Monish Chandan is a well-known face in the social media influencer industry. He has spent almost 9 years in the digital industry and is climbing high with his personal growth in style and trends. Business Upturn connected with this fashion and lifestyle influencer and he shared with us his knowledge in shopping before becoming a fashion influencer to the brands which will take over Shein in future. The young influencer poured his heart out on how he has kept himself real in social media and was not affected by the unnecessary hate.
How will you define your personal style?
I had a major shopping problem, also zero sense of personal styling but gradually learnt the sense of personal style. I prefer street style, in the sense Dress what you like to, not to please anyone, just be comfortable yet understated. Be quirky and chic.
All social media platforms have become saturated with too many budding influencers and YouTubers, how do you keep yourself different from others? Is there any mantra?
I started my blog journey in 2011-12 , it’s been more than 9 years and still surviving in the digital industry. I would say be real as much as possible, don’t fake things. You will be able connect more with the audience. Be unique in showcasing your content. I know it’s pretty tough to survive in this mega-war in the virtual world. Coming up with strategic visual stories with more and more engagement with the audience to keep up the momentum going in lockdown is what keeps me ahead.
You have collaborated with Shein before, do you feel any other brand can takeover Shein in future considering the inclusivity it had in India ?
Shein was an amazing app that had highly discounted apparel that came straight out of the vogue’s cover magazines, having said that Shein enjoyed a great rapport with customers but there are top notch Indian brands which will definitely get the major share of Shein market in India. No doubt Vocal for Local should become the mantra for every Indian.
While collaborating with brands, what you generally look for that attracts you to collaborate with them?
Well the product is more important, of course brands have their brand value and marketing strategy in place but I will look for product fit, whether brand’s aesthetic aligns with my personal aesthetic etc. Basically, the real value of influencer marketing is the opportunity to develop relationships with brands who “speak” to the target audience as a peer, not a publication. Most influencers can give you a wide reach, but as you may have found, visibility doesn’t always translate into engagement or conversion into sales. See the ultimate aim of any brand is the influencers who can not only reach the right followers, but can also inspire those followers to click through to the ecommerce site and buy. This is where testing becomes incredibly important.
How do you draw line between your personal and professional life as your work demands you to be an open book to your audience?
Yes, Personal & professional life becomes tough when you are established as an influencer and there you have to balance both life. So, my background is I am a Finance consultant by profession and a Fashion Influencer by passion. I complete my shoots on the weekend and relax & recharge my mind.
How do you handle criticism from social media?
I am pretty vocal on social media and I take criticism positively. That’s how you will grow in business. There are people who will like and dislike you. You can’t please everybody. So yes, constructive criticism on my work is welcome.
Guy beauty and grooming is still not openly accepted in India, when you are putting out content regarding this what are the major points you tend keep in mind?
Off lately many of them have understood the importance of grooming and how to elevate styling quotient, men’s grooming and beauty is a big market specifically for beard we have beard oil, beard shampoo, conditioner, wax, butter, etc and so on many other products are available in market. I use those products and give my review based on my experience on quality, content and price.
What is that one Instagram hack you follow that gives you better reach?
Use hashtags in stories & interactive poll questions. Perhaps more importantly stories look different, feel different, and give you the chance to engage in different ways.
Do you see men style evolving now with the presence of social media and awareness among youth regarding their personal style?
These days Men’s style is upgrading everyday. Casual style, accessories and social media to a great extent has helped youth in choosing their personal style and being modern and funky. It’s a win-win for both brands and Influencers.
