Episode 431: Incorporate Videography into Your Business to Further Create a Captivating Experience for Your Readers with Shanika Graham

EBT431 – Shanika Graham-White

Intro: Food bloggers, hi, how are you today? Thank you so much for tuning in to the Eat Blog Talk podcast. This is the place for food bloggers to get information and inspiration to accelerate your blog’s growth and ultimately help you to achieve your freedom, whether that’s financial, personal, or professional.

I’m Megan Porta and I’ve been a food blogger for over 12 years. I understand how isolating food blogging can be at times. I’m on a mission to motivate, inspire, and most importantly, let each and every food blogger, including you, know that you are heard and supported. 

Do you either despise doing video or maybe you’re avoiding doing video for your business? Or maybe you are doing video and just want some extra support and encouragement as you navigate this journey? You are going to love this episode with Shanika Graham-White from Orchids and Sweet Tea. She gives us so many great tips about how to incorporate videography into our businesses, why we should be doing it. She talks through some of her favorite equipment that she uses and recommends. If you don’t have the budget for it now, that’s okay. Put it on your goal list and work toward it. The most important thing is to just get started with what you have, what you know, what’s easy, what’s in front of you. Dig into this world of video because like I said, it’s not going anywhere and there’s no turning back. I hope you find so much value in this episode. Shanika delivers for sure. This is episode number 431 sponsored by RankIQ. 

Sponsor: Hey, awesome food bloggers. Before we dig into this episode, I have a really quick favor to ask you. Go to your favorite podcast player, go to Eat Blog Talk, scroll down to the bottom where you see the ratings and review section. Leave Eat Blog Talk a five star rating if you love this podcast and leave a great review. This will only benefit this podcast. It adds value and I so very much appreciate your efforts with this. Thank you so much for doing this. Okay, now onto the episode. 

Megan Porta: Content creator and recipe developer Shanika Graham White is part kitchen ninja and connoisseur of interior decorating, hence her passion for beautifully staged food photos and videos. She is a self-taught cook and baker who has also partnered with top brands such as Ripple Foods, So Delicious Dairy Free, Whole Foods, Vitamix, California Olive Ranch, and more to be the source for comfort food and sweets with a healthy twist. She desires to help others turn the little that they have into something magical, great food. On her blog, Orchids and Sweet Tea, you will find traditional dishes using organic ingredients as well as dairy free, gluten free, and vegan versions of your old and new favorites. Shanika, how are you today? Thanks for joining me on the podcast. 

Shanika Graham-White: Hi, Megan. Thank you so much for having me. I am great.

Megan Porta: Super excited to chat with you today about videography. I have been avoiding videography lately, confession. So you will hopefully give me some inspiration. But before we get into all of that, what fun fact do you have to share with us? 

Shanika Graham-White: Okay, so I actually, this is one that I share with my audience a lot. So I grew up a major picky eater. One of probably five things that I actually loved growing up eating was chicken wings. It was so much so that my nickname was actually chicken wing. So that’s a fun fact, if people didn’t know. 

Megan Porta: At what point did your palate expand? How old were you? 

Shanika Graham-White: Oh my gosh, I think that started in like early pre teen, so I want to say 12, maybe? 

Megan Porta: Okay. Yeah. I need hope because my boys are, I have a new 13 year old in the house, as of this weekend and a 16 year old, and they’re very selective. I’ve just been one of those parents who has not put pressure on them because if I told them they had to eat something or couldn’t eat whatever , they would just, it would go south. It would be bad. So I’ve just kinda let it evolve and so I need hope that things will change.

Shanika Graham-White: Yes. Honestly, I think at 12, it slightly started to shift. But I want to say like high school really is when I really started expanding. I think once they have friends that are trying different things, or they just go out and about, without the pressure, I think that just automatically changes it. Because I don’t even know when that starting point was for me. But when I didn’t feel the pressure, that’s when things started opening up and I just felt more comfortable. So I think it does definitely shift. My son, he’s eight and he’s also a picky eater. So I’m in your boat. Except that he’s younger. I’m doing the same thing, not really pressuring him as well because I had the same experience. But you do grow out of it. You do. 

Megan Porta: Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. I feel that I know I’m doing the right thing. But then I do the comparison thing. We were just hanging out with some people whose kids will eat anything. I was like, oh my gosh, what have I done wrong? 

Shanika Graham-White: Yeah. Yeah. But it does get better. It does. I think it’s important to not create that anxiety around it, too, because I think that was one of the things growing up, my parents weren’t as educated about that, and they created a lot of anxiety for me. Trying to force me to eat this or force me to eat that, because at that time, there wasn’t as much information as there is now. I definitely am giving you kudos for actually allowing them to branch out. Yeah.

