How to become a fashion influencer (2024)

Jessie Moore ·

How to become a fashion influencer (1)

The influencer marketing industry is booming. Here we share a step-by-step guide on how to become a fashion influencer on Instagram or other social platforms.

Worth $8 billion in 2019, the industry looks set to mushroom to be worth $15 billion by 2022. It’s an attractive space if you’ve got an interest in fashion and a passion for connecting with an online audience.

Realistically, there’s not a huge amount of information out there about how to become a fashion influencer. Unsurprisingly, many influencers make it either sound remarkably simple, or they stay resolutely silent. The truth is, creating clothing, accessories and fashion content on social media platforms takes time, effort and know-how. However, despite as many as 60% of fashion brands having an influencer marketing strategy in place as long ago as 2016, there’s still space for you to make your mark and learn how to be a fashion influencer today.

There’s a lot of opportunity out there, ripe for the picking at the moment. Brands know the power of Instagram fashion influencers and so there’s a strong calling to secure them. But you can’t wait for an opportunity to come knocking, you’ve got to go and open the door. So, how do you do that?

How to become a fashion influencer in 7 steps

1. You need followers and you need follower growth

Brands need to know that you’ve got an engaged and interested band of followers who are aligned with their values and approach. Whilst other channels are growing in strength, Instagram remains the main arena for influencers and the brands they represent. As such, knowing how to be a fashion influencer on Instagram should be central to your approach. So, Instagram followers are going to be hugely important to you, but don’t neglect the others.

Whilst numbers of followers is important, quality is crucial. In fact, micro-influencers have better engagement rates than mega-influencers and brands know this. This is true across all social media platforms, but staggeringly so on TikTok.

2. Commit yourself to your niche

Audiences like stability; they are creatures of habit. You need to give your audience that stability and the way to do that is to find the fashion niche that really makes your heart sing. You’ve got to feel it, if you’re going to have any hope of conveying that love and converting it into genuine engagement.

Hard truth: if you want to know how to become a fashion influencer because you think it’s a shortcut to getting rich quick, you may want to re-think. You’re going to need to eat, sleep, and breathe the niche – so make sure you love it. Plus, you need to be an expert here. This isn’t hobby level knowledge, but deep-dive-know-every-fibre-of-the-clothing knowledge.

3. Create exceptional content

There’s a LOT of noise on social media. To be seen, your content has got to be exceptional. It needs to offer people value. It needs to be different from the myriad of other people doing the same thing.

You need a USP and a strong and committed point of view that you’re happy to stand behind. This sparks conversation and gets people following you out of excitement.

Then promote, promote, promote. You need to push your content out there and get it seen. Some excellent analytics won’t go amiss here either.

4. Don’t go it alone

Yes, what you see is one name as the influencer. In reality, around that individual is a team of cheerleaders, supporters and grafters. The influencer scene is a connected scene, where like-minded individuals help each other out.

You need to like, comment and share a lot, so that others do the same for you. Your network and community needs to be there, pumping fuel into every campaign you launch. So, choose these connections carefully.

Top tip: Get searching the brands you dream of working with and identify the existing ambassadors – reach out and see if you can make a connection.

5. Stand firm, stay true

The early days are hard. There’s a huge amount of work for not much reward. The temptation to dilute your style or niche is enormous. Now’s the time to remain committed and keep things focused. Whatever you do that was your USP in the early stages, keep doing it. If it’s a filter, a tone of voice, a way you take photos – keep it clean. That doesn’t mean you can’t evolve, you just need to make sure you stay true to what people love about you and what you love about yourself.

6. Make it easy for brands

All that noise on social platforms? It’s not just hard for users to find the influencers that really resonate with them, but it’s hard for brands too. Instagram is great as a showcase, but it doesn’t make it easy for brands to communicate with you. You need to make it easy by reaching out to them, and getting yourself on their radar.

7. Have a plan B

We obviously believe in the power and strength of fashion influencers, however, we know it’s a volatile and tough sector to actually make a career in. What happens if the social platform you’ve built yourself on disappears? What if trends shift so far away from your niche that you’re no longer relevant? At the risk of sounding like your Granny, ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’.

