We recently connected with Samantha Quintana and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Samantha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

During the summer right before I started my freshman year of college, I started following different food bloggers and coming up with lists of restaurants I wanted to visit based on their recommendations. I started reading up on different restaurants in Miami and found out which were worth the hype, which weren’t, different local spots, and I really just wanted to expand my palate. In the middle of curating my own personal ‘Must Try’ list, I realized I could become a food blogger myself. I always had a love for photography, cooking, baking, and eating so making my own blog just seemed like the best way to combine my hobbies into one cohesive outlet. I honestly didn’t think my Instagram platform would grow into what it is today. The start of my page really was just for myself so I could keep track and document my ‘Must Try’ list. I’m glad I’ve stuck with it and grew my page to what it is today.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m a Miami based food blogger and food content creator. Some of the services I provide include photographing menu items at restaurants, creating recipes, and promoting various food or food related products on my Instagram page. I’d like to think my style of photography is what sets me apart from others. Every blogger or creator has their own style when it comes to capturing photos and videos. You could see a photo of theirs on the ‘Explore Page’ and will instantly know who took that picture. I opt for vibrant photos with lots of color.

I’m most proud of how consistent I have been throughout the life of my page. I’m always consistently posting content and I offer a variety of posts. Sometimes I’m more focused on recipes, other times I’m focusing on promoting local restaurants, or I’ll have days where I want to show my followers new kitchen gadgets that I’m loving. I want clients, followers, and fans to know that they can always expect honesty from me. I’ve never posted anything on my page that I did not approve of. The point of my page now is to recommend good quality restaurants, recipes, gadgets, and anything food related to my fans. If I don’t approve of what I’ve been hired to promote and truly think there is no one out there who would benefit from the promotion, then I won’t post it. Quality is key.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

As I said in a previous question, quality and consistency are what will help build an audience. The Instagram algorithm is messed up now and changes all the time. Posting quality content can help mitigate the affects of Instagram’s ever changing algorithm. Building a fan base that knows they can rely on you for quality recipes, restaurant recommendations, quality whatever it is your niche is about is what is going to help you grow. Interacting with your audience also helps. People want to know they are talking to a real person and on social media we crave some type of normal human interaction. On my platform, everyone has one thing in common, a love for good food. I always try to answer any questions I get from followers and try to hold regular conversations with those who reach out to me. Having a social media presence means you are opening yourself up to a community of people. If you want to build your audience, you have to be an active member of that niche community.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The connections I’ve made through food are probably the most rewarding aspect. Through my page, I’ve been able to meet different creators. Sometimes we get together and collaborate or just hang out over a nice meal. It’s great being around others who have very similar interests as you, yet come from different backgrounds. It’s eye opening and helps me experience my community in a way I normally wouldn’t be able to.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @biteofmia

Image Credits
All images are mine.