One important thing to keep in mind while asking yourself how to get a job and what you could do to really go that extra mile to get the job of your dreams has to do with networking and personal branding. Today, with thousands of applications constantly popping up on the screens of employers, you really want to be able to stand out. Of course, building a strong resume is critical. The professional image that you create and display on your social media accounts, however, and especially those that are used for professional purposes, such as LinkedIn, is something that is often overlooked but could potentially be just as important.

This is something that you could use to your advantage; use your social media to build and create a personal brand for yourself. In other words, brand yourself. The first thing that recruiters or an individual who you are trying to network with will look at when visiting any of your social media accounts is your profile picture.

This is where you really want to give the best and most confident image of yourself possible. In essence, you want to promote yourself, and a picture is worth a thousand words. Here at Brio Five, we will help to make sure that you are promoting yourself in the most successful way, through empowering personal branding photography.

The images that you will acquire from a personal branding photoshoot here at Briofive could truly boost your image to employers and professionals that you potentially want to network with. Through one single photo, you are able to show another professional who you, yourself, truly are, and you want to make sure that that is the best version of you that there possibly is.

By and large, how to get a job is a particularly tricky question to answer, simply because it is something that truly depends on a good number of things. There are, however, certain things that job-seekers can do that will most definitely help them to enhance their job search. These include first and foremost being clear on what you want, organizing yourself, personal branding, networking, setting realistic daily goals, researching target companies, perfecting and tailoring your resume to each job that you apply to, preparing for your job interviews, following up to hiring managers, and last but not least, not getting discouraged. Below we have gone over each of these tips in more depth, and explain why each one of them is important when thinking about how to get a job.

How to Get Job Tip One: Be Clear on What You Want

One of the most important things that you have to think about when you ask yourself how to get a job, is being clear on what exactly it is that you want. It is easy to get carried away from your main focus or goal when applying to numerous jobs every day. It is completely understandable to be applying to a number of different jobs, that may not even be directly relatable to each other. What is important to remember, however, is what you are wishing to get out of your potential job aside from money of course, and what it is exactly that you feel you have to offer. Knowing what exactly it is that you want could really help to organize yourself and your job search.

How to Get Job Tip Two: Organize Yourself

When looking for a job, it is very important to have a clear and organized approach towards your job search and your application process. Take a moment and develop a system, before you start applying for jobs and interviewing with employers, that you feel will work the best for you and will help you organize your job search to the best of its potential. For example, some job seekers may want to create a daily to-do list or even an Excel spreadsheet that will help them to keep a track of their interviews, networks, professional events that they have or want to attend, and of course, the jobs that they are applying for.

How to Get Job Tip Three: Personal Branding

Your image and reputation are key in the professional world, and especially when looking at how to get a job. Using personal branding during your job search is fundamental and really means going that extra mile. Through effective personal branding, you are able to control the way that the public views and perceives you as a professional; you are basically promoting yourself.

It does not necessarily mean that you have to be a social media influencer; it has to do with promoting and solidly establishing what it is that you stand for, and that is exactly what recruiters are looking for—someone who stands out from the crowd. In our current modern times, technological advancements have made it especially easy for us to apply to jobs online. This means that competition for job seekers is higher than ever. Someone may have all of the necessary qualifications, however, may still not hear back from a certain job that he or she applied to. Your resume and cover letter are important; however, through personal branding, you are able to truly make yourself stand out.

Another advantage to effective personal branding has to do with networking. Networking in the professional world, and especially today, is critical. Personal branding will by far enhance your networking search. A professional is more likely to respond or reach out to another professional who seems to have a stronger personal brand of his or herself online. Most importantly, effective personal branding will make you more attractive to hiring managers. Remember, your resume and cover letters are critical; however, hiring managers also seek to see any complementary online content that you may have, and you want to make sure that it is the best of the best possible!

How to Get Job Tip Four: Network

An essential component of a successful job hunting has a lot to do with effective networking. Networking is crucial when it comes to job seeking, and especially in our modern highly technological era, which has boosted the competition for job seekers tremendously. It has been shown that networking, both online and in person, has resulted in a higher number of job opportunities to a vast majority of individuals who are seeking for jobs. It is not surprising to say that research has shown that 70 percent of people end up getting their current jobs thanks to networking. Some experts actually even claim this number to be even higher, at 80 or even at 85 percent. This statistic is tremendous, and really highlights the significance of networking and the nature of job seeking in our current era.

Having a strong and large network of contacts is essential in really enhancing your job search and the possibility of you being hired. For a great majority of job seekers, a strong network of contacts really results in greater job opportunities. Hiring managers are typically more likely to hire someone who has been referred to them, or someone who they have had a conversation with via networking, rather than an individual who they know nothing about except for their cover letter and resume.

Here at Briofive, we will help you to create the strongest personal brand for you, that will not only increase your chances of getting employed but will most importantly boost your confidence overall and especially when it comes to networking. When you feel more confident about your appearance and image on your professional social media platforms, you are more likely to reach out to contacts and feel more strongly about yourself and what you have to offer.

Networking is extremely important, so do not be afraid to reach out to recruiters, hiring managers, or employees working in the industry or even specific company that it is you are applying to. You are more likely to get an interview with a company when the hiring manager has heard a word or two about you in advance, versus an individual from the stacks of resumes that they have to go through.

If you really want to advance your career and create strong professional opportunities for yourself, then it is really a great idea to spend time building a personal brand for yourself and to network with individuals as much as you possibly can.

