Geeta Hansaria – India’s Numero Uno Instagram Thali Queen.
Passion and persistence are the hallmarks for 2020. Go ahead and fulfil your dreams and aspirations with renewed gusto just like NRI Doctor and food-lifestyle blogger and Instagrammer Geeta Hansaria did.
Just being a
mom and wife wasn’t the dream Geeta had. The innate foodie in her prompted her
to carve her niche for herself on Instagram. Today, she has a verified
Instagram blue-tick account, is endorsing various brands and has a regular fan
following who eagerly await her Thali posts.
Over to an
interview with India’s Numero Uno Instagram Thali Queen, where she willingly shares some
nuggets of wisdom.
From a
Doctor to an Instagrammer, influencer, blogger and more. Tell us about your
journey into blogging?
As it is
rightly said, the way to man’s heart is through his stomach. Post marriage, I moved
with my husband to the US. If your husband is a foodie, you surely want to
curate amazing dishes for him. That’s what I did in my spare time. Those days,
social media wasn’t so active yet I used to keep clicking and reinventing my
recipe file.
Post my return to India, I started my
Instagram page (@geetasfoodielife) on a whim and unexpectedly the response was
amazing and my followers kept asking for more updates.
Was it
instant popularity or did you have to work towards it?
Success comes
to those who work consistently and persistently. That’s what I did. What shot
me to fame (April 2018) was my famous Alphonso mango Thali. That post went
viral and there was no looking back. Post that my other posts also garnered
organic likes. The branding of ‘Thali Queen”, “Viral Foodie Queen' have all
been coined by my followers.
With the
euphoria piling up, I started innovating with unusual Thali / platter concepts
on a regular basis. My 10-year old daughter is also active on social media and now
we jointly feature in brand collaborations.
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Your
content has no fancy glamourized trappings, it’s just what a regular Indian
foodie would succumb to. Has that been your USP always?
You
seemed to have nailed it right for sure. My Thali posts are in sync with how
you would expect your Mom to serve you food. No glam-sham, just realistic
showcasing of everyday food. I avoid fancy plating too. Yes, how I do make it
different is with the captions and content writing. I spend time on writing
either a jingle or something truly relatable for the Indian audiences. That’s what
they love the most.
Besides
this, I work my own self-styled and curated series like my
#Saturdayselfiewithfood, #merihealthythali or #meralunchbox. It’s my followers who
keep inspiring me to churn out original and quirky content.
Any
tips for inspiring bloggers or Instagrammers?
The
writing on the wall is clear – JUST FOLLOW YOUR PASSION. There could be some
brickbats coming your way, ignore it. Be consistent, unique and the followers
will come. That's how you make your niche stronger since it has your personal touch.
In
2019, your Instagram profile has been honoured with a blue-tick. Does that help
you for brand endorsements?
A blue-tick
is surely a cherished achievement from Instagram. This wouldn’t have been possible
without my husband’s support or my little foodie daughter who at times dabbles
as my in-house photographer and critic. Yes, brands do value and notice your
contributions towards your niche. The journey for brand endorsements has
improved tremendously and fortunately now I get my true worth.
Any
dream projects taking shape in 2020.
My
Thali is already full (laughs) with the influx of work I have taken up. I am
almost half-way through with my cookbook. Plans are to get my food and lifestyle
website going too. I have a long list of Thalis I want to curate. It’s the love
and genuine feedback of my followers that motivates me to be different with
every post.
