The Sunday News
Rutendo Chidawanyika
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 behaviour of others with their recommendations. Before social media they used to be called the ‘‘it girls’’.
If you are interested in being an influencer or are dying to know how they do it. This is how:
Do what the professionals are doing
Fashion brands want you to have followers. It’s that simple! But it’s nearly impossible to grow fast enough. We spend countless years and go into debt just to get a formal education. Meanwhile, others around us make thousands of dollars, for snapping an Instagram picture. Though there are no classes for being a fashion brand ambassador, you can network with those in the know. Check out the Fashion Brand
Ambassadors (FBA) on Facebook. You can swap tips, find jobs with brands and key on new trends and ideas. Those connections are creating new partnerships daily and helping fashion focused influencers find new ways to grow their audience. The more followers you have the higher your chances. Get a professional photographer so that your content looks really good.
Choose a fashion or clothing niche and STICK to it
What do you love about fashion? Connecting your interests with a sustainable fashion brand ambassador career, the kind where you actually get paid means being honest with yourself.
Are you doing this because it seems cool, easy or more fun than a real job? Unless you live and breathe fashion, and have a particular niche about the fashion world you love, stop reading right here. It’s just a hobby until you get paid, so start by thinking about becoming a fashion brand ambassador as a hobby.
If your hobby isn’t fun, it’s a good sign you aren’t cut out to be become a fashion brand ambassador for the long haul. Have your own way of dressing and play around with it but maintain your signature style.
If your style is classic, your pictures should tell that story; don’t wake up and decide to go Bohemian.
Develop fashion and clothing content that matters
What type of content will you be creating and why does it matter to your audience? These days Instagram is full of attractive people posing in the latest styles around the world, but fashion marketers need to achieve ROI from influencer marketing. Sure, it’s nice to look at, but is it really adding anything new to the global fashion conversation?
To stand out to fashion brands, your content needs to take point of view, and communicate it to the world.
Challenge yourself to invest in new styles, photography or video in uncommon locations, and get your head in the industry by documenting shows and events from your perspective.
Find your squad and keep them close
It’s not all about you. The most successful fashion brand ambassadors got that way with a close group of friends who encourage each other, share info about brands that are hiring, and help create viral posts liking, commenting and sharing each other’s content. You can also try to partner up with existing fashion brand ambassadors. Do your research on the web for terms and brands you want to work with and go for it.
Grow your following by staying true to your own unique style
Stop asking how to become a fashion brand ambassador, and blaze your own trail. The best fashion brand ambassadors have a unique style own their own. Sometimes it’s a subtle, other times it’s in your face.
Create a special visual language that’s all your own and carry it through photos, video and written word. It could be a special tone or effect on your content, a certain type of environment or a new way of describing what your audience is seeing. Evolve your style overtime to keep reinventing, adding and dialling up or down specific aspects to keep your audience.
Get out into the fashion world
Fashion brands large and small are starting brand ambassador and influencer marketing programmes every day. The good news is there’s a constant need for new brand ambassadors willing to work with small companies to develop their story and show them the benefits of influencer marketing.
Reach out pro-actively using LinkedIn to research marketing team leaders and agencies for influencer marketing. Remember to start small, the big fashion houses are always looking for new talent and will find you when the time is right.
Don’t be afraid to make a back-up plan
Times and technologies change quickly, and you don’t want to be on the wrong end of a trend. What would happen if Instagram shut down? Would you have another idea for your career? Unless you land a full time job with big brands as their ambassador, have a plan in case it doesn’t work out. But good luck
Some of the top African fashion influencers
Winnie Awino — @winniethefashionista; Lamic Kirabo — @lamickirabo; Joy Kendi — @justjoykendi; Anerlisa Muigai — @anerlisa; Mihlali Ndamae — @mihlalii_n. —Additional information from online sources.
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