Yiwu Industrial and Commercial College in Zhejiang Province, China, has tapped into the booming influencer economy. As young people—and many others—spend hours scrolling smartphone feeds filled with food, lifestyle, fashion, and beauty content, the college recently introduced a "modeling and convenience" course. This program equips students with the skills to excel as bloggers and Instagrammers.
What does this innovative course cover? Students learn to perfect poses, sharpen fashion instincts, create professional makeup tutorials, master Photoshop, and identify optimal posting times. While it may sound unconventional, it makes sense in China’s vast market: 1.3 billion people, with 700 million smartphone users. Currently, all 34 enrolled students are women.
It's no surprise China is pioneering this. Asian tourists are known for photographing everything from food to fashion and endless selfies. Influencing is big business—China's EnjoyPhoenix earns about €19,000 monthly across three YouTube channels; U.S.-based SevenSuperGirls pulls in €234,000 per month; and Instagram product placements can fetch up to €50,000 monthly. Will France follow suit? Would you enroll?
