"Success Is Simply Doing Better Than I Did Yesterday' - Juhita Gupta

Vayun July 25, 2020

Want to become a writer at Eat My News? Here is an opportunity to join the Board of Young Leaders Program by Eat My News. Click here to know more:​ bit.ly/boardofyoungleaders


1. Tell us about your background and journey

I started my blog in late 2017. I was experimenting with minimalism at the time and I thought it would be a good idea to document and share my experience with others. I had little knowledge about blogging and was largely inactive on social media. I learnt the ropes slowly and discovered Instagram. 

Over the next few months I found that Instagram and microblogging was more suited for me than a weekly blog post, so now it's my primary medium. 

Over time I have built a small audience and credibility by posting about things that are important to me. Since my main aim with blogging was to share my experiences, that's what I focus on even today. I primarily share my experiences about fashion, beauty and life in general.

Recently I also started vlogging on Trell and there I focus mainly on beauty. It's been a fun journey and I enjoy creating my content. The response from my audience is a lovely bonus.


2. What led you to start your page on Instagram and what is it about?

I started on Instagram because I was looking for ways to increase the reach of my blog. I found out from a little bit of research online, that Instagram was a good place to share content relating to fashion. 

My content on Instagram is focused on fashion, beauty and life in general. I share my experiences, thoughts and ideas.

3. How would you distinguish the term blogger from an influencer?

To be honest, I'm quite uncomfortable with the word influencer being used to describe digital content creators. I think everyone is an influencer at some level. Two friends discussing where to shop is them influencing each other. A parent discussing school choices with another is an influencer. A shopkeeper recommending one product over another is an influencer.

I think of myself as a blogger simply because I share content in a relatively more structured set-up. It's curated content that is thought through and planned. My focus is on creating and sharing content, not in influencing any decision making process. Of course, any time I put a content out, it is very likely to influence someone.

4. Is it financially sustainable to be an influencer today?

I think there's definitely scope to make a living out of content creation but it will take time to get there. Initially a lot of work happens on barter or very little pay. However once you do build a solid audience, I think it would be feasible to sustain yourself financially with blogging/vlogging.

5. What do you think influences consumer behavior?

Consumer behaviour is dynamic and is influenced by multiple factors at any given time. Like right now consumer sentiment is low and hence spending on non-essential items has taken a backseat. 

However talking from a purely promotional aspect, I think consumers like to buy things that they see around them often. High frequency builds a sense of comfort and openness to try. That's why a lot of social media marketers focus on building a buzz around their products. 

The second aspect is credibility or subject matter expertise. For example if I'm looking to buy a laptop I would pay attention to what is being said on tech blogs.

6. What is your idea of success or your mantra in life?

I think success is a relative term. It is a ladder and you always want to keep climbing higher. When I had 500 followers I wanted to grow my audience and I continue to want to do that. As a content creator, I want my content to reach out to as many people as possible. So success is simply doing better than I did yesterday.

7. How can someone become a successful social media influencer?

The starting point should not be about becoming an influencer, I think. It should be about sharing your knowledge and experience so that it can be helpful to others. If you do that with honesty, you will gain credibility as a content creator. 

This credibility will help to gain newer audiences and reach out to more people with your content. Influence is simply a by product of it all.

8. Which is your favorite book and why?

I have so many favourite books. I love the Harry Potter series. I also recently read The Godfather which I can't stop recommending. I think good stories teach you something about human nature without being preachy and all my favourite books tend to fall in this bracket.

Interviewed By - Vayun Sahni