Lama, you began your journey as a fashion blogger in Saudi Arabia at the age of 17. Can you share with us the story of how it all started and what inspired you to venture into the world of fashion and social media?
From as long as I remember, I’ve always been passionate about fashion and design. Let’s just say nothing is ever easy, and it has been a long journey to get to where I am now, and still loads to go! But I am very proud. In 2012, I started to share my passion to the world when I was in high school, I started a blog and I used to write about fashion and post some of my looks. I knew I wanted to pursue fashion as a career, so I majored in Fashion Design in university. During my studies, I continued to blog and then I created my instagram account and that’s when I entered the social media world.
As an influencer, you’ve worked with numerous international brands and have been featured in many magazines. Could you tell us about some of the highlights of your career so far and the brands or projects that have been particularly memorable for you?
Doing this for almost 9 years, I can say that I’m very grateful for all the brands and people I’ve worked with. Each project, each brand and all the people involved have all created an impact on me in one way or another on a personal and professional level. Whether by learning new skills or interesting information about each brand in different industries. I am so lucky to be able to attend the most incredible events around the world over the course of my career and even better, I get to do what I love, every event inspires me on a personal level.
Your mission is to empower women in different fields and age groups to follow their dreams and do what they love. How do you see your role as an influencer and entrepreneur contributing to this goal, and can you share any specific initiatives or projects you’ve undertaken to achieve it?
Empowering women and young girls have always been a part of my mission and I like to deliver it directly and indirectly. I think it’s important for us as females to pursue our dreams as well by knowing how to deal with the challenges that may face us. Women love to support other women, it’s what we do best!
You are known for your authenticity in connecting with your followers. Could you elaborate on the importance of authenticity in the influencer industry, and how do you maintain that genuine connection with your audience?
There are many factors, and authenticity is one of the most important things. There are hundreds of social media figures these days, so people choose to follow the one they resonate with and connect with. Authenticity is key in this industry!
With a significant following on multiple platforms, how do you manage to consistently create high-quality and engaging content? What’s your creative process, and how do you adapt to the evolving landscape of social media and content creation?
As much as I love and enjoy creating content, it sometimes can get challenging. There is a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes which isn’t always shown, content creating is my full time job so I need to ensure I am constantly feeding my social platforms but, I wouldn’t have it any other way! For me, I like my content to be as organic as possible, so when I travel, I love sharing my outfits, where I stay and what I eat. I love creating travel looks based on where I’m traveling to, and I enjoy taking photos. So, while traveling I don’t follow a certain strategy. Other than that, I have different strategies for different platforms.
Marketing via your influence is said to create a strong impact for campaigns. Can you share some examples of successful campaigns you’ve been a part of and the impact they had in terms of metrics like reach, engagement, and conversions?
I am very fortunate that I have been able to work with the most amazing brands, I have brands I work with time and time again! However, each brand and campaign has a different direction, target audience and objective. For example, working with high- end brands in Jewellery and fashion are more focused on brand awareness, brand image and exposure. On the other hand, beauty brands and e-commerce focus more on driving sales which leads to posting on different platforms depending on the client’s objectives.
With your extensive experience as an influencer and entrepreneur, what do you believe is the key to maintaining long-term success and relevance in the ever-evolving world of social media and fashion?
There are many keys to maintaining long-term success. One of them is always having an open mind to new experiences, new platforms and new strategies. Social media is a very evolving industry so it’s important to always be updated and to offer new things since sometimes it can get repetitive. We need to consistently adapt ourselves with current trends and everything changing so quickly.
Can you tell us more about your followers and their demographics, such as age ranges and top locations? How does this demographic information influence your content strategy and engagement?
I have followers from different parts of the world. However, the majority is GCC based and specifically Saudi Arabia. In terms of age, I have people from all ages that follow me but my highest is females 25-40. It’s important to know how to communicate with your following and your tone of voice.
In addition to Instagram and Snapchat, you’ve also gained popularity on TikTok. How do you approach content creation on TikTok, and what do you believe sets it apart from other social media platforms?
Regarding Tiktok, I was hesitant on joining since I’m already on Snapchat and Instagram, and I didn’t understand Tiktok back then. However, my youngest sister, 10 years old at the time actually created my TikTok account and made my first video. That’s why earlier as I was saying, you have to always be updated and being part of the new platforms. With content creation, each platform has its own dynamic, target audience and a certain way to communicate with people. And now, I really enjoy the platform.
With millions of story views and Snap views, your content has had a significant impact. Could you share some insights into the kind of content that resonates the most with your Snapchat audience and what keeps them engaged?
Travel content is the most impactful. Again, organic content builds and creates authenticity. Since I love and enjoy traveling, showing what I wear, what I eat and the activities I’m doing. Another thing is definitely fashion weeks and all the behind the scenes at fashion week and even on shoots. Girls also love makeup reviews and tutorials!
Could you tell us about your future plans and goals in the influencer and entrepreneurship space? What can we expect from Lama Alakeel in the coming years?
During these years, I’ve been launching businesses and investing in different fields such as beauty, F&B and real estate. For this year I am actually working on something very exciting, I can’t wait to be able to tell you more, no spoilers today though 😉
You have a diverse range of clients. Can you highlight some of the most exciting collaborations or projects you have in the pipeline for 2024?
I must say that I really enjoy each project I work on as I carefully select the brands I work with. However, I must say that the most exciting collaborations are the fashion and beauty projects.
Lastly, do you have any final words or advice for aspiring influencers and entrepreneurs, especially in the Saudi Arabian and Middle Eastern context?
I would say be authentic, be yourself and be consistent! Being in this field can be challenging at times, but don’t stress yourself out and enjoy the journey. Remind yourself why you are pursuing this career and don’t give up easily, there will be many nos, however, when you get your first yes, it makes it all worthwhile!
