Saloni’s Success: A Food Influencer's Handbook for Staying Relevant in the Digital Age

In the ever-evolving digital buffet of content, staying relevant as a food influencer is the key to maintaining a delectable online presence. Just like a perfectly seasoned dish, keeping up with trends, engaging with followers and dishing out visually appetising content ensures your flavour doesn't fade away on the internet. In the fast-paced world of bytes and bites, staying relevant isn't just a trend – it's the not-so-secret tip to keep evolving online, and Saloni Kukreja has cracked the code. Saloni, a culinary maven, swirls through the food cosmos with zest, turning mundane meals into whimsical wonders. Her Instagram canvas is a gastronomic playground where every dish becomes a masterpiece, sprinkled with a dash of quirkiness.

Let’s understand her ways of staying relevant and secrets to her unique brand.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

What are some key factors a budding influencer should keep in mind while building their own brand?
I would definitely recommend to jot down what differentiates you, whether it is the style that you're shooting in, the kind of recipes that you are shooting, and who your target audience essentially is, who are you making these particular recipes for, and whether these types of recipes or type of food content works for that target market or helps them. This way you know for sure what kind of value you are adding to your content and to your brand overall.

What strategies do you use to keep your content fresh and interesting over time?
I think the best strategy is just being online and seeing what is working, what it is people prefer to watch or engage with. Whether it is a specific method of cooking, or are they observing the kind of ingredients used and the style of cooking, whether it's one pot recipes or they want something quicker. I think just studying the trends online gives you a good insight.

How do you balance between showcasing popular trends and staying true to your personal style?
This is a bit tricky. We always like to make original content which takes a lot of hard work. And a lot of times a piece that you really put everything into doesn't really do well. On the other hand, something that didn't require much effort but was probably trending end up performing beyond your expectations. So I think, by figuring out that balance and maintaining it you can decide what you want to do. You would hope your original content does as well as these posts, too, but that scenario is not the truth, sadly. So you have to use your own sense as well as once in a while dabble into the trend.

How do you keep yourself updated with food trends? Or rather how do you train your eye to watch out for trends?
I think understanding metrics of the post overall, and then the kind of communication that is happening on that particular post helps you gauge whether and how people are responding to it. Usually for trending topics, there is a mix of positive and negative. But you know, just to gauge even the negative interaction—how negative it is, if it's just people being silly or whether the reaction is valid—will help you adjust your social media strategy accordingly.

Which social media platforms do you find most effective for reaching and engaging with your audience in the food niche?
According to me, Instagram and YouTube are definitely the primary channels. We are on Pinterest and Facebook as well but Instagram and YouTube works really when we talk about impressions. But at the same time you also have to remember that the audiences are very different on these platforms and posts that work on Instagram may not work on YouTube and vice versa.

How important is consistency in posting, and how do you maintain a regular posting schedule?
Consistency is everything. Especially with all the clutter online, it's very tough to get the reach that we used to but I think for staying consistent, you need to be active and you need to keep coming up with unique ideas. It's a lot of pressure but that's just how the platform works. Especially if you're doing this full time, you have to give it your all. You have to have a schedule and be regular with it. I think planning at least a week in advance works best at helping you be consistent.

What are some challenges that a food influencer can expect in their journey, according to your experience?
I think staying relevant and also distinguishing yourself from someone else is a big challenge. because a lot of people are doing the same thing. There are a lot of people that are willing to follow you but to get them to actually do it is the challenging task. It’s also difficult to get your audience to engage with you consistently, when you know they have a relatively short attention span. I've seen that change over time and also just adapted to different formats. So a lot of times you have to create content based on what people want, whether it is short-form content or otherwise. I, personally, would love to make a full length video teaching people how to make bread, but nobody has that kind of patience to watch.

What advice do you have for someone looking to continuously grow and evolve in the food influencing industry?
The most important thing is figuring out what works for you and how you differentiate yourself from the clutter. You can definitely make a mark, but again, it has to be something which has never been done before. You can definitely start without having it all figured down to the T because the more you do this, the more your mind will open up into how you can set yourself apart. So, just get started, have a definitive strategy in place and don't overthink it. I think that definitely is something that you should keep in mind when you are starting.

From sassy cooking tutorials to comical food reviews, Saloni Kukreja stands out as the go-to personality for those craving a delightful blend of flavours and fun in the world of culinary content. And we hope that these insights help you grow as well!