F  L  A  U  N  T

 Building a successful online brand is often not easy, and it takes a lot of hard work and resilience. From identifying your target audience, increasing your brand visibility, and posting engaging content, there are a lot of boxes to tick as a content creator. Giselle Lynette is an Instagram star who has managed to grow her following to over three million, and she now shares what it takes to start and scale your online brand. Giselle, alias Gissy, is a content creator and influencer. She has worked with various brands, including FashionNova, PrettyLittleThings, and Diva Boutique. Having been involved in the sector for years, the network Gissy has built is setting her apart from others. Gissy has more than 1.2 million followers on Instagram and over 3.5 Million on her two Instagram accounts. She’s also a YouTuber; her channel has 15,000+ subscribers. According to Gissy, the number one secret to building a successful online brand is authenticity. She explains that growing your following becomes easier when you are real with yourself and others. This is because people are able to relate to your content, and you will attract the right audience, which fosters trust. Gissy adds that it is important to be consistent. Having the success she now enjoys has taken Gissy years of hard work and patience. She notes that there were days she felt like giving up or she didn’t have content to post. But what has helped Gissy scale her brand is continuously choosing to fight for her passion and stepping out of her comfort zone. Giselle began her journey in 2015 when she created her first Instagram page. She started uploading pictures of herself, and over time her page really grew, opening doors for more opportunities. This motivated her to continue uploading more photos, and eventually she attracted the attention of scouts, agencies, and brands. “Your brand speaks a lot about your business and you as an individual,” says Giselle. She notes that in building your brand, your focus should be on creating something that aligns with your goals in life. This will help you attract the right target audience and keep them engaged by posting regularly. Her advice to other content creators is to network and adopt an approach where they post great content regularly, as it will help the audience become freer with you and grow your following. She also adds the need to establish your own voice as a brand, pointing out that it helps you attract the right fan base, and then it can be easy to market to them. Succeeding in any path is a journey, and it takes time, says Gissy. She notes that your resilience is what will determine your next step. As a content creator, there are many obstacles. With an increase in cyberbullying you also become a victim of countless hateful comments. However, you shouldn’t let that stop you. Despite facing challenges, Gissy chooses to fight on, and she has grown her brand to one of the best. As she continues to flourish, she says her dream is to help more people find their way in their industry by sharing her story and lessons learned. Gissy also wants to expand her brand and potentially collaborate with more companies.