How to Get Job Tip Five: Set Realistic Daily Goals

Setting realistic goals is critical when looking and planning for a job. Of course, it is important for all of us to dream big and to not get discouraged; however, in order to achieve our greater goals and ambitions, it is important to create daily realistic goals that will fundamentally help us reach our greater ones in the long-run. If you set realistic daily goals, you are more likely to achieve your overall greater goals. This is really because you are creating a day-to-day mindset which helps you stay focused and on track. Some people may choose to set their daily goals through a daily to-do-list for example. This is a great idea because it creates more tangible goals that you know you will be able to potentially achieve daily.

How to Get Job Tip Six: Research Your Target Companies

Researching your target companies both before applying and before an interview is extremely important and very necessary. Hiring managers want to see that job-seekers have gone that extra mile to really learn about the company that they are being interviewed for. Thus, hiring managers will naturally be more likely to hire an individual who genuinely seems more knowledgable and passionate about the company versus someone who seems to not know as much about it. Researching your target companies in advance is also important because hiring managers will typically ask questions such as “why do you want to work for us.” The more details you show to know about the company, the more likely the hiring manager is to have a positive response to your interview.  

How to Get Job Tip Seven: Perfect and Tailor your Resume to Each Job

Most job seekers tend to create one resume that they send out to all of the companies that they are applying to. It is important, however, to tailor and perfect your resume to each of the jobs that you are applying to. This will make your resume more relatable to specific companies and is, in fact, more likely to get you to the next round, whether that is an interview or something that you must complete prior to a potential interview.

Proofreading your resume is not enough. You want to really make sure that all of the details that you are providing are relatable to the company that you are applying to.

How to Get Job Tip Eight: Prepare for Your Job Interviews

Preparing for a job interview is critical. Preparation includes researching your target companies and the companies that you are going to be interviewed for. As mentioned previously, hiring managers will naturally be more likely to hire an individual who genuinely seems more knowledgable and passionate about the company versus someone who seems to not know as much about it. Researching your target companies in advance is important because it will help you create the best answers to questions that hiring managers are most likely to ask, such as, “why do you want to work for us.” The more you show to know about the company, the more likely you are to receive a positive response from your hiring manager, and thus, the more likely you will be to get the job that you are being interviewed for.

How to Get Job Tip Nine: Follow up to Hiring Managers

Following up with your hiring managers is extremely important. Studies have shown that not sending a thank you note to a hiring manager following an interview shows a lack of follow-through by 86 percent. Following up really shows promptness, good manners, and most importantly, good character. Wouldn’t you want your hiring to have the best image of you possible? This is a critical reason as to why follow-ups are so important.

How to Get Job Tip Ten: Don’t Get Discouraged

Lastly and most importantly, do not get discouraged. The application process is not always something quick and easy; it takes effort and time. Just because you may have gotten rejected or not heard back from a certain company that you applied to, does not mean that you will not get a good job sooner or later. The trick is to be confident and never let anything stop you from applying.

If you want to build your confidence and really create a powerful image for yourself online, schedule a call with us today and let us tell you all about empowerment.

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Personal Branding

Your image and reputation are fundamental in branding. Through effective personal branding, you are able to control the way that the public views and perceives your brand; therefore, this is an essential step in the process of promoting your brand.

As mentioned by Forbes Magazine, personal branding is the difference between “Who are you? And “Thank you for being here” in your career. It  does not necessarily mean that you have to be a social media influencer; it has to do with promoting and solidly establishing what it is that you stand for.

You may for example be offering something of legitimate value and significance; however without powerful personal branding, what you are potentially providing will not make its way to the appropriate target audience for your brand.

It is as a famous proverb by Mae West says, “it’s not what you say, but how you say it.” The way that you are promoting something is more important than what you are actually promoting itself. A picture is worth a thousand words, and what better way to promote yourself and your personal brand than through a photo itself?

Here at Brio Five, we will help develop your brand strategy and promote your brand in the most successful and effective way: through empowering personal branding photography.

Personal Branding Defined

Personal branding is all about the way that you promote your brand. Specifically, it is the practice of someone marketing him/herself and his/her career as a brand.

It has to do with not only establishing the impression and established image that you or your brand has in the minds of the public, but it also has to do with the way that you continue to express your brand identity.

Here at Brio Five, we believe that it is not about how you look, but about how you feel on the inside. The way you feel on the inside will express itself through a photo and will instantaneously reflect onto the image of your personal brand.

Why is personal branding important?

The base and success of personal branding has to do with inspiring others; what powerful brands do is build relationships and inspire followers. Inspiration occurs when your already existing or potential followers, are able to experience the value of the message that you are defining.

Inspiration is important because it creates positive feelings towards your brand and drives others to follow and trust you. You could be branding yourself, a good, or even a service; whatever it is that you choose to brand, effective personal branding will grant you numerous advantages.

Personal branding builds credibility, inputs trust, allows you to build significant connections and create brand awareness, grants your brand authenticity, and most importantly, personal branding boosts your confidence.

The success of your brand depends a great amount on the way that the public will perceive it. If your brand has a positive connotation to it, it will be more liked; this way, you will be more successful in promoting your brand and creating brand awareness.

5 Personal Branding Examples

1. Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama: writer, lawyer and Former First Lady of the United States. Michelle Obama dedicated her time to numerous causes during her tenure as the First Lady of the United States from the years of 2009 to 2017.

Causes that Michelle Obama fought for and supported included conservation, children, cancer, the environment, education, creative arts, homelessness, health, human rights, literacy, peace, hunger, philanthropy, miscellaneous, women, poverty, veteran and service member support and sports.

