When it comes to content creation learning to make an income from your passion can be one of the hardest steps to take. Pitching brands can oftentimes lead to email silence, especially if you’re just starting out. But, it doesn’t have to be that way!

Nowadays, there are plenty of platforms for content creators that serve as an intermediary between you and brands. These platforms help you close deals, and pitch for sponsored posts and UGC content when brands have active campaigns. Sounds great, right?

If you’re just starting out in the influencing world then this article is going to stand you in good stead. You’ll want to keep reading, to find out our list of some of the best platforms that you can sign up with today, to start making an income from content creation.

What Is A Content Creator Platform? 

The great thing about influencer platforms is they are accessible to everyone. And even though some of them may have a minimum follower requirement, it’s usually 3,000 to 5,000 which is achievable and not out of the realm of possibility.

You don’t need to have 50,000 to 100,000 followers to get started. In fact, most brands using influencer platforms are looking for smaller creators. This is because nano and micro-influencers often have better engagement rates, higher audience trust, and more niche demographics.

Another benefit smaller creators have to offer is authenticity. Brands love working with micro-influencers because it feels more organic and when an audience member sees a sponsored post they feel as if they’re receiving a trusted product recommendation from a close friend. This all comes down to genuine connection and engagement, something that gets lost as a content creator’s follower count climbs.

I’m sure you’re asking yourself what the difference is between an influencer agency and an influencer platform seeing as oftentimes the two get conflated. Well, it’s not all that complicated with the main difference being that an influencer marketing platform is a company that acts as a middle-man to connect content creators with brands.

How these platforms work: a brand will send the influencer marketing platform campaigns that they need to fill. These campaigns will be posted and you’d be able to view these in your dashboard. If you feel the campaign is a good fit then you can apply. Each platform has a different application process, but most of the time they’re pretty straightforward.

Influencer marketing agencies offer a more individualized approach. Team members work with influencers to find brand collaborations or vice-versa. Agencies are normally better catered to content creators with a larger following.

What Are The Key Benefits Of These Platforms

We’ll keep this short and sweet!

The main benefit of using influencer platforms is the fact that it can save you a lot of time when compared to pitching brands directly, which can be exhausting, to say the least. Instead of spending your precious time researching brands you’d like to collab with, crafting the perfect pitch, waiting for a reply, and then negotiating terms and payment, you simply have to apply to active campaigns on a simple-to-use platform.

Brands love to use influencer marketing platforms because it helps to streamline the entire process and most of these platforms offer additional analytics and tracking tools which companies love. They’re able to study the data and adapt the campaign in real time depending on the results.

Truthfully, these platforms offer a tailored solution for content creators and brands alike. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!

The Best Platforms for Content Creators

Nowadays there are tons of influencer marketing platforms, which is great because that didn’t always use to be the case.

Each platform has its own unique set of features, and the brands they collaborate with can also differ. So it’s important to research what each platform has to offer, what brands they routinely work with, and weigh up the pros and cons before signing up.

You really want to make sure you’re signing up for the platforms that best fit your brand image and niche. For example, Tribe often works with larger brands, including Ikea, so if you’re an interior decorator or DIY’er then you’d want to consider registering with them.

For the sake of this article, we’ve collated seven of the leading influencer platforms – because as we mentioned before there are hundreds nowadays – but these are some of the most popular, and for good reason!

Collectively

Collectively launched in 2013 and they have a long history of connecting influencers and brands. They’re a global leader when it comes to content creator platforms and have worked with some big names, such as LinkedIn, Delta, and Converse. 

If you’re interested in signing up as a content creator with Collectively you can check out their website here.

Tribe

Tribe is the perfect platform for smaller content creators. Over the years the company has partnered with thousands of brands, some of which include Bumble, Ikea, and banking giant HSBC. 

If you’re a micro-influencer looking to collab with brands then Tribe is the perfect platform for you.

How it works is brands post their campaign guidelines to the platform and if you think you’d be a good fit then you can go ahead and apply. 

Tribe does have a minimum follower requirement of 3,000 – if you’re still not quite there don’t give up hope! Focus on signing up for some of the other platforms in the meantime. 

If you’re interested in signing up as a content creator with Tribe you can check out their website here.

Popular Pays

Popular Pays partners with both enterprise and boutique brands, offering content creators the opportunity to collaborate with a wide variety of companies. Big names such as Starbucks, Amazon, and even Google have posted campaigns on this platform in the past.

It’s a little different from other platforms because during the sign-up process, you’re asked to submit a portfolio of previous work, this can be in the form of personal content creation, UGC, or sponsored posts. After you’re finished, you’ll be able to vet and apply to their active campaigns. 

If you’re interested in signing up as a content creator with Popular Pays you can check out their website here.

Tapinfluence

When it comes to Tapfluence you’re in the driving seat. 

All you need to do is create a profile and set some filters for the type of collabs you’re looking for. The platform will calculate your sponsored post price automatically once you’ve linked your social media accounts.

Tapfluence’s content creator dashboard also offers great features for analytics that you can study and use to adapt your social media strategy. This data can also be useful if you want to create a media kit.

In the past Tapfluence has hosted campaigns from major retailers such as Whole Foods and Target.

If you’re interested in signing up as a content creator with TapFluence you can check out their website here.

Aspire

Lastly, we’ve got Aspire, a popular influencer marketing platform that over 50,000 content creators use to source collaborations with brands such as ASOS, Nike, and even Tinder.

Each application is reviewed by a team member so it might take a few days till your profile is activated. Once your profile is active you’ll start to receive campaign notifications.

This platform is slightly different from the ones mentioned above because it connects content creators directly with brands. This is great because it can allow you to build a long-term relationship with the company representative in charge of influencer marketing.

If you’re interested in signing up as a content creator with Aspire you can check out their website here.

Conclusion

So there you have it! 

You don’t need a massive follower count in order to start collaborating with brands and making an income doing what you love. It really is as simple as signing up to some of the platforms we’ve mentioned above! 

The primary thing brands are looking for is authenticity, which is represented in the form of your engagement metrics. 

If you want to sign up to influencer marketing platforms that have a minimum follower requirement that you don’t yet meet, then focus on creating high-quality content that speaks to your audience – and have fun doing it!