Opening the Black Box

"It's a black box. Nobody talks about this unless you have creator friends within a close intimate group." - Jean Kang, program manager at Figma, career coach, and LinkedIn content creator.

She is referring to brand deals, and in our chat with her, we delve into the intricacies of monetizing a personal brand on LinkedIn—a journey she embarked on as a then-program-manager at LinkedIn itself. 

Kang is demystifying the process as she shares insights on her first brand deal and its evolution with her growing audience.

The Brand Breakdown

“One of the first brands that I worked with was a job search platform. That was within my niche since I talk a lot about job searching and pivoting,” she says. 

Her start, and the change over time with that brand, breaks down like this:

• At less than 10k followers, it was a flat rate of like $100 to $200 per post plus $5 for every 10,000 impressions. 

• Within three months of follower growth, that $100 to $200 proposed ended up being $500 per post with the $5 per additional 10k impressions. 

It led to a sponsorship in Kang’s Path to PM newsletter, with three plugs of the brand in her letter at $1,000. 

Part of Kang’s success is her due diligence and negotiation.

“After the first week of the post going live, the impressions mature. Then that number is super subjective, based on how much you're willing to negotiate, your following, and your growth. What brands care about is whether or not people click on that link, and they actually convert and pay into their premium option,” Kang says.

For instance, once she reached 3x growth and a newsletter, the conversation looked wildly different. “I was able to negotiate. I had creator friends who worked with that brand. So I was able to kind of see what's the right range for me,” she says. 

How It Started, Where It’s Going

Initially prompted by the demand for advice on breaking into program management, Kang recognized the lack of tailored content for career pivoters like herself. Commencing with a commitment to post educational content five to seven days a week for a year, she soon grew her following to nearly 30k on LinkedIn.

Kang also recognizes building her personal brand has led to other opportunities too. In addition to gigs that lead to monetization, she is regularly asked to be a guest speaker or guest on podcasts, which can all lead to even more fruitful opportunities.

In 2023 Kang made $10-15k in brand deals. Her goals for 2024 are to hit $50k+ while growing current following from 30k+ to 100k. 

Follow Jean on LinkedIn and check out her Path to PM newsletter here.

Jean also shared additional insights and secrets for her growing content business in a private workshop for our Always Be Creating community members. Level up your creator business by getting access to this replay and more and join a community of fellow Asian creators here.

Always Be Creating News

We’re hosting the first-of-its-kind Asian Creator Awards in March 2024

It's happening on Sunday March 10, 2024 in Austin, TX. We're looking for brands and creator economy companies who believe in elevating and celebrating Asian creators, creator economy leaders, and those in the greater creator ecosystem.

Join us in making creator history.

Nomination, press, and other pertinent event information will be shared soon. You’ll be the first to know since you already subscribe to the Asian Creator House Newsletter!

Community Stories 

• Check out some other AAPI content creators to follow.

• Steven Lim was honored with the Digital Influencer Award at the 2023 Unforgettable Gala.

• Wong Fu Productions has partnered with TVB for a new original series.

Have a community story or update you want to share? Hit Reply and send us a tip!

Creator Economy News

• TikTok’s biggest livestream tops Grammy’s number.

• Twitch in is changing its policy on nudity, again.

• Mr. Beast is giving away gifts thanks to a new partnership with Shop.

Have a happy holiday season from Jerry, Justin and Me.

Newsletter written by
Daniel Anderson