Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Vishakha: I personally believe change is the only constant, talking digital blogging historically since Pyara Lab developed its blogger; it evolved as a primary mode of expression today. The journey of my blogging from mobile phone to action camera witnessed many turns.
Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented?
Vishakha: I wished I would have invented modern-day action cameras. I could have developed them in more friendly ways, sans all difficulties we face while making a travel vlog.
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Vishakha: Seriously, it happened a week before when I received an email from a college-going girl. I was highly emotional reading the mail from Siddhi, who was explaining to me how she was preparing herself to become a female moto-vlogger.
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Vishakha: It applies to each and everything under the sky. One must be mentally strong and strategically clear on what to be done and what not. I would rather say the more light you bring, the more darkness you can remove.
Ex: Do you think Influencer Marketing is a fad? Where do you see this space in years to come?
Vishakha: The journey just started and has a long way to go. If you see various recent studies, brands started looking at Influencer Marketing as a vital or topmost strategic priority. We still have to go a long way ahead. I was going through some recent studies which suggest around 75% of brands and agencies started developing independent, separate policies for influential marketing programs as a top priority.
Ex: What is your dream car or motorbike?
Vishakha: My dream car or bike must not be to drive or ride but to keep in a décor place with love and care. I am excited to ride CBR500 or Tiger in the future.
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Mithilesh: So, I am pretty new to the digital blogging space. It has just been 2 years, but I have seen a lot of content creators who are emerging, and that is something really exciting because this is just the start of the whole internet revolution in India. Lots of content creators are emerging from small towns and cities.
Ex:A technology you wished you’d invented?
Mithilesh: Realistic looking AI robot based on any of your loved ones.
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Mithilesh: This happened in the mall where I was shopping and there was a boy who was next to me talking to his sister about me and I heard the conversation and I waited there to see the reaction and after a few seconds he approached me and that was one of my first encounters and it was very special to me.
Ex:What does success mean to you?
Mithilesh: Definition of success for me keeps changing. Right now the definition of success for me is getting the diamond play button, but that is too materialistic. Overall, I want to be happy and should be able to achieve whatever I am dreamt of.
Ex: Do you think Influencer Marketing is a fad? Where do you see this space in years to come?
Mithilesh: Everybody wants to be an influencer these days and there is nothing wrong in that. Lot of them will try and a lot will fail, but that’s who will get good content creators/ influencers in the coming years.
Ex:Which three things does someone starting in the gaming industry need to know?
Mithilesh: 1.Pubg is not everything.
2.It is not just as easy as playing games and enjoying life, it can feel like a job. It takes real efforts.
3.There is a right time for you to start this. This is for all the kids who are in school and are sad because they are not growing on YouTube.
Ex:What would you say is the biggest challenge for a gaming influencer?
Mithilesh: There is always this constant pressure of not staying relevant anymore just because this space is so crowded right now and there are a lot more gaming creators that are going to emerge. So, it’s a big challenge to remain against the top, to co- exist and stay relevant.
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Shivesh: I have seen the influencer and blogging industry completely revolutionize in the past couple of years. When I started off, Instagram was already providing a space to experiment with newer content. Eventually, it bloomed like anything. The digital blogging space enabled brands to have real time engagement and simultaneously increase brand awareness. This space literally becomes more innovative every single day now. We have wonderfully transitioned from static content to more engaging and more dynamic content. People have really started to believe in influencer marketing and it is the new ‘in thing’ in the digital marketing industry. I have loved this process because the creative powers have now shifted from the hands of advertising agencies to independent individuals.
Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?
Shivesh: Often, people have the perception that being an influencer is an easy task. But, churning out content on a constant basis requires endless hours of ideation with my team, planning shoots, researching about newer and more public-friendly content, endless to and fro with brands and organizations, and so much more. We end up not having a 9 to 5 job but one that requires 24 hours of our energies. But at the end of the day, I absolutely love what I do and love creating, so I do not mind this one bit.
Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)
Shivesh: I have always loved anything related to mass communication, media, and related aspects. I even enrolled in Indian Institute of Mass Communication after completing my graduation. So, if I didn’t have Bake with Shivesh, I would definitely be a part of the world of Media.
Ex: If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?
Shivesh: I’d definitely take my phone, a power-bank, and a lighter to help me start some fires! A technology you wished you’d invented? Air pods, I think? They’re uber cool and have really made life 100% easier and convenient!
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Shivesh: There was one time when I had a workshop and a 60 year old very sweet woman came from a distance to meet me. She ended up telling me that I remind her of her grandson and this is by far the sweetest encounter I have ever had with a fan. Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter.
Ex: How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Shivesh: I think Baking is the perfect form of therapy for me. Sometimes, when I need an off from everything, I bake for myself or enjoy some ‘me-time’ with my movies, popcorn, and good food! Social media trolling is seeing an upward rise.
Ex: Do you think this only increases with the popularity of an Influencer? How does one tackle this situation?
Shivesh:Trolling is not limited to influencers with a huge following, it happens with budding bloggers and of course, even with celebrities. The best way to deal with it is to just block out the negativity. In the comments section, even one bad comment can really affect someone. My way is to see the many other positive comments and not allow one to affect me.
Ex:What does success mean to you?
Shivesh: Success to me means always having the opportunity to do what I love and what makes me happy. I feel successful when I post a recipe and I see people instantly trying it out, using the recipe to celebrate occasions and what not!
Ex: Do you think Influencer Marketing is a fad? Where do you see this space in years to come?
Shivesh:Influencer marketing is anything but a fad. It’s the fastest growing space in the digital marketing industry and it promises the greatest ROIs to major organizations. Sure, like every industry, it will take a turn here and there, evolve to become even bigger, but it’s not a fire that can be put out quickly.
Ex: Which is that one dish or cuisine that you haven’t tried yet but are looking forward to?
Shivesh:I really am looking forward to trying some Armenian food! I heard it’s super great and I’d absolutely love to give it a try What do you do to make your content unique from others? I think my style of food photography allows me to make my content unique and appealing. I invest proper time in setting up a particular set for my desserts and give the production process the attention it requires. Besides this, I love how I am able to churn out content on YouTube which has recipes that are super easy yet delicious!
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Ritik: The opportunity in the digital space is seen as a career and has picked up since I started the creator journey, specially in the space of gaming.
Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?
Ritik: Content Creation is a full time job. In which you are active 24/7 to keep up with the expectation of the audience and provide quality content.
Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)
Ritik: I am passionate about gaming and if not a game streamer I would be doing something in the same field, a game developer or maybe a tester.
Ex: If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?
Ex: What’s been your favourite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Ritik: All the interactions are special, first time fan interaction is something that brought a different experience.
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicentre. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Ritik: There are always two sides of the coin and you learn that in the process, we get appreciated for the good deeds and are also bashed for our mess ups. If you stay true to your personality, the audience accepts you for who you are and supports you in your ups and downs.
Ex: What does success mean to you?
Ritik: Freedom and love from our fans.
Ex: Do you think Influencer Marketing is a fad? Where do you see this space in years to come?
Ritik: It’s just begun, I am sure it has more to it.
Ex: Which three things do someone starting in the gaming industry need to know?
Ritik: Consistency is the key. Keep trying to stay true to yourself and you will find that you have created a space for yourself.
Ex: What would you say is the biggest challenge for a gaming influencer?
Ritik: Gaming demands speed in content creation, one should be able to create quality content daily to keep up with the standards.
Ex:Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Ujjwal: Rise of Mobile gaming as compared to PC gaming and competition.
Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)
Ujjwal: App Developer/ programming.
Ex:If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?
Ujjwal: Phone, Internet, and computer.
Ex:A technology you wished you’d invented?
Ujjwal: Mobile Gaming.
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Ujjwal:One of Ujjwals fan started crying on Discord live call.
