We've all heard the old relationship-inspired adage, which asks the eternal question, "For love or money?" When it comes to contestants of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, as well as the bachelors and bachelorettes themselves, they may be in fact be in search of love, but it might be for the love of money.
The longest-running dating franchise in TV history - 39 seasons combined and counting (not including spin-offs like Bachelor Pad, Bachelor in Paradise, or The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart) - has not only produced a few lasting love stories, but also some serious social media celebrities. Many of the most popular and most controversial participants, who may not have received a final rose (and even some who have), have instead or additionally received massive Instagram followings and lucrative pay-per-post contracts with brands. Season after season, lovelorn contestants, who left their small towns in search of the one, have instead found full-time or substantial supplemental income as Instagram influencers.
Former Miss Alabama, Hannah Brown, who finished seventh on season 23 of The Bachelor and became the leading lady for season 15 of The Bachelorette, may have lost out on love in both tries but has the most Instagram followers of any participant from the past two seasons with over 2,600,000 followers. Reportedly, each of her sponsored Instagram post earns her anywhere from $5,260–$8,767 and almost 300,000 likes. While many were seeking an engagement ring, many instead got a big engagement rate. For example, season 24 villain Victoria Fuller had the highest estimated engagement rate (13.8%) of any of the studied contestants, while alternatively, season 24 fan-favorite Madison Prewett had a lower engagement rate (11.73%).
By the end of their season, nearly every contestant from season 24 grew to over 3,000 Instagram followers. Becoming micro-influencers (from 3,000 to 50,000 followers) could earn them anywhere from $100 to $2,000 per post, plus products and swag. In pursuit of further fame and fortune, as well as the possibility of being cast on other reality shows, many alums of The Bachelor franchise, such as Hannah Ann, Cassie Rudolph, Becca Tilley, and Colton Underwood, also make the move to Los Angeles, CA.
AT&T recently researched how much contestants on The Bachelor can earn per Instagram post. They focused on The Bachelor contestants from seasons 23 and 24 and used Influencer's Marketing Hub to determine each contestant's follower count, average like rate, and estimated engagement rate. They had to estimate the earnings per post because the amounts that brands pay are typically not public, so the estimated earnings were determined by analyzing their follower count and engagement rate. Using Cabletv.com and Bustle, they further calculated how much a contestant's Instagram following increased over the course of the season and identified that the average percentage increase of followers for each contestant from the season premiere to the finale was an astronomical 11,403%.
By going on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, the contestants showed how far they are willing to go for love, but after filming, they reveal how far they are willing to go for a new career, home, and life. Now, when future contestants get repeatedly asked, “Are you here for the right reasons?” (which of course they will), the right reasons may just be social media stardom, free products, and cash.
Source: AT&T