Want to be a social media influencer? Find out how 4 at Cabrini started

By Layal Srour
December 14, 2020

“Don’t use social media to impress people; use it to impact people.” ~ Dave Willis

With this in mind, a few Cabrini students have taken to their own social media accounts to be social media influencers to use their voice to make a difference.

Renin Broadnax

Photo submitted by Renin Broadnax.

Having been on Instagram for more than four years, it was only six months ago that he thought of becoming an influencer.

“A brand by the name of “Goodfair” reached out to me for some marketing for their clothes. I then was put into a group chat with 12 other young influencers and started working with bigger brands to do some marketing,” Renin Broadnax, Cabrini alum, said.

Although he never set out to become an influencer, he found interest in it during the quarantine, as well as recognizing more people reaching out to him about his interests and where he shops. Broadnax began accepting these offers as a way to make money aside from his current job.  

“I charge $75 for a picture story post with a product. $100 for a single video story post. $125 for pictures on my feed and $150 for a one minute video on my feed. I charge $200 for an IGTV video,” Broadnax said.

Being a social media influencer and working with brands such as ASOS, H&M, Depop, Rockistudios and ShopRCP, Broadnax says the benefits are being able to work from home and “meeting new people and getting a sneak peak behind the marketing of brands.” He also got the opportunity to speak for NAMI in Bucks County because his video content focuses on mental health.

Although it may seem easy that all you have to do is post a photo or video, Broadnax said, “Being an influencer is actually super hard, especially when you also have a 9-5 job.” There are many aspects that goes into being an influencer such as “downloading apps to be more accessible for brands, create a schedule of when to post, how long you have to leave the post up for, and hashtags you have to use if any and is it part of a campaign or just a single post.” It may not seem like much, but it can be difficult when you have to do this by yourself since most influencers with higher followings have managers to do this for them. 

Broadnax gave a bit of advice for people wanting to be an influencer saying, “If you’re thinking about being an influencer literally just start posting. I’m not saying it is easy obviously but you have to start somewhere. It’s still fun and great way to meet people and make money.”

To keep up with Broadnax, follow him on Instagram.

Hanna Hyland

Photo submitted by Hanna Hyland.

After overcoming her fears of being judged, Hanna Hyland, junior digital communications and social media major, started her YouTube channel the summer of 2019. She began working with brands and building her brand in the beginning of 2020.

“Starting a YouTube channel has always been a dream of mine. My freshman year of college I went through a hard time mentally and YouTube became my outlet,” Hyland said. “Every time I felt sad or alone I would watch YouTube and it would take me out of reality for a little bit. I decided that’s what I want to be for my supporters. I want to be a place they can go and feel not alone.”

Besides YouTube, Hyland also has a hand with creativity which she expresses on Instagram, where she also has a large following. She describes being an influencer and creating content as a way to “use my creativity in such fun and unique ways and I really love it.”

I also have always been creative but never knew how to express it. Creating content on both instagram and YouTube allow me to use my creativity in such fun and unique ways and I really love it. 

Unlike Broadnax, Hyland has a manager where brands will reach out to her manager to “negotiate and plan out what content I will produce on my platforms.” She gets compensated through her brand deals, as well as her YouTube videos. However, she became an influencer because it was her passion to impact and help others, so money was never her goal or purpose. 

Hyland works with brands she likes, including “Albertsons, seat geek, luseta beauty, oh Polly, minky couture and many more.”

Hyland posts a new video once a week and posts multiple times a week on Instagram, as well as daily stories to interact with her supporters.

Emily Crouse

Photo via Emily Crouse’s Instagram.

On Instagram, she goes by Fitty Freckles, which was created during her time in college to be used as a portfolio piece in interviews, that I could grow an Instagram based around the topic of fitness. Using this account, she was able to get internships and a full time job when she graduated. 

Just like Hyland, Crouse is active on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter, all using the name Fitty Freckles. However, she only gets compensated on YouTube and Instagram. From YouTube, she gets paid “monthly from ads that run on my videos, subscribers and views.” There is no standard pay on YouTube. Her pay increases as she gains new subscribers and viewers, as well as more ads.

With brands, she said, “They’ll send you a campaign, negotiate a rate, then sign and deliver. So depending on how many offers are given or accepted.”  She works with brands such as Fabletics and other smaller brands where she has monthly partnerships with and gets compensated from. 

Lastly, Crouse sells an eBook of different recipes, as well as merchandise. So she gets money through those products when they are purchased, which she advertises on her YouTube channel.

Other than being compensated, Crouse benefits from being a social media influencer by getting the opportunity to travel and meet people through common interest. “I love messaging back and forth with people who can relate to me and my life because we have common interests and lifestyles,” Crouse said.

Alliyah Maduro

Photo submitted by Alliyah Maduro.

Using her skills from Cabrini, Alliyah Maduro, Cabrini alumna, has been creating content for two years on Instagram. She has found interest in creating content because “people are always watching what you do.”

Maduro said, “If you can change a least one person’s life for the better through social media, then why not.”

Although Maduro does not get paid for sponsoring brands or posting on her own page like Broadnax, she does get compensated by “companies reaching out to me wanting to gift me $70+ worth of items and just to post on social media.” She is in the works of getting compensated by posting, however. 

As mentioned before, Maduro benefits from being an influencer by “impacting their life in a positive way or just sharing something one might need at the moment. You just never know your impact in a persons life.”

Her partnerships with certain brands, such as Winc Wine, Yummie Official and Alabaster, “gets me exposure on social media and be noticed by top brands as well.” 

She has also found being an influencer to be a lot of work for the same reasons that Renin Broadnax mentioned.  “I usually like to share things about my faith, fashion and just lifestyle which everyday people can relate to,” Maduro said. 

Speaking about faith, Maduro recently started her own brand called Latinas in Faith.  

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Layal Srour

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