Monetizing A Lifestyle: How Social Media Influencers Transform Their Hobbies Into A Career

The introduction of social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook allowed individuals to create an online presence of their own. A group of content creators referred to as Social Media Influencers (SMI) use different strategies to profit off of their social media content through monetization. Successful SMI rely on three main groups in order to have the flexibility to work on their content creation as a full-time career: their brand, their audience, and the companies they collaborate with. The purpose of this study is to explore the career of SMI using a triangular approach to gather data from influencer-generated content, administration of a survey, and articles to view the perspective of each group. Results revealed the importance of audience engagement and creation of niche content for the influencer’s career and brand deal offerings to continue long-term. Tailoring social media content towards the audience of the SMI is crucial in making a profit.