Has anyone ever told you what nice hands you have? Or perhaps they’ve even gone a step further and told you that you could very well be the next J.P. Prewitt AKA ‘The World’s Greatest Hand Model’. If that’s the case, then maybe it’s time that you genuinely considered becoming a hand model. And no, we’re not kidding.

Hand models are much sought after and while they may not bask in the fame that many other types of models do, they can make good money and enjoy a steady career from simply taking care of their hands. Of course, there’s a little more to it than simply using plenty of moisturiser which is why we decided to hook you up with this detailed guide on how to become a hand model.

So whether you’re already doing some modelling or you’re a complete novice, here is how you can get started.

Can I be a hand model?

Much like typical modelling, the hand modelling industry needs all kinds of hands. Regardless of your age, ethnicity, gender, or size, there’s a good chance that there is a company out there that wants to use hands just like yours for their next campaign.

Of course, there is more demand for certain types of hand models. For example, clients may ask for unblemished skin free of moles, scars, or tattoos. This is because in some cases the client would prefer that the attention of the audience is firmly on their product and not the model’s hand. For example, a tattoo may draw the eye away from an engagement ring while a calloused hand might not work quite so well for a hand cream. Then again, it all depends on the target audience.

So the short answer is that yes, you can be a hand model.

What kind of jobs do hand models get?

Okay, so it seems quite obvious what hand models land jobs that are primarily focused on hand products, right? Had creams, rings, bracelets, watches, manicure products, nail products — you know the type of things we mean.

While this is true, believe it or not, there are quite a lot of other campaigns that also require a good hand model. The food industry is one area where hand models are often in demand. Think of all of those ads you’ve seen in the past of a hand holding a burger or a piece of fruit. And what about household items like vacuum cleaners or dish cloths? Then we have all of those tradie products like tape measures, drills, screwdrivers. In fact, just about anything that you can hold in your hand could require the talents of a hand model to promote it.

How much do hand models get paid?

Now we get down to the nitty gritty. As we mentioned earlier, hand models can get paid quite well but it depends largely on the calibre of the client. A local custom jewellery store will have a much smaller budget than a major brand. For this reason, it’s incredibly difficult to put an exact figure on it.

Generally speaking, a hand model can expect to make somewhere in the region of $350-$600 per day. If it’s a full day shoot. The truth is that unless you make the right connections and have a good agent, getting paid the big bucks is going to be tricky. But as with all modelling, if you’re patient and put in the hard work, your opportunity will come.

How to start hand modelling

Any type of modelling career starts with finding the right agency and representation. Yes, we may sound a little biassed here, but the simple truth is that unless you have a solid agency behind you, finding hand modelling work is going to be extremely difficult. This is because for this type of modelling, clients tend to go straight to agencies in their search for talent rather than putting out an open casting call.

They will often have very specific requirements and asking the agency to recommend suitable talent is much easier than wading through hundreds of applications from unsigned models.

So how to find the right agency?

What you’re looking for is an agency that has worked with major brands in the past and that can show you samples of the work they have booked for their talents. In many cases, you don’t even have to ask to see this as most busy agencies will announce their wins on social media or have a website page that lists their clients. The agency should also have a clear policy of meeting with talents prior to signing them. This can be either in person or through a Zoom call. If the agency just wants to sign you immediately, you can tell they’re probably just in it for the fees and won’t do much to help you land any work.

If the agency has experience booking hand models, that’s great. But don’t get too hung up on this. Once the agency has worked with major brands and has verifiable success stories for its other models, the chances are you’ll be in good hands — sorry, not sorry for the pun.

Create a portfolio

Some might recommend that you do this step first. But we don’t think that you should spend too much money on professional photos until you’ve at least had the chance to speak with someone who works in the industry first. A quick chat with an agent will give you a better idea of whether or not it’s worth your while investing.

So if things are looking positive, it’s time to get those photos done for your portfolio. You’ll want these taken by a professional as that’s what clients will expect to see in your portfolio. They want to know what your hands look like in a studio environment so no images taken with your smartphone.

Take a look at a hand model’s portfolio and see what positions they hold their hands in and try to emulate those poses for your portfolio shots. We would also recommend including at least one shot that features your face. It’s always good for a client to be able to put a face to a name and besides, they may even hire you for a campaign that features both your hands and face!

Practice your steadiness

Steady hands are often required of hand models and this can be quite hard to manage if you’re stuck in a studio for four hours. So practice keeping your hand steady but holding onto something and keeping as still as you can for bursts of 20 seconds or so. You’ll notice that the more you do this, the steadier and stronger your hands become.

Take good care of your hands

Manicure? Yeah, go for it, especially if you have a shoot coming up. But you can also do a lot more than pamper your hands to take good care of them. Keeping your nails clean and trimmed and moisturising daily will help a lot, but that’s not all. Start being more careful too. Try not to nick your fingers on scissors or anything sharp and wear gloves when washing dishes or doing any other type of work with your hands. Oh, you should already be doing this but we’ll just remind you to always use sunscreen.

As with all types of modelling, the key to becoming a successful hand model is to be patient. In fact, while there are opportunities for work, there are much fewer than in regular modelling so you’ll need to turn your patience into something of a superpower. But trust us, once you stay positive, the opportunities will come. And remember, if you’re looking for reputable representation, then look no further. Get in touch with Hunter Talent today or apply to join us and we’ll get right back to you.

Have you ever looked at a makeup ad campaign and thought ‘I could do that’? Or perhaps your friends keep telling you how great your cheekbones are or how smooth and clear your skin is. If so, then you just might be a good candidate to become a makeup model. It’s a niche in the modelling industry where there is always demand for new faces and that’s why we’ve created this quick guide explaining the steps you need to take to get started in the world of makeup modelling.

Can anyone be a makeup model?

First we have to tackle the one question that is most likely on the tip of your tongue right now — can anyone be a makeup model? Well, the answer is yes…. and no.

The fashion and beauty industries are embracing diversity wholesale. This means that regardless of your age, height, gender, ethnicity, or size, there are plenty of opportunities out there right now. You can be an older male model or a plus sized model and enjoy success in your career.

And when it comes to makeup modelling diversity is also embraced. However, there is one requirement that many clients insist on and that is that their makeup models have clear and unblemished skin.