The causes and charity work that she continuously dedicated and committed herself to allowed her to show the citizens of the United States, as well as the world, that she was someone who genuinely cared about humanity. She developed her brand in such a way that she was able to show that she stood true to important human values and beliefs.

This way, Michelle Obama managed to connect with people who featured a very diverse variety of backgrounds, allowing her to build an especially strong fan base. She is someone who  branded herself as a woman who truly wants the best for everyone and has become a role model for a very large number people.

2. Jay Shetty

Jay Shetty is a Indian-English motivational speaker and lifestyle vlogger. Jay Shetty was a monk, who in his early career, worked as a digital strategist at a Accenture, a global consulting firm. Today he is a storyteller, filmmaker and host, who has over three million followers.

He launched his Facebook channel in 2016; today he has gained over almost 2 million subscribers on Youtube alone, and has accumulated over onebillion views on his viral wisdom videos. He has partnered and been recognized by distinguished companies, such as National Geographic, Huffpost, Facebook, Snapchat, Forbes, Daily Mail, Vogue, BBC, Yahoo and Entrepreneur, amongst others.

Additionally, Jay Shetty has connected and conducted interviews with Tim Ferris, Deepak Chopra and Russell Simmons. He has been recognized on “Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2017 Europe” for being a “game changer” in media.

The list goes on; but how did he do this? Through personal branding, of course. Jay Shetty was able to effectively create an empowering image of himself and his personal brand. The videos that Jay Shetty creates make sure to keep viewers engaged, and most importantly, to inspire.

The way that Jay Shetty performs and the passion that he exerts in the videos that he creates and posts on social media are extremely empowering. This sense of empowerment that he expresses through his videos have allowed him to create a brand image so strong, that he has currently become an internationally acknowledged speaker and host, with videos with over billions of views to say the least.

3. Oprah Winfrey

Legendary Oprah Winfrey, is an American film actress, media executive, philanthropist, talk-show host and television producer. She is universally best known for hosting her talk show, known as “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which aired 25 seasons from the years of 1986 to 2011 and proudly made her the first black female host of a nationally syndicated daily talk show.

Following this internationally popular talk show, Oprah Winfrey was able to launch her very own television network, known as Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

The way that Oprah was able to portray herself on her talk show and the way that she very powerfully interacted with her audience was extremely inspiring. She made her brand meaningful and stood especially strong on “speaking her truth,” something that she herself claims, is “the most powerful tool we all have.”

Oprah is known to have openly discussed her childhood traumas. Through this, she emphasized the importance of genuinity within your personal brand. Being authentic, honest and true are important when trying to portray and maintain a positive image towards your target audience. That is because in our world today, especially, people like transparency.

On a separate note, it is important to acknowledge that Oprah is known to have resisted calling herself a brand. Oprah insisted that she was a person and did not want her brand name to make her lose the connection that she was developing with fellow humans.

This is where you have to establish what you want: are you more interested in promoting yourself, or are you more interested in promoting the good or services that you are providing through your brand?

By personally branding herself, Oprah was able to connect and build a sense of trust with her audience, on an especially deep level, allowing her to truly show the world who she was and what it was the she was standing for.

This is the reason why a personal branding photoshoot could truly change your brand identity towards the best; because you are showing your audience who you, yourself, are.

Through personal branding and by establishing the above mentioned qualities within her brand, Oprah was able to become the extremely empowering, inspiring and accomplished women that she is today.

4. Logan Green

Logan Green is a co-founder and the current CEO of the Lyft transportation network company. Logan Green joined many who strongly stood up against Donald Trump’s immigration ban. This ban has revoked over 100,000 foreign visas and has strongly affected a number of individuals from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

Many spoke out against this decision, as it ignited great controversy. In January of 2017, Logan Green released a series of tweets concerning the travel ban.

Through his social media posts, Logan Green was able to show to stand true to the company’s beliefs, supporting the Lyft community by strongly withstanding the executive order as Lyft is known to have built a very diverse and conscientious community

Logan Green’s strong support for refugees and immigrants in the United States has not only helped him strengthen his personal brand and create a very genuine and empowering personal brand image, but it has also benefited the company tremendously. It is really all about how the public views you, and in this case, Lyft is definitely seen as “the good guy.”

5. Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg is known as the COO of Facebook. She has been working and making an impact at Facebook since March of 2008 and was elected as the first women board of director at the company in 2012.

In March of 2013, Sheryl Sandberg published her book with the name Lean In, in which she talks about the difficulties of being a working mother and the struggles she has has faced trying to balance the two together. Through her book, Sandberg was able to connect with other mothers who could resonate and who were facing similar troubles.

Sheryl Sandberg has built a strong reputation as a support of women within the workplace. The way that Sandberg has branded herself has given her the image of a strong advocate for women, this way also empowering Facebook and its brand identity as a whole.

6. Huda Kattan

The Dubai-based Huda Kattan is a makeup artist, beauty blogger, and entrepreneur, who founded her beauty empire—Huda Beauty cosmetics line—in 2013. Huda Kattan currently has over 32 million followers in instagram alone; over 3 million subscribers on YouTube; 6.4 million likes on her Huda Beauty Facebook page; and 156 K followers on Twitter.

Huda Kattan, however, had a very humble beginning in her career. The transparency that this incredibly successful beauty blogger created and her openness concerning the challenges she had to face in her everyday life, both current and growing up, were huge factors that pertained to her incredible fan base.

