The day she delays posting her
morning ‘chai ki pyaali’ post as an Instagram story, she is bombarded with
messages from her favourite followers who enquire if ‘all is well’. That is the
strong camaraderie and loyal bonding she shares with her following on social
media. A doctor, who relocated herself from the US had no dreams that one day
her passion for food would bear such fruits. Geeta Hansaria has surely
come a long way and thanks to her zeal, passion and unique ideas, her Instagram
page has tremendous engagement from loyalists.
Geeta is surely an epitome when
it comes to content creation. Media stories have even branded her as “India’s
Numero Uno Thali Queen’. Her prime focus has been recipe creation, introducing
exotic veggies and conjuring up some amazing thalis. Over to Geeta to get some
candid insights about her journey as an influencer.
The interview:
Can you tell
us a little bit about how you got started and attained the position of an
influencer?
I started my Instagram page on a whim. I didn’t have any agenda
or roadmaps that would lead me to become an influencer. But one of my posts
went viral (the famous mango post) and I started taking my page more seriously
after that. When I almost crossed 10,000 followers, brands started approaching
and that’s how it all started.
How important
is authenticity to your review when it comes to influencer marketing? How do
you maintain your authentic voice, viewpoints and recommendations on your
social media while still partnering with brands?
Authenticity is the prime trait to be an honest influencer. My first criteria has always been a strong belief in the brand and what value addition it garners to my image. For example, I would never promote non-vegetarian food or alcohol as I am vegetarian and a teetotaller. I give honest reviews and I actually research the product before I agree to promote it.
Have there
been any brands or promotions you have refused since you didn’t believe in them?
Yes, there have been quite a few. Alcohol, non-vegetarian
food or some foods which are not healthy.
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interesting Social Media stories
How do you
plan the brand promotion in case of collaborations? What is the modus operandi
you follow?
The brand usually decides what they want. It could be
optional like a static post or video. Later, I discuss with the brand and
decide. I send them a script in case of a video and ask them to be on stand-by
when I am shooting so that the rough video is approved upright. This reduces
hassle and reshoots.
Read more
in Social Media Influencing Tips:
Do you take
advance part-payments before you start creating content for a brand? How do you
safeguard your payments? Any cases where you haven’t been paid your dues?
I prefer advance payments but unfortunately most agencies
don’t do that. There have been instances where I have been paid after almost a
year.
What platform, besides Instagram, do you think will be big in influencer marketing for 2021?
I feel any platform that has videos will be popular in
2021. Social media is a rage and short video platforms are entertaining since
they offer crisp content.
Do you have
any big goals as an influencer for 2021?
Yes! I want to establish my brand in different platforms
like YouTube also. It’s better to diversify on different platforms.
5 tips for
budding influencers who want to succeed in this field.
·
Focus on your content not just
numbers.
·
Consistency in posting content is an
essential which most content creators don’t comply with.
·
Get inspired don’t copy.
·
Keep up with trends.
·
Create your own niche so that you
stand out.
Geeta’s Instagram handle is @geetasfoodielife
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