How To Become A Social Media Influencer, Product Model, Fashion Influencer
A subject I've covered on my podcast, and in other blogs. Let's 1st begin with the definitions of each term. If you take The Pinup Master Course, you'll learn more, in detail about becoming a successful product model and social media influencer.
Social Media Influencer
"A Social Media Influencer is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry. A social media influencer has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach."
Fashion Influencer
"A fashion influencer is a personality that has a large number of followers on social media, creates mainly fashion content and has the power to influence the opinion and purchase behavior of others with their recommendations."
Product Model
"The definition of a model is a specific design of a product or a person who displays clothes, poses for an artist. ... An example of a model is a woman who wears a designer's clothes to show them to potential buyers at a fashion show."
Now, I'll go over a few basics, then talk about the process to becoming, one of the above.
Money! You must plan to invest, to make these career's happen, just like when starting a new business. There are tool and supplies you'll need. There is investing your own money in the essential things needed, plus alot of your time. Patience is needed. Great communication, great organization, and must be reliable.
There are literally millions of women who want to be a social media influencer, involved in fashion or makeup and hair. There are literally millions who are beautiful, seen as attractive to most, and have an appealing quality on camera. There are literally millions who have the equipment, tools, supplies, because they already invested in them. There are literally millions who have an abundance of time, or are dedicated enough to make the time.
Those gals are YOUR COMPETITION, if you want he same thing as them, the same career, the same position, at the same companies. "Watch, look and learn ". Study individuals who have the success level you wish to achieve, and have accomplished things you want to accomplish. Study people who have a similar style as you, producing similar style images, outfits, looks, etc.
I think its unfortunate that, from the dawn of time, models have always gotten a bad rap, and called airheads. Soooooo many models of the past and present, starlets of the past and present, were educated, highly skilled and far from being dummies.
Same applies today, with social media models. Always jokes being made. The truth of the matter is, it's a highly lucrative industry and field. People are making extra dough, a solid extra income, and making their living, at it! Extra spending money, money for school, money for family, money for vacations, money to save, money to invest, etc., etc. Small amounts, or celebrities who make a huge amount of money, enforcing products.
Advertising is big business and always has been. Small, brand new companies, local companies, huge businesses, well known name brands, pretty much everyone advertises, in many different ways, using ads.
Traditionally, and it still applies, as far as it's still common. Big companies go through modeling agencies to find professional, product models. That still applies to so many companies, but now we have the internet and social media ads. Companies will use images of actual customers, and images of social media influencers, fashion bloggers, and not go through an agency, if they are looking for one.
There are companies that have manufacture, product shots, taken with professional models, already. So, they aren't looking for professional models, per say, and the same style images, that they already have, with pro models. Lots of companies want social media influencers to take shots outdoors, in public, at events, at dinner, in vacation, like lifestyle shots.
Some companies purposely hire, "the average looking housewife, or average looking person ". Meaning, someone most people wouldn't consider drop dead gorgeous, with, "model", looks. The," average Joe ". The Girl Next Door look. They do this, to make it appear as though, those gals aren't professional models, and are consumers, who bought the product and love it.
So, you can see that, it's not only stars and models with a huge following. Which brings me to something I consider, some what, of a prerequisite. Having a huge social media following, will ALWAYS help you. When I listed all the things your competitors have, they also have a large amount of followers.
For several reasons, every company you approach is going to immediately ask for your Instagram and other social media links. You can expect that with EVERY single company. The reality is, though, certain companies may be looking for a model / social media influencer, who has a huge following, but that company may not, themselves.
It's their company, their decision, not ours. I heard a gal mention a company turning her down, and she was upset because they only had a few thousand followers. That has nothing to do with their selective process, obviously. Whether a company has 1k, 100k, or 1 million, if they don't wanna hire you, that's just that. Really no way around that, even if you have way more followers than them.
When I talk about equipment, tools and supplies, it really depends on what style of modeling and how often. Makeup, hair supplies and tools, cost money and the more you shoot, the more often you'll need those items. Camera, tripod, lights, backdrops, studio area, nice areas in your home, great outdoor locations,.... you'll need most of those things, before you even begin. Resources.
Most product models who are social media influencers, these days, take their own images. Modern cellphones cost a pretty penny and have great camera lenses, so models don't need to hire a professional photographer, if they have the resources and knowledge, themselves.
I've seen gals who can't seem to take a clear, in focus, well lite, flattering, cellphone shot of themselves, or anyone else, to save their lives. It appears that they also have no one around them, who can take a simple, clear shot. Most of those gals have no knowledge or skill to lightly edit their own images, well.