Huda Kattan started her business by first creating her blog and establishing her personal image. She eventually turned her blog into her current million dollar brand: a perfect example of how effective personal branding can lead to great success.

Final Thoughts

Personal branding allows you to connect with your audience in a way that forms a unique and genuine connection. This genuine connection is extremely empowering and it is what brings your brand’s identity to the very next level.

Here at Briofive, we want to help to show your audience who you you truly are, because it is not simply about how you look; it is really about how you feel on the inside.

Reflecting that is what brings out the truest form of authenticity, and authenticity and personal branding go hand-in-hand. That is exactly what we specifically specialize in here at Briofive: personal branding through authentic portraits. We want to make experts looks like experts, to evoke confidence and to impress influence.

Trust us to bring out the very best version of you with the simple click of a camera.

Book a Call with Los Angeles Professional Brand Photographer Sandy Grigsby.

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As social media is becoming more prominent in our lives, people are more and more able to gain the opportunity to empower themselves.

In our world today, anyone can have a public voice and some people have been able to grow powerful enough to the extent that they are able to monetize their online power, such as in the case of how to become and Instagram influencer.

Instagram is known to be one of the most prominent social media platforms today, and has given the chance to many to be “Instafamous.”

Once a person receives enough followers on Instagram and becomes “Instafamous,” they may be approached by several companies allowing them to advertise and influence their followers toward a particular brand or product.

Instafamous people who partake in this form of advertising and marketing are called “Instagram influencers.” There is a large number of people today, who spend hours of their everyday life trying to figure out how to become an Instagram influencer. Brands especially are spending a ton of money on influencer marketing.

As people have begun to realize how lucrative the business is, they have also begun trying to figure out how to become an Instagram influencer. Instagram influencers seem to have very fun lives, that are all play and no work, but very few people understand the difficulties of becoming an influencer.

When trying to figure out how to become an Instagram influencer, many people are missing the basic, fundamental formula in achieving the status. Becoming an influencer is not as easy as simply trying posting fun pictures every now and again, or simply looking beautiful (though this does help); instead, at the core of it, is becoming a person that people want to be.

Generally speaking, most people live a life of mediocrity. They wake up, go to work, come home, have a small period of fun and relaxation with their family, then rinse and repeat. People who seem to live amazing lives on Instagram allow others to live vicariously through these perverted lives.

If you want to know how to become an Instagram influencer, figuring out how to make people want to live vicariously through you is only 1 of the questions you must answer. Here’s a guide that will help you fill in the formula of how to become an Instagram influencer.

1. Find and Define Your Niche

When you start trying to get followers on Instagram, do not spread yourself too thin. Becoming a jack of all trades is hardly a means of how to become an Instagram influencer unless you are someone like Mike Boyd or an educator of sorts where large variations in posts still follow a general trend of learning.

Boyd, a famous YouTuber and Instagrammer posts about a great array of topics, including and not limited to swimming, Rubix cubes, rockets, and much much more. All of his posts have to do with learning something new, making his niche education.

If you are not aiming to form your niche in education, the variance of your posts must be much less and more specifically targeted towards your target audience. One step in how to become and Instagram influencer is that you should try to limit the amount of random/unrelated posts that may appear on your page.

Once you have found your niche, you will begin targeting like-minded individuals who have similar interests to you; therefore, receiving a flow of followers. For example, if you have an interest in sports, you should generally have posts about sports, and never post about going clubbing.

When people visit your page for sports, they will specifically want to see posts about sports. It is very important that you always keep your niche in mind when you are figuring out how to become an Instagram influencer.

2. Creating a Memorable and Relatable Bio

Unless you are a famous person, capable of bringing your natural fame onto Instagram, your bio is a very important factor. Your bio is basically the elevator pitch for your Instagram.

In just a short message, you need to tell any potential follower: Who you are and what your interests are, but in a way that will convince them that your Instagram is better than the next content creator.

Remember that becoming an Instagram influencer by definition requires two things: a brand that will channel themselves through you and followers for you to leverage your influence on.

When figuring out how to become an Instagram influencer, people often forget about the brand factor since it less immediately obvious. When creating your bio, make sure that your message is noteworthy and that it is able to catch the attention of many viewers. It is also important to remember that you need a bio that a brand would be willing to put their name on.

3. Share Your Stories

As previously stated, one of the big reasons people decide to follow the lives of others is because they want to be able to live vicariously through the events of their lives. 

They want to share in the joys that you indulge in and the easiest way for you to suffice that is by being as relatable as you can possibly be. You must also note that there are people who may be following you for entertainment purposes rather than for vicarious living.

One of the oldest forms of entertainment has been storytelling. During the stone ages, there were bards, who would memorize many tales to publicly tell people. As technology progressed, stories were told through books.

In the past century, stories began being told on a silver screen through movies. When the screen was able to enter people’s homes, stories were told through the television. Now that the screens are at the palm of our hands, there is another medium for people to tell stories.

Both creating and telling a story on your Instagram page will be able to kill two birds with one stone. First of all, your story will help you become less enigmatic and more relatable to your followers. Second of all, your story will provide people with entertainment, so that they will be brought back to your page because they will know that your Instagram is enjoyable.

Telling your story is a great way to engage with your followers and gain credibility, so you should also remember that you must stay genuine. Overall, the stories you tell on your Instagram are the most significant and key features for how to become an Instagram influencer.

