Woman Turns LinkedIn Side Hustle Into Rs 22.70 Lakh Success; Here's How

While her LinkedIn earnings haven't yet reached the $95,000 salary she earned in her previous full-time role, they have significantly outpaced her initial earnings from The Em Dash Co.

Jayde Powell, an American social media strategist, discovered an unexpected avenue for income by leveraging her presence on LinkedIn. Having collaborated with major brands such as Delta Airlines, she never anticipated that this platform would become a lucrative source of revenue. However, after the social media landscape shifted away from sites like X (formerly Twitter) in 2022, Powell recognised an opportunity.

Within a year, her posts, which focused on her corporate experiences, began attracting significant attention from both followers and past clients, according to report from CNBC Make It. The turning point came when Sprout Social, a social media management platform, approached her with an offer of $1,000 to create a sponsored post for their event on LinkedIn. That moment marked a pivotal realisation for Powell: she could transform her LinkedIn activity into a profitable endeavour.

In 2022, Powell founded her own agency, The Em Dash Co., seeking greater flexibility and independence from the conventional 9-to-5 work model. As a solo entrepreneur, the additional income she generates from LinkedIn has become essential for managing her mortgage, utility bills, and business expenses while she focuses on expanding her agency.

While her LinkedIn earnings haven't yet reached the $95,000 salary she earned in her previous full-time role, they have significantly outpaced her initial earnings from The Em Dash Co., which amounted to $52,100 last year.

Powell’s success highlights a growing trend in influencer marketing. "Consumers are more savvy than ever; they know when they’re being marketed to," she notes. By infusing her content with personality and authenticity, she has cultivated a more engaging and relatable online presence.

She highlighted that people trust individuals, not brands. A 2023 survey by PR firm Matter Communications revealed that over two-thirds of US consumers prefer recommendations from influencers or friends over traditional brand advertisements, according to CNBC.

For Powell, LinkedIn emerged as her platform of choice. “I like the unserious tone, but I adjust my content to fit what young professionals are talking about,” she explains. Recognizing the potential for monetization, she began reaching out to brands just as she had built her business clientele. By leveraging tools she was already familiar with, like Teachable for webinars, she initiated conversations with prospective partners.

Running her LinkedIn side hustle comes with both advantages and challenges. While she values the flexibility it offers, the uncertainty of freelancing can be daunting. "It can be scary when you’re wondering, 'When is my next paycheck coming? When is my next invoice going to process?'" she admits.

Despite these hurdles, Powell is optimistic about her future as a LinkedIn influencer. Her next goal is to reach 100,000 followers by 2025, with aspirations of possibly transitioning to full-time content creation.