Social Media Influencers are just like you and me… except they make bank every time they post.
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How can they make money by seemingly just being themselves on social media? We noticed that a number of top Influencers, whether they knew it or not, were taking advantage of some modeling techniques that we use here at WMA Rochester, and we want to share them with you.
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So, here are a few Modeling Techniques you can use to become a Social Media Influencer:
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Know Your Look, Know Your Brand.
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To have any kind of success, the first thing a model needs to know is his/her look. Different brands need different models, because they are looking to sell to different kinds of people. For example, a model with a sweet, sunny look probably isn’t going to be hired for a Hot Topic shoot.
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Having a specific look is a critical part of creating an identity (a.k.a. a brand,) as a Social Media Influencer. If you want to be an Influencer, you need to know your look: Are you a Fitstagrammer? A Fashionista? A Beauty Guru? A Fun Foodie? An Adorkable Nerd? A Crafting Wizard? An Artsy Poet?
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Like with the modeling industry, companies are looking for people whose followers are their target market, so they won’t go for someone whose brand doesn’t fit with them. It’s why you see someone like a Kardashian or a Jenner selling body shapers and diet teas, instead of promoting an online game or cookware.
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This lady is probably the only reason you’ve even heard of diet teas! Photo Courtesy of kyliejenner/Instagram.
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But don’t just pick one thing by yourself and roll with it!
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Sometimes, a model may think they’re suited to one look, but are actually better suited for another type of look altogether. That’s why it’s important to have an agency identify a model’s look early in their career, some of whom will do it for free at events like open calls.
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If going to an open call intimidates you, ask your friends and family for their honest opinions on what they think your look is.
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Most importantly, make sure your look is directly related to something you genuinely enjoy, because you’ll be spending a lot of time around it if you want to be a successful Influencer.
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Find Inspiration from Your Feed
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You’ve pinpointed your look, you know what your brand is, and you know who you want to influence. Great! Now, how do you get their attention?
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Instead of doing random things and hoping something works, make yourself work smarter, not harder. Ask yourself, “Who’s doing well, and why?”
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Follow other people with similar/related brands and followings, and see if there are any trends there. Are they all using the same lighting scheme? Are they all using a similar format to their posts? What kinds of content are they focusing on? Are they posting at a certain time every day, or are they just posting once a week?
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You also need to look out for how to differentiate yourself. An example from the Modeling world, Cara Delavigne used her distinctive eyebrows to stand out from the modeling crowd and catch the attention of Burberry.
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Is there something that fits with the brand, or something popular with that type of audience on other platforms, that people aren’t doing? Mix that with some of what the other successful Influencers are doing, and see if it works. Don’t be afraid to try different things until you find what sticks!
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It may take a bit of time to identify the trends and what works for you, but all that hard work should pay off… provided you get the last technique right.
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Look the Part, but Look Good Doing It.
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All that hard work isn’t going to mean anything if you end up looking like an amateur. The wrong angle, the wrong lighting, the wrong anything can mess up a post and affect your overall social media presence in a bad way.
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Experiment with your lighting (blue tone versus yellow tone, natural versus ring lights, etc.), your poses, the time of day you shoot, and your environments to see what makes you look best, while still looking genuine. Some models even take classes specifically for photo movement, which Influencers may want to explore so they’re not stuck with the same old “Over the Head Selfie” that everyone has on social media.
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Seriously: Everyone has this selfie. Photo courtesy of Google.
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In Conclusion…
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Knowing your look, what makes you stand out, and how to look good doing it are things that successful models and Influencers both know how to do very well. While what you do as an Influencer is totally up to you, hopefully, these tips will help you grow your social media presence enough to become an Influencer too!
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Want more? Check out our other posts to get more tips and tricks about Modeling and Acting!
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