What Cara Delevingne can teach us about social media

When you look at the modeling industry or at social media, both fields meet at one unmissable talking point: Cara Delevingne. Whether it is her cheeky style, her lifestyle and sexual orientation, or just her eyebrows, she is a major attraction both for the media and for fashion fans. She has become a dominant force over recent years, becoming not just a supermodel and actress but also the undisputed queen of social media. Particularly on Instagram, she has gathered a following that has undoubtedly helped her career to build.

So what can she teach us about social media?

1. The right shoe makes the princess

We all know the story of how Cinderella was able to become a princess because her foot matched the shoe. But if she had been given something other than a glass slipper – like, say, a Converse boot – maybe the
shoe never would have been left behind and she never would have claimed her prince. Social media can offer the same kind of hit and miss luck. If you pick the right channel – such as Instagram – then you can build a huge following and be catapulted into superstardom. If you are hanging out somewhere that no one else in the industry is, then you might not be as successful.

This applies to the way that you use social media, too. If you want to be a model, then look for modeling groups on Facebook and join model chats on Twitter. Remember, Cinderella didn’t just pick the glass slippers out of her collection with ease; she had to be given them as a once in a lifetime opportunity. Cara Delevingne got on to a small but emerging social network at just the right time, and has become one of the real stars that
everyone wants to follow. Right place, right time, right shoes – a motto we can live by in life as well as social media!

2. Content must be genuine

Take a look at Cara’s feed, and what do you see? Endless adverts? Shameless self promotion? No, not really… it’s largely selfies and snaps with friends. She shares funny images that she likes, as well as inspirational quotes. There’s the occasional modeling tear sheet too, but only when she has something really amazing to share.

So what does this tell us? The content you post to social media must be genuine and allow your personality to come through. As a photographer, I can share art all the time and it is my art that will sell. But if you are building yourself up as a model, it is your image, personality, and humanity that you have to sell. Be a real person. Network with others – tag everyone. Share behind the scenes shots and an inside look at the events that you attend. Be a real person as well as a model.

3. It’s not what you know…

It’s who – and while this may be an old cliché, sometimes the old ones are the best. Getting to know the right people in the industry can really help you to get more opportunities. Here’s how you can do it.

Connect: When you meet someone, don’t just take their business card and forget them. Follow or like their page. Comment on their posts. Share an image of the two of you together and tag them. Become part of their social media circle.

Climb: Find people you want to work with and comment or like their posts. Tell them you’d like to work together. Keep an eye out for casting calls they may post. Get on their radar.

Comment: A great way to gain support early on is to reply to comments on your posts and comment on others. Make it a social conversation. Don’t leave it one sided and expect to get all of the glory.

If you’d like to know more about leveraging social media for success, remember you can book in for my professional model tuition package. We’ll discuss how you can build a following and use your modelling profiles to gain traction. And over lunch, we can even post a few selfies together.