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Ujjwal: Always be attentive, think twice before clicking on links from unknown/corrupted sources.
Ex: What does success mean to you?
Ujjwal: Owning my own gaming company.
Ex: Do you think Influencer Marketing is a fad? Where do you see this space in years to come?
Ujjwal: Influencer marketing is doing wonders for Brands and Influencers both. It has a great future as digital modernization is rapid.
Ex: Which three things does someone starting in the gaming industry need to know?
Ujjwal: Consistency, New trend, Content quality.
Ex: What would you say is the biggest challenge for a gaming influencer?
Ujjwal:Making your identity at the beginning because the competition is too much, a concern of gaining followers and family pressure at the same time.
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Tanmay: I’ve been in this community for the past 2 years , people here always had a curiosity of knowing what this is that I do on my PC all the time. With the Internet getting available to almost everyone in the previous years I’ve seen a lot of development here , more people have started to know me, even the ones around me now have a basic idea of what I do.
Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?
Tanmay: I don’t think there’s any ‘secret’ that only the influencers know, we are just like the normal crowd, what they know is what we know.
Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)
Tanmay: I’ve always wanted to be a professional football player , so I think it would be that.
Ex: If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?
Tanmay: An internet connection, my smartphone and a laptop maybe.
Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented?
Tanmay: Video Games , they are the ones that fascinate me a lot.
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Tanmay: I’ve had a fan who wrote a song and a rap for me , it was the best encounter I would say.
Ex:Social media trolling is seeing an upward rise. Do you think this only increases with the popularity of an Influencer? How does one tackle this situation?
Tanmay: Yup, surely this increases as the popularity goes up but as i said , believe in yourself , the others dont know what you have gone through to come up at a stage like this , you know you gave your 100% so you stick to it no matter what the haters/trollers say , we have 100 times more supporters and these haters/trollers.
Ex: What does success mean to you?
Tanmay: When I am happy about what I am doing.
Ex: Which three things does someone starting in the gaming industry need to know?
Tanmay: It might look easy , but you need to know that thousands are already fighting for what you dream to have. You need to develop an extraordinary skill in either Professional or Content making.
Ex: What would you say is the biggest challenge for a gaming influencer?
Tanmay: The people here in India never consider this as a career , though it has developed in these previous 2-3 years but still they need to know it is just like another JOB.
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Devashree: I started The crazy indian foodie 5 years ago when digital blogging was quite new. It’s evolved tremendously over the years.
Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?
Devashree: For me, posting consistently and posting unique, engaging content is the key to succeed on social media. If you have a business account you can see insights and keep track of what posts work best for you and post accordingly.
Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options) :
Devashree: I’m a lawyer too and I quit my job at a law firm two years ago to pursue blogging full time. If there was a parallel universe, I’d definitely continue my law practice.
Ex: If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?
Devashree: My phone, portable charger and laptop.
Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented?
Devashree: A time machine so I can travel back and forth in time to whatever place I want! Also a fresh gourmet food vending machine like the one in the Jetsons.
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Devashree: I was in Lonavala for a weekend and posted a story about it. A fan messaged me saying she’d love to meet me so we did and she baked me cupcakes with The crazy indian foodie on them, made me meet her whole family with a lot of excitement and we spent a lovely time together.
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Devashree: Every career has its good and bad side. There will always be trolls and people with lots of free
time on their hands who will pass offensive and derogatory comments but I choose to ignore them as there will be hundreds of others who will post positive, motivating ones. It’s something you learn to deal with over time.
Ex: Which is that one dish or cuisine that you haven’t tried yet but are looking forward to?
Devashree: There are so many on my list! I really want to travel to South America, Japan and Russia to try their local cuisines. Dish wise, In India too, there are a huge number of local dishes from various states that I’d love to try, for example food from North East India.
Ex: What do you do to make your content unique from others?
Devashree: I always add a personal touch to my content, post a mix of everything from street food to restaurants to unique destinations to luxury hotels to some lifestyle content too. There’s something in it for everyone and I always try to create high quality content that stands out.
