and sometimes exceeded) that of my marketing position.

Although I knew I had a “good job,” I also knew that my heart was invested in my business. But like any indecisive person would do, I dragged my feet for months. 

To be frank, I felt all the emotions. Guilt for leaving a well-paying job that allowed me to work from home. Fear over making a wrong or premature decision. Doubt over whether I had what it takes to be a full-time business owner. 

Then one afternoon in December, I realized that I couldn’t do it all anymore. I was spreading myself too thin. Giving most of my time and energy in a direction that I didn’t want to go.

At 3:30pm on the dot, I sent an email with my 2 weeks notice. Then, I quickly shut my laptop and went for a walk outdoors and left all electronics behind haha. 

Growth Year 3: Finally Becoming a Full Time Content Creator 2022

I’m no stranger to setting fresh goals for a new year, but this time the stakes were higher. 

I needed to financially support myself as a business owner in the long term.

As you can imagine, I felt a lot of pressure.

How do I make a sustainable income? How do I explain to people that being an influencer is a “real” job?  How do I pitch brands? How can I create a content strategy? How many media channels should I expand to now that I have more bandwidth? 

I’m sure you get the idea.

In full transparency, the first few months were rough. 

Unlike many of my creator friends, I didn’t attract many brand opportunities during the holiday season. So, that meant that my income in January and February (payment can take 30-60 days) would reflect that. Ouch. 

That being said, I never ONCE regretted my decision. I was doing what I loved – even if it required more time and energy than working for someone else would…

You’ve heard people joke that entrepreneurs work 80 hours a week right? There’s certainly truth behind it. 

As a new full time influencer, you likely are the photographer, stylist, negotiator, email manager, copywriter, bookkeeper, and all the other roles in your business. 

Now that it’s been 6 months since becoming a full time content creator, I recently shared the lessons I’ve learned in an Instagram post.

In case you missed it, here’s a few of lessons for successful content creators:

• Not unlike other careers, you’ll experience different seasons. Right now, I’m nearing the end of a very busy season with a LOT of hustling, quick turnarounds, & travel. Looking forward to a slow down (though that comes with it’s own challenges haha).
• Your well-being could not be more important to your work. It hugely impacts how you show up on social media. People can see when your heart isn’t fully in it. So, doing things like getting 8 hours of sleep, walking a mile in the mornings, & waking up earlier to have time for a wellness routine is worth it for me!
• It’s okay to let some goals go – and it doesn’t make you a failure. In 2022, my big New Years Resolution was to write 4 blog posts a month. But, it did not live through February. Honestly, going from posting here and there to once a week was too big of a leap. Ultimately, it wasn’t the best use of my time & energy, so I accepted that and set a revised goal!

Moving forward, I will continue to share my experience with you on Instagram. That way, we can increase transparency in the influencer industry and because I couldn’t stop talking about it if I tried haha!

Commonly Asked Questions

As part of my weekly #MicroInfluencerMonday series, I asked for your questions about becoming a full time content creator on my Instagram story. 

Below are a few of the most popular questions.

Don’t worry, if you’re question isn’t answered feel free to drop it in the comments below!

How many followers did you have when you went full time?

When I became a full time influencer, I had around 7,000 followers on Instagram and 100 followers on TikTok. 

Believe me, I did not think it was possible to do this even with 10K followers… So, that’s a huge reason why I love speaking with micro/small/new content creators. There’s so much opportunity out there, regardless of your following size!!!

How much did you make on your first ever brand collaboration?

To gain experience creating sponsored content, I completed something like 5 gifted collaborations. Although I did not get paid, I built my portfolio/media kit. Experience is everything!

About 3 months after my first gifted collaboration, I was signing contracts for $35-$75 per Instagram post. At this time, I had around 1,500 followers. No one told me how to set rates, so it was a lot of breaking down my rate by the hour, developing negotiation skills, and being confident. 

How did you take the leap financially? 

Since I spent about a year working in my marketing job and earning income as an influencer, I was basically bringing in double income. Not to say I made a ton of money, but I tried to save as much as I could because I anticipated the leap.

Plus, I had been self-employed before with my e-commerce businesses. So, I was pretty mentally and emotionally prepared for the unique challenges that come with being self-employed.

Please know that I can absolutely imagine situations where it may be more difficult to go full-time as a content creator. For example, if you have invested years into a career field or if you have dependents. I’m no financial expert, so please see a local financial planner or accountant to talk about how to best prepare for self-employment.

And, of course, you don’t need to go full-time to be an influencer that people want to follow. You can use it as a side hustle, part-time job, or hobby. It’s up to you!

Did relying on it all for your income take some of the fun out of it?

Love this question! Kinda yes, kinda no.

It’s really rewarding when your passion brings your income, so I still have tons of fun creating content.

At the same time, it can be stressful.

Hiking, road tripping, camping, and even doing laundry has been “work” for me. And when the need to turn an activity into content doesn’t turn off, it can feel overwhelming.

That’s why I’m always striving to create better boundaries for my work-personal life, take regular social media breaks, and improve my routine with self care practices.

Any tips for how to become a content creator for brands?

• Optimize your Instagram bio: Include your mission, broad topics you talk about, & email address
• Write long, value-packed captions for your posts. You don’t need to do this with every single post, but when you do it shows that you intend to provide value.
• Treat your social media presence like a business.
• Don’t take it personally when opportunities don’t go your way. Most pitches won’t lead to paid collaborations, and even most inbound inquiries from brands won’t be a perfect fit.
• Invest in camera gear like a DSLR or mirrorless camera to create higher quality content. (Only after you’ve been doing it for months and are certain you’ll stick with it)
• Again, come join us for #MicroInfluencerMonday chats on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes of the life of a content creator and tips for how you can make this your reality too.

What do you need to become a content creator?

The barrier to entry is low. All you need is a camera (your phone works in the beginning) and a topic/niche that you’re passionate enough to talk about regularly.

Give yourself the space to be creative. It’s okay when posts don’t perform well. Honestly, it’s inevitable.

What matters is that you have dedication and keep going. Consistency means practicing the skill of social media content creation repeatedly.

Anyone can start an Instagram account, but only a few will stick with it long enough to see success.

Thanks for reading! This post was all about becoming a full time content creator.

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