One of the biggest problems people have is looking at celebrity lifestyles and business opportunities and comparing it to themselves. Getting frustrated with people who see your brand and don’t have the same energy or excitement for it as they do for celebs isn’t rational. Yes, most people will support some celebrity brand rather than yours because that person’s celebrity (or status) says something to them.
Let’s break this down further. If you are Nicki Minaj, or a Kardashian sister then your name brings some sort of recognition. Yes, we all know this. But what small business owners tend to overlook is what credibility comes with that name. The customer and buying public assume that if a celebrity is endorsing or selling a product then the quality is higher than that of a regular person. They have money and access so the things they get must be of a higher quality right? Not necessarily. The cachet that comes from Cardi B wearing the latest designer gets applied to the random company you haven’t heard of that she endorses. That’s why people pay celebrities.
To a lesser extent it is exactly what the idea of an influencer is. If you have hundreds of thousands of followers you must get more opportunities to vet products and thus the ones you promote must be the best. Even if the logic doesn’t make that assumption, the mere fact that this brand can afford to pay the influencers’ fee must mean that they have some sort of credibility.
This is why marketing in the areas where your favorite IG personalities and celebrities are so hard. They make it look easy because with their numbers of followers and engagement, the 3% of people who follow through and make the first purchase is a higher number than most regular people can actually reach.
Planning out your steps and understanding what you’re looking at when researching is pivotal. Benchmark others to give yourself a frame of reference. Look at their pictures, then look at yours. Do you really have to be the model or do you just want to be the model so that you can be seen? Is it more important to give off the idea and appeal to your customers and get their sales or be seen? You have to really hone in on your goals and build your plan to suit them.
Dropshipping boutiques only work if you have a lot of followers and traffic! Period. A lot of people get sold on the idea of doing no work and the money rolls in. By the time the companies have gotten your fees, they aren’t invested in seeing that your business actually works and succeeds. You have to come in fully aware of the pitfalls and be prepared to overcome them.
What should you do? If you must be the model, pay a Stylist, MUA and Photographer. You need to have samples of what you’re selling because the look needs to be consistent. It’s even better if you use different models because it is their job. They are training to do this, not your friend who likes to take pictures. You have to separate what is fun vs. what is going to get you to your goal, making money.
Be prepared to work, or pay others to execute the work for you. Again, you are not a celebrity. People aren’t going to be giving you services for free, views for free, or traffic for free. Every bit of it will be earned. Everything is about preparation, hard work, and patience. The culture of the internet at times can make you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere if you aren’t in the hundreds of thousands (that’s sales, followers, or dollars). But that isn’t reality. Be patient, be consistent, and be proud.
You are trying to run a business, it isn’t easy. Most fail. Most people fail at things. It’s fine. Failure is not the end of the world. It can help you realize that a particular area isn’t for you. It can teach you something for next time. But be proud of taking the chance. Be proud of each sale and each new fan or follower.
You are not a celebrity, but you don’t have to be.