So yes, anyone can be a makeup model, but models with clear skin (regardless of colour) will likely have more opportunities.

What does a makeup model do?

The clue is really in the name 🙂 A makeup model will, you guessed it, work with makeup and beauty product brands to help promote their products and services. This can include both photographic/print campaigns and TV commercials. But what you may not know is that makeup models may also have to do public appearances from time to time at events and exhibitions where clients are showcasing their products. Some makeup models will even take on the role of an influencer and help promote their client’s products through social media.

How much does a makeup model get paid?

This depends on the client and the campaign involved. A small local campaign will have a smaller budget than a national or global campaign so the rates may differ. What we can tell you though is that makeup models will usually make the same standard rates as regular models.

Here at Hunter Talent, we only accept briefs from clients who are prepared to pay a rate that we feel is acceptable for the work involved. This means that our makeup models know that any job we put them forward for will pay a fair and reasonable rate. Your final pay will depend on how many hours you need to work and any travel that may be involved too.

How to get started as a makeup model

If you are interested in becoming a makeup model then the first thing that we suggest you do is find a reputable agency that will be honest with you about your chances of booking work. For this part, you’ll need to be a bit tough-skinned (metaphorically speaking of course!) This is because any agency that you speak with is going to have to be quite straightforward about your skin and your facial features. Just remember that this is not a question of beauty, merely an assessment based on the general requirement s of the industry.

Finding the right agency can be tough as the industry is currently flooded with agencies. The problem we have right now is that some of these agencies are not what you would call reputable. They are often in it for the money and simply want to collect your membership fees regardless of whether or not they think you can make it in the industry.

Look for an agency with a history of taking good care of its makeup models. You can even try speaking with makeup models through forums or if you know one personally, all the better. It may take you some time to figure this part out, but trust us, finding an agency you can trust will make all the difference in your modelling career.

Call a professional photographer…

Once you have found an agency, the next step is to call a professional photographer and arrange a portfolio photo session. Clients will expect to see photos that have been taken in a studio environment and so that’s what you are going to give them. The agency may have some recommendations for you but be sure to shop around so you can get the best value.

A word of warning though — your choice of photographer can be quite important as this is not your regular family portrait. So look for a photographer that has model portfolio experience as they will know all the right angles and exactly what clients look for in a portfolio shot. Be sure to tell them beforehand that this is going to be for a makeup model portfolio so they’ll know what type of shots you’ll need.

…and a professional makeup artist

There’s no point in booking that professional photo session in that big bright studio if you don’t have the right makeup, right? Ideally, the makeup artist will come to the studio with you as you’ll need a little help throughout the shoot. This is because you’re going to present at least two versions of yourself.

First off, you’ll want a clean photo of yourself with no makeup. This will give the client an idea of what the real you looks like and if you’re suitable for their product or their campaign. It’s all about your natural look for this shot.

Then, you’ll have a few shots of yourself with professionally done makeup. You don’t want this to be too over the top so tell the artist that understated is what you’re going for. Most professional makeup artists who have worked in the industry will know exactly what you’re looking for. This is why you may want to avoid makeup artists that only do weddings and instead choose one that has worked with models.

Think about your cleansing routine

The added bonus of hiring a makeup artist is that you can pick their brains about your cleansing routine. It could be that however you care for your face right now isn’t ideally suited to your skin type. So make sure to ask for some advice. If you are serious about becoming a successful makeup model, then you will need to ensure that you are taking good care of your skin. And that leads us to our next two points!

Eat healthy

It should really go without saying, but we’ll just remind you anyway — if you want healthy skin, you need to eat healthy. That means cutting down on greasy food and staying away from all those pimple-inducing sugary things that we all love so much. But it’s not just about cutting out the bad stuff, it’s also about increasing your intake of the good stuff. More vegetables and fresh fruits along with plenty of water will make a huge difference to your skin health and it will make you feel better too.

Go to bed early

Yeah, we know, you’re not a kid anymore and we’re not your mum. But the truth is that getting a good night’s sleep can be incredibly beneficial for your skin condition. That’s it, nothing else, just go to bed early and take care of your skin!

If you’re thinking about becoming a makeup model and looking for the right agency, then we’d like to throw our hat in the ring. At Hunter Talent, we specialise in model management and have helped many of our talents book work with some of the best known brands in Australia and the world and we’d love to do the same for you. Get in touch with Hunter Talent today or apply to join us and we’ll get right back to you.

Your headshot is one of the most important components of your acting and modelling portfolio — fact! This is because it is often the first chance that a casting director or photographer gets to see you. After all, we know just how important those first impressions are, right?

So it makes absolute sense that you put some time and effort into making sure that yours is one that will impress in all the right ways. A photo that highlights your features and that will have the casting director looking up your agent’s contact details.

As you can imagine, it’s not quite as simple as taking a quick selfie no matter how strong your smartphone camera game is. Nope, your headshot has to look like it has been shot by a professional in a studio environment. Anything less and the casting director will just move onto the next profile and your chance to impress is gone.

But fear not. We’ve spent more than our fair share of time sifting through headshots over the years and we know exactly what casting directors and photographers are looking for and impressed by. And yes, we’re more than happy to share any tips and tricks we have on how to take a professional headshot.

Get it done by a professional

Okay, your headshot has to look like it’s been taken by a professional photographer and what better way to do that than to have an actual professional photographer take it! Stands to reason when you think about it.

But don’t go calling the local wedding photographer or that lovely lady who always takes your family portraits unless they have the right industry experience. While other photographers will, of course, do a good job and take a nice photo, a photographer with headshot experience will know exactly what type of shot will impress a casting director. They’ll know the right angles and backgrounds and will tell you if your clothing is a good fit for a headshot.

Any good acting or modelling agency will be able to recommend a good photographer who has headshot experience.

How to take a professional headshot at home

We understand that not everyone has the money to invest in a professional headshot and that’s okay. You can easily take an acceptable headshot at home. All you need to do is follow these tips.

Get the right camera

Before you panic, the right equipment doesn’t necessarily have to break the bank. You can use either a DSLR camera or a smartphone. While a DSLR camera would be ideal, smartphone cameras these days are so good that you can easily use one for your headshot.

