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only in cosmo
Insta-famous.
Is it a long-
term career
prospect?
COSMOQUESTION
These industry experts weigh in on whether
fame via the interwebs is everlastingROXY JACENKO
DIRECTOR, THE MINISTRY OF TALENT“There’s no denying the power and inf luence of social
media stars. It would be naive to disregard their long-
term potential. Just like any other form of ‘fame’, if you
capitalise on it in the right way there can be longevity.
The most successful Instagram stars diversify what they
have to offer. Generally they’re offering more than just
pictures – whether that be tangible products, a blog, services, e-books, etc.
It’s also important to be adaptable – Instagram is where it’s at right now,
but who knows what the next big thing may be? If you’re f lexible and
willing to adjust your personal brand then I think you can transfer that
Instagram fame to new social or mainstream media channels.”TANIA DEBONO^
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST OF CAKE“Is anything a long-term career prospect? Fame
through any social medium can disappear as fast
as it appeared – the key to longevity is consistency
and reinvention. If you’ve tapped into a large,
worldwide audience, you need to learn how to
harness that fan base into following you on a
journey offl ine, too. Take it for what it is – use it
to your advantage before your story disappears.”SHANE TREEVES
YOUTUBE AUSTRALIA SPOKESPERSON“At YouTube, we see many Australian content
creators break onto the world stage and make
creating content for the web their full-time job.
The channels that succeed don’t just post a one-off
hit, but build a loyal fan base and listen to what
their audience wants. If you can turn that one-hit
wonder into an ongoing online meme that people
care about, you can turn it into an Insta-career.”DILVIN YASA
AUTHOR, JOURNALIST AND COMMENTATOR“Hell no! In fact, that quote ‘being famous on
Instagram is like being rich on Monopoly’ rings
true because none of it’s real. You could have
millions of followers who are into what you’re
wearing or what you’re doing, but unless you
take your stellar social media savvy and parlay it
into something with merit, you’re going to be the
girl everyone used to talk about pretty damn fast.”EDWINA BARTHOLOMEW
SUNRISE WEATHER PRESENTER“Fame is a fl imsy notion at best. Fame on the
internet is even more fl eeting unless you are
a cat – specifi cally one that plays the keyboard
or looks permanently peeved. Grumpy Cat has
659,000 Insta followers, a wardrobe of diamanté-
studded collars and a fi ve-fi gure contract with
Friskies. I do not and neither do you. Insta-fame
is possible but shouldn’t we strive for a little more
in life? After all, it didn’t make Grumpy Cat happy.”SABIR SAMTANI
DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER, REBORN
& LIFESTYLE MEDIA GROUP“Content on Instagram has higher engagement
than any other platform in the history of the
internet. The channel is here to stay and the
commercial opportunities will continue to grow.
Who knows what will happen in the next fi ve to
10 years? But it’s those who are business-savvy,
authentic and pushing creativity and collaborating
with brands that will build a long-term career.”COMPILED BY JULIA NAUGHTON