Megan Porta: Yes. Thank you, Shanika. If nothing else, I’ve gained that insight from our chat, but I’m sure there’s so much more. Super appreciate all of that. Let’s dig into videography. So tell us about your blog first.

Shanika Graham-White: Yeah. So my blog is Orchids and Sweet Tea. So it’s basically a hub that I created where I try to fit everyone in. I think, like I was saying, that mentions going back to starting off as a picky eater. Although now I’m on a healthier food journey, a lot of people aren’t as open or receptive so you have to be a little bit more creative with some. So I centered my blog around that as well. So I offer a lot of dairy free, vegan, gluten free options. Even if I’m making like, let’s say a chicken dish, I always give people those options or a meatless version. So I create this hub where I build around comfort food, but I give everyone the option of making it permeable to whatever their diet is or whatever their preferences. So that’s just the gist. 

Megan Porta: Yeah. Love it. Then, what is your journey with videography and to tie into that, where are we in the state of videography today?

Shanika Graham-White: Oh my gosh, my journey to videography is quite interesting because I actually did not want to get into it. So a lot of my followers know that I’m a two person team. So it’s me and my husband who does this and he’s really more into the videography, editing, camera equipment type thing. He’s the techie person of our family. So he introduced it when videography really started becoming a thing in food blogging. I want to say maybe two, three years now, when Reels first started coming out. I was apprehensive about it because I just felt like it felt like a lot of work. Photography is already enough work. So I was just apprehensive about trying. Then I think in two years now, I’ve started dabbling a little bit into reels. Then I think really last year is when I actually realized my love for it. So where we are now with videography, I think there’s no turning back. So I know a lot of bloggers, fellow bloggers, who are still trying not to get into it. I’m just like, social media is, unfortunately, that’s where I think we’re headed. I don’t think they’ll ever turn it back to photography fully. It’s going to be something that can’t die. Photography is never going to be dead. But I think videography is just where the world is in terms of just consumption also. I think people just consume video because it’s easier, it’s quicker. It gets to the point. Some people are just more visual that way, so I think it’s just here to stay. 

Megan Porta: Okay. Yeah, that’s probably something that not everyone wants to hear, because I know a lot of people who are in that same boat that you were for a while, and same here, me too. Just resisting it and hoping, fingers crossed, that it would maybe disappear, go away, that it wouldn’t be a thing anymore, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Okay. So if somebody listening or a lot of somebody’s listening are in the boat where maybe they’re resisting it or they just haven’t dabbled a ton in videography yet, do you have tips for them to get more on board with it? 

Shanika Graham-White: Yes. So I always say to start with let’s say it’s a food blogger, start with the recipes and the content that you already have on your site and just create videos from those. I think that helps to relieve the pressure of trying to create a whole new recipe or content, and then also add video to that. If you already have it, I just think just starting with that and slowly practicing your way into getting comfortable into videography is a tip that I always say. I always also say investing in the right equipment. So as a food blogger, most of us will already have most of it. So we’ll have a tripod. We’ll have a very good camera that we use. But then with videography, there’s also the idea of having more than one camera because the way that videography is today, most people want several perspectives of food throughout.

So if you have let’s say two great cameras, that’s a great start. Having a C stand is awesome. That’s to help with overhead shots so that you’re not trying to hold it. That also keeps it stable and still. So I think things like that help. I always also say prepping your ingredients helps for an easy workflow. So how I do my stuff is usually I’ll have everything in little ramekins or in little bowls or everything is separated so that when I’m making my video, there’s no stopping. You can just flow through because you can just go step by step, much like how people are following your instructions on your recipes. So that’s something I also say. 

The other two things I’ll say is don’t be afraid to try several methods. I think a lot of people feel like when you head into videography, you’re supposed to automatically know what you’re doing and that’s not always the case. I think you have to learn your style. You have to understand your audience’s preferences in terms of do they like really quick transition shots or do they like you to just go straight through? Understanding that you can actually try different methods and change it up whenever you see it’s not working, it’s fine. Then the last thing I think is just batching your content helps. I think as recipe developers or food bloggers, we often think if you just do one recipe per day, that helps. But I think overall, if you batch your work, let’s say you can get two or three recipes done in a day with videography. That definitely helps. Let’s say you’re the one that’s doing the videography and then you’re also the one that is editing, it keeps that workflow and it prevents burnout. So I think understanding batching your content also helps. 

Megan Porta: Oh my gosh. Those are such great tips. I want to back up to a few of those and ask you a few more questions. So about equipment, do you feel like using the setup that you talked about and like really investing in your equipment is important? Can someone start with their phone? What are your thoughts on all of that? 

