The story behind Gold Coast Instagram powerhouse Rosanna Arkle
BEING Instagram famous is a fulltime job for Rosanna Arkle. With more than 3 million followers, she’s one of the most influential people in the city.
Entertainment
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BEING famous on Instagram has turned into a lucrative fulltime job for Rosanna Arkle.
With more than 3 million followers, the Gold Coast beauty is one of the most influential people in the city and secures lucrative promotional deals and international modelling gigs.
But she never imagined turning social media into a career.
“I moved over to the Gold Coast from New Zealand eight years ago and in 2011 my housemates and I were approached to be on a reality TV series called The GC about Kiwis living and chasing their dreams in Australia,” she said.
“I was working as a bookkeeper and part time model for bikini companies and mens magazines like ZOO Weekly at the time. I had a lot of fun (on the show) and it taught me how to deal with hate online.”
Now based in Gilston, Rosanna, 28, can make up to $3000 for a single Instagram post.
“It really depends on how many followers you have on how much you can charge (per post),” she said.
“But the standard rate is 0.1 per cent of your current following.”
Not only has the social media powerhouse featured in the likes of Sports Illustrated and Playboy Magazine, but Rosanna recently collaborated with local jewellery label Want X for a ‘peach’ collection.
“We’ve started off with rings and necklaces and we decided to go with the peach emoji because it relates to my booty program,” she said.
“I’m not sure that I’m that different to a lot of the other ‘Insta models’ out there.
“In the beginning I never set out to gain a following, but I have always had a passion for taking photos.
“I would set a timer on my camera — I still do, sometimes — and do little photoshoots at home because I enjoyed it.
“My Facebook already had a large following from being on The GC but it was this one photo in a grey onesie that took me from 600k to more than one million followers basically overnight.”
Rosanna said her social media stardom has given her an “amazing lifestyle” yet she still feels “very normal”.
“I’ve been able to do a heap of travel that I never thought I would,” she said.
“I bought my first home here on the Gold Coast, which was always a long-term goal, and social media has allowed me to go home and see my family in New Zealand as often as I want to.
“But in a normal week I’ll walk my dogs, go to the gym, cook dinner and watch Netflix ... I think I’m very normal.”
ROSANNA ARKLE’S TOP 4 INSTAGRAM TIPS
1. Make sure your photos are good quality
2. Invest in a good digital camera with Wi-Fi so you can send the pictures directly to your smartphone
3. Post at the right times — between 6.30pm to 9pm — or in the morning
4. Interact with your followers by asking questions in the caption: eg ‘I’d like to know where all my followers are from, let me know below’ or ‘Tag a friend who likes Pineapples’
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