How Much Should You Charge to Create Social Media Content? Good Question, Canopy Has the Answer Valuing Your Voice: Navigating the Pricing Maze of Social Media Content Creation with Insights from Canopy
By Terry Rice Edited by Dan Bova
"How much will you charge to promote the event on your socials?"
An event organizer asked me this question in regards to an event that I'm being paid to speak at.
Super simple question, incredibly challenging to answer.
When it comes to charging for keynotes, panels or workshops; I'm crystal clear on my pricing. But for some reason, when it comes to charging for a social media post, I get stuck. Here's why:
I post on LinkedIn everyday as it – feel free to follow me there if you'd like to learn more about developing business resilience – so it's not like creating one more post is a major chore or a pattern interrupt.
However, if someone is asking how much you charge, that means they see value in what you do. That's great news! But again, that causes a new problem. How much should you charge?
This is a question that plagues many paid content creators, whether it's your full time gig or a one-off project. In my experience, the best way to find the answer is to ask other creators how much they're getting paid. But how can you find other creators who are willing to be open about how much they're getting for their work so you can charge your true value?
Fortunately, Canopy has solved that problem for you. Described as "a semi-anonymous social app for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. A safe space for Creators to ask questions and gain industry insights when it comes to building a career as a Creator," this platform allows you to learn from other creators who are on a similar journey.
The founder of Canopy, Ayomi Samaraweera, worked as a management consultant for several years. She discovered her passion for the Creator Economy during the pandemic when she joined TikTok's Communications team and went on to become the Global Head of Internal Communications.
She then decided to move on and launch Canopy, which now boasts an online community of over 1,000 creators. I was able to meet several of them in person during a recent event at Shopify's NYC office and I'll share a few of their stories below.
My goal is to show you that now matter what you talk about, or how many followers you have, your work is valued and you should be fairly compensated for it.
Related: 5 Ways to Get on the Media's Good Side (and Stay There)
Kary Santayana - Inspiring and motivating radical non-conformers to show up as the most authentic version of themselves
Kary's main audience is people with intersectional identities in the 18-35 year old range, but all are welcome. As a trans, non-binary, mixed-race creator, they aim to be the representation they didn't have growing up. When asked about the goal of their content, Kary stated, "I hope that people watch and engage with my content and feel empowered to show up as who they are meant to be, wear what they want to wear, and exist freely in a world that wants to put people into boxes."
Although Kary is a brave individual, they still struggled with the uncertainty and isolation that can come with being a content creator. They shared how Canopy has helped: "As a nano-creator who is fairly new to my creator monetization journey (less than a year), it's easy to feel like I'm navigating this industry alone. Am I charging the right rates? Does the algorithm hate me? Canopy for Creators has helped to reduce this feeling of isolation and act as a resource for creators to ask their questions, gain a sense of community, and build a network."
Brandon Smithwrick - Proving you can generate revenue as a LinkedIn Creator
Brandon is a B2B influencer on LinkedIn, where he shares his expertise on various topics such as content marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, business development, and personal development. His work has allowed him to collaborate with brands including Notion, LinkedIn, Etsy, Gymshark, Semrush, and more.
His ultimate goal is to be the mentor that he never had when he was starting out in his professional career. After becoming a paid content creator, he found himself needing that mentorship again. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are so popular for content creation that it's easy to find pricing information, but LinkedIn is different.
Brandon explained his challenge and breakthrough: "I couldn't find any resources on how to price my content, but then I found Canopy, and it's been a lifesaver! It's helped me figure out how to charge for endorsements and also how to help other creators with their pricing issues. Plus, as a creator, it's great to have a community to talk to and vent with about the everyday struggles of content creation."
Tameka Bazile - Creating social content to help you create better social content
Tameka creates content about social media as a profession and as a culture with a focus on social media managers, creators and marketing professionals. And her role as Social Media Manager at TIME gives her the credibility to do so.
Tameka's role also gives her a unique perspective. She knows planning and creating social media content is a job, not just a hobby. And this knowledge has equipped her to not only charge accurate rates, but share that information with her audience as well.
"Canopy has allowed me to monetize the community I've built in fair and ethical ways. By sharing thoughts, concerns, and ideas about pay transparency and sponsorships, I can work with brands that understand and prioritize my audience's needs, while being fairly compensated for the effort, time, and attention I've put into single-handedly establishing that audience."
As an added value to her community, she also shares the tools and resources they need to succeed from a trustworthy source.
Connect with Tameka on LinkedIn
Taryn Lewis - Entertaining and educating through tips and tutorials
While known for her and tutorials, Taryn also creates vibrant, high-quality content for fashion and beauty brands like American Eagle and I AM PROUD.
Another aspect that makes Taryn's content unique is her focus on captivating transitions, including makeup and outfits. "My transitions leave my audience asking for more, they often demand a part two or tutorial. My tips and tutorials serve as inspiration for them to learn, grow and chase their dreams."
If you're like me, you may not have the creativity or editing skills needed to create similar work. Fortunately, you don't have to as Taryn has also found success with vlogs and behind the scenes content.
For Taryn, joining Canopy was not just about monetizing her talent as a creator, it helped her emerge after a difficult time in her life.
"Canopy has not only been instrumental in my journey growing as a Creator, but also healing as a person. Canopy's community was one of my first attempts in reemerging socially and rebuilding my support system I lost after surviving a shooting." She continues "When Ayomi first invited me to join Canopy, I didn't realize it would ultimately play a pivotal role in paving my path back into networking and in fostering trust in people again."
Learn more from Taryn on TikTok
What's next?
If you're currently or considering becoming a paid creator, here are a few tips to get you started.
Know your worth: Remember, full time employees get paid to create content, so why shouldn't you be sufficiently compensated as well?
Go where you're valued: If a brand isn't willing to pay your true value, move on to one that is.
Join a community: The creator economy is continuing to evolve which can lead to uncertainty, your network will be an incredibly value source of support and clarity.
The future belongs to creators, but we have to build it together.
