Moms Using Power Of Social Media To Make Extra Cash
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It's no secret kids are expensive, which means many parents are looking for creative ways to make a few extra bucks.
Some women have figured out how to monetize motherhood and the photos they post online. Some are even making thousands by doing it.
Claudia Felix-Garay and Carly Anderson are working moms that have become "influencers" and are profiting on their blogs and social media exposure. Essentially turning their Instagrams into insta-gains.
"You know, when you're watching a TV show and they hold up the can of Coke in the middle of a conversation. That's product placement. In a similar way, a lot of companies do product placement with influencers, where they will pay you a fee to share their product in a photo," Anderson said.
"I told my husband. I was like, 'Babe, they emailed me. They want to pay me.' I was like, oh my God, yes," Felix-Garay said.
That's right, they're getting paid to post.
According to the Sway Group, moms control about 85 percent of household purchases, which gives them a spending power of $2.4 trillion.
They're also averaging more than three hours a day on the internet, which makes social media and influencing a marketing match made in heaven.
But, not everything you see is sponsored.
Both Carly and Claudia stress that it's important to keep your posts "you" and stick to products that support your brand.
"There's a point where it's over saturated, it's too much sponsorship, so every couple photos," Anderson said.
What about including their kids in the photos?
Without hesitation, both said when the fun stops, the photos stop.
"When he gets to the point when he says, 'I don't want to take pictures.' We have to respect that," Felix-Garay said.
"If she did say no, the answer would be no," Anderson said.
While influencing is something anyone can do, Claudia and Carly stress it's a long way to the top and commitment is key.
"You don't get a paycheck the first month, or the second or third," Anderson said.
But when you do, it can be up to $1,000 to $3,000 per campaign.
"If you're consistent, if you have great quality pictures, there should be no problem for you to get up there and succeed," Felix-Garay said.
Claudia and Carly use professional photographers to get their beautiful shots and both follow FTC regulations by clearly labeling all paid for posts with text saying "ad" or "sponsored."