In my previous role as an editor for women magazines in the United Arab Emirates, I got to witness firsthand the rise of bloggers, instagrammers and social media influencers in the UAE and how some of them succeeded in becoming the stars of the social scene.
Being a famous influencer is a full time job now, one that requires the person who does it to perform exhausting tasks such as glamming-up, attending events, endorsing products and posting photos on social media accounts… The punch line is they even get paid to do this! And you will be shocked to know that the top tier of them don’t accept less than $30,000 for a mere picture with a caption! Yes, that’s dollars.
In Dubai, these people became full-fledged celebrities and no event, launch or festival is complete without them! Some of them are just happy to jump on the influencer bandwagon while others are extremely clever and hardworking people who made successful businesses out of social media.
So if you wish to be one of these hot Instagram celebrities who get spoiled by big brands and PR agents, I give you these 16 insider tips:
1. Become friends with the editors of well known magazines so they invite you to a photo shoot.
2. Make sure you are on the list of the biggest PR companies, especially the ones that throw events left, right and center.
3. Start posting photos of your outfit (even if nobody gives a damn about what you are wearing or even if your style is crap).
4. Make sure to tag every single Instagram style page in Dubai, UAE, GCC, Lebanon, and why not throw London and Paris in the mix?
5. Make your outfit a perfect mix of luxury and high-street brands to prove you can afford expensive things but you are also cool and still shop at Zara and Mango.
6. It really helps if you are a rich kid who doesn’t do a thing, but daddy is so rich that you can afford the Chanels and Pradas that are must-haves to be part of Dubai’s stylish event scene.
7. If you realize that you are becoming famous for nothing, then do a couple of styling or makeup courses and now you are a certified stylist or makeup artist.
8. Start using Snapchat to update your followers (even if it's just 5, no one will ever know) about your latest purchases from Sephora or Bloomingdale’s.
9. Give beauty, food and fashion tips on your Instagram even if no one asked for your opinion. Don’t forget to use #MyDubai
10. Become schizophrenic during events. i.e.: kiss, hug and take selfies with a fellow influencer at one event, but completely ignore them and act like you don’t know them in the next event.
11. Brag about your freebies by posting them on Instagram. The more personalized your freebies are the more important and higher on the brand’s list you are.
12. If you receive a same day invite to an event then you must know that you were on the bottom of the PRs list and not enough people RSVP-ed so they had to finally send you this invite.
13. Don’t let that discourage you though! Glam-up, go to that event and hug that PR agent because all you really care about is that goodie bag at the end of the event.
14. Learn how to perfect your Instagram pose. Choose between:
A. “Oh I didn’t know you were taking a photo of me (but I totally do know)” pose.
B. “Acrylic Nails strategically positioned between my teeth to show my nail art” pose.
C. "I’m taking a picture of my food but I’m casually placing my new Fendi bag inside the frame” pose.
15. If someone asked about the brand of the handbag you bought from Satwa just say it is “vintage” or that you found it in an off-beat boutique in Milan and wait for the wows and oohs.
16. Don’t forget to post inspirational quotes every now and then to show that you are deep and spiritual and not just an airhead. The best ones are “Juma’a Mubaraka”, “I love my haters” and “don’t blend in… stand out”!
