Spring break is a full time job for these Gen Z influencers.
Savvy social media stars have stuffed their suitcases with bathing suits, ring lights and cosmetics and headed for Florida’s beaches, but they’re in for a payday rather than a party.
And its serious business, with some making more than $20,000 per post, an influencer management company told The Post, noting it is peak season for cashing in on content creation.
“I’m really just here for the Instagram pictures,” University of Alabama influencer Izzy Darnell, 19, who boasts 1.1 million TikTok followers and another 151,000 followers on Instagram told The Post. She’s known for her fashion vlogs, beauty tips and lip-sync videos.
Darnell and her older sister, RushTok queen Kylan Darnell, 22, locked in a beach-front hotel in Fort Lauderdale for easy access to photo backdrops, and also took a boat trip for an extra backdrop.
Each brought two outfits per day, and said they’re getting early nights rather then partying into the early hours.
“I’m not really going out but I love to take pictures before,” Izzy told The Post, although she declined to say what deals she had or how much she was earning on her Spring Break trip.
Indeed, Spring Break has become the hottest time to land brand deals, influencer managers tell the Post saying they start fielding deals for clients in the winter months.
“Spring Break has increasingly become a high-value content window, particularly for college-aged influencers,” Kari Bliss, a senior manager at HireInfluence, an influencer marketing agency, said.
“With fewer academic and extracurricular commitments, creators have uninterrupted time to travel, produce and post at a higher volume – making them especially attractive to brands looking to tap into real-time, lifestyle driven moments.”
And, she said, mid-tier influencers with roughly 50,000 to 500,000 followers can make anywhere from $5,000 to more than $20,000 per post. However, she noted the Darnell sisters, with a combined following of more than two million on TikTok, can make “significantly more” by subtly promoting products by wearing them or incorporating them into their videos, rather than an overt promotion.
In her videos, Izzy showed off an “mermaid out of water” outfit, which included statement pieces like a $625 Pat Bo golden seashell bikini top decked in pearls, which she wore in four separate TikToks – amassing a combined 729,000 views.
Another post viewed more than 306,000 times features her and a friend running into the ocean wearing mermaid tails.
While she didn’t tag the brands in her content, Bliss says it’s likely Darnell locked in the brand deals before the trip and could potentially be on a retainer with them to include their products in her posts.
“She could definitely have a very profitable week if she’s working with multiple brands on paid partnerships,” Bliss told The Post.
“I’m sure [brands] reached out for a spring break activation and they negotiated a rate for a lump sum. That scope of work would include ‘X’ amount of posts, insuring she’s sharing across platforms,” speculated Bliss.
Others, like lifestyle influencers Lexie Learmann, 21, and twin sister Ana Learmann, 21,became internet famous for posting their fitness routines while attending the University of Minnesota. They have a combined 4.2 million followers and were invited to party in the Bahamas with clothing brand PacSun last month for Spring Break.
Their assignment? Posting content each per day on TikTok, Reels and Vlogging for YouTube, in exchange for a lump sum to post and a free trip.
“Some days are heavier if we’re capturing a lot,” Lexie told The Post.
One OOTD (Outfit of the Day) TikTok viewed 53,000 times, consisted of modeling a bikini and Bermuda shorts.
“Other days, we’re more focused on shooting and saving content to space out later,” she said, noting there’s the pressure to have “our audience feel like they’re vacationing with us.”
And, Bliss says, that’s the point when it comes to landing lucrative brand deals.
“The most successful campaigns during Spring Break feel native to the creator’s experience, for example, beauty brands integrating into ‘Get Ready With Me’ content before a night out, or wellness and energy products woven into travel itineraries,” Bliss said, again explaining how brands are looking for what appears less like a traditional ad and more like real-time, authentic storytelling.
But, although it all looks glam, the creators warn it’s hard work too. The Learmann twins lugged a tripod, cameras and multiple looks to create batches of “Get Ready With Me” content on the beach, timed to get the perfect shots in natural light and candid pics that didn’t look force or overly staged.
“It’s definitely a balance, and honestly still something we’re working on, but we’ve gotten into a
rhythm with it,” Ana said, noting they usually shoot earlier in the day so they can mix business with leisure.
The Learmanns also declined to say how much they were making over Spring Break, but did say it is their busiest season, and has opened doors for deals with big companies, such as lounge and activewear brand Aerie.
“A lot of our content naturally blends into what we’re already doing, so it doesn’t feel like we’re constantly working, but there is still a lot of planning, filming, and editing happening behind the scenes,” added Ana.
“You’re working, but working in paradise!”