Shanika Graham-White: Oh, that’s the big debate, right? Because a lot of people are doing really great with their phones. So I won’t say that having your phone isn’t great. But I think it just depends on what your goals are. So a lot of people who have their phones, like they’ll have A phone stand or they’ll have a little tripod thingy and they can do great with that, especially if you’re doing front facing videos, you might really do well with your phone. But if you don’t want to do front facing videos and you’re more so like I’m just showing my hands, I think investing in just high quality equipment overall is great. I also think about longevity too. Because I think as we see now, especially let’s say we tie that into brand partnerships, brands want to also see the professional side of your content. So I’m always a big proponent to investing in equipment and making it super professional. But if that is not your preference and your audience likes you front facing and they like more of a real raw thing, because that’s usually TikToK. If you’re like this on Tik TOK, then people don’t mind you having your iPhone. But I think with Instagram, I think people are shifting a little bit more into investing in equipment and making it more professional. So it just depends on what platform you’re really trying to grow on. Also I think it just depends on your long term goals. 

Megan Porta: I always think it shouldn’t be a hang up, so if you want to get equipment, but you don’t want to start until you have the equipment, that’s a hang up for getting started.

Shanika Graham-White: It’s always best to just start. 

Megan Porta: So you just get started with what you have basically. Start with something. Don’t let it hold you back from experimenting. I loved what you said about just experimenting with different methods. You don’t need to know what you’re doing right away. Just start with something. 

Shanika Graham-White: Yeah. Because you really evolve and you really learn as you go and you see what your audience really gravitates towards. I think that’s the thing. I think there’s a lot of pressure because we’re trying to go viral or make sure that our content goes out there and it does really well. Even if you know what you’re doing, I understood the thing that I had to embrace was every reel will not do well. Even if it’s great content and understanding that I think is the biggest thing that I try to tell bloggers. Even if your reel does not do well does not mean that your content is not great. It just means that it could have been timing. It could have been what you made. It could have just been the algorithm. There’s just so many different factors, right? So we just have to take that pressure off and just again, experiment with different methods until we get comfortable with something. 

Megan Porta: Do you have a recommendation as far as where to start or does that kind of depend as well?

Shanika Graham-White: I think it depends. I think it really depends. Because again, every account and every blogger has a different audience. I think as a food blogger, we get a gist of our audience already with whatever content or whatever recipes we’re creating. So I think it just really depends on your audience, where you are, all of those factors.

Megan Porta: I wanted to ask you about batching more. So I know batching with food blogging in general is super helpful because we have so many different things that we get into. I used to do filming batch days and I found that just so helpful because, as it takes time to put on makeup and get dressed and something that we don’t do every day. I don’t do it every day. So that alone is okay, as long as I’m dressed and looking nice and my hair’s done, I’m going to get as much out of it as I can. So I love that you pulled that point out because I think for videography especially, it can be so helpful. Those days are tiring. Oh my gosh, I remember being exhausted after those days. But yeah, it’s super helpful to just knock as much out as you can. 

Shanika Graham-White: Yeah. My trick to that too, like you said, it’s super tiring, but my trick to that too is also organizing my content for that day where it’s not so terrible. So I have this thing of let’s say I’m doing four recipes for a day and I’m going to do all the videos. I try to make it easy versus hard. So let’s say for instance, two drinks in there. You might have an easy breakfast and then you’ll have dinner. I think the balance of making sure that you’re not doing four hard things makes it better. So I always tell people to organize your content to balance out the easy with the hard so it doesn’t feel like it’s an entire day’s worth of super hard recipes to do.

Then another trick that I always do as well is two in ones or three in ones. So let’s say I’m doing a chicken and waffles recipe. I might literally do, let’s say it’s fried chicken and waffles. I will do a day where I’m going to do chicken and waffles. Then I’m just going to do the chicken recipe. Then I’m also just going to do the waffles recipe. Because now you’re doing SEO. So on your blog, a lot of times, sometimes we have one thing, like the chicken, for instance, how to make fried chicken. Then you’ll learn how to make buttermilk waffles, and then you’ll literally have chicken and waffles. So if you do those three videos in one, it doesn’t feel as heavy and it doesn’t feel as tiresome trying to do three different types of recipes, if that makes sense.

Megan Porta: I love that. I used to do the same, too. It does require a little bit of forethought, like you have to plan ahead of time, but it’s so worth it. 

Shanika Graham-White: For sure. 

Megan Porta: So for your videography, you said your husband helps you. Do you guys just do everything on your own? Do you have anyone who helps you with dishes or cleanup or any portion of the video process? 

Shanika Graham-White: I wish. 

Megan Porta: I wish. 

Shanika Graham-White: No, it’s literally just us two. Yeah. 

