Be consistent with your content, your schedule and your voice. Whether it’s weekly vlogs on YouTube, ‘Makeup Monday’ product roundups on IG Stories or daily smoothie recipes on TikTok — choose your own adventure — but be consistent and intentional with your content and posting cadence. Training your audience to regularly consume and engage with your content will pave the way for effectively monetizing your brand.
As part of my series about “How Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bailey Dawson.
Bailey currently leads the lifestyle creator team at Fullscreen where she focuses on driving strategy across the vertical through helping creators optimize, maximize and monetize their social video business. She has 9+ years of experience working with talent and brands in the content marketing space across custom content activations, strategic partnerships and full-service talent management at DBA, Laurel & Wolf, StyleHaul, Edelman and now Fullscreen.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. What is your “backstory”? What brought you to this point in your career?
Thanks so much for having me! Ooh my origin story…well I was born and raised in Southern California (I’m a Taurus — very determined, loyal and of course, stubborn!), turned 18 in Berlin (thanks to a high school foreign exchange program!), and studied communication in college. I started interning for a large PR agency just after graduation and I have worked with talent in the digital marketing space ever since — no turning back now! As a seasoned content strategist and talent manager, I’ve had a front row seat as the industry has evolved, working with top brands, A-list celebrities and digitally native creators of all sizes to develop cutting edge social programs and engaging content strategies that deliver valuable results and resonate with audiences. I’ve been very fortunate to work alongside some incredibly talented colleagues and I’m continually blown away by the inspiring and passionate clients we get to work with every day.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you in the course of your career?
Very early on in my career I had the opportunity to manage an advertorial shoot for an Olympics partnership that required some last-minute travel to a stunning mountaintop in Alaska — still one of the coolest projects I’ve worked on! The timely nature of the shoot did not allow for any bumps in the road so naturally lots of bumps ensued. After taking planes, trains and automobiles to our picturesque shoot location in a tiny Alaskan town, I received the news no one wants: my luggage was delayed and would not arrive until the following evening (after the first day of our shoot!). Oh and by the time we landed, all shops in town were closed. Cut to the following morning, there I was bright and early on an Alaskan mountain top in 7 degree weather with a lightweight jacket & leggings (thankfully I DID wear snow boots on the flight!). I spent the day clutching a cup full of hot water and packing heat warmers in my pockets/sleeves/boots in between shots. Needless to say that was the last time I ever packed rationally for any travel. 10/10 would recommend always keeping the essentials on your person at all times. Honestly though, things are usually not as big of a deal as we make them out to be and the world spins madly on (the shoot went perfectly as far as the Talent and the Brand were concerned), but it certainly makes for a funny story. Alaska will always hold a special place in my heart…or maybe I’m just still chilled to my core. Tomato, tomato!
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I am passionate about empowering my clients and colleagues to be the best versions of themselves, reach and exceed their goals, and build something they are proud of — whether that is a career in the digital marketing space, or as a full-time content creator. That passion is why I have continued on this career path and strive to ensure the work I’m doing is making a difference, no matter how big or small the scale, and helping those around me. I have been really lucky throughout my career to have worked under a few incredible managers and mentors who not only shared their breadth of knowledge, but also empowered me to grow into the manager I am today. Now I have the opportunity to continue that trend and make a lasting impact on my little sliver of the world!
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that many have attempted, but eventually gave up on. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path but know that their dreams might be dashed?
Know your why and understand what motivates you. Once you can identify what makes you tick and the types of incentives that will keep you going, finding a company that aligns with those values will make your day job a little less “have to” and a little more “get to”. Easier said than done, but it really makes a world of difference!
None of us can achieve success without a bit of help along the way. Is there a particular person who made a profound difference in your life to whom you are grateful? Can you share a story?
