The Woderful World of Instagram: Food Blogging

The Wonderful World of Instagram Food Blogging

The rise of the internet has created a vast landscape of culinary expertise. While Julia Child once reigned as a queen from broadcast television and Fanny Cradock once ruled the airwaves by passing on tips, power to influence food trends has become more democratized online.

Through platforms such as Yelp and Instagram, foodies no longer need to rely on the more traditional forms of communication. Gone are the days of scribbling down recipes as they’re described on the radio or television. No need to ask a friend or read a travel book for good restaurant referrals. Food influencers are taking over the social media medium in a way never seen before.

Influencers are far more reachable than TV personalities and branded content. They can respond directly to comments and can give a much more personable feel. Their ‘real-ness’ is what makes them appealing to their many followers who take inspiration from them.

This directly applies to one of the District’s hottest food bloggers, Lanna Nguyen. Nguyen offers up gorgeous photographs, trendy and not-so-trendy restaurants on the DC scene and informative comments through her Instagram account. “#eatdrinkdc” has over 31,000 followers and she is quickly becoming the “source” on eating in the nation’s capital.

Nguyen, a native of Centreville, has always been intimately aware of the DC food scene. Partially from living in the metropolitan area, but also because food has always played in integral part of her life.

“Growing up, food played a huge role in my family with a lot of importance on the shared dining experience,” says Nguyen. “My mom made a lot of traditional Vietnamese dishes in addition to more American-style cuisine, so we always had homemade family meals together. In my house, there was a strict eating policy: you had to try everything at least once. That mentality definitely still influences my palette and eating choices now. I always have to try something once and am open to eating/drinking anything.”

So, how did Nguyen take the ultimate step and become a food blogger? A combination of her professional work and her love of different cuisines and how people can connect through shared food experiences naturally synthesized into one.

“By day,” she says, “I’m a marketing professional in the hospitality/events industry. I have always been interested in social media, marketing and connecting to people. Food and sharing a meal is such a great way to get to know someone and connect further with friends and family - posting that process on social media is an impactful way to amplify that shared experience with people who may have

never heard of a particular cuisine. I started my account as a way to share food photos from restaurants/events I was visiting as part of some freelance writing I was doing for an online publication. This was a few years ago when there were only a handful of other food accounts and it’s been a lot of fun to see it grow.”

Blogging – in any industry, let alone food – can be tough sledding. It’s difficult to organically grow an audience. Difficult to stand out in a crowded market. Difficult to timely post reviews. Difficult to stage and share with your audience what you feel when partaking in your subject matter. For Nguyen, it is more of a technical issue than anything else.

“I’m a bit of a perfectionist,” says Nguyen, “so I sometimes spend a little too much time trying to get ‘the perfect shot’ when photographing a dish/food/drink or selecting which image to use for a post. I think I put a lot of pressure on selecting the right image and coming up with the right caption for each post.”

And that matters. Especially when using Instagram has your platform. A bad image can roll back your visibility while an amazing image can increase your followers. Comments strengthen posts. It can all be a bit precarious. But, for Nguyen, it is worth it.

Nguyen says that her favorite aspect of blogging is, “Getting to share my experiences with others and hearing feedback that people also really enjoyed a particular restaurant I visited or dish I ate,” and her work proves that she understands social media. “Social media is a great platform to connect, share and engage. It can be a really fun, exciting world to be a part of, but it can also be a negative space with a lot of competition, comparison and criticism. Whether you’re active on social media as an individual, for business/work or just to keep in touch with what’s happening in your circle, it’s always important to remember that there is a real person behind each account and to be mindful of encouraging engagement in a positive way. It’s also a very fast paced medium with a lot of changes that happen out of your control - staying on top of trends, best practices, etc. can be challenging.”

Social media has also changed over the years. Nguyen has experienced this first-hand and she has consistently stayed on top.

“As I mentioned, when I started, there were fewer accounts out there, so it was still a fairly new concept. I think as time has gone on, we’ve seen a spike in the number of food-focused Instagram accounts now so it’s not unusual to see diners snapping a photo on their phones at restaurants before enjoying their meal, from Michelin-starred establishments to fast casual spots.”

Regardless of how many snap pictures, Lanna Nguyen is our hometown food blogging guru. She receives tons of messages asking for recommendations from DMV locals as well as folks traveling to DC. Nguyen knows the food scene throughout the city and many rely on the content that she shares through #eatdrinkdc. Why?

“I share photos of food that I legitimately enjoy, so I hope people are able to use it as a resource!”