Meet Sophie Nistico…
Class Year: Junior
Hometown: Trumbull, CT
Instagram: @sophienistico
Instagram Followers: 17K
Favorite Stores: Madewell, Urban Outfitters, Free People, & Anthropologie
Aesthetic: Bohemian, with a hint of modern
As I was sitting in math class in September, I was eager to make friends. I feel like it’s always good to have at least one person that you know in your class, just in case you are ever out sick or need someone to study with.
In walks who would soon be one of my great friends, Sophie. Sophie is dressed fashionably and is immediately so kind and personable.
After getting to know her better, I follow her on Instagram only to discover that right at Sacred Heart University is a social media influencer with over 17,000 followers, and an incredibly trendy feed filled with fashion, makeup, and even sponsorships from companies. Sophie even embroiders shirts for a small boutique in Florida.
I recently got to sit down with Sophie and ask her a few questions…
Q: How did you get started as an influencer?
A: Everyone always asks if I buy followers or likes and that’s honestly just not the case. I’ve been doing this whole ‘Instagram job’ for about 6 years now, and although I did not see it as a way of income six years ago, I was building the foundation of what is now my part-time job. So posting photos of my outfits or just visually pleasing places slowly helped me gain an audience that kept people coming back for more.
Q: How do brands send you things?
A: Usually brands will contact me via e-mail and offer a collaboration, this being how I actually make money off of Instagram. They will send a snippet about their company and offer to send a few items over in exchange for a post or two on my feed. This is when I will send them my rates, we negotiate a deal, sign a contract, and get to shooting! I only ever collaborate with brands that I genuinely love, you won’t be seeing me post about FitTea to make you skinny or gummy bears that probably don’t help with growing your hair.
Some brands that I have worked with in the past are Google (oh my gosh I know), Daniel Wellington, Netflix X Stranger Things, Sephora, & so many more!
Q : Have you always been interested in artistic things? (artsy filters, fashion, etc.)?
A: When I was around the age of 10, I found out that I was actually pretty good at drawing so that’s what I did in a lot of my spare time. I was always into drawing, painting, or any form of art for that matter. (Recently I’ve started to embroider and my shirts can be found in a boutique in Florida!)
Then as I went further into my teenage years, I always found myself to be very into fashion and unique pieces that others wouldn’t typically wear. I would photograph my outfits in different ways, show the jewelry that I would wear in an ‘artsy’ manner. I’ve always cringed at the word ‘artsy’, but it’s the only way to put it! Or I guess I could say
‘aesthetically pleasing.’
Q: How have you gained so much popularity on Instagram?
A: In the beginning (6 years ago), I believe I started gaining popularity through hashtags and just being relatable with the clothes I would wear.
Six years ago, there was no such thing as an ‘Instagram Influencer’ or ‘Content Creator’, Instagram was just a platform where people would post photos of their meals or what kind of coffee or smoothie they had that day.
If you try to become a Content Creator, it’s going to be more difficult than what it was six years ago, because a lot more people have hopped onto the same band wagon. I also think I gained popularity by collaborating with other brands on Instagram, because when they repost my photos, then their followers are lead to my page.
Q: Any advice for people wanting to start their own social media platform?
A: My advice for people who want to start their own social media page is to just go for it & don’t focus on the numbers. Please, don’t focus on the numbers. Do it because you want a creative outlet and you want to share your niche! I remember when I only had 3,000 followers and I was still striking deals with brands, as long as you produce high quality content, the brand won’t always care about the number of followers you have.
When you do want to get started, I would say to find your niche, and stay consistent! Edit every photo with the same tones and preset/filter so that your feed is cohesive and pleasing to the eye.
Q: Where do you see your social media presence in 5 years?
A: Hopefully still on social media! Ha! No but seriously, I hope to see myself still producing content for brands and traveling more. Maybe I’ll have a Youtube Channel at this point in my life too, who knows! Also, I hope I’ll be a few years into my photography business as well, so if anyone wants some headshots or just some new Instagram pictures to post (lol), message me over on Instagram
“If anyone wants help starting their page, or has other questions that I didn’t answer here, please message me on Instagram! I would love to hear from you and would love to help anyone out who is interested in this new industry. “ – Sophie Nistico