How Alex Ochoa, @MadebyAlexNYC, Grew 251% in Under 18 Months

Growing your social media business consistently is tough. It requires diligence, passion, and creativity. But even in a competitive industry, some creators manage to succeed. What's their secret?

In this Creator Spotlight series, we’re here to find out. We’ll delve into the stories of influencers who have transcended the ordinary, rising through the ranks with unparalleled dedication, creativity, and authenticity. We’ll follow the growth trajectory of those influencers hitting the mark month-after-month, and share their habits and routines with you so you can be inspired to grow your business, too.

Meet Alex Ochoa, @MadebyAlexNYC, who grew her following by 251% in under 18 Months

How do you get your start with content creation?

Alex: I began by sharing photos of my outfits during high school and college as a creative outlet! I grew up in a small town in Texas, and didn't have many peers who were also into fashion, so I found a lot of comfort in fun online spaces like Instagram and Tumblr. While I was busy in engineering school at NYU, I was posting my outfits maybe once or twice per week, but it was something I knew I wanted to pursue long-term. By the end of college, I had grown a following on Instagram, and after graduation, I doubled down on social media.

What do you think makes your content unique?

I think my content is unique because I've focused on exploring fun fashion through the lens of being plus-size and sharing my journey trying to find and style cool clothes! That journey actually led me to starting my own clothing brand called Shiny by Nature, and I also now make content about my life as a business owner and clothing designer in addition to sharing other aspects of my life such as my health & fitness journey.

What is your mission as a creator? What do you think brings your online community together?

My mission as a creator is to foster a community of people who aren't afraid to express themselves through fashion and pursue the best version of themselves despite what other people say!

When it comes to growing your business, what is the number one thing you’re focused on?

When it comes to growing my content creator business, one of the top things I focus on is to make sure I am always trying new things and experimenting! It's easy to get stuck in patterns of making the same type of content over and over again but it is also important to evolve! We are all always-changing and it's great to stay true to ourselves.

Alex’s 3 Takeaways on Growth:

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Jump in on new tools early

In 2021, new tools like Reels and TikTok were gaining popularity, and short-form video was a powerful new tool for creators. Early on, Alex recognized the potential and took advantage of the trend by creating engaging and entertaining content on social media platforms, cross-posting on both Instagram Reels and TikTok. She attributes this early action to her growth over the last two years, going from over 37,000 followers to over 136,000 in 18 months.

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“The advent of the short form video has really helped a lot to be able to reach the audience that I want to reach that couldn't be reached before with just photo posts.”

ALEX OCHOA
@madebyalexnyc

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Post at least once per day

Alex has an intrinsic goal to post 1-3x per day per platform. In Alex’s case, consistency is key. In reviewing her June Month in Review, she posted 83 times in one month!

Backlog your footage

Posting 1-3x per day is a difficult task when we’re just not feeling up to it. To counteract this need, Alex recommends proactive vs. reactive filming and keeping a library of clips banked for future use, ready for trending audio. That way she can spend more time monitoring trending sounds and pulling from existing footage that works.

Feeling inspired?
Let’s get to it.

Growing your accounts doesn’t have to be a pie-in-the-sky dream — it’s about putting pen to paper and taking that first step toward growth. Here are a few steps to take to help you along the way.

Here’s how Fohr can help you grow your accounts:

1. Create an influencer profile on Fohr. Read more for 8 ways to use your influencer profile here.‍
2. Set Goals to help you grow. We offer a tool on your influencer profile Dashboard to set achievable milestones.‍
3. Subscribe to Negronis with Nord. This weekly podcast offers advice from our Founder & CEO, James Nord. He shares practice tips for business ownership and, when tipsy enough, hot takes on influencer marketing news.