The Instagram reality
Few weeks ago we had our yearly advertising shooting at my company. It‘s the same procedure as every year, a lot shootings with good looking femal and male models.
This year we had for the first time a new (relatively unknown) model agency, because our CEO wants a new look with new faces for our products.
After we we’re done, it‘s a tradition that the whole teams goes out together for dinner.
I don't know if everyone is aware that in addition to normal characteristics such as height, weight, hair color, etc., the number of Instagram followers is now also an important feature on the model's set card.
I got talking to one of the new models who had recently switched from one of the big agencies to this new one. She was relatively unknown, one face among many, with just under 8,000 IG followers. Until she made the "mistake" of falling in love with a celebrity actor. Her agency was delighted at how this relationship could be used to increase her market value. Her partner had been relatively reserved about his private life until then, but after his agent was also taken with the idea, he agreed to post more "private" photos with his girlfriend.
In the beginning, the posts were limited to pictures of joint appearances at events. The number of her followers slowly rose from 8,000 to 20,000 within a few months. Then she was advised to post more private things. Gradually, she posted more photos from vacations, home, family celebrations, etc., always on her account, while the actor still only showed pictures from public appearances together.
As a result, the number of her followers rose significantly to over 100,000 within a very short time. Unfortunately, the majority of them were his fans.
Then it happened what always happens.
The posts about her work as model faded more and more into the background and everyone was only interested in her relationship. Her family, friends and even work partners were almost overrun by his fans and not alway in a friendly way. Her requests for photo shoots became fewer and fewer. Her agency was told that they didn't want to work with a model who had no independence and was only defined by her partner, especially as his fans didn't correspond to the target group of most companies.
The pressure from her agency became more and more, which also affected her relationship, which finally failed.
After the relationship ended, the number of her followers dropped significantly. When her bookings stopped and her agency told her to look for another job, she decided for a new start at another agency.
This is just one of many examples of why even "private" posts on IG always have a business background, whether it's vacation pictures from Caribbean islands, trips to celebrity ski races, snapshots of private excursions in which the car is also pictured, etc.
PRIVATE does not exist on social media, even if many would like to believe it does. Fans are only being sold a fantasy that they want to see!
