ART CONTENT NEWSCREATOR IN FOCUS 74 <strong>June</strong> <strong>2023</strong> www.magzoid.com
Rafeez Ahmed Syed @tableeforone CONTENT CREATOR IN FOCUS - Exclusive to <strong>Magzoid</strong> Can you tell us about your journey as a food, travel, and lifestyle blogger? How did you get started and what <strong>in</strong>spired you to focus on <strong>the</strong>se specific niches? This has been a beautiful journey for me so far, spann<strong>in</strong>g two years. I started this page exactly two years ago with no idea or plann<strong>in</strong>g. The sole purpose of start<strong>in</strong>g this was simply because I was jobless, and I’m not someone who can sit idle do<strong>in</strong>g noth<strong>in</strong>g. Just to keep myself busy, I got <strong>in</strong>to this. That’s how simple my journey started with my page. With no niche, no idea or vision, plann<strong>in</strong>g, or what I was go<strong>in</strong>g to do with <strong>the</strong> page. I simply trusted <strong>the</strong> process. What is <strong>the</strong> story beh<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> name “Table For One”? How does it relate to your content and overall brand? The name “Table For One” literally describes my personality because I’m someone who enjoys my own company ra<strong>the</strong>r than be<strong>in</strong>g surrounded by lots of people. S<strong>in</strong>ce 2017, I’ve been stay<strong>in</strong>g alone and far away from my parents, so most of <strong>the</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs I used to do were by myself, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g out alone. That’s one th<strong>in</strong>g I’m used to say<strong>in</strong>g whenever I visit any restaurant. As a blogger, how do you come up with new content ideas to keep your audience engaged? Can you share some of your creative processes or sources of <strong>in</strong>spiration? I always tell myself not to get pressured to create content. That’s why, if you notice, you can see that 99% of <strong>the</strong> content I create is as natural as possible. I always th<strong>in</strong>k from <strong>the</strong> audience’s perspective and f<strong>in</strong>d out what <strong>the</strong>y are look<strong>in</strong>g to watch on my profile, and that’s how I do it. It’s very important to listen to your audience and f<strong>in</strong>d out what <strong>the</strong>y exactly need to stay relevant. With so many food, travel, and lifestyle bloggers out <strong>the</strong>re, how do you differentiate yourself and carve out your own unique brand and presence? What sets you apart from o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustry? As I mentioned <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> previous answer, I make sure to stay as relevant and as natural as possible with my content. That itself makes me stand out from o<strong>the</strong>rs. Everyone has <strong>the</strong>ir own personality, and when I showcase my true personality to <strong>the</strong> public naturally, I tend to believe I stand out <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> crowd. Also, I come from a photographer/ videographer background, which gives me an added advantage over many o<strong>the</strong>rs out <strong>the</strong>re, <strong>in</strong> general, to showcase <strong>the</strong> content <strong>in</strong> a visually pleas<strong>in</strong>g way. Could you describe your target audience? Who do you primarily create content for, and how do you tailor your posts to cater to <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>in</strong>terests and needs? From my research and knowledge, I firmly believe my target audience is university students and newly married couples. But I create any content keep<strong>in</strong>g one simple th<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d: whe<strong>the</strong>r it’s students or couples, I make sure my content is relatable and, most importantly, shareable to o<strong>the</strong>rs. In terms of food blogg<strong>in</strong>g, what k<strong>in</strong>d of cuis<strong>in</strong>es or d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g experiences do you enjoy featur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> most? Are <strong>the</strong>re any specific regional or <strong>in</strong>ternational cuis<strong>in</strong>es that you f<strong>in</strong>d particularly <strong>in</strong>trigu<strong>in</strong>g? I mostly love featur<strong>in</strong>g delicious eateries at affordable prices, consider<strong>in</strong>g what my audience is look<strong>in</strong>g for. But personally, I love Italian cuis<strong>in</strong>e, especially pasta. When it comes to travel, what are some of <strong>the</strong> factors that <strong>in</strong>fluence your choice of dest<strong>in</strong>ations? Do you prioritize certa<strong>in</strong> types of experiences or locations that align with your brand’s vision? Be<strong>in</strong>g a traveler, I always make sure to consider what excit<strong>in</strong>g factors <strong>the</strong> place has to offer me. That makes my job even more <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and easier to grab my audience’s attention. And most importantly, I make sure to showcase to my audience how to travel to any place at an affordable. As a blogger, build<strong>in</strong>g a strong onl<strong>in</strong>e presence is crucial. How do you engage with your audience and foster a sense of community? Are <strong>the</strong>re any specific strategies or platforms that you f<strong>in</strong>d particularly effective? Yes, Onl<strong>in</strong>e presence is very important <strong>in</strong> this field. There are 100 o<strong>the</strong>r new creators and bloggers com<strong>in</strong>g out every day. To stay relevant and mostly to be “Remembered” among all is <strong>the</strong> most challeng<strong>in</strong>g factor. What I do is stay as natural as possible with my audiences by constantly shar<strong>in</strong>g my personal <strong>in</strong>formation and day-to-day activities to keep <strong>the</strong>m connected with me always. Look<strong>in</strong>g ahead, what are your future plans and goals for your blog? Are <strong>the</strong>re any excit<strong>in</strong>g projects, collaborations, or expansions <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> pipel<strong>in</strong>e that you can share with us? Until this moment as I speak to you, just like <strong>the</strong> name says. I am a One Man Army. I do everyth<strong>in</strong>g all by myself and I have come to a po<strong>in</strong>t now to grow my page with many o<strong>the</strong>r creative people. So, I’m look<strong>in</strong>g forward to expand<strong>in</strong>g my team <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> com<strong>in</strong>g days. There are plenty of projects which I’m work<strong>in</strong>g on right now. One of <strong>the</strong>m is direct with <strong>the</strong> Government of UAE. How do you stay updated with <strong>the</strong> latest trends and developments <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> food, travel, and lifestyle <strong>in</strong>dustries? Are <strong>the</strong>re any resources or platforms you rely on for <strong>in</strong>dustry <strong>in</strong>sights? There’s noth<strong>in</strong>g such as resources I rely on. I simply follow my fellow creators and stay updated <strong>in</strong> general with whatever is happen<strong>in</strong>g to keep my content updated. What advice would you give to aspir<strong>in</strong>g food, travel, and lifestyle bloggers who are look<strong>in</strong>g to make <strong>the</strong>ir mark <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> onl<strong>in</strong>e world? What are some key lessons you’ve learned along <strong>the</strong> way? I don’t know if I’m yet able to give advice. But, from what I’ve learned <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se 2 years, I’d say, stay<strong>in</strong>g consistent is <strong>the</strong> most important factor <strong>in</strong> this field. Doesn’t matter if you get 10 views or 1 million views. Put <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> same amount of hard work <strong>in</strong> every content you create and make sure you are consistent. Because if you aren’t, people won’t remember you and <strong>the</strong>y will just move on to ano<strong>the</strong>r person. Lastly, what message would you like to give to <strong>Magzoid</strong> <strong>Magaz<strong>in</strong>e</strong> readers? To all <strong>the</strong> <strong>Magzoid</strong> readers. Thank you so much for support<strong>in</strong>g me and o<strong>the</strong>r fellow creators out <strong>the</strong>re. People like you is <strong>the</strong> reason why people like me are do<strong>in</strong>g what we are do<strong>in</strong>g right now. Thank you so very much - feature@magzoid.com www.magzoid.com <strong>June</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 75