When using a smartphone, try to use pro camera settings that will allow you to increase the shutter speed and control the colour. If your smartphone doesn’t have this feature you can download a pro camera app that will. One simple tip for using your smartphone is to use the portrait mode as this will blur out the background giving your headshot a professional feel.

If using a DSLR camera, try to use a lens that is between 50-105mm. You can use a low aperture to give a nice background blur. The chances are if you have one of these cameras, you already know how to set it up so we won’t go into too much detail on that. Here’s a good article with some more tips on getting those settings right.

Just remember that your images should be in the highest definition possible and in portrait.

A tripod is a must

The truth is a stack of books on top of the kitchen table doesn’t give you quite as much flexibility as a proper tripod does so spend a little cash and grab one that is sturdy and can rotate through 360 degrees. You’re going to need the camera to be at eye level, but that doesn’t mean you need a huge tripod. You can still make use of that kitchen table or even a chair minus the stack of books of course.

Natural light or artificial?

Natural light would be ideal, preferably from a big window, but relying on the weather doesn’t always work out and cloud cover might just ruin your perfectly lit room in a heartbeat.

That’s why we recommend investing in a relatively inexpensive ring light. These are available everywhere right now and some will even allow you to place your smartphone at its centre. Most will have two light settings for warm and cold so you can experiment with both to see what gives you the most natural look.

When setting up your light, you’ll want to direct it in such a way that there is minimal shadowing and no glare. You’ll want to have as natural a look as possible instead of a washed out look so don’t go too bright thinking it will look better because the chances are it won’t.

Choose the right environment

Now that you have your camera, tripod, and lighting sorted, it’s time to choose a setting. There’s a tendency for people to assume that shooting outdoors in a park is a great idea, but if you’ve ever tried it out you’ll know it can be hit and miss. Remember what we said about cloud cover?

We recommend choosing a room with plenty of natural light and a plain neutral coloured wall that you can use as a background. If there are no suitable walls, don’t worry. You can either buy a professional backdrop sheet or use an old bed sheet (once it’s ironed and clean!) Choose a plain neutral colour such as light grey, white, or even a pale blue as these are the industry standards.

Choose your outfit

Choosing what to wear for an acting headshot or a modelling headshot is where some folks slip up. They try too hard to impress with nice outfits and accessories, but the casting director has no interest in these. In fact, a shiny pair of earrings or a thick gold chain will just draw the casting director’s eye and take all the attention away from yourself.

The best approach is to keep it simple. Remember, your headshot will only include your chest, shoulders, and head so you don’t need to worry about the bottom half of your body. A soft neutral coloured top with no patterns or stripes is a good idea. It could be a simple light grey t-shirt or even a white one. Just make sure that there’s no visible branding, it doesn’t clash with your background, and it complements your skin tone.

What about posing?

Some people ask ‘do you smile in a headshot?’ and it’s a good question. We always tell people to try and do what feels comfortable for them. The goal is to look natural and if that means trying out a few different expressions then go for it and see which one represents the real you best.

It’s also a good idea to experiment with angles. Tilt your head, leans towards the camera, turn slightly to the side — the good thing about shooting at home is that you can experiment as much as you like so take the opportunity to try everything and get over your camera shyness.

Editing

The last thing you’ll want to do is to do some basic adjustments to your image such as cropping, straightening, adding a little colour, or adjusting the brightness. However, if you’re not experienced at photo editing, it’s probably a good idea to leave it at that. Don’t use any filters as casting directors will spot this and they won’t like it. If in doubt, ask for a professional to retouch your images. That’s all there is to it. As you can see, shooting a professional headshot at home is possible once you follow the right steps. Just remember that natural is always best so keep things simple.

If you’re new to the entertainment industry and are currently looking for representation as an actor or model, we’d love to hear from you. At Hunter Talent we’re always on the lookout for new faces so get in touch or go ahead and apply to join our fierce talent.

The entertainment industry is a tough nut to crack at the best of times, and it’s even tougher for aspiring actors who have no experience whatsoever. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. No matter how inexperienced you may be, the truth is that everyone has to start somewhere, right? The biggest stars in Hollywood including Golden Globe winners and even Oscar winners all have one thing in common — they all started with no experience. Sure some may have got their big break at a young age, but every single one of them started at the same point that you are at right now.

So yes, there is hope.

We’ve been in the entertainment industry for decades and we’ve learned a thing or two about what it takes to go from zero experience to seeing your name in those end credits. And luckily for you, we’re more than happy to share our thoughts on the best approach to take.

If acting is your passion, but you have little or no experience, then these are the tips you’ll want to follow.

 

Set an achievable goal

Okay, so you want to see your name up in lights or hear it being called out at an awards ceremony, but that’s not going to happen without first putting in some hard graft. And that means lowering your expectations just to get yourself started.

Now don’t confuse lowering your expectations with curtailing your ambitions. What we’re suggesting here is that you set a goal that you can conceivably reach within a certain timeframe. For example, you might ask the question, can you get an acting agent without experience? Well, that’s a goal right there. Get out there and talk to some acting agents.

If you already have an agent, you might set a goal to land at least two auditions over the next few months or at least one acting role within the next six months. Of course, landing those auditions and that acting role isn’t something that you have complete control over so you might want to take a look at our next tip.

Audition for EVERYTHING

And we really mean everything that you are comfortable with. This means opening yourself up to any acting opportunity that comes your way. This includes roles in amateur theatre productions, TV commercials, stock videos, and even acting for free in student film productions.

All we’re suggesting here is that you make sure that you’re open to opportunities even if they fall outside the acting niche that you’re targeting. Remember this is all about how to get acting experience that you can stick on your acting resume. There’s also the small matter of this experience helping you improve your skills and understanding of how the industry works.

Take some training

“One of the joys of being an actor is that you’re always learning new things. I’ve been doing this since I was 19 so there are a lot of things I have learned for each part.”

Richard Gere said that when asked about learning as an actor, that’s just one of scores of quotes saying the same thing — acting is all about continuous learning.