4. Have Your Posts Be Consistent and Scheduled

When figuring out how to become an Instagram influencer, many people forget one crucial detail: timing. Instagram has an algorithm that actually rewards accounts that post regularly and consistently. This is because Instagram aims to get people to use the Instagram application consistently. If an account helps Instagram to achieve this, this Instagram will push this account higher up in the social newsfeed. 

If you are wondering how to become an Instagram influencer, you may also be wondering how much and when you should post. The important thing is staying consistent. You may choose to post once a day, or multiple times a day; however times a day you want to post, you simply have to make sure to keep your posting schedule a consistent pattern; because Instagram will reward consistency.

To become an Instagram influencer, it is important to take time out of your day and use tools that will help you curate your future content for the week. Curating your content has to do with planning out your future hashtags, writing your captions, and scheduling out what you will post and in what order. Doing so will help you to see an increase in both your followers and in post engagement.

This being said, to maintain and grow your following it is ideal that your posts are consistent within a given margin of time, because this gives your followers an incentive to visit your page for new posts.

5. Make Your Instagram Feed Aesthetically Appealing

Before Steve Jobs revolutionized the world, phones and electronics had often been sold in janky boxes or plastic containers. Originally, the first iPhone was supposed to also be put on the shelves in this same manner; however, Steve Jobs was infuriated that the mighty iPhone be relegated to such ugly packaging. 

Though it did not seem like the best business move, as it raised the cost of packaging, the iPhone was packaged in pristine packaging that allowed the product to be opened in a way that felt, to some extent, prestigious.

This added an extra sense of value to the iPhone to iPhone users, something that ultimately made it feel like their iPhone had more value than other cell phones did. Interestingly, you can use this example and relate it to your Instagram. Ultimately, if you are wondering how to become an Instagram influencer, you have to take certain steps that will help you achieve your goals. In the case of packaging, you want to symbolically package your Instagram in a pristine manner, in order to create a more valuable and significant image for yourself and for your brand. 

Brands do not want to associate themselves with an image that does not seem clean and crisp. One way that you can add to creating a clean and valuable image of yourself and of your brand is by ensuring a given theme. If the theme of your Instagram seems like patchwork, it will turn away both potential brands and potential followers. Creating an incredible aesthetic to your Instagram is a big part of how to become an Instagram influencer.

6. Choosing the Right Hashtags

Hashtags are a means for Instagram’s search engine to sort through things based on relevance.

You are allowed to include a maximum of 30 hashtags in total together with your post at a time. Implementing all 30 of the hashtags of your choosing  will optimally grant you the most publicity.

This is another huge factor that is often overlooked when people are figuring out how to become an Instagram influencer. The issue with hashtags is that you must find a balance for the right hashtag to use.

For example, you do not want to use a hashtag that typically receives a very small volume of searches.

Whatever hashtag you choose to use, everyone who searches that given hashtag will see your post; however, if you use a hashtag for a post, with a volume of 10, you will only receive 10 potential views/followers. Such an instance would be extremely inconsequential.

Alternatively, if you use a hashtag that has a volume of 10 million, it is important to note that there is a chance that you will lack the opportunity to get a good number of views/followers, because your post will be lost in an ocean of related posts.

Ideally, you get your hashtags to be part of a search that has somewhere between ten thousand and one million searches. Doing so will allow your posts to be viewed when the hashtag is searched, rather than it getting lost, and it will also provide your post and page with overall “healthy traffic.”

7. Engage Your Followers

You will probably be noticing a trend in the behaviors and requirements that come with how to become an Instagram influencer.

Many of the tips circulate around the idea that you should be as relatable as possible.

The thing that makes successful Instagrammers the most famous is not simply posting a photo with a caption hashtags and then closing their app.

Engaging with your followers is probably the most important factor when it comes to how to become an Instagram influencer.

Many of the best Instagrammers (who are not inherently famous people) will post questions, ask for suggestions, and reply to comments as well direct messages (DMs).  Instagram will also reward you for providing content that gains a lot of responses and comments, something that is a nice added bonus to everything else.

Asking for feedback from your audience is also a great way for you to learn and improve the quality and the relatability of your posts. Asking for feedback will help you figure out what makes your audience tick, strengthen your connection, and assist you in your overall understanding of how to become an Instagram influencer.

8. Collaborate With Other Creators

Jamie Foxx has been famously known for teaching, assisting, and premiering many musicians so that they can break into the music industry and learn about the business.

For example, he has been quoted as saying that Ed Sheeran had slept on his couch before becoming a famous musician.

The assistance has been found to help many people with their careers such as Nick Cannon, Kanye West, and Chris Brown, among others.

What allowed these people to all consistently become successful in an incredibly competitive industry was a bit more than talent.

It was the fact that Foxx had also given his stamp of approval, allowing other people to take upon the trust of Jamie Foxx and lend a bit of that trust to artists that people had never heard of before. 

This concept can actually be taken and applied to how to become an Instagram influencer. You do not necessarily need to reach out to someone who is incredibly famous, but working with known influencers is rather easy to do and it is something that is beneficial to all parties. You will share some of your audience’s trust with whoever you are working with, and they will be sharing their trust with yours.

If the other person you are collaborating with has been in the industry for a longer than you have, you will be able to learn from them and ask them questions, along with being able to have them pass on some of their followers to you. “Collabs” are a bunch of free publicity from influencers that are already trusted by their audience and a very helpful part of how to become an Instagram influencer.

9. Reaching Out to Brands

As previously stated, there were two requirements by definition, on how to become an Instagram influencer.

You need a brand that will channel itself through you and followers that can channel your influence.

