She’s amassed a social media following of more than 32 million people worldwide, so when 23-year-old fitness guru Jen Selter speaks, the business world listens.
That’s why Her was front and centre at her Dublin Tech Summit talk this week, where the New Yorker gave the audience some serious insights into her success.
Appearing with PMG Sports CEO Evan Morgenstein, who helped her build her empire, the social media innovator and fitness influencer explained how she used social media to create a community that allowed her to become a positive role model and celebrity spokesperson for the 15-24-year-old demographic.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur or you’re focused on building your personal brand, there’s a lot to be learned from the savvy star. In fact, continued growth exceeds 250,000 followers per month.
Here are her tips:
Avoid negativity at all costs
Jen says she takes negative comments online with a pinch of salt ‘’What I’ve learned is that negative people and negative comments are just angry about something going on in their life so you should just take it as a compliment that they’re taking their time out of their day to try and bring you down.”
Choose quality over quantity
Jen has turned down millions of dollars in revenue in order to protect her brand. Refusing to sell out, she says, means her followers continue to trust her. She only promotes brands or products that she genuinely believes in.
Think of photos as art
Jen is always on the lookout for an eye-catching background or a pretty scene to use as the backdrop for her daily updates. If she can’t find one she’ll ask her followers to suggest a location.
Find pages you like and interact
Jen advises keeping a close eye on what the leaders in your field are doing, then commenting on and liking their posts to join their community. ‘’The most important thing is to keep people around you who are smart and positive and know what they are doing because they are the ones who will guide you through.’’ she says.
First mover advantage
As an early adopter on Instagram, Jen was able to build her fan base before other leading fitness gurus had even started. Despite her huge success, she wishes she had done the same when it came to video: “I started with photos so I’m not so good with video now,” she says. ” I also wish I’d started a clothing brand two years ago!”
Selter’s first active wear line GymLooks will be launched later this spring.
Images: Instagram
