Such sponsored posts have proved to be effective marketing strategies. Liu told the New Zealand Herald:
“I thought I’d just sell a few. It just grew exponentially.”
Of the $2.5 million revenue, Liu has made nearly a million in profit. The commerce student has gained great monetary success, but she said the investment didn’t pay off right away.
“The return was not as fast as I thought it would be.” Liu said.
In addition, Liu has learned that not all sponsored Instagram posts have the same results. She once paid New Zealand reality star and glamour model Rosanna Arkle for a post only to realize later on that most of the followers on her account were men.
Liu’s products have also been met with criticism from medical experts who consider the health risks of a waist trainer corset. Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, clinical professor of OB/GYN at Yale School of Medicine, told Women’s Health magazine:
“Medically, it doesn’t make sense that cinching your waist tightly will make it permanently smaller. Once you take the garment off, your body will return to its usual shape.”
“It’s also uncomfortable, restricts your movements, and, if you wear it really tight, it can even make it difficult to breathe and theoretically could cause rib damage.”
Though Liu’s parents are business-savvy property developers, she says she didn’t depend on their connections to grow her business. Her online boutique started as a side project while she was at university.
However, Liu says she has always had an entrepreneur’s spirit at a young age. When she was 13, she started importing products from China and selling them outside of school.