If that's you, and you don't have a nice cellphone, no great lighting, no nice area in your house, no studio area, no easily accessible outdoor locations, no simple lighting, no tripod, and or no one to help take a few shots of you, clear, high quality shots, then I say, DONT EVEN ATTEMPT to be a social media influencer model, until you get those essential things. WAYYYY too much competition, be realistic.
Just like with any new job, new career, a new business, any production, you must have the tools of the trade, knowledge and some skill, before you even enter into something brand new. It's not spending money and wasting your time. Its INVESTING your money and using your time, to make it all back, plus some!!!
There are home makers, making a nice income, artist's making a living, people who were never a model, never an actor or performer, that make money numerous ways, as a product model or social media influencer.
Once you begin approaching companies, you must be prepared. You need professional images to showcase what you can do, what you've already done, what your recently been doing, what your actively doing and how you CURRENTLY look.
It's not going to help if your Instagram has an abundance of unflattering, unprofessional images. Or if you have a million pictures with your spouse, or family, etc.
Knowing your exact measurements is essential in modeling clothing for companies. Much like shopping online, you can't try on items, before you buy. Companies are NOT going to send you garments and hope they fit, taking a chance on wasting their money and time.
One company, is sending me 6 skincare products. Since they're located in a different country, the shipping is quite high. It's going to cost about 50 bucks, just to send 6 things. Plus the products actually cost to manufacturer, then paying me.
These companies must be reassured that your reliable, that you're not going to quit modeling, after they've sent you items. They need to know that you'll definitely produce, and it'll be the exact content they need. They need to know that you have a presence on social media and can influence people. That your fans are supportive, engage, interact and buy things.
Lots of companies are focused on how many sales, a product model can generate. They are focused and investing for you to produce content, that they'll use to advertise with, and geversre sales on their own. Every company is different, but you needing to produce content, is the same. Gotta prove and show what you can do, when contacting each company.
Being qualified and prepared! The only reason why models who have a huge following aren't making money by being a product model, social media influencer, is because they don't want to. Most models have images. Most professional models have high quality professional images. Most models who have a huge fan base, have been abd are producing content.
Lots of models these days, have many of their own resources, like great photographers that don't charge them, or their own equipment like a nice camera, etc. Most professional models can do their own styling, high quality. Lots of models, model fulltime as a career, or part time, on a regular basis.
Once you've bought essential tools, like a nice camera, standard, simple lighting, a few plain backdrops, etc., you don't need to buy them again, anytime soon. If you maintain them, it's not an investment you'll have to make often. Knowing how to use them, is also something that needs to be learned BEFORE you starting contacting companies. Just like knowing basic hairdos that flatter YOU.
If you want to model for a company that sells hair products, you'll need image's that showcase your hair. If you want to model for a makeup brand, you'll need images showcasing your makeup skills. Unless you have flawless, high quality, professional image's, of you looking your very best, DO NOT approach huge name brand companies!
I think so many gals, who've never been a product model and social media influencer, assume too much. I think they also underestimate the power and positive advantages to modeling for a small brand or brand new company. You could end up with so many opportunities, from just one company. The ground up, the ground floor, getting in, when a company is just building its brand.
I've always thought it was comical for an amateur pinup, little to no experience, no accomplishments in the pinup industry, little to no knowledge on pinup history, no knowledge on how the biz side of the industry operates, no training, no skills or just beginning to develop a few, and actually expects payment! Pure comedy.
Every professional model I know, invested in their career's, since day 1, have been for countless years and will continue to invest.
If you can't take rejection, modeling is the wrong biz for you. If you have no patience and have unrealistic expectations, modeling will disappointment you. If you have no confidence, no back bone, and are emotionally insecure, modeling will eat you alive! If you can't take feedback and constructive criticism, modeling won't be successful for you. If you aren't passionate, and can take it or leave it, modeling is the wrong career choice. If you have no money to invest, or refuse to dedicate your extra time to learning and training, it's going to take forever to reach your goals!
In my course I'll go over my exact process and every detail, on how I became a product model, clothing model, and social media influencer, for a few companies. Haircare, skincare, jewelry, clothing and more! I just went into an agreement yesterday, with a new, skincare company, that approached me, after seeing my Instagram posts. Payment will be sent today, products packaged and sent off already!
My model, Ginger Strawberry, whose image is in this blog, she and I are both, product and clothing models. She's also a professional runway model, brand ambassador and published pinup model. She has an agent, a pinup manager, a pinup publicist, and is under contract with a few companies. She travels so often, she invests, makes her living from and is extremely active in fashion modeling.
The Pinup Master Course
Vintage Stylist Dianna Prince
Ginger Strawberry, the official model of The Pinup Master Course 2019
