Kobe Raw – @jieyingsim

As influencer marketing gains popularity, many of us wonder what it would be like to live like one of them. In this issue of “Kobe Raw”, we interview influencer @jieyingsim to find out more from her.

How did you get started in this industry? 

The first time I started advertising for brands was when I joined my faculty’s freshmen bash! As some of the bash items such as clothes and makeup were sponsored, us bash contestants had to deliver some posts crediting these sponsors in return. I remember at that point, I only had around 1.5k followers? So I was a really really micro influencer but slowly, more brands started to approach me for collaborations! (At the start it was mainly unpaid ones though)

If you could change one thing about your journey as an influencer, what would it be?

One thing I would definitely change is to stick to a theme for my feed! My feed is actually really messy right now, with inconsistent filters and random photos. So what I am trying to change is to have a consistent edit and plan out the photos before posting.

What advice would you give your younger self when you were first starting out? 

I think it’s important to talk to friends who are already in the industry to understand how the scene works and how to protect yourself. Sometimes, brands will try to undercut you in offering you a much lower payout than usual (or even not pay) or are overly forceful in dictating how the posts should be done. Although I agree that the payout should not be the priority in deciding whether to take up a certain campaign, influencers especially those who are just starting out should learn how to protect their rights by not allowing brands to lowball them or limit their creativity in content creation.

Follow our series Kobe Raw for every issue of Fresh Cuts and check out our previous interview with @bongqiuqiu here.