Think about a broader career, perhaps in fashion marketing, gaining skills that will transition you into something else you love if you need it.

Shockingly, many fashion brands still don’t pay their influencers in cold hard cash, but still simply go down the freebie route. You’ll need to have a head for business and negotiation, as well as social media and fashion know-how.

The good news is that designer items that influencers have been given always have excellent resale potential with Reliked. If you’re an influencer and have been given PR products, you can sell them with us.

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How to become a fashion influencer (2024)

FAQs

Why do you want to be an influencer answer? ›

By becoming an influencer you too can become a positive role model in the lives of others and affect change on a greater scale than if you choose another career. Essentially, using your platform you can inspire, teach, motivate, and enable people to consider or reconsider their life choices.

What skills do you need to be a fashion influencer? ›

The Skills You Need To Be A Fashion Blogger
  • Knowledge about fashion. OK, so this one is a given. ...
  • Photo by ian dooley.
  • Social media skills. ...
  • Video editing. ...
  • Web design. ...
  • Writing skills. ...
  • Graphic design/photo editing. ...
  • Marketing.

How hard is it to become a fashion influencer? ›

The truth is, anybody can be a fashion influencer on any platform if they're willing to put in the work. It's not just about taking a photo or video and posting it. It's also about building a community that survives and thrives. All you need is a passion for fashion and a free Instagram Creator account to get started.

How do I become an influencer with no experience? ›

7 Steps to Becoming a Social Media Influencer:
  1. Select Your Niche.
  2. Optimize Your Social Media Profiles.
  3. Understand Your Audience.
  4. Create and Post Relevant Content.
  5. Be Regular and Consistent.
  6. Engage With Your Audience.
  7. Let Brands Know You're Open to Collaborations.
  8. Frequently Asked Questions.
Aug 3, 2022

How do influencers start their career? ›

To establish a presence as an influencer, you need to provide high-quality, relevant content to your targeted audience that showcases that you are an expert and valuable resource. You must decide what formats your content will take and how you will share this content across your social media platforms.

What motivates you as a influencer? ›

The most common reasons are: A legitimate desire to help, inspire, and/or entertain their following. Looking to achieve a higher perceived status (even rivaling some celebrities) Monetary gain.

What is needed to be an influencer? ›

Some of the foundational skills you'll need as an influencer include: mastering the latest features of different social media platforms; cultivating authentic relationships with an audience; developing content people love; editing audio and video content; live streaming; conveying your expertise or authority on a ...

What it means to be a fashion influencer? ›

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 behavior of others with their recommendations.

What qualifications do I need to be an influencer? ›

You do not need a college degree to work as a social media influencer, but any postsecondary training that helps you to develop your business, financial management, analytical, problem-solving, and communication and interpersonal skills will be useful.

What is the hardest part of being an influencer? ›

10 Challenges Of Becoming An Influencer
  • You may experience trolls or bashers. ...
  • You may lose your privacy. ...
  • You can quickly lose popularity faster than you've gained it. ...
  • You will need lots of patience. ...
  • You won't earn immediately. ...
  • You can't just wing it. ...
  • You might not want the pressure. ...
  • Stalkers may find you.
Jul 9, 2022

How many followers is enough for an influencer? ›

People with followers in the range between 500,000 and 1 million followers on a social network are macro-influencers. Most influencers are micro-influencers with between 10,000 and 50,000 followers. In really specialist niches, you have nano-influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers.

How do you become an influencer on Fashion Week? ›

Reach out to PR Companies for Invites:

Try and contact them 4-6 weeks before the show. If you're apart of blogging communities such as RewardStyle, they have full lists available for you too! Keep the emails short and sweet. You can imagine how many emails they receive to attend these shows!

Can I be an influencer if I'm shy? ›

While the term connotes active engagement on a social level, this doesn't mean only extroverts can become influencers. Introverts can be influencers as well, and by tailoring their skills to suit their personality they can be even more successful than their extrovert counterparts.

How much do beginner influencers make? ›

Generally, for the lower levels of influencer, expect to pay around $10 per 1,000 followers. That means shelling out $100 for that micro influencer or $1,000 for a macro influencer. Keep in mind, however, that some influencers charge something significantly outside those guidelines.

