It is clear that social media is an employer however, not all platforms are easy to monetize. So, if you want to get paid on social media and to make some money in Zambia or elsewhere in Africa, contacting businesses directly and offering to increase their reach is another way.
When you do this, pricing yourself properly is the key and will mean that you make a study of the market to know what others are charging and to learn what clients in the business normally pay. Once you are ready, don’t be shy to ask for money using one of these four ways.
Per Post
Social media most time works on posts. They can be updates on a status, on a product or on a community but the idea is the post. The posts are the fuel that keeps the platforms running and this means this kind of repetitious work can be monetized. Simply you can get paid for your posts.
Try to learn the style and voice of your potential clients and work out ahead of time how much you want to be paid per post. Once you are accepted for a ‘gig’ keep abreast of who has accepted your service and do not accept other jobs if you cannot manage them. God forbid you mix up one handle’s post with another’s. Aim to keep your per-post client happy and coming back because this will keep you in the money.
Per Job
Sometimes, some clients want you just for one type of job but, that job may have to be repeated several times with no certain timetable. So, some clients may prefer having you on call. On call meaning they are not sure how many times they will need you so instead of guessing, they ask you to be handy for when they need you for that particular job.
On call means you must have a clear handle on the time invested and how much work you put into the job. Keep track of the number of hours per month, how many times you run the entire operation, and anything in between. Yo help, keep a log book and sign a contract.
Putting things down on paper helps to remind you if you have been paid per particular job, nothing new has cropped up that was not initially agreed and that you are paid as per agreement.
Per Percentage
Percentage or on commission is the most common way to make some money while selling someone else’s product. Even though it is not your product, you may still have to do the spiel that says you are able to help save or make money, improve efficiency, or be on trend but, once you make a sale your payment is a percentage of the sale price.
Working with percentages or on commission may mean your client may well have as many people as possible doing the same thing to increase the reach or bottom line. So, the better you know the product and the clients, the better you can sell.
Again, here too, if you are good at what you do, you can negotiate your commission. So, have a firm idea of how much you are worth even though there are dozens of you selling the same product.
Per Result
Per result can be the number of subscriptions, the number of likes, and the number of reposts or the number of purchases. A per result method is made for the seasoned social media creator and not the new comer. Negotiations per result revolve around and do include the reputation you have and the results you can guarantee the project based upon your track record.
This record is your calling card and gains value over time. The years, reach and proven track record mean that you already know your worth and the value you will be adding using this method. Depending on how you handle each assignment and are not “cancelled” overnight, that is.
