Small Squeeze in Chocolate

The Secret to How Luxury Influencers Can Afford So Much Stuff

And how aspiring content creators can too.

Load More Comments.

Between all the IG style pages, Pinterest vision boards, YouTube hauls, and TikTok unboxings, it’s hard to get bored in the luxury lifestyle space because it feels like there’s always something new to see.

I’m usually pretty good about bringing myself back down to Earth by asking The Many Bags Of or if the item I currently desire is something I even need; but lately, my fascination with luxury purely for luxury’s sake has become so strong that I often catch myself wondering how much time I’ve spent sitting around wishing for more.

Honestly, I don’t know when these massive luxury collections became the norm, but as someone who has (a) watched the luxury content space grow over the last 15 years and (b) is technically a content creator themselves, I realize that even I’m not immune to their allure.

But I also know a lot goes on behind the scenes of how influencers can afford to buy so much stuff ﹘brand deals, tax write-offs, and industry benefits are abound﹘ and most creators have probably taken advantage of a few.

The real secret is that these types of perks are available for anyone savvy enough to make use of them.

So next time you catch yourself mid-scroll, wondering how your favorite influencers live such a charmed glamourous life, try to keep a few things in mind:

Brand Deals

It’s no secret that many big influencers use brand deals to advance their position, but paid partnerships between brands and influencers with smaller audiences (called micro-influencers) also exist.

That sounds shady on the surface but these deals can actually help small creators by providing them with products, funds, or non-monetary incentives needed to create content their audience actually wants to see.

Even I’ve been approached by small jewelry brands looking for me to snap pictures of their products while I’m traveling abroad. And I have less than 500 Instagram followers!

Introducing the Loewe Flamenco Purse.

(I’ve always politely declined.)

Tax Write-Offs

Tax write-offs are a legitimate way for any small business owner (like influencers, bloggers, YouTubers, etc.) to reduce their taxable income. All that saved money can really add up, which can then be used to purchase more things that can also be written off to keep the business going. These write-offs can cover expenses for travel, phone/internet, clothing and beauty products, etc.

I know it all sounds like a dream, but there are many rules that must be followed, so one doesn’t end up in hot water with the IRS. For this reason, informed creators always wait to get the green light from a tax consultant (around the second or third year in business) before rushing off to snap fashionable photos in Paris.

(The money I earn as a freelancer actually goes towards my graduate degree because I get a tax write-off for ‘continued education’ in my field. Cool, right?)

Industry Benefits

The best way to get freebies, discounts, or access to opportunities is by working within the niche, at least for a period of time.

By positioning themselves closer to the source, aspiring influencers and creators are able to gain knowledge and establish themselves as a familiar face (and eventually a thought leader) in the industry of their choosing.

There’s a reason a lot of popular fashion TikTokers have day jobs as fashion interns or assistants ﹘ because they get invited to the parties, the fittings, and the photoshoots that everyone wants to see!

Of course, all these fabulous benefits arrive on the back of hard work, but in my experience, they’re hardly out of reach.

guest

10 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments