Sunday, March 26, 2017

Being a Digital Influencer Vs. Being an Agency Model




I get a ton of questions (and shade,lol) wondering how and why I got on board with the era of digital marketing. People have this misconception that if you take photos with products on Instagram, then you should just be labeled as an "Instagram model". That is so lame and untrue. From my perspective, digital marketing only makes sense. 

As you all know, I am an agency represented model. I still book jobs, and I still get paid for them. The thing about being an agency model is that even though we are "supposed" to be making a lot of money, we aren't. I could work every single day, and my output will still be greater than my input. I've been constantly booked, and struggling, just like the majority of signed models. The reason is simple, we don't see half of the money that we earn, and when we actually do see it, it's like 6 months later. I won't get into the details of why, because there's really no acceptable reason for this. So....moving right along. 

My desires changed. I became tired of needing certain people to validate my worth as a model. I became tired of constantly looking at myself through the eyes of the world. It was giving me an unhealthy relationship with myself. I didn't like it...so I changed it. 

On social media, the rules are simple. If you have over a certain number of followers, you get paid to advertise products, travel, and attend events. You get to work exclusively with brands, you choose the brands that you want to work with, and you never have to compromise yourself. You are in complete control of your own personal brand. Your money is sent directly to your PayPal, and most brands pay upfront....before the content is even delivered. I won't disclose the amount of money that I make on social media, but i will say that it is a lot more than I make from being on set for 12 hours. 

The fact that I am a mother, I honestly cannot afford to be a broke model, putting in long hours, going from casting to casting, and not seeing my money, anymore. So it only made sense for me to go with the direction of the industry. Social media is a huge part of the industry. These days, models are not even getting booked if you don't have a huge following on social media, so it really goes both ways. 

I look at being a digital influencer as something completely different from being an agency model. I consider myself as both. The two will never be comparable. 

xo

Stay Alfred Midtown ATL

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