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Are influencer dreams too good to be true? What is the dark reality behind the so-called desirable career? Join Ralph Estep, Jr. as he peels back the curtain to reveal the influencer world's enticing promises and hidden challenges.
In this episode of the Ask Ralph Podcast, host Ralph Estep, Jr. discusses the unknown aspects of being an online influencer, such as combining status with Christian principles and priorities. He acknowledges the hurdles and expectations while actionable tactics for navigating the influencer realm with the correct mentality and drive.
Tune in to learn the surprising realities and practical steps to leverage social media for good.
00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
00:19 Welcome to Technology Tuesday
00:47 Secrets of Being an Online Influencer
01:53 Show Announcements
02:31 Bible Verse
03:01 The Pros of Online Influencers
04:02 The Reality in the Industry
09:43 Christians as Influencers
10:08 Advice for Aspiring Online Influencers
11:57 Balancing Ambition With Humility
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EP 156 - Influencers
Ralph: [00:00:00] On today's show, what does it really take to become an influencer. Is it all glitz and glam or is there a darker side that we don't see? We received this question from one of our loyal listeners and that's our topic for today. So stay tuned. And also I have a very special announcement at the end of the show. So you don't want to miss that.
Ralph: : [00:00:19] Welcome to our technology Tuesday show. I'm so glad you chose to join us. I just want to thank you for listening and more importantly, supporting the program. I'm coming to you today from the Estep farm in this beautiful Saggio accounting studio.
Ralph: : [00:00:32] Let me put on my podcast or hat. Put down those overalls and yes, overalls are required gear here on the farm and we're out there working with the cows and pushed out adding machine to the side. And let's get into some financial wisdom from a Christian perspective. If you spend any time at all on social media sites like Instagram or Tik TOK, you've probably come across what they call online influencers. People have huge followings and get paid to promote brands.
Ralph: : [00:01:00] Becoming an influencer might seem like an easy path to fame and fortune. But is that perception a reality? What are the real implications, both positive and negative, trying to make it as an online influencer? As Christians, how do we balance that life? Pursuing that as a career while still keeping our focus on the heavenly priorities
Ralph: [00:01:19] well today, I want to peel back the curtain and take a raw, authentic look at some of the key aspects of the influencer world we don't always talk about my goal is to equip you with knowledge so you can make wise decisions. Whether you want to become an influencer yourself. Or simply want to make sure your kids have realistic expectations about this path for their life. There definitely are some major pros, but also some serious cons of can deeply impact not just your bank account, but your self-worth. Your identity and relationship with God if you aren't intentional.
Ralph: [00:01:52] Well, don't forget to subscribe to the show and join our email list. You do that in askralphpodcast.com. So you don't miss tomorrow's show.
Ralph: [00:02:00] Tomorrow, we're going to talk about 14 truths about common jobs that are kind of shocking to learn. It's going to be an eye opening discussion for our wacky Wednesday show. We also just launched an instructor's group on Facebook. And I want to encourage each of our listeners to join the group, to continue the conversations from the show. It's a great place to share ideas for the show. It's a great place to discuss your triumphs and your challenges. We're really building an following out there. So take a look at it. And I have a link to the Facebook group in the show notes. You just click on that link and you can join.
Ralph: [00:02:31] Well, let's start our discussion today with a Bible verse. It comes from Matthew chapter six, verses 19 to 21. And it says this. Do not store up for yourselves, treasure on earth, where moths and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy. And where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Those are really good words for today's
Ralph: [00:03:00] show. All right. Well, let's start by looking at some of the obvious appeals. Of becoming an influencer and seeing the dollar signs, many envision. A lot of people think it's all it's cracked up to be. We'll call this part, the big payoff. The truth is top influencers can make big money from brand deals summer in anywhere from 5,000 to a hundred thousand for a single sponsored post. Add those up and you connect 500,000 to a million dollars annually PR packages, but free luxury goods are enticing. Getting paid vacations. High-end bags and jewelry and all kinds of VIP concert tickets. It seemingly easy income. Post pretty pictures, modeling products you love already while I'm making big bucks from home. It could lead to fame who wouldn't want millions of followers praising your outfits.
