Self-Marketing for Models: Build Your Brand and Reach

Self-marketing.

Self-marketing influences every aspect of your life as a model, whether it's castings, agency visits, events, fittings, videos, social media, or photoshoots, people remember you, your demeanor, and your charisma. By consciously influencing your image, your public perception, you can gradually build yourself up as a brand. However, it's crucial to remember that self-marketing should only be a small part of your life through which you control a few details. Always remain true to yourself. Confidence during castings, social media posts, and smiling during photoshoots are all essential aspects of self-marketing for models to succeed in their careers. As you progress, you will naturally develop an image that aligns with your personality.

Here's a small example. A friend of mine, who is a male model, doesn't place much importance on status symbols. He doesn't attend extravagant parties, lives in a regular apartment, and now owns a sports car, a convertible to be precise. When he arrives at castings or jobs driving his black sports car, the immediate impression is successful, sexy, and cool. However, this impression is subjective because he doesn't talk about it. He simply steps out of a black sports car looking well-dressed. It creates the perfect foundation for elegant business fashion or advertising campaigns. When your appearance matches the expectations of a client seeking a rugged type, and you show up as the embodiment of such a persona, the production perceives you as such.

It's not just men who use status symbols. For example, a female friend of mine drives a massive Hummer. When she arrives at photoshoots with it, everyone immediately thinks of her as successful, sexy, and wow. The door opens and a beautiful woman steps out of the SUV. It's not a helicopter, but it still has a strong impact. In the past, it took models years to build their own brand. However, you don't need a car to illustrate how you can influence your image. It's just an example to show you how you can shape your image.

This process starts with platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Fortunately, nowadays, you have social networks at your disposal that you can cleverly use to accumulate many active followers. We will explore why having a high-reach account is valuable for your career in the chapter Influencer.

Creator versus influencer.

Now you know a bit more about the work of a model in various fields such as advertising, fashion, and details like runway shows. We have also discussed how to build your initial book and establish a good level of media presence. Gradually, you'll gain more reach and shape your image, which will help you get new jobs. Why is this so? Because you become relevant to other people. They want to emulate what you do or wear. As a model, you have a fantastic opportunity to use your reach as a creator or influencer to attract new customers.

The advantage you have as a model is that you constantly have new visual content at your disposal. New backstage photos, well-known brands, finished magazine photo spreads, and sometimes even videos and commercials. If you cleverly package your travels into your story, you will quickly build even more reach. Everyone dreams of such a life which makes your channel exciting. You offer unique stories that few others can provide as a model.

Advertising agencies and companies spend significant amounts of money on reach. For example, if they book a page in a major fashion magazine, they might pay over fifty thousand euros for just one page in one issue. Why? Because the magazine is essential to many people who read it every week for inspiration, shopping tips, and fashion content. As a creator and influencer, if you have a successful channel as a model and post about your jobs, the company booking you for a campaign gets more reach. This is where your added value lies.

What defines an influencer?

Influencers are people with a large reach. Through their fan base, they can inspire others for the brands and products they use themselves. Among creators, even those with relatively small accounts, e.g., fifty K followers, can appeal to a very specific target audience. They might achieve this by frequently featuring high-quality accessories in their posts or, as mentioned earlier, sharing stories about their travels.

Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms help you as a model to reach new customers. The more followers you gather, the more likes and comments you receive, and the more successful your strategy becomes. First collaborations start to emerge, and customers find you increasingly interesting for bookings. If you don't consider or avoid social media and only focus on runway shows and photoshoots, you will have fewer chances in the competitive modeling industry in the long run. Social media and the general digitization in all areas play a significant role for models. Self-marketing on social networks helps you achieve more success.

For clients, booking models with a substantial reach is a tremendous asset. They're not only hiring a beautiful face for their advertising campaign, they also gain a whole fan base alongside it. People have always loved accompanying others in their lives. The same principle has been applied by celebrities who endorse brands and products.

Therefore, you should post regularly and daily, respond to comments and interactions from your followers. Consistency is essential. Also, make sure your followers see you. If you only post pictures of your food or beautiful buildings, it will take forever to build your reach. Show yourself and your life. Being active on social networks like TikTok and Instagram is, so to speak, in addition to model management, the engine and drive for your own career. As viewers, we want to experience the highs and lows of our idols. Everything that happens in your life, whether it's a fitness shake or a cool drink, can easily be integrated into your own story.

Changing landscape in the agency world.

Even many large and international model agencies are transitioning from traditional model agencies to representing plus-size models and influencers. On some agency websites, you no longer see just the current model board but also an overview of the most influential models on Instagram. For example, one model might have four million followers, another three million. Influencers with extremely high reach, who will eventually become your competition. Remember? Model careers used to be defined solely by physical appearance. Nowadays, with the advent of social media, follower count plays a role as well.

Why do brands also book models outside the norm?

Models outside the traditional standards make brands more personalized and diverse. Exceptional individuals attract attention, especially when everyone else around them looks subjectively similar. Creators and influencers play a significant role in this transformation. Young people who might not fit the typical ideal measurements but have millions of fans on Instagram and TikTok are extremely interesting for campaigns and brands. Why? Because people love them just the way they are.

A few decades ago, the focus was almost exclusively on the model's appearance. Today, thanks to social media, it's possible for models to be highly successful without fitting the classical beauty ideal. Today, many young people make the leap to top campaigns. Let's return to the Asos campaign featuring Tiwa, Jordan Woods, and Joshua Williams. They are perfect examples of models who don't conform to the typical beauty standards but still manage to secure a global campaign. They are a pure influencer, a curvy model, and a tattoo model, respectively. All three are extraordinary models who don't fit the classical beauty ideal, and they don't have to. This is a significant career leap that would have been likely denied to them a few years ago, before the era of social media. However, the world, media, and society have become more open and tolerant.