What do influencers do all day? ›

Emily establishes that not all influencers are doing this on a full-time basis; some have day jobs. She goes on to say, “Those who do this full time focus on creating original content, be it curating photos, videos or even long-form content; they spend a lot of time working to build their branding.

What should I first post as an influencer? ›

Introduce Yourself

This way, based on your first post, people will have a good idea of what your brand or product is and how they can purchase it. To show off your products in a fun way, consider posting a carousel post that showcases your entire product lineup, or a tutorial that clearly shows how to use it.

Can I be an influencer without showing my face? ›

If you don't want to show your face on Instagram, that's totally ok. Like I said before, there are plenty of very successful Instagrammers out there who don't show their face.

How are influencers chosen? ›

When selecting an influencer to work with, brands can go down one of two routes: reach or niche. This means choosing whether you want someone who has a mass following and gets multiple likes, views and comments on their content or someone with a smaller, more niche audience.

What makes influencers popular? ›

Influencers compete in the free market to increase their followers and engagement, Palmatier said, which is a major factor in their success. “They had to be clever,” he said. “They had to find a niche. In other words, influencers win their following by understanding their audience very well.

What are the three levels of influencer? ›

Table of Contents
  • Mega-influencers with more than a million followers (think celebrities)
  • Macro-influencers with 500K to 1 million followers.
  • Mid-tier influencers with 50K to 500K followers.
  • Micro-influencers with 10K to 50K followers.
  • Nano-influencers with 1K to 10K followers.

What is the key of influencer? ›

Key influencers shows you the top contributors to the selected metric value. Top segments shows you the top segments that contribute to the selected metric value. A segment is made up of a combination of values.

What is the best part of being an influencer? ›

Pros
  • They Are Passionate About Their Job. ...
  • Flexibility. ...
  • Opportunities To Work With Brands They Love. ...
  • Building a Community & Inspiring Others. ...
  • Being Sent Products & Invited to Events. ...
  • Influencers Are “On” All The Time. ...
  • Career Uncertainty. ...
  • Maintaining Integrity Can Be Difficult, But It is Essential.
Mar 27, 2021

How do you pitch yourself as an influencer to a brand? ›

Here are five things to include in your pitch to brands:
  1. Craft the Perfect Subject Line.
  2. Introduce Yourself.
  3. Highlight What You Love About the Brand/Product.
  4. Create and Attach a Media Kit.
  5. Share Your Rates and a Call-to-action (CTA)
Nov 2, 2022

What should I write in my influencer bio? ›

  1. #1: Keep It Short & Sweet.
  2. #2: Include Relevant Keywords.
  3. #3: Use a Link in Bio Tool.
  4. #4: Show Your Personality.
  5. #5: Include a Call-to-action.
  6. #6: Add Your Contact Info.
  7. #7: Add Your Branded Hashtag.
  8. #8: Use Emojis Sparingly.
Mar 9, 2023

How do you write a good influencer brief? ›

So without further ado, here's our guide on how to write a killer influencer brief in 10 steps!
  1. Use Visuals. ...
  2. Create a value proposition. ...
  3. Provide background info. ...
  4. Give product details. ...
  5. Explain your campaign. ...
  6. Share expectations. ...
  7. Include creative outlines. ...
  8. Communicate deadlines.
May 16, 2022

How do I post like an influencer? ›

A How-To Guide to Posting Like an Influencer
  1. STEP 1: PLAN YOUR GRID. Planning your post out ahead can help get ideas flowing for how you want it to look and feel. ...
  2. STEP 2: FIND YOUR IG WING WOMAN/MAN. ...
  3. STEP 3: FIND THE LIGHT. ...
  4. STEP 4: DON'T STRIKE A POSE. ...
  5. STEP 5: WAIT IT OUT. ...
  6. STEP 6: EDIT AWAY. ...
  7. STEP 7: ADD TO YOUR STORY.
Apr 12, 2019

What are fashion influencer responsibilities? ›

Influencers spread brand messages, increase brand awareness, contribute to a positive brand image and increase sales by tagging fashion brands in their posts.