The previous slew of things you needed to do to become an Instagram influencer was all in an attempt to grant yourself more influencing power by gaining more followers.

To add the final piece of the puzzle, you must remember to find a brand that is willing to channel their name through you.

To do this, you must understand your niche, and find a brand that has a great affiliation with your niche. You should not be afraid of pitching yourself to brands, even if you have a small account. Don’t let your number of followers stop you from reaching out to different accounts.

People often talk about how the advertisements during the super bowl are the most expensive advertisement blocks; what they do not actually realize is that in fact, they are actually the cheapest. The average cost of a super bowl ad is $4 million dollars for 30 seconds. This may sound incredibly expensive; however companies do not measure advertisements by time.

Much research has found that roughly half of America watches the super bowl each year. If America has about 300 million residents, that means that you will be receiving 150 million views of your advertisement for $4 million dollars.

That is less than 40 cents per view. Continuing with this concept, even if you have 5000 followers, a price can always be made so that the brand and the Instagram influencer will both be able to profit.

10. Capitalize on Trends

When a new trending story comes or a music video is released, you can make a parody of it. Since it is extremely popular, there is a massive surge of searches, and if you are one of the first people to catch the trend, you will appear on the top of the search, for YouTube, Instagram, etc.

For example, let’s say your Instagram is about poker. When the mannequin challenge came out, you could film a mannequin challenge based around an active poker game.

Remember to keep your theme and niche in mind when making your fad video.  It is pretty much riding the wave up based on someone else’s success or popularity, and it is probably the only time that you should be using hashtags with an immensely large amount of searches.

Conclusion:

It is very difficult to figure out how to become an Instagram influencer, and even with this list, how to become an Instagram influencer may not come easy. This list will help guide you through the necessities of becoming an Instagram influencer, but ultimately you still need to figure out what works for the best for you.

Your general process should still fit within the given guidelines, but figuring out your style and your method is something that will only come through practice. Figuring out exactly the right style and the correct and most effective method to appeal to your audience based on your niche will only come through experience. Hopefully, these guidelines will help you in your journey of figuring out how to become an Instagram influencer.

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How To Not Let Your Brand Look Unprofessional – Business Brand Photographer

As a company that specializes in branding, we see a lot of brands of our competitors (of course) slip from their foundation. This is how to not let your brand look unprofessional.

If you are just starting or have had your own brand for years, it’s easy to let your brand look unprofessional. When your brand looks professional and your message is conveyed then you can easily gain the trust of your ideal clients!

Read on to learn how to stand out from your competition and look the best in your industry.

Professional Photos

I had to start with what we know so well and that is photography! We see so many personal brands and professional photos of business owners look so pixelated and/or poorly lit.

If you look at the Forbes section of the top grossing billionaires, most of them do not have good photos. When you see one with a professional photo you click to learn more!

Because they look the part, if you want to look professional you need professional photos. It’s simple yet we see so many business owners look unprofessional in their photos or the photographer did a bad job supplying them with professional photos.

Your photos can make or break you. Even having bad photos on your website can make your business look unprofessional! People are visual creatures especially when it comes to deciding if they are going to spend money.

Think about it, you have probably not bought a product because it was displayed incorrectly or the images didn’t represent the quality of the product. Always keep in mind your target audience and what you want to portray with your product or images.

Consistency

If you want a good brand image then consistency is key. To make a brand last and keep your customers coming back you need to lay the payment for what your brand will say.

The colors, fonts, pictures, styles, and words you say must all relate. Take for instance Apple if you see an ad that has no Apple logo you can directly relate it to them without even seeing their logo!

They’ve created a consistent brand that people relate to. They won’t ever change that because it’s who they are.

Taking Time

Don’t rush or do it yourself because it will show. Think before you do anything, I know this sounds redundant but it’s true.

Especially if you are branding your personal brand. Most likely you are doing all the work. If you don’t take time, and strategize before you make changes on your social media or website.

You can look unprofessional! Deadlines are great but don’t spread yourself too thin. When this happens, the world can tell.

They’ll see you didn’t put the time or effort. We see all the time Instagram accounts that post the same quotes over and over, and it just looks lazy. You don’t want to look lazy.

Put time and effort into everything you do, and it will be paid back graciously. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same goes with amazing brands!

If you want to hear more about the mistakes you are making in your business image, watch Sandy’s video.

If you need a business branding photographer with over 15 years of experience that can tell you the ins and outs of branding.

Book a Call with Los Angeles Business Brand Photographer Sandy Grigsby.

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Being a women entrepreneur is not easy. Here are five inspirational women entrepreneurs that are rising in 2017  that are sure to inspire you. 

It takes hard work, courage, and dedication to take an idea and grow it into a concrete business, let alone one that becomes successful. While there is much to learn from women who rise and fall, it is always amazing when you see a woman crushing it.  

Seeing other women succeed at their goals and lead businesses that are blowing their competition out of the water can become a source of inspiration for others.

1. Lisa Wang and Yin Lin, She Worx

Inspired by their experiences as CEOs of their companies;  when these two women met investors they were always in disbelief that they, were not males and were in top roles of their companies. 

Because of the misogynistic comments they received, Lisa Wang and Yin Lin created SheWorkx. They aspire to create a level playing field for women entering the business world.

They realized that complaining was not going to help solve anything and instead thought of how to improve the situation for themselves and other women.

Together through SheWorx,  they created a place where women entrepreneurs could come together and learn tips from mentors while discussing how they can grow their businesses. SheWorks is all about having women work together instead of against each other.

