These partnerships take different forms. A company might fund an entire video themed around a product, for example, or supply free goods for a creator to unbox.
“I’ve worked with some really cool brands,” LeBlanc says. “They’ll send you clothes, and you get to try them on and film about it. . . . I feel like a lot of my creative juices get to flow, because I’m like, ‘OK, this is for somebody else, so it has to be even better than what I’m putting out for myself.’”
Brand partnerships are one of the main ways that creators make money on other platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, as well. (TikTok also offers a monetization tool called the Creator Rewards Program for those who meet certain requirements, such as having at least 10,000 followers and creating videos that are one minute or longer.)
Paying creators can pay off for brands. Advertising research firm NCSolutions found that 66 percent of 12-to-27-year-olds in the U.S. bought a product after it was featured in a creator’s content.
You don’t need millions of followers to get deals. So-called nano creators—those with 1,000 to 10,000 followers—charge brands $20 to $250 per post, according to Viral Nation, an influencer marketing firm based in Canada. At the other end of the spectrum are mega creators, with more than 1 million followers. They can charge more than $10,000 for a single post.
The more engaged subscribers are—regularly liking, commenting on, and sharing content—the more money a creator can earn, says Joe Gagliese, co-founder of Viral Nation.
“You could have millions of followers, but if they aren’t actively engaging with your content, your influence is limited,” Gagliese says. “In contrast, a smaller creator with a highly engaged audience can have a much greater impact.”