So do yourself a huge favour and start some acting lessons. Not only will this help you improve your skills when taking auditions and if you land a role but it will also look great on your acting resume. A casting director will certainly prefer an actor with no experience who is taking acting classes over one who isn’t. Then there’s also the added bonus that acting lessons can also be a great way to network and open yourself up to more opportunities.

Make your own showreel

Casting directors will want to see a showreel of a talent’s best acting clips or the work that they are most proud of. Unfortunately, an actor with no experience won’t have much to put into a showreel, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have one.

We’re sure that you’ve heard all about self tapes and how they are being used more often now as a first audition. Well, they’re also a great way to show off some of those acting skills that you’ve picked up in your training. Pick a suitable monologue to perform — a google search will bring you to dozens of online resources with monologues for all scenarios. Rehearse the life out of it so you can perform it with absolute confidence. Record it. It’s as simple as that.

You’ll just need to make sure that you follow the right process with regards to equipment and setting up your environment. Check out these quick tips for self taping that will set you on the right path.

 

Be professional

It’s worth reminding yourself every so often that acting is a business and you are a professional. This is just as true for actors with no experience who have yet to book their first gig as it is for the seasoned pro. Getting yourself in this mindset will help you to prepare for auditions in the right way while it will also keep those romanticised ideas you may have about acting at bay.

So what does being professional involve? Firstly, it’s always treating every single audition or job as if it’s the most important of your career. It’s about always being properly prepared for auditions and being on time for any appointments or meetings. It’s about treating everyone you meet with respect as a fellow professional in the industry. It’s about staying on top of your training and continuously working on your skills. And last but by no means least, it’s about not taking rejection too personally. After all, not everyone can land the role and you are likely competing against hundreds of other aspiring actors.

To answer the question ‘do you have to have experience to be an actor?’, we’re not going to lie. Experience does help when your agent puts you forward for a role. But as you can see from the tips above, you can easily help yourself — and the casting director — get past your lack of experience and give yourself the best opportunity for success.

If you’re an aspiring actor that is looking for some guidance in the entertainment industry, then we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re inexperienced or a seasoned professional, we’re more than happy to have a quick chat with you about your goals to see if we can help you out. Get in touch today or you can even go right ahead and apply to join us here at Hunter.

If you’ve been in the business for any length of time then you’ll know that without auditions and casting calls, there’s practically no chance that you’ll get any work. In fact, auditions and casting calls are pretty much the lifeblood of the industry. Without them, nothing would get done.

So with this in mind, we’ve decided to draw on our decades of entertainment industry experience to bring you our top tips for auditions and casting calls. We’re not for a second suggesting that these tips will guarantee that you land a role, but they certainly will help improve your chances.

But before we go any further, let’s answer the one question that most aspiring models and actors ask when they start out in the entertainment industry.

What’s the difference between casting calls and auditions?

A casting call is when a casting director or agency puts out a call for actors or models for a role or an assignment. There will be some basic requirements such as height, gender, or skills, and anyone who is interested in trying out for the role can attend the casting call.

There will often be quite a lot of people at casting calls as, like we said, they are usually open to anyone who is interested. This allows the casting director or the client to see a lot of models or actors in a fairly short period of time.

An audition is when a model or actor is invited to try out for a role. This is usually on the recommendation of their agent as there are often quite specific requirements for auditions. These requirements go further than those for a casting call and may include a person’s cultural background, their experience, or specific physical attributes.

While both casting calls and auditions should be taken seriously, auditions are more formal and will often require more preparation than casting calls.

So now we know the difference, let’s take a look at how you might prepare for both.

Tips for auditions and casting calls

Remember, regardless of whether you’re an actor or a model, every one of the tips below is relevant in some way.

Always be prepared

This may seem like plain old-fashioned common sense, but you’d be surprised at just how many aspiring actors and models show up for an audition or casting call completely unprepared. Trust us, auditioning is not something you can just wing.

For some auditions you may be asked to deliver a few lines that your agent will have provided you with beforehand. Take the time to really go over these lines and know them inside out. Think about how you might deliver them in such a way as to stand out from the crowd but not deviate too much from the character expectations—this is where your acting classes will pay off in a big way.

As for casting calls, you should have your own monologue prepared just in case you’re asked to deliver a few lines.

When it comes to casting tips for models, we recommend going over your poses, practising your walk and thinking about what clues the job brief can give you in relation to the assignment.

Be approachable and be nice

One of the most important audition preparation tips that many people seem to completely forget is to be nice to those around you, and we mean everyone around you. Remember that this is an industry that is all about impressions. If you’re in any way standoffish or even the slightest bit rude, it will be noticed. And no matter how good you are in the audition, you’ll be unlikely to get the gig.

So treat everyone with respect and that means everyone from the person taking your name at the front door right through to the casting director. After all, you want to treat people as you’d have them treat you, right?

Plan your route

It sounds silly, but trust us, planning your route to the audition or casting call will save you so much trouble and stress on the day. The last thing you want is to arrive at the train station only to find that the train you thought ran every half hour hasn’t done so for the last year!

The added bonus with planning your route is that you won’t be late. Tardiness is a big no no in an industry where time is quite literally money. If you show up late for your audition or casting call, you likely won’t get a second chance. So plan that route!

Wear the right clothes

Some casting directors will give specific instructions on what to wear to an audition or casting call. Any requests like this will usually be something simple like a black t-shirt and jeans. If there are no clothing requirements listed in the brief, then we recommend that you keep it simple.

Always wear plain clothing with no large logos, patterns or stripes. Choose muted colours and make sure that you keep accessories to a minimum. Oh, and don’t wear anything that is too revealing. Remember, this is about your skills and perhaps your physical look, so we want the casting director’s full attention on you and not your clothing or accessories.

In the audition/casting call

So you’ve followed all of our audition preparation tips, but what happens when it’s just you and the casting director?

Say hello

Don’t be shy. When you walk in the door, introduce yourself, but don’t ask any questions like ‘how are you?’ Don’t offer to shake hands or greet everyone in turn. Once is enough for everyone in the room.

Speak clearly

You may be asked to hand over a resume or to state your name, agency, and a few other details for their records. Remember to speak clearly so that you’re not asked to repeat yourself.