How do influencers influence fashion? ›

Fashion Influencer Ecosystem

Every party benefit from one another. Brands and retailers have adopted fashion influencers to promote new trends and reach a wider audience. In fact, fashion influencers help brands to present their new products to consumers in an authentic way.

Can anyone become an influencer? ›

Yes, anyone can be an influencer. However, being an influencer takes a lot of passion, creativity, and time. To be an effective influencer, you must find a niche you love and create content about it to tell the world. Moreover, being authentic and genuine builds reputation, trust, and value to your audience.

How much does a fashion influencer make? ›

Micro influencers (10,000 - 50,000 followers): $100 - $500 per post. Mid-tier influencers (50,000 - 500,000 followers): $500 - $5,000 per post. Macro influencers (500,000 - 1,000,000 followers): $5000 - $10,000 per post. Mega influencers (1,000,000+ followers): $10,000+ per post.

How much does a fashion influencer make a year? ›

Top influencers can make hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions per year. Kylie Jenner, for example, is rumored to earn $1 million for each Instagram post. As a result, it is not uncommon for influencers to earn a six-figure wage or more if they do things well.

Do fashion influencers make money? ›

Fashion bloggers earn anywhere from 4% – 40% commission from retailers they promote. And the good thing about blogging and affiliate commission is that once you start your blog and write your content, it could earn you a passive affiliate commission for months to come. Not keen on starting a blog?

How many followers do you need to be an influencer? ›

People with followers in the range between 500,000 and 1 million followers on a social network are macro-influencers. Most influencers are micro-influencers with between 10,000 and 50,000 followers. In really specialist niches, you have nano-influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers.

How much Instagram pay for $1 million views? ›

How much money does 1 million Instagram followers make? An influencer with 1 million Instagram followers will make $10,000 per post. If you are an influencer with more than 1 million followers, you can charge anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 per post or campaign.

How much Instagram pay for 1 million followers? ›

How much money can you make on Instagram? HypeAuditor's survey found that influencers earn $2,970/month on average. Influencers with followings between 1,000 and 10,000 followers earn $1,420/month on average while influencers with over a million followers earn $15,356/month.

How much do TikTok fashion influencers make? ›

What are the best-paying contents on TikTok? The top paid TikTok celebrities and influencers earn as much as $500,000 per post, with an average of $100,000 to $250,000.

Do influencers pay taxes? ›

Influencers pay taxes just like everyone else. Being self-employed makes things different than working for a traditional 9-5 that issues a W2 each year. There are different tax codes, forms and deductions that apply.

What brand pays influencers the most? ›

Brands That Pay Influencers
  1. Fabletics. Fabletics is an active-lifestyle brand that sells both women's and men's activewear. ...
  2. Fashion Nova. ...
  3. Flat Tummy Co. ...
  4. Goli Gummy. ...
  5. Lululemon. ...
  6. Amazon Fashion. ...
  7. Walmart. ...
  8. PrettyLittleThing.
Mar 22, 2023

How much do influencers make with $1 million followers? ›

Nano influencers (having between 1K and 10K followers) earn $1,420 per month, for an average annual income of around $17,000. Mega influencers (having over 1 million followers) earn $15,356 per month, totaling an average annual income of over $180,000.

What do brands pay influencers? ›

Today's influencer payments

In 2021, influencer marketing still costs between $100 and $1 million per post. Pay per post dominates, and engagement is by far the most common metric to measure influencer marketing success, used by 75 percent of influencer marketers.

What qualifies you as an influencer? ›

What is an influencer? An influencer is someone with a loyal and larger than average social media following. Some influencers have as few as 3,000 followers! Influencers are paid by brands to create and post promotional content.

How many times should you post as an influencer? ›

Generally, we recommend posting at least once a day to maximize your visibility and engagement. However, if you have more time and resources, you can post multiple times a day, or even several times a week. Experiment to find the posting schedule that works best for you and your followers.

What is the rule for influencers? ›

The government in India has issued new endorsem*nt rules which state that sponsored content must be clearly labelled by social media influencers as such or they will have to pay a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh (USD 12,349) for the first time and a repeat offender will have to pay fine of up to Rs 50 lakh (USD 61,746) or ...

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