Modelling on Social Media During a Pandemic
With the pandemic lasting a lot longer than anyone thought everything is still shut down. However with shoots cancelled, runways postponed, what can new models do to start their career during a pandemic?
A great place to start is of course is social media. Social media is always a popular choice but during the pandemic, people have spent a lot much more time online. Brands have started to utilise influences to advertise their products. Studies show that people between 14-51 years spend 60% more time online, on social media. Online shopping has also seen increased demand which has lead many brand to rethink their adversing and branding.
Right now is a great time for any new models to start increase their base online and more specially, Instagram. Instagram offers increased visibility and opportunities to models and more and more brands are approaching popular accounts within local communities to advertise. Brands are choosing an aspiring modes who can appropriately showcase their product rather than the traditionally advertisements they regularly use. Modelling is happen exclusively on social media during this pandemic.
International models that use to receive thousands of dollars to advertise bathing suits in exotic destinations has paused and we are seeing fresh faces and different body types advertising clothes, lingerie and gadgets from their living rooms. An influencer or model can showcase a wider range of product categories to their audience compared to the brands official Instagram page, where the followers on those pages already have a product or products from the company already. It is a way of reaching new markets and people who wouldn’t necessarily buy their products.
Opportunities to work with fashion, health and fitness, and tech brands come up every day. Brands are trying to reflect everyday people and relatable character that would use their products to advertise. Brands are no longer focusing on influencers with millions of followers but online creators and models with smaller but specific audiences. Through platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram, more smaller Influencers are growing with more niches or local audiences. Influencing is no longer a side-gig but it’s an actual job.
Tips for Getting Branding Sponsorships
Tidy and refine your social media feeds. Ensure it looks professional without losing who you are. Post your model portfolios in between family and friends and your hobbies. Ensure in your bio, you include that you are model, if you have an agency and places they can see more of you.
Use your DMs and comments to engage with your followers. Reply to them as if they were friend. Become friend with your followers and they will purchase whatever you suggest.
Embrace your uniqueness!!! In these crazy time, being different is celebrated. Use what makes you different to your advantage. Are you Irish in a foreign country, Are you curvy? Are you obsessed with theatre It can be anything that helps you connect with people like you.
Be honest and transparent with your followers. Show your insecurities and allow yourself to be vulnerable, this will make you relatable.
Ensure sponsorship posts are clearly labelled and be open about it.
Make sure to monitor your engagement of followers through Instagram Insights and Analytics. Keep track of your stats! Make note of posts that do better than others and do more of those posts.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Never buy “fake followers.” Those accounts remain inactive and actually lower your overall engagement. This makes it difficult for you to get brand sponsorships as your audience can’t be verified.
Avoid turning your feed into a store front. You don’t want to saturate your feed with too many sponsorships. You will be inclined to do as many as possible quickly but this will lose engagement with your audience, and lower your chances for better paid sponsorships
Choose your brands carefully and support brands that you honestly believe in regardless of sponsorships. Pick your endorsements carefully and don’t sell out.
Leave a Reply