Wake up, break out the selfie stick, and gather your snack wrappers: we’re finally here! This is the last stop on our verification road trip. It’s been a journey, and while we might not have seen the largest ball of twine or the Grand Canyon, we’ve learned a lot. And, by now, you’re probably a verified content creator! Let’s get to celebrating…by talking about sponsorships, managers, and goals, of course.
But Really… 🥂🎉
Take some time to celebrate your verification! It’s an awesome accomplishment and you deserve to bask in it. Buy a new kind of equipment, go out to a nice dinner, throw a Livestream party – however you want to celebrate, do it!
Once you’ve finished celebrating your verification, it’s time to think about what you want to do next. Some creators hit their verification and aren’t sure what to do after. They think they’ve accomplished everything and may feel like they don’t want to create anymore. But that isn’t the case: there’s a lot of things you can do once you’re verified! You can continue to grow your audience and make the content you love once you’re verified. And you can start getting sponsorships and earning money if you haven’t been already.
Setting New Goals ✅
The exciting thing about setting new goals is that they can be anything. Literally, anything! So long as you’re creating and upholding the community guidelines of your chosen platform, the sky is literally the limit. Here’s a few questions to help you narrow it down.
What do you want to accomplish or do?
Literally, what do you want to accomplish next on social media? This can be something numbers oriented, like getting to 100,000 followers, or something less tangible like partnering with a brand. Think about what you want to accomplish next and aim for it.
What speaks to your niche or expertise?
For a woodworker, the next step might be opening an online store and selling their products. If your niche is sharing content about content creation, maybe you start offering paid advice sessions. A finance whiz might write a book to help others manage their money! Consider your niche and what’s a logical (exciting!) next step.
Is there a project you’ve always wanted to work on?
Now that you’ve accomplished one, big goal, you can tackle another no problem! If there’s a project (related to content or not) you’ve always wanted to start, now is a great time. Figure out the steps, get a game plan ready, or take some small strides toward it. Maybe it’s time to start taking singing lessons and learning how to write songs…
Are there creators or brands you want to work with?
There’s likely creators on your platform that you look up to or who’s content you enjoy. Reach out and see if you can partner with them! They could be in your niche (we’d recommend starting there) or they can be another creator you really like.
We’ll get to sponsorships in a second, but the same applies here. If you haven’t gotten brand deals or sponsorships yet, now is a great time to start.
Keep Engaging In-App 📱✨
No matter what you want to do next, the key is to continue engaging with your audience. You’ve built a platform and a community, and to keep your verification you’ll need to engage with them. And to consistently grow your audience, you’ll need to continue making content.
If you audience loves your Lives or your Radios, keep making them! Don’t drop a series that they really love just because you’re verified. If anything, maybe try something new to keep their attention and draw in new viewers. To go extra big, try creating a new campaign or trend for people to be involved in!
Don’t forget collabing with other creators. Like we mentioned above, try working with someone else in your niche or that you love. This is a great way to continue engaging with your audience and to connect with new followers. Plus, you get to work with one of your favorite creators!
Get Involved!
There may be events or campaigns happening on your platform. Stay up to date and get involved in the ones that excite you! As an official representative of their community (that’s often what verification means) they want you to be involved. If you aren’t sure how you can be involved or where to go to find out, shoot them an email or DM.
Partnerships and Sponsorships 💰
For a lot of creators, this is the ideal next step. Now that they have the bonafides, they want to start getting a few bucks. You can pursue partnerships well before you’re verified, but this is definitely something you want to do once you receive that blue check! And it will be a lot easier.
With partnerships and sponsorships, you’ll work with a brand to promote them and their product. This might be a one-off video you create, or it could be a long-lasting relationship. It all depends on what you and your sponsor/partner agree on.
What Do I Get?
Again, this depends on you and the brand. Some creators only get free product, others get free product and paid for their content. The brand may have some rules about paid content: they’ll usually tell you if so, but don’t be afraid to ask, either!
How Do I Find Them?
We recommend working with brands that fit in your niche, that your audience would enjoy, or that you already love. A chef might reach out to a wine subscription box (pairs perfectly with their food!) or a coffee brand (cooking’s hard work: they need a pick me up!). Or that chef might have a cat that features in some of their videos, so they hit up a cat food brand. Try to think of things you enjoy and can see your audience really enjoying for some reason. Make a list, reach out, and see what happens!
Brands will reach out if they’re interested in working together, but don’t be afraid to initiate contact. They want to work with creators that enjoy and use their products. Send a quick inquiry explaining who you are, why you want to work with them, and what they’ll get out of it, and keep track of who you email. The worst they can say is no!
Hint: Try working with smaller or mid-sized brands first. It never hurts to hit the big brands, but you’re more likely to hear back from a smaller company. Instead of going right for Coke a Cola, try Ollipop or another soda brand.
How Much Will I Get Paid?
Again, that depends on you and the brand. But it’s a good idea to have your own prices set in case someone reaches out. Do some research into what content creators charge and find a good price for you and your audience-size. The more people your content reaches, usually the more a brand is willing to pay.
Try to be flexible with your pricing, but don’t undercharge or sell yourself short. Know what you and your content are worth, and don’t be afraid to charge it!
Find a Manager 🧑🏾💼👑
Just like with sponsorships and partnerships, you don’t have to wait until you’re verified to do this. But if you don’t yet have a manager, we suggest getting one! A manager does exactly what it sounds like: they manage you, your content, your profiles, and your sponsorships. They’re super helpful for a busy content creator and can bring in some new, exciting opportunities you hadn’t considered before.
How Do I Find One?
This path is a little less clear cut than sponsorships, but don’t let that intimidate you. We suggest searching for content creator or influencer management agencies. You can even check social media: your favorite influencers might have their manager’s contact in their bio or a link. And some managers make their own content to draw people in!
Often managers will list how to contact them and what to send them on their website. Be sure to review so you can send them exactly what they want: you don’t want a bad first impression.
What Should I Look For?
Check out their roster of influencers: do they work with people in your niche or with a similar style? If so, they’re probably a good fit! You should also ask about how they work with content creators and what their process is. You want someone who’s going to match you: this could be a more laidback style or a more strict kind of manager. Just make sure your processes are compatible. And have a list of questions ready so you can learn more about this manager and their experience!
To learn more about management, what to look for, and how to find managers, do a little research. You may find YouTube videos or articles that help, or podcast interviews that give you good insight.
Try a New Platform 💻
Some creators only stay on one platform, but you don’t have to! If you’re really kicking your feet, try out a new platform and see if you like it. Start with something similar to the platform you’re verified on: Clapper creators might enjoy YouTube or Twitch. If you love Radios, maybe you should try starting a podcast. As an added bonus, brands and sponsorships like working with creators who have substantial audiences on multiples platforms.
This new content doesn’t have to be exactly like what you make on your main account. It’s not a bad idea to make similar content, but your audience may like seeing a new side of you! And if you’ve always wanted to explore a new style of content, this is a great excuse to.
Speaking of your audience, be sure to let them know you’re starting this new account! Give them a sneak peek of your content, mention it in Lives or at the end of videos, and add the link to your profile. You can even ask them what other platforms or content you should try. Get them involved and keep them updated. You’ll want their help with this, too!
A Little Scrapbook 🖼️📖
To relive the rest of our road trip, check out the other five articles.
Clapper’s Creator Verification
Thanks for joining us on this road trip! Keep an eye out for future journeys into the world of content creation.
