BusinCarolina Matos: Social Media Strategy for the Stars (and Beyond)
Carrie Bradshaw was and is an icon to so many women. But, what if she came of age in the era of social media? It’s likely that she would be just like Carolina Matos. This native of Portugal loves fashion and, with a background in fashion journalism, it seemed destined that she would become the editor of a major fashion publication. However, the world changed to become digitally based and Carolina’s nerdy tech side got the better of her. She’s still retained her love for fashion but has found her niche in the present day as a social media strategist for famous and talented women who share a similar affinity. Matos possesses a skillset not to be taken lightly. She’s been able to expand the client base and presence of brands like Micaela Olivera and many others, taking them into the realization of an expansive modern market potential. Carolina’s organic evolution from Styling and Fashion Production to the digital world is the perfect career for her self-described love of clothes and math.
When Iva Domingues left Portugal to relocate in Los Angeles, it was a professional leap of faith. Leaving behind a successful journalism and presenter on TV and radio back home to start over in Hollywood requires the kind of self-belief that few have. It’s a requirement for international success. Appearances as a presenter at premier events including the Oscars, Golden Globes, Grammys, and Emmys vet this decision as well founded. Domingues had met Matos at Lisbon Fashion Week where the latter was producing. Enlisting Carolina to contribute her talent to Iva’s brand, the two began working together to maximize Iva’s online presence. Social media strategies and styling for TV events were crafted by Matos, resulting in an image which Domingues retains to this day. An important part of business in the career of celebrities is the contracts they hold with brands; making their display in social media content a major requirement. Navigating the approval of all brands by these major TV events as well as signing brands that are complementary to that of Iva’s public image required much more planning and coordinating than one might expect. The list of brand contracts which Domingues retains to this day are evidence of Carolina’s consummate expertise.
Actress and host of Mais Mulher for SIC Mulher (the largest women-focused channel in Portugal) Ana Rita Clara utilized Carolina’s talents in ways ranging from editorial content for her Blog(Ana272.com) to creating looks for her TV show and special events. Though she contributed to increasing Ana’s social media reach and identity with the same positive results as Iva Domingues, the sentiment behind each was vastly different. Matos remarks, “It’s profoundly important to not simply understand the way that you are communicating someone but to also truly understand who they are and how they want to be seen. We all have some of that but for those in the public spotlight it is also their livelihood. It’s certainly an interesting part of my work. In regards to Ana, she’s very much about being in the moment and wearing the trends of the moment. That’s not the kind of attitude that everyone has. It’s very important to make the person I work with be comfortable with the way I’m presenting them. When I do my job, they become much more famous and being at ease with that public persona makes a huge difference.”
It seems only natural that Carolina’s latest project would be one which exposes the talent of her home country to the US. Currently in the formative stages and being referred to as “Fashion Collective LA”, Matos wants to represent and give voice to Portuguese talent in Los Angeles by providing Social Media and branding services that will allow for an easier transition to this market. Confident of the exceptional talent in Portugal, she feels that LA is the ideal setting for this venture. Matos notes, “I’ve seen the immense interest with brands I’ve worked with such as Micaela Oliveira and others. I’m confident that it will be easy to find an audience [customers] for these designers and their brands because Beverly Hills housewives like to possess brands that are out-of-bounds for most. It’s an ideal complement.” Most of us have a personal and spontaneous relationship with SM. Carolina Matos conceptualizes, considers the input of many individuals and brands about the tone and content, writes captions that range from friendly to formal, all in the service of the personality/brand of others. Designer, photographer, writer, confidant, and manager; all these are components of what makes Carolina Matos such a sought out and successful social media manager. Carrie and Mr. Big would be proud.
