So many of us are fascinated by the lives of people we see on our Instagram feed, how did they become so successful, why do they get to go to all these crazy places and why can't I do the same?
But it seems that sometimes we forget that 'influencers' are real people who most likely feel a grave responsibility to 'influence' their audience in the correct way. And with thousands of people watching your every move through their phone screen, it will never be possible to please everyone.
I had the opportunity so speak to Sabelle Mebane, a 16 year old creative based in Dallas, Texas who has gathered over 12.7k Instagram followers through her unique style and impeccable feed. From Instagram, Sabelle has worked with huge corporations such as Disney and Google, attended New York Fashion Week, and has been offered so many more incredible opportunities that most people can only dream of. I was undoubtedly fascinated by her online success and wanted to ask her exactly how she built her online presence, and most importantly: was it worth it?
Read our full interview with Sabelle below:
Q. First off, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
"Hi, I'm Sabelle and I'm a creative of sorts! I'm mostly known for my experiments in photography, writings and fashion. I'm 16, based in Dallas, Texas, and I've been using Instagram as a creative outlet for 3 years now."
Q. Was there something that encouraged you to become an 'influencer' (if that's the correct term) or did it happen by accident?
"It definitely happened by accident, even now I'm not sure if i like the term 'influencer' associated with me, I've done brand deals but I think that's the only thing I have in common with influencers. I'm actually really private on my public socials, I don't ever post things regarding my personal life or personal relationships. For me it's just about expressing myself through fashion and photography and sharing that in hopes of building professional credibility. I started taking Instagram a little more seriously and doing what I could to get my name out there because I knew building a foundation and a name for myself was important for the future of my professional aspirations, but i never planned or wanted to become a public figure.
In the beginning I think I gained a following pretty quick. I posted pretty frequently using hashtags and interacting with other artists and within the year I made it to 10K. After that I became less active and mostly focused on the business aspect of things. My follow count is just a number and I wanted to focus and the opportunities that came from that instead of social media. Once companies, magazines and events started reaching out to me, I started making that the priority instead of Instagram statistics."
Q. What does your creative process look like?
"My creative process is pretty spontaneous. My family travels a lot so most of the photos I post are from my travels which works perfectly because I always pack the bast outfits on vacations. I get a lot of my fashion inspiration from other looks I've seen on the runway or looks worn by other fashion focused girls. I don't like posting any personal content (family, friends etc.), so when I have travel/fashion content I like to spread out my posting so it can last me a while and I don't have to plan and content."
Q. Does having an audience cause you feel a kind of pressure? Obviously, many people following you are teenagers and young people that may be impressionable, does that make you feel like you have a responsibility to promote, do or say the right thing?
"I wouldn’t say pressure, more like responsibility. My demographic is mostly young girls and young women so I take whatever influence I have over my following very seriously. I’ve always tried to use whatever voice I have to frequently speak out on important social issues and when it comes to promoting products I’m very careful to not work with companies that create products that could be detrimental to women’s health or contribute to extreme fast fashion. If people see me as an influencer my job is to be a good influence- which isn’t a difficult thing, it’s just having good morals, expressing them, and being yourself.”
Q. Through your online presence you've been given so many incredible opportunities such as working with NYFW and Disney. What were those experiences like at such a young age?
"Surreal. Attending NYFW was a dream come true of mine and it took a lot of planning and emails but it's definitely one of my proudest accomplishments. I've had the opportunity to collaborate with a lot of well known brands such as Disney and it's just crazy knowing I have a connection to such a powerhouse."
Q. What does a typical day in your life look like, especially now during quarantine?
"Not even going to lie, my daily routine is a mess. With everything going on in the world I think we should all be a little easier on ourselves and not expect life changing productivity, we're all doing our best. I'll stay up till the sun rises talking to a friend on FaceTime (I think the most important thing we can do for our mental health during all of this is to stay connected with our family and friends). I've been getting really into cooking lately so I'll usually be up making a big breakfast that I'll leave out for my family and scroll through my emails and twitter before I eventually pass out and wake up to my mum yelling at me to come eat dinner. I've been doing a lot of reading (Big Little Lies) and binge watching (Avatar, the Last Airbender) to pass time. Obviously I still have my responsibilities as a student so I keep up with my homework- actually in the last month I signed up for 5 online courses through Harvard, The University of Hong Kong, MoMA, and Yale as a way to keep me busy and productive and I spend a lot of my day to day working through those courses. A lot of college courses are free online right now due to the pandemic so I recommend people take advantage of that."
Q. Have you experienced any of the negative effects of being an online personality, since we don't often see that side?
"I wouldn't say I've experienced anything negative, but I'm sure public figures with far greater followings do, especially when it comes to backlash and cyber-bullying. Being a 'celebrity' isn't something I've ever wanted, personally I think the lack of privacy and respect that would come would be awful. I'm glad I'm accomplished but I'm also glad I'm not that well known."
Q. How do you find a balance between the online world and the real world, because I think many of us struggle with that at times?
"I don't think I'm anymore active online than other teenagers, but I do think a lot of the online world is incorporated into the real world now. When school was still open most of our assignments would be done through our phones. I try not to be on Instagram too much, I'm usually only active when I post, which can be rarely. I do however spend a lot of time on Twitter, watching YouTube videos, and messaging friends. At the moment I don't think anyone's concern is 'balance' because for a lot of us the online world is the only way for us to feel connected. In the past though I'd always make time to be social with friends and family. I liked spending my weekends going out with my loved ones and there would be a 'no phone policy' where we would have quality time."
Q. Do you have anything exciting planned for the future?
"Nothing planned at the moment, just going with the flow. I took a step back this year and slowed things down to focus more on myself and my mental health. Just enjoying being a teenager and making memories"
Q. What is your biggest goal at the moment?
"Not loosing my sense of style when quarantine is over. I've been wearing pyjamas for three months straight!"
Q. Finally, what advice would you give to other teenagers trying to be successful online?
"Making it big shouldn't be your goal, your goal should always be creating content that you love and doing what makes you happy"
If want to see more from Sabelle, head over to Instagram and follow @sabellemebane. And if you're still searching for your own online success, just remember to stay genuine, encourage positivity and work hard and hopefully good things should follow...
Big thanks to Sabelle Mebane for taking part in this interview, all pictures are taken from @sabellemebane on Instagram.
Interview questions and article by @poppymaeg
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