Ralph: [00:04:00] Your makeup skills are hilarious jokes. Getting recognized on the streets or having fans asking for selfies is next level social status. So at perks like that, becoming an influencer sounds pretty nice. Right? But here's the reality check friends less than 1% actually achieved top tier fame and fortune. And the path my friends is far from easy. So before you quit your day job, let's unpack what it really takes. Now let's have a reality check and talk about the, not so glamorous grind to all of this.
Ralph: [00:04:20] Building a large loyal audience takes serious work. Trust me, I know this. Just try building a podcast audience. Consistently creating, engaging content is essential, but it's grueling. The shooting, the editing, optimizing videos or captions for multiple posts daily gets old really quickly. It's a real chore. So you better enjoy the process while some partnerships bring financial game. Most offers starting out our product only in exchange for promotion. In other words, they send you their product.
Ralph: [00:05:00] They ask you to post about it on social media. You have to strategically balanced, paid versus organic content. So followers don't get turned off by constant sales pitches. You know, you can build this audience, but if they constantly, all they hear from you at sales pitches, you probably gonna turn them off pretty quickly. Managing criticism and trolls who attack your appearance or beliefs takes thick skin.
Ralph: [00:05:19] Trust me, this is cruel. These cruel comments can batter your self image and confidence. It took me some time to get past some of the truly nasty comments that people make online about my show. You would think they have better things to do with their time. There's also this huge pressure for perfection.
Ralph: [00:05:29] It's intense. Having public meltdowns over falling short on unexpected beauty or talent standards is common. And let's talk about FOMO. Okay. I had to look this one up because I had no idea what a FOMO means, but it means the fear of missing out.
Ralph: [00:05:42] It's a real thing, trying to keep up with other influence, highlight reels, full of trips, these gifts, these accolades, you crave what you don't have them. It breeds, loneliness and isolation. These are issues working solo for the brand instead of collaborating in person with coworkers. Towards common goals.
Ralph: [00:06:00] It's a big disconnect. It's very lonely. It's very isolating. Burnout is rampant trying to pump out content nonstop to stay relevant in these oversaturated markets while views likes in deal slowly dwindled over time. So clearly this influencer life is far from effortless. As the Instagram clips make it appear, . It always looks great from the outside. And I haven't even touched on how it can negatively impact your faith. So let's talk about faith. Let's talk about those implications. As Christians, we know our identity and worth comes from Christ, not online fame or fortune. But when your job depends on public attention and admiration. It can truly distort your values and pull you away from living for the kingdom.
Ralph: [00:06:42] Here's some real soul level risks. Pride. It's tempting to get puffed up by all the praise, but scripture warns against boasting of our own talents versus lifting up God's glory. How about idolatry? By craving more followers and likes than actual friendships, you can end up
Ralph: [00:07:00] worshiping social media metrics over meaningful kingdom impact. Greed. Chasing affiliate dollars can motivate you to push more products for profit versus posting, helpful content that genuinely serves your audience. I'm going to do a reality check here. That's my goal with the podcast. I always want to post helpful content that serves you.
Ralph: [00:07:22] My audience deception. It's easy to present filtered versions of yourself in life that mislead others. Instead of being authentic about your genuine struggles. How about vanity when your income depends on your appearance? Obsession overflow selfish can shift focus from inward beauty. That matters most to God.
Ralph: [00:07:43] Speaking of dollars while the money influencers rake in might motivate you. Don't forget about good old uncle Sam. As your income grows. So does your tax responsibility a lot of people don't know about this, so here's some key things to know, just because brands pay you in free products. Doesn't mean it's not taxable income. Getting $5,000 worth of clothes or electronics is the same as getting a $5,000 check and that you have to pay taxes on my friends.
Ralph: [00:08:08] You have to claim the value of what they are giving you on your taxes. You're effectively an independent contractor. So as an independent contractor, no taxes are withheld from influencer deals. So you have to religiously set aside money to avoid owing big sums at the end of the year. Multiple income sources like affiliate links, subscriptions, merchandise. They make determining deductible business expenses versus personal purchases, tricky. When you go to file your return and least, but not least poor records lead to risk of audits. Unclaimed perks like hostel stays and travel can be taxed. So tally them carefully. Certain states, even tax gifted items over $500. So plan ahead to avoid unpleasant surprises. International brand deals also bring complicated tax scenarios. Without expert help violations or penalties can skyrocket.
