Content creation and influencing is a dream job for many, and with social media becoming so prevalent in our day-to-day lives, it is now easier than ever to create a brand out of yourself and your passion whatever it may be. With over 3.78 billion social media users across the globe, there is an abundance of different niche topics you can build a large audience from and gain huge success from.
After aimlessly scrolling through social media one day, I came across Sophie’s profile and I was drawn in immediately. You could tell immediately that Sophie has a genuine passion for fashion and spreading positivity to her followers.
Sophie Cairns is a 20-year-old online content creator from Glasgow, who has gained an astonishing 10.8k followers on Instagram and 52k followers on TikTok by sharing her positive and bubbly attitude on social media – all within two years of beginning her influencing journey.
Sophie has worked with renowned brands such as Boohoo, Casetify and Savage X Fenty and recently just signed with TAKT Agency - she is definitely one to watch and has a promising career ahead of her.
“When did you realise you could turn your passion into a career and get into influencing?”
“To be honest, I never really saw it as a possible career path until this month! I have just signed with a new agency, TAKT Agency - and it's probably the best thing I've done in regards to me being a content creator. Working with my new agency has given me the chance to be exposed to so many brands. Brands I wouldn't even dream of working with, some examples being Savage X Fenty and Casetify."
"In the past month, with the help from my agency, I've started charging for my content and getting paid collaborations with brands. I have to say that was when I started to consider the idea of content creating full time. However, I am still a full-time student at university with a part time job. To me, content creating was just a hobby, I love the idea of creating my own self-portfolio, while also creating cute outfits, however now that I am getting paid collaborations its really putting into perspective how realistic content creating could be as a full-time job. For now, it's still just a little hobby that I love to do but now I can definitely see content creating as a possible, tangible and financially stable career path!”
“Do you have any tips for any aspiring influencers?”
“Post what you love! Don't try to be someone else, people love to see your own authentic self! Post things that you would genuinely love to see.”
“Engage with your fellow content creators! Show some love, you might even form some lovely friendships from it.”
“Figure out your niche, post consistently and use appropriate hashtags.”
“Just have fun!”
“And lastly, my favourite quote of all time: ‘Do not focus on being 'the best' but being irreplaceable.’ It can be overwhelming being in such a saturated niche but, remember how special and irreplaceable you are, it will shine through in your content!”
“What is your favourite part about what you do?”
“I love the editing process, shooting the content itself, filtering it and putting it into my content planner app - I use Planoly, it’s a life saver. There’s nothing more satisfying than spending the morning shooting my content for the week, getting it ready and fully prepared - I love to be organised. I also love to chat to people through Q&A's and Instagram stories.
My most favourite thing about content creation is being able to inspire people."
"When I first decided to take myself more seriously on social media around two years ago, my only aims were to inspire people, help make them feel more confident and able to just reach for those outfits they love and feel amazing in - and overall create a lovely community of supportive gorgeous girls. So, when I get messages from people saying how my content makes them feel inspired and more confident about themselves, my job is complete!”
“Where do you get you style and fashion inspiration from?”
“Depop, Depop, Depop! I am obsessed! I think by having a bigger platform I try to consider more ethical options when creating content. I think almost all of my outfits on my Instagram are from Depop, I love being able to find unique items! I have to say though, my main style icons are the one and only Sophia Tuxford and Cinzia Baylis Zullo, they are my faves! They could wear a bin bag and I’d want to buy one too.”
“How do you deal with the constant pressure of social media and having to appear as ‘perfect’ online 24/7?”
“I think it's really, really difficult and complex. I am extremely open about positivity, mental health and being your most authentic self. I do really struggle with social anxiety and I think being online as a content creator has fuelled that. I get really worried at the thought of meeting anyone that follows me in person in case I don't give off a good impression or they are somehow disappointed in me, or I'm not what they thought I'd look like in real life. I just remember that I’m always true to myself and I know I am proud of the person I am. The only thing I can control is my own thoughts and feelings, I try not to overthink or get upset if anyone has anything negative to say about me.”
“What has been the most exciting part of your career so far?”
“There has been so many that I can't choose just one! Being a Boohoo ambassador in 2020 was such an amazing experience! I was able to fly to London myself and meet the sweetest and most lovely girls! I felt really productive during lockdown by focusing my time on creating Boohoo content and meeting my key performance indicators. However, I have to say signing with my new agency is probably one of the most exciting milestones so far! I’ve only been with them for a month, and I’ve been given the most amazing opportunities and finally being able to understand my worth through paid content! I am very excited for the summer ahead with them and the content that I'm going to create!”
You can follow Sophie on Instagram here.
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