Ever dreamt of becoming a model?
You can be one now.
All you got to do is get a bunch of social media followers, build on that base, showcase your passions and likes, and advertise things you love. If you get enough followers who consider you “follow-worthy”, then congratulations! Now all you have to do is connect with some brands and become a self-made model with your own set of fans already waiting for your every post or picture as if it is a brand new issue of Vogue.
It will definitely help if you are good looking, or at least if you try to present the best (read prettiest) version of yourself. They say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Here, beauty lies in your very own thumbs. Get the most candid picture you can ever get, make it appear like you are not even trying, make sure your most flattering side is getting focus, smile like you are ‘born with it’, and pose like you are ‘worth it’. Do not forget to mention and hashtag every piece of clothing or accessory you are wearing. Try to even fit in the brand of the camera that you are using. Ensure that your followers know that they are missing out on everything if they do not get all the pieces you are subtly advertising without any bias. Tell them how much you love these items without mentioning the hours of editing and filtering took in making them look as attractive as possible and also the fact that you are getting paid for it.
These Instagrammers are a breed of leaders who lead their followers to products they wouldn’t otherwise consider buying. They are influencers who appear approachable, unlike supermodels. They mostly present themselves as sweet, likable, quirky, flawed, relatable, and mostly with an easy-breezy vibe about them. You never know that the pretty girl next door or that cute guy you noticed in a supermarket might be having thousands of fans liking, retweeting, screenshotting every new post by them. Some even start making so much money that they have to give up their day jobs and indulge full time being the social media celebrity they are. Who knew the “narcissist millennials” would take their obsessive selfie game to this level?
It is not an easy job though. With every article reminding millennials that they are entitled, coddled, and lack skills in landing jobs in this shoddy economy despite having multiple degrees, they are still experts in finding ways to make money while having fun. Yes, job security gave the previous generations some peace, but making money out of something we truly enjoy without caring how many hours a day we are putting in is what keeps us going.
Call it what you want. But this social media advertising is here to stay. Brands have understood how far they can reach by cashing on it. Millennials have figured out how to make money out of it. Dislike them, hate them, berate them, troll them, block them as much as you want, but these social media celebrities have seen it all and they ain’t gonna stop anytime soon.
Social Media Advertising!