2. Shradha Agarwal, Outcome Health

There are constantly new medical advances that come out year after year. When a person is diagnosed with an illness or condition, the person and their family want to know what is the best way to treat it.

Shradha Agarwal co-started Context Media, now called Outcome Health,  in order to help people with chronic illness manage their health.  The technology they use helps doctors, patients, and brands make the best choices with the best outcome health decisions for each person.

Agarwal has won a series of awards praising her hard work, such as the Champion of Change by the White House, was recognized as Best Female Founder at the United Nations and won a Moxie Award as Tech Woman of the Year in Chicago, where she is based out of.

3. Alaina Percival, Women Who Code

Alaina Percival started as a volunteer at Women Who Code, an organization which strives to inspire women to succeed in technological careers.

After grad school she wanted to enter the startup world but lacked experience beyond branding and marketing, so she learned how to code.

While volunteering and eventually leveling up to more prestigious leadership roles, eventually landing the role of CEO, she worked at startups that were succeeding, which made her believe that she was really making it in the tech industry. Her success encouraged her to strive to encourage more women to become tech leaders.

4. Stella Mateo, SheTaxi

The transportation world has been revolutionized by the likes of Uber and Lyft, which provide transportation on demand to its consumer. Stella Mateo, who immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic without knowing English.

While working as a seamstress for her family’s business, she worked her way to be an accounting head in a real estate business. When her husband started The New York Federation of Taxi Drivers, she realized that while women made up the majority of passengers, their needs were not being met.

Mateo also noticed that very little women were driving taxis, and SheTaxi, is “for women, by women” was born. She is all about women empowerment and knows that owning a business that can provide women with flexibility and self-sufficiency, is what most women crave when they enter the workforce.

5. Natasha Case, CoolHaus

Natasha Case worked in architecture in Walt Disney Disney Imagineering before starting CoolHaus from scratch. CoolHaus is architecturally-inspired gourmet ice cream, sandwiches, and desserts sold through their trucks and two LA shops but could be also seen in stores throughout the USA.

Together with Freya Estreller her partner, they started CoolHaus in a postal truck at Coachella music festival and just have been growing ever since.

Forbes’s 30 under 30 Food and Beverage,  Zagat 30 Under 30, Linked in 10 under 35 for Food & Leisure, as well as being featured in many national publications and radio like Cosmo, Dwell and NPR, and TV shows including Food Network’s Chopped, Barefoot Contessa, Unique Sweets, Good Morning America, King of Cones, Andy Cohen Live are some of the places that all praise CoolHaus.  One of her tips to all entrepreneurs is to go for it and to not be afraid to take risks. 

We hope these Five Inspirational Women Entrepreneurs inspired you if you have questions or comments please let us know!

If you are ready to produce an image that shows your best self and conveys your authentic brand.

Book a Call with Los Angeles Professional Brand Photographer Sandy Grigsby.

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When it comes to makeup, your primer and foundation set the stage for everything else you put on your face. You want your skin to look clear and glowing in your pictures, not washed out and dull. The primer and foundation you use can make or break your skin in pictures. That’s why I’ve decided to dedicate an entire article on my favorite makeup for flawless photos.

BEST PRIMERS:

Hourglass Veil Primer

$54 on Sephora

With a texture unlike any other, this silky primer extends the wear of makeup while also concealing redness, minimizing the appearance of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles, and providing broad spectrum SPF 15 for a perfect complexion that lasts.

It leaves a smooth, even surface so that foundation effortlessly glides on and stays put for all-day makeup wear. This unique primer has an airy, silky cloud-like texture and layers onto skin without added weight or a greasy after feel.

It delivers Broad Spectrum SPF 15 sun protection with mineral-derived sunscreens. It’s ideal for all skin types, even sensitive, blemish-prone skin, and it repels water so makeup stays looks freshly applied all day long. 

Angel Veil Primer

$16 on Nyxcosmetics

This super silky, light and fresh formula creates a comfortable cushion on your skin to enhance makeup application. The incredible formula creates a smooth uniform canvas that minimizes shine and makes application flawless. Your skin will feel like it has been touched by an angel.

BEST FOUNDATIONS:

Marc Jacobs Re(marc)able Foundation

$55 on Sephora

Give skin flawless full coverage in an instant with this foundation concentrate. This revolutionary formula offers twice as much pigment as a leading full-coverage foundation, but in an oil-free base that blends instantly across the complexion to completely cover pores, blemishes, and other imperfections with the thinnest possible layer that lasts up to 24 hours. All foundations are composed of two parts: pigment and ingredients to carry the pigment to the skin. 

Re(marc)able innovates by filling its formula with as much pigment as possible, leaving little room for non-essential ingredients, including water.

Not only does it contain twice as much pigment as standard, full-coverage foundations, but these pigments are made of patented golden mica to give the complexion a more radiant, natural-looking glow.

The pigments are wrapped in lecithin—an ingredient with a texture that feels similar to the skin—to blend effortlessly and meld with the complexion for a smooth, soft-matte finish. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Foundation

$42 on Estee Lauder

Proven 24-hour staying power.

The same long-wear makeup you love, now proven to last even longer. Looks flawless and natural.

Feels lightweight and so comfortable, you won’t believe it’s super long wear.

Won’t change color, smudge or come off on clothes.

Lasts through heat and humidity.

Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation

$35 on Kat Von D Beauty

Creamy and pigmented, Lock-It Foundation is the only 24-hour-wear liquid formula we can count on to create a perfect canvas on ANY skin type! With 30 shades and undertones, everyone can rock a flawless complexion without ever touching up.