Don’t look the casting director in the eye

Okay, this isn’t some curse right out of Greek mythology. You won’t turn into stone if you look the casting director in the eye and when saying hi, it’s polite to do so, right? But when you are performing your lines or monologue, don’t be tempted to look directly at the casting director unless specifically asked to do so.

Own your mistakes

Yep, mistakes will happen so don’t stress about it too much. If it’s a minor hiccup, then it should be okay for you to plough straight through. However, if it’s a major mishap, then take a breath and ask can you start over. There’s no need to apologise as there is no shame in making a mistake especially if you ace it the second time around. But starting over once is enough. Any more than that and you will look woefully unprepared.

If you’re an aspiring actor or model that is looking for more casting calls and auditioning opportunities then perhaps you need the right representation. Get in touch with us today or apply to join Hunter Talent. Either way, we’ll have a chat with you about your ambitions for your career.

The fitness industry is worth billions upon billions of dollars each and every year. Just the gym industry alone is worth over $100 billion and much of that revenue is generated thanks to the power of the fitness influencer. And with so much money to make, it should come as no surprise that fitness is one of the most valuable niches in influencer marketing.

But that also means that it’s one of the most competitive. With fitness influencers seemingly everywhere, you’ll need to ask yourself two big questions before you decide if influencer marketing in the fitness industry is the right choice for you.

Do you really want this?

And we mean really want this. Because let’s face facts, becoming a fitness influencer will take a lot of hard work and determination as it’s quite possibly one of the most competitive niches out there. There will be times when you feel like you’re creating content for no one but yourself. After all, you’ll need time to build a decent following on whatever platform you decide to focus on.

So before you start out, ask yourself if you really want this. If your answer is anything other than a resounding yes, then perhaps this is not the niche for you.

Do you have the fitness expertise?

You don’t need to be a qualified fitness instructor to become an influencer, but you will certainly need a certain level of both experience and expertise. You could be a part time football coach that has been training your local team for years or you could be someone who runs marathons for fun. You could even simply be someone who was once overweight but managed to get into great shape through your own methods.

It doesn’t matter what it is exactly, but there needs to be some aspect of you as a person that will make people want to listen to you and ultimately trust what you have to say on fitness.

Now if you’ve answered yes to those two questions, it’s time to take a look at how to be a successful fitness influencer.

Choose your fitness niche

If you have read any of our other guides on becoming an influencer, you may have noticed one of the first things we always recommend is to find your niche. Now you may think that by choosing fitness you have already found your niche, but if you know the world of fitness, then you’ll know that the competition is really stiff. But if you want to know how to be a successful influencer, you only need to take a look at the top two fitness influencers on the planet right now.

The likes of Chloe Ting (23.4 million YouTube subscribers) and Demi Bagby (14.3 million TikTok followers) have shown that having a unique approach to fitness is what gets you the massive audiences. In Chloe’s case, it’s her short challenges that help people to get in shape and lose weight while Demi’s approach is extreme workout videos that build muscle.

In both cases, these fitness influencers focused on one aspect of the fitness industry (losing weight and building muscle) and created unique content that appealed to their target audience. So pick a niche that you have some experience in and stick to it.

Be personal

Nothing works better in the world of fitness than a story of personal progress. People want to hear that you were just like them at some point in your life. That you couldn’t stretch or you couldn’t lift the sofa when moving house. That you were overweight or that you couldn’t run up a flight of stairs. They want to know that the process you are pushing in your content actually works and that you are living proof of it.

But yes, we know that not everyone has a story exactly like that so it’s a good thing that’s not the only way you can reach your audience. Think about what makes you, you. Are you a vegan bodybuilder? Do you play the guitar to wind down after your workout sessions? Hey, it might work for some folks. Or perhaps your pet always likes to get involved when you’re working out. There are always certain aspects of your personal life that you can integrate into your social media content that will make you both unique and relatable. And that is what will make you memorable.

Be consistent

Yep, we’ve said before and we’ll say it again, consistency is everything in the world of social media influencer marketing. Following a set routine or format with your content creation means that your audience will know what to expect with each of your videos. It’s this sense of familiarity that builds trust. And in case you didn’t realise it until now, trust is what will make your followers pick up their credit cards and sign up for that gym membership you’re promoting or buy that jump rope you’re selling.

 

Focus on engagement

Too many people that start out in the influencer industry focus too heavily on follower counts. But while the 23.4 million followers Chloe Ting has is impressive, what really matters to the brands that want to work with her is not just the follower count but the engagement on her videos. They want to see that your audience cares about what you are saying and reacts to it in a positive way.

This is why it’s more important to focus on getting your followers to engage with you and your content. This can be done through encouraging comments or asking followers to let you know their progress. You can even try AMA (ask me anything) sessions that are a surefire way to encourage engagement. Just remember that engagement is a two-way street. You’ll need to respond to as many questions and comments as you can in the beginning. Hopefully, soon enough you’ll have too many comments to respond to!

If becoming a fitness influencer is your goal or if you’ve already built a loyal following, then we’d like to hear from you. Here at Hunter Talent, we help influencers connect with the right fitness brands and companies that ‘fit’ their image. Get in touch today or fill out our application form and let’s see what we can do to help you.

In case you haven’t noticed social media influencers are a big thing right now. The global influencer industry is now worth an estimated $20 billion and it’s just getting bigger and bigger every single day. But did you know that social media influencers aren’t all about the followers? It’s a common misconception that only influencers with huge followings can make the big bucks or any money at all for that matter. But the truth is that there is a burgeoning niche within the industry that big brands are starting to take notice of, and that is the domain of the micro influencer.

What is a micro influencer

As you may have already guessed, a micro influencer is a person who may not have a huge following on social media. But that doesn’t mean that your average Instagram user with 100 followers could leverage their following and become one. So how many followers does a micro influencer have? Generally speaking, a micro influencer will have a following of somewhere in the region of 1,000 to 100,000 followers.

This might sound like small potatoes in the world of social media where there are 15-year-olds with millions of followers, but what makes a micro influencer different is that they often have an extremely loyal and highly targeted follower base. They’ve worked hard to cultivate their audience and are now in a position where the vast majority of their followers trust them and even look to them for recommendations, tips, and guidance.