Ralph: [00:09:00] So while unlocking new income stream seems a learning don't underestimate the time and strategic planning involved to be socially savvy about taxes. This is the time to connect with a knowledgeable accountant or a financial advisor to guide your liability strategy.
Ralph: [00:09:13] Remember this, integrity matters. Even in the smallest details, staying a hundred percent above board protects your peace of mind as much as your pocket book. So you've got to make sure you have reliable resources to answer questions. So you don't have to forfeit faith values for financial victories. That's the thing I worry about the most is that for fitting faith values for financial victories. So with all those cons laid out, does this mean no believers should ever pursue becoming an influencer? I'll say not necessarily. It is possible to leverage social media for good as followers of Christ. But we must enter in with eyes wide open.
Ralph: [00:10:00] We got to understand that we are intentionally fighting to keep the right mindset. And motivation fueled by living for [00:10:00] eternal rewards rather than temporary fame. If you still feel called to give it a shot after weighing the risks. Here are some practical action steps. You know, if you listen to the show, I'm always trying to give you practical action steps.
Ralph: [00:10:11] Number one. I bathe it in prayer. Ask God to guide your path and guard your hearts. Motivation. Tell me you surrender the results, whether that's 10, a thousand or 10 million followers, ask for joy and purpose, even in small beginnings. Number two seek accountability partners who will speak truth and ask hard questions when needed about potential red flags like pride or discouragement, and have mentors who will pray alongside you and remind you of your true identity in Christ.
Ralph: [00:11:00] During those ups and downs and my friends, you're going to have those ups and downs. Number three, clarify your "why" for creating content and be intentionally sharing, not just pretty pictures, but also the meaningful stories of how God is working in your life. Focus first on genuinely serving your starting tribe over chasing overnight fame. Prioritize applying the followers messages over analyzing your own metrics.
Ralph: [00:11:08] It is so easy to get mired in the number of likes the number of followers. But are you really reaching back to them and replying to their messages? Number four, set limits on consumption of comparison, feeling content to curb coveting, other success. Spend more time in scripture, filling your mind with kingdom principles rather than worldly messaging about what defines worth number five, give back along the way. This is a great time to use any monetary gains to support ministry efforts.
Ralph: [00:12:00] Furthering the gospel. Seeing blessings flow out versus just stockpiling income for yourself. It keeps your hearts aligned on truth, maybe fun to community service trip. Putting love into action. So in closing, ponder this quote from Francis Chan on balancing ambition with humility. Do we understand humility? It's not denying that you have talents, true humility lies in recognizing God gave you these talents to use not to admire. That's a great quote. So don't bury what God planted in you, but stay laser-focused on using it for his glory versus your own. Well, I hope walking through the real realities, both promising and precarious about pursuing the influencer path was helpful. I hope that was a good perspective today, my friends. I always talk was to equip you to make wise prayerful decisions about social media involvement based on truth versus hype is a whole bunch of hype out there because at the end of the day, we know as Christ followers, that our word isn't defined by fleeting fame or fickle followers, but by the unwavering love of our heavenly father, As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Ralph: , [00:13:00] What stood out, what surprised you the most from our conversation? Feel free to reach out by message me through our website. And don't forget to visit. askralphpodcast.com to dive into more resources on aligning your ambitions with godly principles when it comes to moneybusiness, and life. So here's the special announcement. After handling the complete production of the show.
Ralph: , [00:13:05] Since we relaunched last November, I am very excited to report that we have added a production team. That's right. To assist in putting the show together, both the audio podcast show and the online video shows on YouTube and rumble. So you may start to notice some subtle changes to the show, but I'm going to assure you this, the content is not changing.
Ralph: [00:13:23] We're just kicking it up a notch. I would absolutely love to hear your feedback as we move forward to don't forget to reach out and share your thoughts. And also I'm always looking for great show topics. So simply click on the microphone icon. That's askralphpodcast.com or you can send me an email. You can send it to ralph@askralph.com.
Ralph: [00:13:41] So as I always say, stay financially savvy my friends and may God bless you abundantly.