Cle De Peau Radiant Cream Foundation

$125 on Cle De Peau Beauty

Illuminating Complex EX with precious silk and pearl elements, to help moisturize and retexturize skin while reducing the appearance of damage caused by environmental stress.

Silky Reflection Oil develops a lustrous layer that spreads evenly across the skin’s surface for captivating luster.

Microwater Gel Emulsification, Marjoram Extract, and S Hyaluronic Acid help maintain skin’s moisture all day and reveal dramatic radiance with continued use.

Defends against oxidation for beautiful-looking skin with Chestnut Rose Fruit Extract.

Responds to changes in skin tone due to oil production throughout the day and maintains a perfect foundation finish with Day-Matching Powder, Honeycombing Prevention Oil, and Oil Absorbing Powder.

MicroFacet Technology controls the alignment of powder particles on the skin’s surface for optimal radiance and luminosity.

Reveals the look of radiance from within with a flawless luminous finish with Micro-Diffusion Reflecting Powder.

Broad Spectrum SPF 24 for UV protection.

Maybelline Matte + Poreless Foundation

$8.00 on Maybelline

Fit Me® Matte + Poreless Foundation face makeup. This lightweight foundation mattifies and refines pores and leaves a natural, seamless finish.

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Confidence is one of those elusive characteristics. It’s easy to spot when someone has it, but it is hard to pinpoint what exact steps one should take to reach a certain level of confidence.

It is a quality that everyone has access to, yet many struggle to achieve it. We are here to provide you with the best confidence resources out there to help you better understand confidence so that you can achieve your own confidence goals.

What is confidence?

First and foremost, what is confidence? Confidence can be described as a belief in one’s ability to succeed. Too much confidence can cause a person to be perceived as arrogant and unapproachable, but too little is often perceived as incompetence and lack of skill. Both extremes can make way for poor judgment in decision making. Finding the right balance is extremely important. 

Why does it matter?

Confidence can be the determining factor between success and failure. Lack of confidence often leads to lack of action. In order to be successful in your career, it is vital that you are confident in your decisions. In this article, Lifehacker has provided a few ways that tangibly improving your own self confidence manifests in real-world benefits.

Books on Confidence

Here are our top 10 books to read on confidence.

1. Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway: How to Turn Your Fear and Indecision into Confidence and Action by Susan Jeffers
2. Step Up: Confidence, Success and Your Stellar Career in 10 Minutes a Day by Phanella Mayall Fine
3. Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, 2nd Edition: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques by Dr. Melanie Fennell
4. How to Develop Self-confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie
5. Ultimate Confidence: The Secrets to Feeling Great About Yourself Every Day by Marisa Peer
6. Black Box Thinking: Marginal Gains and the Secrets of High Performance by Matthew Syed
7. Mindset: How You Can Fulfill Your Potential by Carol Dweck
8. The Little Book Of Confidence by Susan Jeffers
9. The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance – What Women Should Know by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
10. Overcoming Social Anxiety & Shyness by Gillian Butler

Confidence Quotes

The right quote at the right time can be extremely powerful. Here are a few of our favorites to boost your self confidence.

1. Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.― Lao Tzu

2. Life is ten percent what you experience and ninety percent how you respond to it. ― Dorothy M. Neddermeyer

3. Noble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. That is who you are and who you have always been. And understanding it can change your life, because this knowledge carries a confidence that cannot be duplicated any other way.― Sheri L. Dew

4. Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.- Theodore Roosevelt

5. Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained. – Marie Curie

6. One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.- Arthur Ashe

7. To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven. Don’t wait until you die. If you wait, you die now. If you love, you live now. – Alan Cohen

8. Think like a queen. A queen if not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness. – Oprah

9. Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. – Marianne Williamson

10. You are the only person on earth who can use your ability. – Zig Ziglar

Hopefully, these confidence resources will be just what the doctor ordered and allow you to take your business to the next level. If there is one thing we can be sure of, it is that confidence is contagious. So lead by example, and let the rest follow.

If you want to book a photo shoot experience with Sandy and our team at Brio Five, book a call with Sandy. We create a day all about you, so you can feel pampered and absolutely beautiful.

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Do you find it difficult to comprehend the basics of branding?

With these 7 tips, you’ll be able to understand the basics of branding in under 3 minutes!

1. Create, or pay someone to make an eye-catching logo. Put it everywhere.

2. Write down your brand mission. What do you want to communicate to people about your brand? What should people know about your purpose? Write it all down.

3. Establish a voice for your company that aligns with your brand mission. This voice should be apparent in all aspects of your company: written material, visuals, all website material, and photographs.

4. Come up with a tagline. Write a captivating, meaningful, attractive statement that expresses your brand purpose effectively.

5. You’re halfway there! Understanding the basics of branding will only take another 1.5 minutes!

6. Be consistent. Design templates and enforce standards for your marketing materials. Always use the same logo and color scheme.

7. Be authentic in your communication. Your customers won’t care for your products or services, or even refer you or write positive reviews unless you are authentic in the way you communicate your brand purpose. They are coming to you for a reason. You have set the standard. Don’t fall short.

Now you have successfully been able to understand the basics of branding in under 3 minutes. Pretty simple, right?

For additional tips on branding, check out Sandy’s podcast “Life in Focus with Sandy Grigsby” by clicking here.

If you want to book a photo shoot experience with Sandy and our team at Brio Five, book a call with Sandy. We create a day all about you, so you can feel pampered and absolutely beautiful.

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