A micro influencer will also usually specialise in one specific niche. In fact, many will even hyper-focus on one segment within a niche such as baking within the food niche.

Why are big brands and companies interested in micro influencers?

It’s all about trust and targeting. In marketing, these are the two biggest drivers of conversions or, to put it in simple terms, turning viewers into customers. While there is still a market for major influencers with sizable followings to promote all kinds of products and services, brands are starting to realise that getting those same products in front of an audience that is hyper-targeted provides the biggest return on investment.

For example, a hardware company that makes tools that are specifically designed for car repair will have more joy working with a micro influencer who specialises in car maintenance than a catch-all DIY influencer. This is because the micro influencer has a much more targeted audience who have already expressed an interest in car maintenance. Add to that the fact that the audience trusts the micro influencer and it’s a marketer’s dream.

What are the benefits of micro influencers?

So that sense of trust that a micro influencer instils in their targeted audience is possibly the greatest benefit, but what are the others?

Lower costs

As the number of followers goes up so too does the figure that goes on the invoice. Social media influencers with significant followings can demand top dollar for even the mere mention of a brand in their content. This means that over the course of a campaign that may use multiple channels of promotion, costs can shoot up in the blink of an eye. This can be especially frustrating for a company when very few people in the audience actually go out and buy the product that is being promoted.

Micro influencers, on the other hand, are less expensive overall. Now that’s not to say that micro influencers are cheap. They will know their value to a brand and charge accordingly, but with a much higher rate of customer conversions, they will certainly provide a greater return on investment for brands.

Authenticity

In a world where audiences judge practically everything based on its authenticity, the micro influencer reigns supreme. As we mentioned earlier, a micro influencer will often have an extremely focused niche and they will only promote brands or products that are relevant to that niche. This level of authenticity is what instils trust in their audience and, as you know by now, trust leads to sales.

Think about it this way. We’re sure you’ve seen an influencer online bring out some random product that you would in no way have associated with their image and then promote the hell out of it. This type of endorsement may sell some products, but not in the same way that an authentic recommendation from an influencer with a genuine interest in the product would.

Can anyone be a micro influencer?

This is a loaded question because there are too many variables involved, so we can’t simply say that yes, anyone can be a micro influencer.

You’ll first need to be passionate about the niche you’re focusing on as your potential audience will have a deep interest and will expect the same from you. In some cases, a level of expertise might help, although this is not an essential requirement.

But perhaps the most important piece of the micro influencer puzzle is dedication. As with anyone who wants to become a social media influencer, you’ll need to be consistent in your content creation. With such a small following, that may be tough at first as you may feel like you’re talking to yourself. The upside here though is that once you build your following, you’ll find that they are eager to engage with you and your content as a result of your shared, and very niche interests.

If you have that passion and are prepared to dedicate your time and energy to your content, then yes, you can become a micro influencer. Just remember that if becoming a social media influencer is a marathon, then becoming a micro influencer is crossing the ocean in a kayak. On your own. It will be tough, but once you get going and build that audience, your followers will support you all the way.

If you’re thinking about becoming a micro influencer or you’ve already built a targeted following in a niche you feel passionate about, then we’d love to talk to you. At Hunter Talent, we help social media influencers connect with the right brands to suit their image, and yup, we can do the same for you. So get in touch or apply to join us, either way we’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Whether you’re an influencer in the making or an actor or model that promotes yourself on social media, it’s always important to stay on top of the latest social media trends. But aside from reading super-informative articles like this one, how else can you keep up with current trends?

Before we get to that, let’s first take a look at a few social media trends to pay close attention to in 2022.

TikTok continues to grow

It may have escaped your notice that TikTok is kind of a big deal right now. According to the latest stats which were released in September of 2021, TikTok now has an incredible 1 billion active monthly users. By all accounts, that number is growing on a daily basis and while we don’t have official stats from the other major platforms, TikTok is quite possibly the biggest social media platform on the planet.

This makes it a hugely important channel for influencers as it looks to take over from Instagram as the virtual spiritual home of influencer marketing.

Just to drive that point home further here are a few stats:

• 90% of global users login every single day
• 69% of US teens are on TikTok
• TikTok users across the globe spend an average of 89 minutes per day using the app

And we don’t even have any stats for 2022 yet! What we’re saying here is that the platform is huge so best to keep an eye on the latest TikTok trends.

 

Short form videos are back in vogue

Despite the fact that TikTok extended its limitation on videos to ten minutes, short form videos are proving to be the most popular and most consumed videos across all social media. Now, this makes sense as they’re easy to watch on Instagram and TikTok feeds. Meanwhile, recent studies have shown that viewers are more likely to watch a video to the end if it’s a minute or less in length.

This is significant for both brands using social media to sell and influencers. After all, they need viewers to get to that all-important call-to-action that is usually found at the end of a video. Unsurprisingly, this means that short form video content is growing increasingly popular. And yes, TikTok no doubt has a lot to do with that.

Filters take a back seat

Remember when #nofilter was a thing? Well, brands and influencers crunched the numbers and it turns out that trends such as this that reflect authenticity have a hugely positive impact on conversion rates. As many as 45% of consumers say that authenticity is the most important factor in a brand’s online presence while 54% say they’ll unfollow a brand or influencer if they feel their content is irrelevant or unrelatable.

What this means is that brands and influencers alike are moving away from being aesthetically pleasing and pushing for more authenticity in their content. Real life is what people relate to especially on social media and so we’re seeing more authentic content, warts and all—figuratively speaking of course!

How to keep up with social media trends

So now that we know what some of the biggest are right now, let’s take a look at how to keep up with social media trends.

Use and track hashtags

Hashtags are used to attract viewers to your content, right? But they can also be used to learn more about what is trending right now. You can easily do this on Twitter by saving your searches for specific hashtags or you can use Twitter’s Tweetdeck which allows you to have multiple feeds on one screen. This is great when using a desktop pc as you can see everything based on those all-important hashtags.

Take care not to use hashtags that are too general or you’ll need to sift through a lot of content. Instead try using terms such as #socialmediamarketing or #socialmediatrends.

Follow influencers

And by influencers we mean influencers who specialise in social media marketing. The beauty of social media is that it’s where all the social media marketers hang out and it’s where they share their latest tips and advice. So pick a few that are on top of their game and who like to share their methods on a regular basis.

