How to become a fashion brand ambassador for clothing in seven simple steps.
Learning to create fashion and clothing content on Instagram, Snapchat, and other popular social media platforms is a full time job. But don’t worry, you aren’t too late to the party!
Asking the question of how to become a fashion brand ambassador is the first step in a long journey. Today, a surge of demand for fashion and lifestyle influencers has created an ocean of opportunity. The game is changing to focus on the new ways consumers find brands, and boutique designers all the way up to global fashion houses are getting on board with Instagram influencers large and small.
Nicholas Kinports, CEO of NOTICE Agency, known for working with notable brands on campaigns, recently said, “Today influencers are an important part of any fashion or lifestyle brand strategy. They are the new celebrities, and we are always hunting for more great talent to share with our clients. By growing the next round of fashion influencers, we have a distinct advantage in the market.”
And that’s good news for prospective fashion influencers: Brand ambassadors and influencers are getting paid more than ever before. In fact many of my Instagram influencers are getting paid thousands per post, which isn’t exactly chump change.
Think of me as the new talent agent, but with hooks into the social media world. Over the last two years we’ve seen the best fashion brand ambassadors do a few simple things that end up paying off in the long run. Here’s the list:
1. Being a fashion influencer is competitive! Do what the pros are doing.
Fashion brands want you to have followers. It’s that simple. But it’s nearly impossible to grow fast enough. Shortcut follower growth with private pods. These groups of Instagrammers are the secret behind many top fashion influencers. You used to have to be invited, but today there are companies that make introductions for a fee. For example, new companies like PodSquad offer submissions with guaranteed results within a week starting at $25: https://getpodsquad.com/collections/instagram-boost
We spend countless years and go into deep, soul-crushing debt to get a formal education. Meanwhile others around us make thousands of dollars for… snapping an Instagram picture? Though you can’t go to class for being a fashion brand ambassador, you can network with those in the know. Thanks to this wonderful connected world, discussion groups have flourished around how to make a career out of fashion marketing. Facebook groups like Fashion Brand Ambassadors (FBA) are places to swap tips, find job opportunities with brands, and key in on new trends and ideas. Those connections are creating new partnerships daily, and helping fashion-focused influencers find new ways to grow their audience.
Once you’ve joined up, it’s time to take the next step…
2. Pick your fashion or clothing niche, and stick to it
What do you love about fashion? No really, what do you love about it? Connecting your interests with a sustainable fashion brand ambassador career – the kind where you actually get paid – means being honest with yourself. Are you doing this because it seems cool, easy, or more fun than a real job?
Unless you live and breathe fashion, and have a particular niche about the fashion world you love, stop reading right here. It’s just a hobby until you get paid, so start by thinking about becoming a fashion brand ambassador as a hobby. If your new hobby isn’t fun, it’s a good sign you aren’t cut out to become a fashion brand ambassador for the long haul.
Read our latest eBook: How to Become a Paid Instagram Influencer, How I make a Six-Figure Income Partnering With Brands.
3. Develop fashion and clothing content that matters
When answering how to become a fashion brand ambassador simply start with value. What type of content are you creating and why does it matter to your audience? These days, Instagram is full of attractive people posing in the latest styles around the world, but fashion marketers need to achieve ROI from influencer marketing.
Sure, it’s nice to look at, but is it really adding anything new to the global fashion conversation? To stand out to fashion brands, your content needs to take a point of view, and communicate it to the world. Challenge yourself to invent new styles, photograph or video in uncommon locations, and get your head in the industry by documenting shows and events from your perspective. You can also find our more general guide to building large amounts of free Instagram followers for further inspiration. You may also want to add localized new technologies and trends to your repertoire, such as a roundup of the best smartwatch in Australia.
4. Find your squad and keep them close
It’s not all about you! The most successful fashion brand ambassadors got that way with a close group of friends who encourage each other, share info about brands that are hiring, and help create viral posts by liking, commenting, and sharing each others’ content. In Instagram lingo, these groups are called pods, and they will be the foundation of your fashion brand ambassador career. Working out how to make money online starts with making connections first.
You can also try to partner up with existing fashion brand ambassadors. Try searching the web for terms and brands you want to work with. Companies like Zara, H&M, ASOS, Fashion Nova, Revolve, lululemon, Nike, Free People, and more have been aggressively recruiting, and you maybe able to ask for tips or strategies if you make the connection first.
5. Grow your following by staying true to your own unique clothing style
Stop asking how to become a fashion brand ambassador, and blaze your own trail. The best fashion brand ambassadors have a unique style all their own. Sometimes it’s subtle, other times it’s in your face. Create a special visual language that’s all your own and carry it through photos, video, and written word. It could be a special tone or effect you put on your content, a certain type of environment, or a new way of describing what your audience is seeing. We’ve even interviewed fashion influencers and asked them about their secrets. Finding and maintaining a unique style almost always pop up as a top tip.
Evolve your style over time to keep reinventing, adding, and dialing up or down specific aspects to keep your audience (and brands) interested.
6. Get out into the fashion world, and stay hungry
Fashion brands large and small are starting brand ambassador and influencer marketing programs every day. The good news is there’s a constant need for new brand ambassadors willing to work with small companies to develop their story and show them the benefits of influencer marketing. Make it simple for them to contact you through email and social media, then roll up your sleeves and get to work. Start with the brands you love, and see which ones need help in the social media space.
Reach out proactively using LinkedIn to research marketing team leaders and agencies for influencer marketing. Remember to start small, the big fashion houses are always looking for new talent, and will find you when the time is right. If you really want to know the secret of how to become a fashion brand ambassador, it can be easily summed up with this mantra: Hustle hard, and don’t give up.
7. Don’t be afraid to make a backup plan
Times and technologies change quickly, and you don’t want to be on the wrong end of a trend. What would happen if Instagram went away tomorrow? Would you have another idea on what to do for a career? Check out our guide to landing a job in fashion marketing for inspiration on how becoming a fashion brand ambassador can lead you down a path to working full time with major fashion brands.
Are your efforts not adding up to results? You may also consider a location change. Sometimes your immediate surroundings just aren’t conducive to fashion, and may be dragging you down with expensive cost of living drawbacks. Recently, many influencers have moved to Nevada, Texas, and Florida to escape high cost of living and find new inspiration. Some influencers have even mentioned moving to Puerto Rico where taxes are near zero.
I’ve compiled my short Amazon list of required reading books that will get you up to speed and ahead of 99% of your competition before you even start. Trust me, you’ll thank me later:
- Instagram: How I make $10,000 a month through Influencer Marketing – Brand spankin’ new as of June 2017, this will prepare you for the journey ahead.
- NYT Bestseller #GIRLBOSS – Sophia Amoruso’s bestselling book on making it in a world that isn’t always happy to have you there.
- Fashion Brands: Branding Style from Armani to Zara – If you want to become a fashion brand ambassador, you need to know how the industry got to where it is today.
- Social Media for Fashion Marketing: Storytelling in a Digital World – A true academic perspective on how influencers and brand ambassadors are impacting the world of fashion.
