What Is The Difference Between Social Media Modeling and Professional Modeling

What Is The Difference Between Social Media Modeling and Professional Modeling 
By Demarcus O’Dell - 08.29.21

Today, getting into the field of advertising can be easy if you have a large social media following. Companies and brands have the advantage of using accounts with large followings as a medium through which to advertise and market. While gaining a large social media following may bring big opportunities to a freelancer,  it also opens the door to being recruited to a modeling agency. 

Okay; so the advantage of having a large social media following is a commonality between social media modeling and professionally modeling, what comes ahead covers the many differences. 

Advertising through social media can produce revenue for its users through likes, shares, saves, click-through affiliate links, etc. Platforms like Instagram; the perfect space to accumulate an audience that can engage with a user’s posts on a daily basis.

Instagram models can be seen similarly as influencers. This is because; status, fame, and the large following they have, raises their value to brands and companies. Think of the attention received from a flashy billboard on a busy street in a big city in comparison to a rural city newspaper ad. Instagram models can make revenue from advertising with paid-partnerships, giveaways,and sponsorships, etc.

Now that Instagram is transitioning to a video centered social media platform; users’ posts will soon be able to be monetized similarly to how YouTube monetizes its videos made by users with large subscriber amounts. The user is personally responsible for the content, its creativity, quality and the timely hood of post frequency and based on their execution will determine the amount of income they can expect from monetization. 

Brands, companies, and organizations contract Instagram models to promote their products, services or message. The primary objective in enlisting Instagram models or influencers to advertise; is to display products and services through a medium which a large amount of people statistically already enjoy. Moreover, this form of advertising often is less professionally produced and informal, which can be easier to digest for the target audience and better matches the style of content it already has been receiving and trust. 

Instagram modeling has grown exponentially in the recent past and is something to study and take seriously if interested. Modeling agencies do search for talent within Instagram. Posting a mixture of professional and personal lifestyle photos, engaging with brands, fashion and modeling industry accounts with large followings are good ways to gain attention. For a freelance model; An instagram page is similar to a CV. 

When it comes to professional modeling; models are either scouted or apply to an agency themselves.The agency promotes a model’s portfolio to get them regular work that suits them. Signed models must have a style (high fashion, glamour, commercial, editorial), adhere to requirements (hair, makeup, height, weight). 

Today, Instagram has provided a platform for consistent self promotion and networking for creatives, influencers, freelancers, models, etc. Instagram receives a considerable amount of traffic and wether freelance Instagram modeling, or professional modeling; getting noticed takes ‘ahead of its time creativity’ and the touch of a finger. FInd out more about the advertisement industry here.