And don’t limit yourself to one platform. You may find that the best influencers to follow are more active on platforms that you don’t usually use such as LinkedIn or even Facebook (yes, people do still use it!)

Join groups

Wow, such a 2010s thing to do, right? Seriously though, groups on platforms such as Linkedin and Facebook (those two again!) can be great places not just to follow trends but to also ask for advice. Look for niche groups that are solely dedicated to your areas of interest which is pretty much anything related to social media marketing and trends.

Set up an IFTTT

IFTTT (If this, then that) is a pretty nifty service that links apps and services that you may already use for tracking social media trends and sizing up content ideas. Basically, it allows you to tell IFTTT to perform an action such as saving a social media post with a specific hashtag to a google spreadsheet.

It may take a little time to set up, but if you are struggling to consolidate your social media trends into one place, then this might be just the ticket.

Aside from paying attention to other people in your niche and what they are doing, that’s all we can recommend for now. Once you get the hang of tracking these trends you’ll not only find that it will become a part of your everyday ritual but that it can help guide your content creation efforts.

If you’re a social media influencer who would like to take your game to the next level, perhaps it’s time we had a chat. Here at Hunter Talent, our network of industry contacts means that we can introduce you to the right brands. So if this sounds like something you’re interested in, go ahead and get in touch or apply to join Hunter.

Fads come and fads go especially in the world of social media where the market is notoriously fickle. Anyone remember Vine or Yik Yak? Well, whatever you might say about those failed social media platforms you certainly cannot say about the newest kid on the block TikTok.

Since it first launched in 2018, TikTok has grown at an astronomical rate and now boasts over 1 billion active monthly users. Everyone who’s anyone is now on the platform with celebs making the most of the free publicity the platform offers. But strangely enough, the most famous people on TikTok are mostly ordinary folks that weren’t even famous until they found themselves on the platform. People who, through cleverly crafted content, have carved a niche for themselves and now have flourishing careers as influencers.

With many of these influencers having followings that number in the millions, it should come as no surprise that brands will pay good money to get their products in their videos. They might pay anywhere from $200 right up to $20k for a branded video with the right influencer.

Right about now you’re probably wondering how to become an influencer on TikTok because $25k per video sounds pretty sweet, right? We’ll stop you right there because the TikTok influencers that make the big bucks are the ones who have massive followings. But they all started somewhere and what’s to say you can follow in their footsteps?

So with your potential success in mind, we’ve gone ahead and created a simple series of steps to follow if you want to become a TikTok influencer and make some money while you’re at it. We can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to quit your day job, but these steps will certainly help put you on the right path.

But before we get to those steps, let’s look at the basics.

What is TikTok?

TikTok is a video-based social networking platform that allows users to create and share short videos. These were originally 15-60 seconds in length, but TikTok then changed the length limit to 3 minutes before extending that to a whopping 10 minutes.

What is a TikTok influencer?

A TikTok influencer is a content creator who shares viral videos and occasionally gets paid to promote brands during these videos. They are pretty much the same as Instagram influencers, but with a slightly different audience and content format.

How to become a TikTok influencer?

Open the app and start shooting! Hmm, if only it were that simple.

To stand a good chance of becoming a TikTok influencer, you’ll need to follow these steps.

 

 

Pick a niche

It stands to reason that brands who want to hire an influencer will want one that is either in their industry or who has a following that includes a large percentage of the brand’s target market. This is why it makes sense to pick a niche or industry that you are interested in and focus your content creation on that. Many influencers will choose an area that they are already passionate about or that they may even be experts in. This makes it easier for their audience to see them as an authoritative figure which means that they will listen to what they have to say.

There is a metric tonne of niches that you can choose to specialise in, but like we said, it’s always easier to choose one that you are passionate about.

Here are some of the most popular niches for influencers:

• Beauty
• Travel
• Food
• Fitness
• Parenthood
• Fashion
• DIY
• Gaming
• Comedy

And that’s just scratching the surface. Dig deep into your passions and interests and see if there’s some angle you can work that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Choose the right TikTok account

Download the app (as if you don’t already have it!), and set up your account. There are three types of accounts—personal, business, and creator. You’ll want the creator account because that’s what you’ll be doing and you’ll get access to some tools and features that you may need in the future.

Create a unique profile

Everything about your account must reflect who you are as an influencer. This means that your name, profile picture, and that little bio are crucial. If you’re getting hung up on the bio, take a look at some of the other influencers in your niche for a little inspiration. But never copy what someone else is doing. Remember, you’ll need to be unique to be remembered.

Do some homework

This means getting to know your target audience and learning what makes them tick. This is where you’ll need to do a little competitor analysis to see how the successful influencers in your niche are making their mark. Watch videos, particularly the popular ones, take notes, read comments, and just take it all in. Spend enough time on this and you’ll soon come up with plenty of ideas for content of your own and unique angles that will make your content appeal to the masses.

Create a plan

As much as we’d like to tell you that TikTok influencers just wake up in the morning and shoot whatever springs to mind, that’s not how it’s done. These people are professionals and just like a magazine will have an editorial calendar, they will have a content calendar. This means that you need one too.

This is a crucial step in the process as it will encourage you to remain consistent in your content production. People that start following you want to know what to expect and when to expect it. So make a plan and stick to it, even if it’s only posting one video a week to start out. Remember, the key is to be consistent. You can always ramp things up as you become more comfortable with your content creation.

Start creating content

At long last, it’s time to hit record and start producing that content. You may want to try a few different approaches at first to see what gets the most engagement and that’s okay. But once you settle on a format or theme for your content, that’s when the consistency we spoke of earlier needs to kick in.

While consistency is key, it’s not a bad idea to intersperse your content with some personal videos that show another side to your persona. This really does depend on how you already present yourself in your content as some influencers integrate their personal lives into their content all the time.

Oh, and don’t forget to use hashtags on your videos to increase visibility.

Engage with your audience

This is content creation 101 for any platform that allows engagement. You simply have to answer your followers when they ask you questions about your content. This gives you an air of approachability and builds trust with your audience. Two things that will come in very handy once you start promoting a brand’s products and services.

