A doctor by profession and a foodie by passion, Dr. Radhika Agarwal started to post about her food journey on Instagram as @teekhi_mircheee. Being an avid lover of spicy food, her handle truly represented her food preference. She’s a verified food reviewer on Zomato, Google Local guide and has 150K plus strong followers on Instagram. She was featured in the Hindu for her views on food blogging as a career. She has also done brand collaborations with Mcdonald’s, Philips India, Honor Huawei, Dominos Pizza, DineOut India, Bru Coffee, Nestle India, Havmor Icecreams, Hike and many more.
Tell us about your background and journey.
Professionally, I’m a Homeopathic doctor having finished my MD in the year 2018 and currently working as a Senior Resident at Nehru Homeopathic Medical College (NHMC) in Defence Colony, which happens to be the same place from where I pursued by graduation, i.e. BHMS from.
Time flies very fast and it has already been six years since Teekhi_Mircheee went live. As I celebrate my blog’s 6th anniversary, I am so excited to share my experience as a food blogger and the wonderful journey I have been through.
Food blogging is the hot talk of the town, and Instagram is the prime medium of it.
Six years back if someone had asked me what a food blog is, all I could say were the names of a few blogs out of which I seldom visited any. Never did I even think in my dreams that one day I would have a food related social platform of my own. Life changed so much during the five years and I must say I couldn’t be happier. As days went by I kept on falling in love with my blog and an even more enthusiasm to work towards it. It’s all because of my dear followers who have made me feel so special throughout this journey, and I thank each and every one for the huge support. Without their constant encouragement and support, reaching this milestone was not possible.
I have showcased my food right from fancy restaurants using molecular gastronomy to famous street vendors. When I started this blog, people often asked me the reason behind doing a food blog, my recipe choices, ideas and many more.
What led you to start your page on Instagram and what is it about?
I always had a thing for cooking and experimenting with food but until recently, I used to confine myself to Indian recipes, in fact, to be precise North Indian cuisine and also baking- be it cookies, cake or brownies. I started to do my own research about food styling and plating, and realized the importance of good styling and photography as the first big step to a good food blog, and as I started to capture and practice, the real fun began! In fact, if you compare the photos of my initial recipes’ vs the recent ones, you would get a picture of my learning phase and the journey so far. The ‘real-ness’ of this journey makes it appealing to my followers who get inspired.
My favorite question that I get asked is, where do I get my recipe inspiration and how do I understand the styling? Inspiration is everywhere; it’s all about your priorities and looking out for it. The food blogger’s community out there is my biggest inspiration! Instagram helped me in getting to know an amazing pack of influencers who support you and share the same passion in this journey.
Looking back, I still remember my college days when me and my friends used to explore the Defence Colony Market post college and explore different eateries. Not only I used to try different eateries and cuisines but I also started writing about them on Zomato. It was at this time in 2015, that Zomato approached me to visit their headquarters and made me a verified reviewer. For the first time, I realized the potential in food blogging and haven’t looked back since that day.
It was in the year 2015, that I decided to give my Instagram handle an official name which I chose to be “Teekhi_Mircheee” simply because I love spices and spicy food. I started posting about different cuisines and home-made food and rest is history. I started from scratch with zero followers. There was nobody to help me out. I did all the editing, set up my own angles and decoded the hashtags. I am doing it all individually. Upon hitting the first 10,000 followers mark I was over the moon that the dream is finally coming true of connecting with people out there through my culinary experiences. All the praise in the comments and from my friends kept me going ahead and I soon reached the 20k, 50k, 100k and until recently 150k followers mark.
How would you distinguish the term blogger from an influencer?
Blogger and Influencer are often thought of as two terms in the same boat but according to me they are both very different and require a different skill set or efforts. While bloggers curate content through a personal viewpoint, it’s the social media influencers who promote the products or their lifestyle. Influencers generally have large social followings and they tend to use Instagram as their primary source of marketing. It’s the influencers who tend to tap the niche market by either collaborating with different brands or endeavor towards being a trendsetter. In the present times, I have observed both the professions mixing up which won’t be sustainable in the longer run.
Is it financially sustainable to be an influencer today?
Money will not start flowing in from the very first day. Food blogging requires consistency and perseverance to become a profitable business. You have to invest time building it without thinking about the potential returns or getting frustrated. It is difficult to take up food blogging as a full-time profession in India as it is still a growing segment in the influencer community, which is widely dominated by fashion influencers or stand up artists. Only your creativity will set you apart from others, so building your brand is completely in your hands.
Having said that, if the content is right and you are able to reach masses, returns will come your way. Brands often collaborate for big projects seeing the reach of influencers, but one shouldn’t lose hope in the initial stages. Keep working on your content and keep diversifying, copying popular content will give you the initial jump start but won’t be sustainable in the longer run.
What do you think influences consumer behavior?
As per my observations and understanding in the last few years, the following factors influences the consumer behavior –
a) Psychological factors - motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes;
b) Personal factors - age, occupation, lifestyle, personality and choices;
c) Social factors - reference groups, family, roles and status
d) Cultural factors - culture, social class system
It also largely depends upon the immediate environment; such as peers, local community etc. or their health behavior.
As evident from my Instagram account, I tend to post content for the masses which includes home cooked recipes, gourmet cuisines, street food or even healthy wellbeing.
What is your idea of success or your mantra in life?
Food bloggers constitute one of the most popular and celebrated genres of blogging and I must admit that Foodstagramming is not easy and it requires consistent good engaging content. It was a bit stressful initially to hear such criticism, but now it’s my motivation to post content even better. All I have to say is; do something in life which you enjoy and makes you happy! Money cannot buy happiness, but the satisfaction in doing something you love and being successful is priceless.
How can someone become a successful social media influencer?
Running a food blog might sound like a nice idea, but creating a successful one takes hard work, dedication, personality and excellent presentation. That’s why while thousands of food blogs exist, only a few of the most influential food bloggers gain large followings, brand partnerships and a decent income. Youth is full of energy and ideas, so here is my message-
Three things which matter the most-
a) Content is king – Be it a magazine, newspaper or in my case a microblog, without good content, you can’t go anywhere. When people visit your profile, if the content is engaging and appealing, they will stay no matter what.
b)Consistency – To be successful in anything that you do, consistency is the key. Having good content is one thing, but because everyone has a short attention span, you need to be consistent. You have to make sure that you are there. You need to post daily without fail. It is very important when you are trying to build a platform.
c) Engagement and Communication – Food blogging is very different from print/electronic media. While posting something on Instagram, you are actually directly engaging with your audience. They can relate to me as a person- when I post about ‘ghar ka khaana’, I receive such heartfelt comments like missing mom, missing home cooked food- that’s the beauty- people can relate.
Which is your favorite book and why?
Apart from my bulky medical books, I enjoy reading about lifestyle and overall personal wellness. COVID has taught us that nothing comes secondary than our personal health and mental well-being. I recently picked up, “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale which very beautifully lays down 10 traits for a peaceful livelihood. The book demonstrates the power of faith in action. With the practical techniques outlined in this book, you can energize your life—and give yourself the initiative needed to carry out your ambitions and hopes.
From the book, I have been able to learn the following things –
a) Believe in yourself and in everything you do;
b) Build new power and determination;
c) Develop the power to reach your goals;
d) Break the worry habit and achieve a relaxed life;
e) Improve your personal and professional relationships;
f) Assume control over your circumstances and lastly and most importantly,
g) Be kind to yourself because no one can love you more than yourself.
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