Come behind the scenes with the brilliant travel + lifestyle influencer, Deepti Chandak, as she talks about her journey, goals and gives us an inside look into her life. We asked her about her favourite campaigns and what truly inspired her to become an influencer.
Who or what inspired you to become an influencer? What has your influencer journey been like? How did this all start?
Way back in 2012, I decided to start a travel blog as I loved travelling and was very keen to share my stories. I started writing blogs at www.jivewithdeepti.com and later, from a simple travel blog, it also became a lifestyle blog as my followers were very keen to know more about my lifestyle. I can safely say that my passion for travelling inspired me to become the influencer that I am today.
It wasn’t an easy journey, however, I did get the first-mover advantage. I was the first Asian to start influencing in the UAE in 2012 and within a year I won the title of ‘Best Asian Blogger’ at Masala Awards in Dubai and got nominated for several other awards.
- Won: ‘Best Asian Blogger 2013’ Masala Awards (Nominated for the same category in 2014 & 2015) UAE
- Nominated: ‘Best Female Personality’ at Ahlan People’s Choice Awards UAE 2014
- Nominated: ‘Best Blog’ at the Ahlan People’s Choice Awards UAE 2015 & 2016
- Nominated: ‘Lifestyle Social Media Star of the Year’ for the Stylist Magazine UAE Social Media Awards 2016 & 2017
In 2017, I moved back to India and settled in Mumbai and continued to build my base in the Indian market.
What would you consider your most successful brand collaborations? Why do you think they worked out so well?
These campaigns worked fantastic for the brand as it was a very smooth synergy with what I love to do. I got great feedback from the brands as a post-campaign report.
What are your favourite apps that you use? (editing, shooting, etc)
For video editing, I use InShot, Viva Video, and Samsung’s Inbuilt app.
If it’s basic editing, I use Instagram filters and editing options and for major editing I prefer Snapseed.
Which trends & formats in social media are you excited about?
IGTV and IG Live are good formats to add to the kitty. Videos definitely are the way forward for influencers. I am trying to develop skills for self-shot videos. I love Instagram as a platform, overall, and feel that it’s the best way to communicate the message in the format that you like- be it pictures, videos, or stories. A mix of all works great and is easy to communicate with your audience.
What’s your biggest challenge as an influencer?
As a travel influencer, I think one of the biggest challenges is to stay relevant at all times. One needs to maintain the social presence throughout and also to make your presence felt at all events in order to keep up the pace. Sometimes this can be stressful as you are always on the run. It feels like you are all over the place. I try to maintain that balance and prioritize accordingly but it is a difficult task.
Which brands do you think have done well with influencers? Why?
In recent times during quarantine, I’ve noticed some great campaigns.
John Jacobs Eyewear collaborated with lifestyle and fashion influencer Shaily Srivastava for the campaign #SeeItAll during the lockdown.
HDFC Bank collaborated with lifestyle influencer Hindola Chakravorty to promote an innovative approach to make people feel engaged during this lockdown, and especially the kids by unleashing their creative side.
Tell us the truth – how much time do you spend on social media? 🙂
Honestly, I spend 4 hours on an average on across all social media platforms.
What advice would you give to brands who are just starting out with influencers?
Select influencers that resonate with your brand.
Try different influencers for different campaigns to tap into a new audience.
And the bottom line: the content created should not look like a hard sell, but a smooth introduction of the brand in their life.
What’s your dream, or ultimate goal? Where is this path heading for you?
My goal is to be happy in whatever I do. I want to use my mind more than time to make my living. I know for a fact that I am on the right path. However, of course, I need to keep growing and learning every day to stay relevant in the influencer world.
Give us a thought to end with… Can be random, inspirational, whatever you want
“Get out of the race to be perfect. Be Human! It is totally ok to have flaws”. Be Real, Be You!
There you have it! An inside look into Deepti’s life and goals. Did you enjoy reading this? Then you MUST check out Simmy Goraya and Vaibhav from Chalchitra Talks.