Singaporean influencer Mongabong says people warned her about being friends with Xiaxue

Why I Do What I Do is an original AsiaOne series where we showcase people with uncommon professions and what it takes to get there.

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They pose for photos, get paid hundreds to thousands of dollars for a sponsored post, and go around events socialising — influencers have it easy, don't they?

We spoke to Yeoh Mongchin, 26, better known by her IG handle @mongabong, who has over 200,000 followers to date, to find out what it takes to be a beauty and lifestyle influencer.

Introducing herself as a Social Media Marketer instead, Mongchin was almost too embarrassed to be called an "influencer" because of the negative connotation that comes along with it, not that she disagrees.

"People see influencers as "bimbotic", people who don't work hard...wait for things to fall from the sky, people who are attention-seeking, who want to be famous.

"These are traits that people don't like."

A LEGITIMATE JOB

To associate every influencer with the aforementioned traits would be unfair, so it's only understandable why Mongchin tries to avoid using the term "influencer" when people ask what she does.

Though she explains it's not all that bad, especially when more people are increasingly starting to see influencers as a legitimate job.

Businesses shifting to engage influencers rather than buying ad spaces show just how powerful social media has become.

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Her dad was very supportive of her as he has been working in China for 10 years and saw how lucrative the 'wang hong' (internet celebrity or influencer) economy is.

Her mother, on the other hand, thought it would be better if she had a stable job when she first told them she wanted to do this full-time.

RISING TO FAME

Being an influencer was partly accidental.

"I first started four years ago, it was just a hobby...like every teenage girl, I started with having a blog first. Instagram was like my fashion diary."

It also helped that Mongchin had exposure from her modelling experiences on online blogshops in her university days, where she would post the clothes given to her as a token of appreciation for her hard work.

Fast forward to today, Mongchin has amassed 200,000 followers on her Instagram account and has a small team to help her with her day-to-day tasks, including taking photos for her, editing her videos and more.

She shares that the industry is becoming very competitive and there are higher barriers to entry as compared to when she first started.

"Not only do you need to know how to take pictures, edit pictures. You also need to be engaging."

Fortunately, that's not a feat for her as Mongchin has taken an interest in photography and has sheepishly shared that she is a little obsessed with cameras and lens and wouldn't hesitate to get the best equipment for work.

'YOU LOOK SO UGLY WITHOUT MAKEUP'

When others are fronting the camera with their made-up dollish looks, sometimes she has to go bare-faced for her makeup tutorials.

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When asked what was the worst comment she has ever received, Mongchin recalled with a slight sigh, "You look so ugly without makeup".

It was a hard pill to swallow, but she welcomes feedback and has since tried to view every negative comment positively.

"I teach people how to (do) makeup, if I look the same and don't look better with makeup it means I'm not good at what I do."

POLITICS AMONG INFLUENCERS

As with any regular job or industry, there are bound to be politics and conflicts.

"It boils down to personal relations and EQ (emotional intelligence), which we all need in everything we do," said Mong Chin.

Does that apply to her friendship with Xiaxue too? 

Many would see it as walking into the lion's den by hanging out with the OG influencer, known for ruthlessly bringing down fellow influencer friends whom she's fallen out with before.

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"People have warned me though, one day it'll happen to you. But she's really not what you guys think she is."

"Our personalities are the complete opposite, she's extremely loud, I'm quite an introvert. It's fresh to have someone like me in her life, who wouldn't be bickering with her all the time."

On a lighter note, having recently tied the knot early this year with her university beau, Mongchin sees herself becoming a mummy influencer, but that would likely be two years later.

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"I still think I have the best job in the world and I would like to do it for as long as I live."

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melissagoh@asiaone.com