We’ve all had the dream, haven’t we? Waking up at 11am, spending an hour curating the dreamiest brunch, draw yourself a luxurious bath with the most instagrammable candles and then head out at golden hour, to a picturesque setting, for a photoshoot in your new outfit, generously gifted to you by your favourite clothing brand. Being an influencer looks like the ideal career when you’re sat in a two-hour meeting about GDPR on a Monday morning, bring leftover couscous in for your lunch every day and have had the same dress in your ASOS basket for two months. But as we now know, not everything that looks perfect on social media actually is.
So with social media careers seemingly filtered by nature, how do we know if we could really give it all up and become an influencer? More than that, is it worth quitting your steady 9-5 job to chase followers, even if you do get free Gymshark leggings? We’ve asked fashion influencers, new and established, to find out what exactly we should be asking ourselves before we choose #spon over #steadypay.
1. Can you afford it?
‘You can’t really post pictures in the same outfit a lot, so the money influencers spend on clothes is insane’, says Emily*, who started a professional Instagram earlier this year in partnership with a clothing brand, ‘If I didn't get all my outfits free from where I work, I probably would've spent thousands by now and I've only been doing it a few months. I’ve heard rumours about bloggers buying clothes, shooting them and then returning the them. One influencer wears her stuff once then puts it all on Depop, often you just can’t afford not to.’
'You need to buy clothes -or whatever it is your pushing - to keep it fresh and interesting,' says Monikh Dale, a fashion stylist and writer with near 80k followers on Instagram, 'Yes it’s clever to buy well and wear things again but you also need to be showing those new trends off. Gifting is great but not everything should be sponsored, that organic balance is key so you have to spend your own money. Also traveling, photographers, editing, representation. This stuff is expensive.'
2. Are you secure enough in yourself?
‘The level that you compare yourself to others is crazy,’ says Emily, ‘There’s just so many people doing it, and if they're getting more engagement or more followers you question your own content, which is usually pictures of you, so yourself. If I did this at a different time in my life or as a full-time career, I think my self-worth would be in the bin.’
3. Can you be bothered?
'I like my feed to look like a piece of art in itself, and that takes time to curate,' says Monikh, 'Shooting a look takes time, the editing, the emails, the networking, the research, theres so many components to being a fashion influencer, having a killer wardrobe just isn’t enough. You need to have the wardrobe of a millionaire, the fashion knowledge of Anna Wintour and the business head of Alan Sugar.'
4. Why do you want to do it?
'I get so many messages from lovely girls who would love to do the same thing as me, but when the first thing they say is ‘how do I make money?’ I switch off,' says Monikh, 'I originally started my Instagram and website as an add on to my job, and as a therapeutic escape. I love to write, and I can talk about clothes and interiors until I’m blue in the face. Social media was an honest move for me and I hope that shines through.'
5. Do you actually understand the audience you want to gain?
'Everyone loves fashion, we get it. But what makes you a stylist is the fact that you can dress people appropriately for their own personality and lifestyle, not your own,' says Monikh, 'Yes a personal style blog is about your own, but to make it into a business you need to understand your audiences wants and needs too. Plus when you really think about it, do you know fashion trends before most others? Are you a trend setter? If the answer is yes, than do it! But all I know is that I love food, but in no way does this mean I can be a chef.'
6. Do you get that it's all a massive game?
'Social media is an intense game, but that’s exactly what is it, a game,' says Monikh, 'A platform made up of stats and numbers which digitally also forms your social status - to everyone but your true friends. The accounts that I love are the ones that are real and not photoshopped. For a fashion site I want to see what they actually wear, not just whats in their suitcase on "shoot day"'
7. Do you just care about the numbers?
'People are always amazed about your number, "wow you have that many?!", says Monikh, 'So is that what you’re actually after? If so, it’s fine, but that's a popularity contest not a business. If you’re true to your roots and your work is exciting, organic and inspiring, the numbers will follow. Also don’t start the rants about the algorithm, instagram doesn’t care about your page. '
8. Can you handle being trolled?
'You’ve saved up for those Chanel shoes - I’m saying this for a friend - and then you wear them again and again because you love them so much and they go with everything. They’re basically you in a shoe,' says Monikh, 'You proudly post them on your social, for people to ridicule them. The ‘urghh what were you thinking?!’ and ‘I loved your style till you posted these’, just come rolling in. GET USED TO IT.
'On social, people for some reason think that your fair game, the rules are all out the window and they can say the first stupid thing to comes into their mind. Obviously its crazy, people should really think first, my rule is if you have nothing nice to say, just don't say anything. A thick skin is definitley required for this job.'
9. Are you prepared for people to think they know you really well?
'I announced my engagement last week and I’ve had the sweetest people approach me to say congratulations and wanting to see the ring,' says Monikh, 'But are you ready for this? You will never have any "days off" again.'
10. What’s your long-term goal and can your career last?
'Is this something that you think you want to do forever' asks Monikh, 'Putting even a bit of your life on social can be a dangerous game, once you give an inch people want a mile.'
'Technology constantly changes, and its those entrnipernureal people who jumped on the social media wagon when it started who are now riding that amazing wave,' she continues, 'but they’re also always up for the new, next amazing thing. Success is moving along with the times and always being one step ahead.'
*name has been changed