When I was growing up, my older cousin worked in PR in Chicago and I absolutely adored her. I remember when she was in town for a work event and we went to visit her; she was working a product booth for a CPG brand client and while I now know this was a very routine event — no red carpets here — her passion for her job was infectious. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up! I had no idea what that actually meant at the time, but I went on to study communication in college and after graduating, that same cousin, now much further along in her career, helped get my resume in front of the right people at a prestigious PR firm — and the rest is history! Ahh, if only it were that easy! In all seriousness, I secured an internship and proceeded to grow with the company as a full-time employee for several years, where I formed what have become some of the most influential professional relationships of my career. My cousin’s willingness to help get my foot in the door at a reputable company at such an early point in my career laid the foundation for what has become an incredibly fulfilling journey for me in the digital marketing space. Now much older and somewhat wiser, I recognize how tricky it can be to endorse the right people and while I try to pay it forward, I will be eternally grateful for whatever favor my cousin may have cashed in to get me that interview!
So what are the most exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
One of the most exciting projects I’m working on right now at Fullscreen is the continued iteration of services we’re providing for our creators, resulting in measurable value and making a positive impact on their businesses (it’s really more of an evergreen-continuous-never-ending-lifetime-achievement type project). “MCN” can have such a negative connotation, but we’re starting to see a shift in the landscape and the work our team is doing is really resonating with partners. I’m excited to continue scaling our offering to help even more creators expand their digital businesses.
What are your “Top Five Ways That Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand” . (Please share a story or example for each.)
Share What You Love (even if you’re not getting paid)!
Share what you love with your followers — products, inspirational quotes, recipes, all of it. Sharing what you’re passionate about builds trust with your audience and fosters a strong sense of community. Don’t be afraid to share specific products you love even if you’re not getting paid by a brand just yet. Sometimes an organic mention is what will actually get you on the brand’s radar in the first place!
Develop A Cross-Platform Content Strategy
Gone are the days of posting the same image + caption to multiple social platforms. In order to incentivize your audience to follow you across platforms, you need to offer something new and exclusive while also considering the platform-specific content audiences want to consume. For example, if my client is a mom who typically shares family content on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, a snapshot of our content strategy might look like this: After a weekend getaway at the beach with family, she would post 1) a funny clip of the kids playing in the sand on TikTok, 2) a cute shot of the whole family and their epic sandcastle on Instagram, 3) the making-of their sand castle (& bloopers!) on IG Stories, and finally 4) the full weekend vlog chronicling the family’s beach vacation on her YouTube channel. It can be a LOT to keep up with, but it will positively impact your growth and ability to monetize more effectively.
Diversify Revenue Streams
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If you’re serious about monetizing your brand and pursuing a career in content creation, diversifying where your revenue comes from is imperative. Brand partnerships are typically the first thing that comes to mind when people think of ‘Influencers’, but sponsorships aren’t always as accessible or as lucrative as many assume. Diversifying your revenue streams is a great way to create additive dollars and power your business. Incorporating affiliate marketing (via RewardStyle or Amazon Affiliates), leveraging professional skills (photography skills can translate into custom Lightroom presets) and exploring product + licensing opportunities (exclusive merch or capsule collections) are all potential revenue streams available to creators of any size.
Be Consistent
Be consistent with your content, your schedule and your voice. Whether it’s weekly vlogs on YouTube, ‘Makeup Monday’ product roundups on IG Stories or daily smoothie recipes on TikTok — choose your own adventure — but be consistent and intentional with your content and posting cadence. Training your audience to regularly consume and engage with your content will pave the way for effectively monetizing your brand.
Build Your Dream Team
You have to stop pretending that you can do everything on your own! When you’re ready to turn your passion into a full-time career, it makes sense to invest in a team. Yes, building your ‘dream team’ will require you to invest financially, but the opportunities you will be able to access with the right team and strategic support system will be well worth the investment. Building a team can look different for everyone, but I always recommend taking inventory of what you love and what you may be consistently procrastinating time and time again when it comes to your business. If editing videos is your downfall, it’s time to find an editor. If you struggle to respond to brands that reach out or aren’t confident in negotiating on behalf of yourself, it’s time to find a manager or agent. If you are creating content on YouTube, you should have a partner like Fullscreen selling your reserve inventory (shameless plug, passive incremental revenue stream where we can add value to a creator’s existing business). Building a team of experts is an investment in your future.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
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We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. 🙂
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What is the best way our readers can follow your work online?
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Bailey Dawson of Fullscreen: Five Ways For Influencers To Monetize Their Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.