- Influencer Amra Olević Reyes is sick of people talking down influencers.
- She said being an influencer is a tough job not everyone can do, because it's a hybrid of many roles such as a stylist, makeup artist, photographer, editor, and creative director.
- "The only people that discredit influencers are those that tried it and didn't succeed," she said in a tweet. "Don't throw stones now just cause you didn't pop."
- Reyes told Insider she decided to share her thoughts because she thought her background on the topic would "share a light on the misconceptions about the nature of what we do in a positive and factual way."
- Some people made fun of her in the replies to her tweet, but many others applauded her for speaking up.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Influencer Amra Olević Reyes is tired of people criticizing her job. On September 27, she tweeted that she was tired of the current trend of influencer bashing because it's a job not everyone can do.
"An influencer is a hybrid of many jobs," she said. "A stylist, makeup artist, hair stylist, photographer, editor, creative director."
She said not many can actually pull it off and remain consistent, so she doesn't want to hear any "influencer slander" ever again.
"The only people that discredit influencers are those that tried it and didn't succeed," she said in another tweet. "Don't throw stones now just cause you didn't pop."
An influencer is a hybrid of many jobs. A stylist, makeup artist, hair stylist, photographer, editor, creative director. And y’all still saying it isn’t legitimate? FOH lol. Not many can do it & stay consistent. Ion wanna hear no influencer slander again.
— Amra Olević Reyes (@amrezy) September 27, 2019
Reyes, who has 5.8 million Instagram followers, told Insider she decided to tweet her thoughts about this because she wanted to "share a light on the misconceptions about the nature of what we do in a positive and factual way."
"There are many layers to this job," she said. "Engagement is key, which is accompanied by the need to create visually impactful content in a short amount of time, hitting deadlines, and constantly creating conversations with my audience requires my full attention and commitment."
Most importantly, it's a business, she said, and she dedicates as much time to her career as any other professional "striving to push boundaries and try new things."
She said she's made a "24/7" commitment to stay on top of her game.
"Much like any other freelance career it is up to us to create and develop our own opportunities, and with this comes a lot of pressure and behind-the-lens complexities that aren't seen in a static photo," she said. "Time management, editing, and constant attention to detail is crucial if you want to keep your audience growing."
Read more: Being an Instagram influencer is hard work, and people who hate on them are just jealous
Influencers are often considered fair game to make fun of, with people saying it's not a "real job" and that it can't be hard work at all.
Reyes did receive some criticism following her tweet from people who thought she shouldn't give herself labels like "hairdresser" if she wasn't licensed. Others were quick to mock, like one person who replied to Reyes' tweet where she said she encouraged her audience to go after their dreams and love themselves by saying: "I have a Walmart pillow that does the same thing."
But many people in the responses applauded Reyes' words because they felt the same way.
"And can we talk about the confidence?" one fan replied. "You have to be confident and secure of yourself in order to put yourself in front of millions of people. That is a hard task in itself. I know I could never do that."
Reyes said it has taken dedication and commitment to create her brand, which she and her husband built from nothing. She told Insider she now has "a voice people trust" so her followers know that her reviews are authentic and genuine, which can be "misunderstood if you are unfamiliar with the nature of the industry."
She also knows it's the opinions of her loyal followers that matter most.
"Many aspects of this job leave you in a position for feedback of all kinds, the good and the bad, and of course I have received the bad!" she said. "However, I have created an extremely close relationship with my followers that support me in any venture I decide to take on, which I'm incredibly grateful for."
Read more:
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Animated map shows where American accents came from