There is no denying the major impact social media can have on a person’s life. Word travels in a nanosecond via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat, for example. It would seem that most folks on the planet are tuned in to their electronic devices and rarely miss a thing. The numbers seem impossible to fathom, but there are approximately 2.3 billion active social media users worldwide.
Breaking news is spread around the globe instantly to millions of people, and the hashtag plays a key role. Social media can have the capacity to persuade society to feel a certain way about people, places or things, and the modeling industry is a fine example of how appearances are judged by today’s standards.
Harper’s Bazaar Magazine took a look at the power of Instagram and how having a social media account there can catapult an aspiring model to great heights. Talk about “being discovered.” The industry has been transformed and modernized like never before.
Most famous models from a decade ago have told incredible stories about being at a mall or restaurant, for example, when a modeling scout walked up to them and “discovered” them. These days, however, social media has made it easier for discerning scouts to find the ultimate new face via the internet.
An aspiring Dutch model like Alyssa Traoré was discovered from her personal Instagram account where she posted plenty of headshots. She was hoping someone in a position of power would notice her on social media, and she was right. The modeling scouts are constantly on the search for new faces via social media, and Traoré got signed with a major agency called IMG Models. Now, she’s a familiar runway model for Valentino, Michael Kors, Prada, Erdem and Tommy Hilfiger.
Modeling scouts are also asking aspiring models like Traoré to use the hashtag #WLYG (We Love Your Genes) when they upload photos of themselves to get noticed and pick up thousands of fans who will become familiar with their name.
Social media can also work against a model when she posts an inflammatory message without clarification, such as Kendall Jenner when making comments about her show selectiveness. It also opened up the door for her to apologize and clarify herself to an audience of millions.