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Somya: Back then it wasn’t, even so, commercialized there weren’t as many brands and influencers as well. So yes I think it’s become more of a profession now and not just one’s passion.
Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?
Somya: One thing which I think they might not realise from the outside is that it’s not roses all the way. It’s really difficult to shoot, edit and churn out content daily and it takes a lot of commitment.
Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)
Somya: If not this then I would have tried my hands on acting.
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Somya: All of them have been super special to me, because all of them are so sweet, I can’t choose one.
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Somya: To be honest, I have been really lucky that I haven’t had to go through a phase like that, I hardly get negative comments, also I have learnt to ignore those. Also, my family and especially my mom always tell me to stay chill and not let things affect me.
Ex: What does success mean to you?
Somya: I have always believed in being happy and spreading happiness and that’s what it is for me. I just want to keep creating content and make my audience happy.
Ex: When was the first time you bought your dream makeup product and which one was it?
Somya: When I started, I wasn’t into makeup at all. Later when I started going for photoshoots and stuff is when I discovered makeup so I didn’t really have a dream product.
Ex: What would you tell young girls when it comes to ideals of beauty that our society has set up?
Somya: Keep your head high, work hard, be kind and rest will follow, also remember to keep smiling.
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Sejal:Digital blogging space is constantly growing. Now, people are more accepting of this career path. Space has evolved immensely over the years as now, the audience is aware of the content they want to consume and thus, the creators are putting out as relatable, useful, and entertaining content they can. Earlier I would find it difficult to even explain my profession but now we are getting recognized even in traditional media which feels great!
Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented?
Sejal:Airpods! I think they are such a good device for anyone! Creators especially! I’ve used them in a million different ways to create content
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Sejal:On a family trip on the train to Amritsar, this girl figured out which day I was leaving via my stories and somehow even my coach reading the names on the train! She came to our seats and said ‘yes finally found you!’ My grandparents were so shocked and I was too! She had an adorable scrapbook with her with my pictures that I signed and I was in complete awe. BUT thank god this wasn’t a creepy guy, I’ve been careful with my stories since then!
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Sejal:It is not easy. I love my job and I am grateful for everyone that loves my work but there are people who will always want to bring you down. Most of the time, I try to not let the hate get to me. I think taking a break, meditating, and believing in yourself is the only way ahead!
What does success mean to you?
Sejal:A side product of doing something that fulfills me and keeps going every day, even if some days are bad.
Ex: As Fashion-Tech is on the rise, what is your take on this new style of couture? Do you think it’s here to stay?
Sejal:Fashion and Tech are the two things I love. I think it’s a beautiful combination. Yes, it is here to stay. I am continually impressed with how creative people get day by day.
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Usaamah: I started off 6years ago, at a time when there were hardly 10 bloggers in the country, of course digital marketing is on a high right now & hence there are more bloggers in the space.
Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)
Usaamah: I’d run a restaurant in Greece
Ex: If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?
Usaamah: Phone, GoPro & a Drone
Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented?
Usaamah: self driving cars
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Usaamah: A reader once tracked me down to a club in London, through my Instagram stories.
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Usaamah: I’m very content with what I do & where I am, obviously this comes with time & understanding your space.
Ex: Social media trolling is seeing an upward rise. Do you think this only increases with the popularity of an Influencer? How does one tackle this situation?
Usaamah: trolling & negativity is very common, one has to really put those things aside & move on with whatever they’re doing. Ofcourse it has a lot to do with an individuals thinking & maturity.
Ex: What does success mean to you?
Usaamah: Being happy is success to me. I don’t think anything monetary necessarily defines success, because that will always be a never ending process.
Ex: Do you think Influencer Marketing is a fad? Where do you see this space in years to come?
Usaamah: influencers do change a perception of a brand. Also proven to be very successful for brands even if they’re doing something already existing in the market. Influencer marketing creates the vibe of the brand on a whole.
