From Desk to Phone: NYU Opinion Leaders on How to Stand Out Online

From saturated fats to saturated markets, New York’s food scene is a social media playground. NYU food influencers are here to play.

The phrase “phone eats first” symbolizes the modern world of food’s obsession with aesthetics. Social media is changing the way people eat, drink, cook, and interact with food, and New York’s food scene reflects this ever-changing industry, covered by some of the city’s top writers, photographers, and content creators.

NYU’s food influencers are at the center of NYC food trends and media. Traveling the sea of ​​”food porn” that dominates social media, viewers want to be more than impressed; they want dinner to be an aesthetic experience. They want to be thrilled and surprised.

Food influencers need to be fully aware of audience requirements in order to create compelling content. Sian Auer, Associate Global Public Health and Nutrition Specialist, said the key is to make food aesthetically pleasing, appetizing and exciting.

Auer is no stranger to cooking. He is part of NYU’s Bite Club, the school’s online food publication, for which he writes and photographs. His experience gives him a deep understanding of both the artistic and scientific elements of food media.

“Food photography was a big part of it, and you had to make sure the oils on the plate were right or there was contrast between each ingredient on the plate,” Auer said. “But now it has expanded much more. I break down the nutrient content and recommend healthy recipes or post my recipes.”

As the culinary media becomes saturated with restaurant reviews and recipes, influencers are realizing the importance of having a specific niche in order to stand out and gain followers. For Auer, relevance comes from understanding his audience and building on his knowledge of nutrition.

“I’m aware of food trends and I’m critical of how nutrition science affects the food industry, or conversely, how the food industry affects our understanding of nutrition science,” Auer said. “The important thing for me is that I approach things in a very numerical and scientific way. I was interested in the science behind what allows trends to develop.”

Food media trends change quickly and are constantly changing, making it difficult to always stay ahead of the curve. However, when someone is passionate about the world of food, their content becomes more real and personable, and trends seem less important.

Grace Wongchaiwat, Associate of Nutrition and Food Research, is a food influencer bringing the concept of engaging and interactive food media to life. Wongchaiwat is known for her food and lifestyle Instagram account @tastygracies where she posts what she likes to call “edible art”.

“Food is fashion, food is art,” Wongchaiwat said. “Food is a symbol of culture, community, all these other symbols like medicine. It’s just interesting to see how this manifests itself in your daily life and conversations with friends and family.”

Wongchaiwat’s account contains a wide range of content designed to engage with her audience. Unlike Auer, she doesn’t have a specific content niche, but instead makes interacting with her audience her forte.

“I get such a positive attitude,” Wongchaiwat said. “I have a tight-knit community of people like food bloggers who follow each other and comment on each other’s pages. I’m very inspired by other people’s pages.”

Although highly competitive, the food media industry has formed a community of like-minded people who can channel themselves and their diverse interests into food. While it can be hard to gain a huge following, NYU influencers like Auer and Wongchaiwat demonstrate how any platform, big or small, can make an impact on their audience.

“All the influencers, but the only thing I’m interested in is letting my account and my page take me where they take me,” Auer said. “I want to keep building a page that I’m happy with because it gets the message across to my audience about the food I want.”

Standing out and different can make influencers more popular, but sharing passions is what makes these pages truly unique.

“You don’t have to care that everyone has already done it. That’s really all you want to make of it,” Wongchaiwat said.

Mariapaula Gonzalez contributed reporting for this article.

Contact Casey Goldenberg at [email protected]