Behind the glitz and glamour

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social media influencer Kelly Ng Yen Fang often reminds her followers to be kind and courageous. While the attention given as an influencer can give her a sense of honour, Kelly conceded that at times it can be strenuous.

Keeping up with the trends to stay relevant

Starting her journey as a social media influencer four years ago, Kelly Ng Yen Fang said that one cannot stay in the comfort zone for too long, “We always need to push ourselves forward because we never know what is in front of us. We always need to be brave to step out and see what’s next.

Kelly said that when you have too much attention, it is difficult to be yourself.

“It’s important for us to be courageous. For me, I am staying alone in Kuching, while my family lives in Sabah. It can get scary, hence I always tell myself and everyone to be brave,” the 27-year-old said.

Kelly found her passion during her time working as a radio announcer for a local station. “Working in that industry required us to manage our social media everyday. Our clients and listeners will often look for us to promote their products and services.”

Hoping that her presence can help the world become a better place, Kelly often shares the importance of good values in her social media.

With over 10,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram, the former announcer shared that despite leaving the radio industry, she still maintains the image. “I still feel like it is a responsibility for me to continue sharing good values with my followers.”

However, every good has its bad. While being an influencer gives her a sense of honour, Kelly conceded that at times it can also be take its toll.

“When you have too much attention, it is difficult to be yourself. There was one time I went out without make-up, and I looked pale as I was not feeling well,” Kelly recalled. She was worried that people would question her on her appearance.

“Someone came and asked if I was really Kelly, and I felt so scared because I looked ugly at the time. But I guess, over time, you need to accept comments about you,” Kelly said.

According to Kelly, these day viewers are clever. They will know if a post is an advertisement, they would usually ignore it.

She then shared a time when she received bashful and negative comments. “I did a cover video and it garnered a lot of shares. Some wrote positive words of encouragements, and some were not too friendly and hurtful.”

“However, I told myself that if I want to be in the industry, I have to be calm and learn to let go. I actually almost cried reading the rude comments!

However, most likely they were written at the spur of the moment, and it’s highly likely that they’ll forgot about it tomorrow,” the ever-positive Kelly said.

Despite having to face setbacks, she feels glad that her presence on social media platforms can and may help anyone in any way. “I’ll be happy if a product I share is of use to others. Furthermore, as an influencer, you are never alone. You will always receive love and concern from your followers. And that is what keeps me going,” she added.

As a young lady, Kelly admitted that she loves the centre stage. Back in the day, she regularly involve herself in school activities and even hosted her secondary school’s radio programme. Currently, the outgoing lass is an event emcee and vocalist.

Kelly Ng Yen Fang is not only a social media influencer, she is also an event emcee.

She never thought of becoming a social media influencer. “Back then, there was no such thing as an influencer.” Reminiscing about the days when she first got a boost in followers, she recalled how stressful it was to maintain the image, “You always need to be trendy, in order to stay relevant.”