Tiktok is a hot topic, but often stresses me out

With her natural, candid manner, the influencer Vivi König has built up a large fan base as the “girl next door”: over 130,000 people follow the 24-year-old on Instagram.

True to her motto “go with the flow”, she takes her followers into her life between film sets and flat share evenings in Berlin. In addition to short outfit videos and analog vacation snapshots, she posts professional fashion shoots and works as an actress. Most recently, she was in front of the camera for the Netflix mini-series “Life’s a glitch”. On her channel, she also campaigns for social issues such as sustainability, body positivity and feminism: She talks openly and easily about self-acceptance, promotes period underwear in cooperations and shows herself at climate strikes and “Black Lives Matter” demos – topics, that move Gen Z.

In an interview, König explains how she accidentally ended up in the role of influencer and how working with large and small brands differs.

Ms. König, tell us about your everyday life as an influencer.

It’s not really everyday. Every day is different depending on what projects are coming up and how involved I am. But I still try to have a kind of routine: get up at seven, shower, have breakfast, check emails and start with the respective tasks.

For example, if I have a normal cooperation, I first look at the briefing and the contract, create a board and think about how I want to implement my ideas. Then I ask photographers who I then book for the shoot and then organize the ‘production’.

They work with brands like Levi’s, Adidas and Reebok. How can you imagine this cooperation?

Every cooperation is unique, there is no standard example. For example, I had a long-term cooperation with Adidas that included a lot. I was an ambassador for a certain shoe and was invited to events and photo shoots in Paris. I also had a campaign shoot in Berlin and booked postings for my channel.

For large campaign shoots, the concepts are often already prescribed, but for small shoots I take care of all the steps – from the idea to implementation, delivery and of course the posting.

What is important to you in a cooperation?

It is important to me to work with selected partners who have an idea or a vision that I personally stand behind.

And when do you refuse a collaboration?

If I don’t stand behind the product or the message, I don’t have time, the budget is too small for the scope or I simply don’t like the products. But I often agree to a collaboration even though the budget doesn’t actually fit. In these cases, it is a sustainable or socially committed brand with a project that is worthy of support.

Your professional field has developed together with social media and is therefore still relatively new. How did the career choice come about?

I didn’t actively choose to do it. When I started posting photos back then, I didn’t even know that you could make money from it. It wasn’t until I received the first gifting inquiries and, shortly afterwards, the cooperation inquiries, that I realized that this could also be a job.

How did your job develop then?

At first everything was pure chaos. I had no idea about the job, I had just finished school and actually had completely different plans. In the beginning I worked a lot on a barter deal basis, i.e. content in exchange for products. Over time, more and more inquiries came in, and at some point, a budget.

How important is presence on Tiktok in your professional field?

Depending on what you want to achieve. But Tiktok is definitely ‘Hot Topic’. I have an account too, but haven’t posted much yet. The app stresses me too often.

What content and added value do you want to convey to your followers?

Honesty, transparency and authenticity are very important to me. I’m not interested in showing a ‘seemingly perfect life’. I show real moments from life, share experiences, tips and inspiration. I love the exchange and don’t see myself as a professional ‘influencer’, but rather as a ‘girl’ who offers a safe space and amicably shares everything possible with her people. I always keep a large part of my privacy to myself.

Do you see yourself as a role model for your followers?

As much as I would like to deny it and actually don’t want to take on this task, I am aware that some people see me as a role model. I don’t think you have any control over that. That’s why I don’t want to bend or pretend.

Are you sometimes confronted with clichés or prejudices about your job?

Yes, yes. But I think that’s the case in all professions. Many prejudices and clichés are also justified with regard to the profession of “influencer:in”. Compared to my previous jobs, I notice that the ratio of workload and stress to earnings is much more pleasant.

And how do you deal with such confrontations?

If someone tries to provoke me with unfounded arguments, I try to explain what’s really behind it and in doing so I also defend my job. But overall, most people are very cool about it.

Advice for people who want to follow a similar path.

Don’t compare yourself too much to others! Everyone goes a different way and not every way suits you. The most important thing is that you enjoy it, because if you don’t, you can leave it right away, otherwise it will be too tiring.

But if you are convinced, then ‘go for it’! Be brave, ‘connect’ with other people who inspire you and do what you want. The internet is a great place to let off steam and break the norm.

This interview was conducted in written form.