Promote your videos

Most influencers will have more than one social media account and they will use their accounts on other platforms to promote their TikTok videos. This can work well if you already have a following on Instagram or if you have a blog, a Twitter account, or even a Facebook page.

Build your following

Before you can even think about making any money, you’ll need to build a solid following. Let’s face it, no brand will want to pay for a video on an account with 87 followers. Remember this is a marathon and not a sprint so you’ll need to be patient and get that follower count up above the 10k mark. You’ll also need to have a minimum of 10k video views in the last 30 days. Those figures are the bare minimum and no matter how long it takes, you’ll need to hit them before taking the next step.

Sign up with an agency

Once you hit that double 10k target, you may want to enlist the help of an influencer agency. The reason we suggest this (aside from the fact that influencer management is exactly what we do) is because an agency will already have industry contacts. This will save you a lot of time and effort and will also ensure that the right people know that you exist and that you can help them reach your audience. An agency will also be able to give you a bit of guidance and perhaps even share a few TikTok tips and tricks to help you grow your following or bring in more viewers to your content.

As we said earlier, these steps won’t automatically make you a successful TikTok influencer, but you certainly won’t become one without following them. Once you’ve made your mark, just remember who it was that set you on the right track and give us a shout out to your millions of followers!

If you’ve already made it to that magic 10k and you’d like to leverage our network of industry contacts to up your game, then the team at Hunter Talent would love to hear from you. Get in touch today or you can go right ahead and apply to join the agency.

Becoming a model isn’t quite as straightforward as you might think and that’s not just because the industry is a tough nut to crack.

It’s a career that takes a lot of hard work, determination, and no small amount of skill. And while most would-be models have a rough idea of what kind of work is involved, many are still surprised at just how many different types of modelling there are.

From catwalk through to swimsuit, there’s a huge variety of niches within modelling that require different characteristics and skills. Believe it or not, some of the most successful models in the industry are those who specialise in one or two of those niches.

But choosing a niche can be tough, particularly for first-time models. While some may think they are best suited to one specific type of modelling, when they actually do the work they may find they’re not suited to it at all. That’s why many of the top modelling agencies in Australia often recommend that a would-be model takes some time to fully understand the industry before settling on the type of modelling work they would like to do. In fact, that’s precisely what we do here at Hunter as part of our modelling management service.

With this in mind, we’ve decided to take a look at the top three types of modelling in the industry right now.

Fashion Modelling (Editorial)

Editorial fashion modelling is the kind of modelling that might see you working with the top clothes designers and appear in high fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, GQ, or Allure. As you can imagine, this is the type of modelling that gets the most visibility due to the fact that it’s often how top brands such as Gucci, Prada, and Armani will market their products.

Editorial fashion modelling is not to be confused with catwalk modelling although the same models often work in both niches. Editorial fashion modelling is purely photographic and requires a model to be either on location or in a studio for a shoot.

Assignments can be as short as a few hours in a studio or several days on location. Of course, this all depends on the client so editorial models need to be flexible with regards to travel and their work schedule.

Typically, these models will be on the taller side and, we hate to say it, slimmer than average. The modelling industry has improved a bit in recent years especially with regards to diversity, but there are still some occasions where tall and slim are what the client wants. Thankfully, we’re seeing more brands and photographers embrace a more natural body type in their fashion editorials, but unfortunately, these are the exception to the rule.

While we’re not by any stretch of the imagination suggesting that a shorter male or female model should not try their hand at this type of modelling, opportunities will be more limited. Still, if it’s what you want to do, then you should absolutely give it a shot.

Runway/Catwalk Modelling

If you dreamed of being a model as a child, then this is probably the type of modelling that you had in mind. Strutting your stuff down the catwalk in the latest outfits designed by the world’s leading fashion houses. Sounds marvellous, right? It is, but it is also extremely hard work.

Runway modelling can require a lot of travel and long hours. It’s not just about the actual show but also about rehearsals and the fast-paced environment backstage. You’ll need a thick skin to work at this type of modelling as constructive criticisms will fly at you from all angles especially when the show is underway and everyone backstage is feeling stressed.

That said, runway modelling can be an extremely rewarding career and a wonderful opportunity to network with the most influential people in the industry.

Much like editorial fashion models, runway models are usually a certain height, weight, and size. This is because most designers or fashion houses tend to supply clothes for shows in specific sizes which makes it easier to manage overall. Generally speaking, this means that tall and slim models will often get the most opportunities to work in this niche. However, shorter and plus-sized models can carve out successful careers on the runway.

Commercial Modelling

This is probably our favourite type of modelling and one that modelling agencies in Australia will get the most briefs for. Commercial modelling is simply modelling for advertisements. This could be for any kind of product at all from clothing right through to cars. To put it simply, anyone that you see in an ad for a product or service is a commercial model.

Now, one of the things that we love the most about this type of modelling is that there are no rules. What we mean by that is that it doesn’t matter how tall you are, what your clothing size is, or even how old you are—you can be a commercial model. This is because advertising companies and brands want to have all kinds of people represented throughout their campaigns.

This is why the vast majority of models who start out in the industry tend to try their hand at commercial modelling first. There are more opportunities, and the requirements for assignments are often a little more flexible than the other two categories we mentioned.

Commercial models will appear in catalogues and magazines, and sometimes even TV commercials too if they’re prepared to do a bit of live acting. They may even be lucky enough to see themselves on a billboard as part of a nationwide ad campaign. The work still demands a certain level of professionalism and dedication, but for the most part, commercial models will work in a studio for no more than a day for a single assignment.

Of course, you don’t have to focus on any of the three types of modelling mentioned above, but they are the niches where there seems to be the most opportunities right now. Other types of modelling include swimsuit modelling, fitness  modelling, and parts modelling among many more. Once you have signed with your modelling agency and worked on a few assignments, they should be able to give you a little guidance on what type of modelling best suits you. Just remember that whatever type of modelling you choose, it really should be something that you enjoy doing. After all, if everything works out, you could be doing it for a very long time.

If you’re interested in becoming a model but aren’t quite sure what type of modelling best suits you, don’t stress over it too much; Get in touch with us today or apply to join Hunter Talent and we can help you find your niche.