What Are the Pros and Cons of Being a Social Media Influencer? 

Being a social media influencer could make for a great and lucrative opportunity for the right person.

To make the best decision, learn the ups and downs of what it really means to use your social media presence to influence companies and consumers alike. 

Pro: You’ll Enjoy Flexibility 

One of the best things about being an influencer is the fact that you don’t have to work according to someone else’s schedule.

You get to set your own hours, and you get to work as much or as little as you want. This level of flexibility is great for maintaining a proper work/life balance, which many with more traditional job desire. 

Con: Others May Not Consider What You Do a Real Job 

If you decide to earn paid opportunities for your social media influence full time, you may have friends and family members who don’t consider what you do a “real” job.

One reason for this is because of the perk mentioned above. Because you may not clock in and work from 9 to 5 behind a desk, there could be people who scoff and ask you what your real job is after you tell them you’re a social media influencer.

This can be considered a con because you may feel inadequate when compared to other people who have more traditional jobs. 

Pro: There Are Plenty of Perks to Enjoy 

As a social media influencer, you can, of course, be paid in cash, but there are other forms of payment in this line of business.

For instance, you could receive free products to review, or you could receive vouchers in return for marketing a product or service to your followers. You may enjoy the non-monetary forms of payment more than regular checks. 

Con: Building up Your Audience Can Be Exhausting 

To call yourself a social media influencer, you need to have people to influence. That means you’re continually working on gaining new followers and doing what you can to keep your current followers interested in the content you share.

While this is to be expected, the task can become more than a little arduous and frustrating. For this reason, it’s best you do yourself a favor and take out time once a week or so to research effective ways to attract the type of followers you want and what you can do to keep them hanging around.

Traditional brick-and-mortar businesses have to do this as well, so looking into how they retain and attract customers can be a good idea. Whatever you find could be modified for social influencers. 

Pro: You Get To Do the Work You Love

For anyone who gives you flack for being a social media influencer, ask them how they like their more traditional jobs.

Sure, they may earn a decent paycheck and have a 401(k), but do they enjoy going to work in the morning?

When you like the work you do, it’s much easier to sit down and work on finding new clients, new products/services to review and market, and new followers who share the same passion you do.

See for yourself what it means to love what you do and never work another day in your life, not in the traditional sense, at least. 

Con: Misinformation Can Result in a Disaster 

You work hard to do a good job, but there may be times when you get the facts wrong. Misinformation can cost you time, job opportunities, and followers.

One thing you’ve got to realize about being a social media influencer is that you may be seen as a trusted news source.

That means that when you get the facts wrong, you can quickly lose credibility. Be sure you carve out time to ensure everything you share is accurate and backed by tangible, sharable facts. 

Pro: You Have the Chance to Bring Attention to Issues That Fly Under the Radar 

As a social media influencer, you have the chance to give a voice to people and issues that may go either ignored by society or underreported by the media.

This can bring sweeping changes to issues you care about most. That said, this is also the reason you want to be sure you check your facts before sharing your findings. 

Do you think you have what it takes to be a social media influencer? Be sure you keep the above pros and cons in mind as you decide your answer. Best of luck!