There was always an innate feeling to follow what my heart said, and I am happy I took an unconventional decision at such a tender age, which not only opened an array of opportunities for me but also instilled in me the courage to break societal stereotypes and make my voice heard.
Tell us about your background and journey.
I am Abhinav Yadav - a plant dad, home décor & DIY enthusiast and an entrepreneur. I am an undergraduate with a Bachelor’s of Technology Degree in Computer Science & Engineering. My journey is no different to a regular Indian engineer who complete engineering first and then figure out what to do in life (pun intended). Not that I scored less or hated coding in classrooms, there was always an innate feeling to follow what my heart said, and I am happy I took an unconventional decision at such a tender age, which not only opened an array of opportunities for me but also instilled in me the courage to break societal stereotypes and make my voice heard.
What led you to start your page on Instagram and what is it about?
2020 saw unprecedented things unfolding and some of us had to take decisions that were just uncalled for. My life was no exception. While I sat back, waiting for the pandemic to get over so that I could travel abroad to pursue my Masters in MIM, social media happened. I created my IG handle to share my plant & DIY journey with fellow minds and the kind of overwhelming love that was showered upon me made me understand the bandwidth of a digital platform. What followed next was the toughest decision, I sent my withdrawal letter to one of the best business schools in the world and decided to stay back in India and start something of my own.
My handle @_createyourtaste_ talks about my journey of normalizing home duties irrespective of gender (even men can create aesthetic frames, is what my bio says), parenting my 700 plant babies and crafting sustainable DIYs for home décor. The sojourn is a mix of education & entertainment with ‘doing what you love’ being the pivotal ingredient in all aspects.
How would you distinguish the term blogger from an influencer?
The ever-changing digital world makes people use the terms ‘blogger & influencer’ interchangeably but I personally feel these are two separate entities and must be put into play accordingly from both- audience and brand’s point of view. Blogging is more about having a personal voice on a subject, sharing a piece of content which you loved, irrespective of any audience engagement or sale driven motives. While, influencer is all about promoting/selling a lifestyle to your niche audience whether or not you believe in it completely, in return of some external compensation. There is a common midway called “Influential Blogging” which I personally is the best way to have your presence felt on social media platforms.
Is it financially sustainable to be an influencer today?
Honestly, this question can’t be answered as Yes/No because the idea of being financially competent differs from individual to individual. However, if I talk about my case, I would say, yes you can but only if you know to monetize your audience well, if you know to strike the iron when it’s hot and if you know to explore the income opportunities in this career domain. Influencer marketing is the next big thing, digital marketing agencies are mushrooming at a rampant speed in India, the biggest of brands today want to work with influencers for the sole reason that influencers have a direct contact with their audience.
But the only roadblock is ‘no reference’ for the brands to pay and for the influencers to charge against their hard work. As a result of this, there are many who fail to channelize their power in the right direction and their status of being a content creator continues to live with a ‘Freelancing’ tag. Having said that, brand collaborations can only be an inner circle of your income as its a passive source (with nothing fixed), that’s why it's important to go beyond this and expand your identity as a brand in itself.
What do you think influences consumer behavior?
The biggest factor which influences consumer behavior is an honest & open relationship with your audience. The more you interact with them, let them feel a part of your virtual family, the better it is. The audience today is smart, they don’t want to be interacting with a bot behind the screen. There has to be a two-way communication where you hear them out, take in their suggestions/advices when required and allow them to be a part of your life. Only then can a trustworthy bond be built over time and your content stand a chance to influence their behavior. I feel lucky to have developed a supportive community over a span of 1.5 years where they appreciate my goods and when time comes, they are the first to correct my odds, which I genuinely appreciate.
What is your idea of success or your mantra in life?
Today I am a full-time content creator on Instagram and head my own home décor label 'CreateYourTaste' where I leverage the gap between local artisans of my hometown Varanasi and the world. From Karigars to Homes, was the broader vision which i started with and i feel proud to state that i currently am able to impact 60 lives around me by generating employment for them and allowing their talent to be put on display. All this wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t dream big and worked hard to transcend those dreams to reality. Thus, the only mantra I’ve had in life is, to envision big for myself and have the self-confidence to succeed in them. If I don’t start to believe in myself first, how do I expect to influence thousands of other lives !
How can someone become a successful social media influencer?
The day people stop aspiring to become an ‘influencer’ for monetary benefits as their primary goal, rather curate a feed to ‘inspire’ others with their work, I believe success would follow sooner or later. I absolutely agree that in this highly competitive field, we tend to deviate from our morals & ethics, sometimes due to lucrative offers and sometimes due to stagnant growth and it’s normal to do so. But we must remember that its a long journey, and we have to keep evolving and being the better versions of ourselves. And, that’s only possible if we open room for constructive feedback, analyze our growth graph well, maintain a healthy relationship with our audience and have the courage to keep experimenting something new constantly.
Interviewed By - Anushka
.jpeg)
0 Comments