Megan Porta: Is that something that you eventually want to outsource? I know that can be a hang up as well. Oh, I don’t want to deal with days full of dishes or I don’t want to do the editing. 

Shanika Graham-White: Yeah, that is something, I think more especially with the editing part, because that’s the really super consuming side of it. We definitely do want to outsource that eventually. But again, like we said before, if you don’t have the resources to do it’s all about starting where you are and starting at your pace that you can do now until you can build your way into hiring out.

Megan Porta: Yeah, with editing, I know that a lot of tools and apps have popped up recently. Some of them are free, some of them are super affordable and really easy to use. Your whole message starts with what you know or what’s in front of you. So you could start with InShot or I know there’s CapCut or a few other ones that are easy that you could just use on your phone. So starting there might be a good option. 

Sponsor: Hello, my favorite people. Let’s chat quickly about some ways Eat Blog Talk can help you ditch the overwhelm, manage your time, feel connected, and prioritize that seemingly never ending stream of tasks, platforms, and algorithm changes we’re faced with. 

The Eat Blog Talk Mastermind program is our signature offering and the best investment you will make in your blogging business. This is a transformative 12 month experience that will help you achieve your goals faster than you ever thought possible. Join the waitlist for 2024 groups. Go to eatblogtalk.com/mastermind to get in on that. 

If the mastermind program is on your dream board, but you aren’t quite ready to make that investment in your business yet, the next perfect step for you might be the Eat Blog Talk Miniminds. This six month program is designed to help you achieve your goals and overcome any obstacles that may be holding you back so you can experience the freedoms you’re yearning for. Join the waitlist for groups starting in Q4 of 2023 at eatblogtalk.com/miniminds. 

If you are ready to learn, grow, and build relationships in person, join me and a handful of your fellow food bloggers at an upcoming Eat Blog Talk retreat. This is a great opportunity to convene in an intimate setting to learn, collaborate, and connect. These retreats involve mastermind style peer to peer collaboration and are incredibly powerful and fun experiences. Go to EatBlogTalk.com/retreat. 

To get information about all Eat Blog Talk services, go to eatblogtalk.com/services, eatblogtalk.com/services. Now back to the episode. 

Megan Porta: So do you have a bare bones, like editing equipment and then a more beefed up recommendation list for bloggers, a goal, goals for future videography? 

Shanika Graham-White: Yes, I do. So in terms of equipment, I definitely recommend, first off, getting a hard drive. I know a lot of bloggers probably have one, especially with photography, but videography definitely takes up a ton of space. So I definitely recommend a large memory space, in the terabytes range. Because videos, especially if you have a 4k camera, take up a ton of space. 

I definitely recommend purchasing a 4k capable camera, if you don’t have one, I have a MarkIV with photography and I think most bloggers have that. So having that is great. Like I was saying before as well, if you have more than one camera, it’s even better. So that’s a great place to start. Like I was saying before, like a tripod, most of us have, so you should have that. A C-stand, which is great for overhead shots, I think that’s important. I know a lot of people, especially food bloggers, because I used to do my photography and like natural sunlight, but for videography, it is so important to invest in artificial lighting. 

Megan Porta: Oh yeah. 

Shanika Graham-White: Even if you have great sunlight, it’s still great to have that because there’s a light that I use called aperture light. That really helps to give you continuous light throughout and keeps your videos even. So I think that is something that is super important to invest in. Then there’s having a monitor or like a laptop of some sort so that you can see your process as you’re doing it. Especially if you’re a one person team, that definitely helps you to make sure you’re staying in focus. That the shot is how you want it to be, that sort of thing.

Then when it comes to beefing it up, you can do advanced professional lenses. As photographers, we often have really great lenses, like a macro lens or, like a 50MM. But there’s another professional lens, like for people who really are trying to get out into the professional videography that does so many different captures, so many different perspectives, there’s so many different angles.

Then last but not least, like the video software tools. I use Final Cut Pro and then there’s also Adobe, but then you were saying also there’s free apps that people can use as well. So I think there’s just so many different ranges and options that people can do. Again, you start where you are and then you work your way as you grow.

Megan Porta: I love that you mentioned artificial lighting. When I first started doing video, I had somebody come in and help me do the filming and she did the editing and I used natural lighting and I just remember. The same video, it would be really bright, and then the next frame would be shaded, like a cloud came through or something, so we never nailed the artificial lighting. We never even tried it, but that would have been so helpful. 

Shanika Graham-White: Yeah, and the great thing about the aputure light is that it has many different lighting grades and so you can make it look like natural sunlight. So it’s a little bit more expensive, but it’s because it has so many different ranges that you can do lighting. That’s the one that I always recommend in case people want to do more moody, they want to do more sunlight, natural sunlight, or they want to go brighter. I think it’s great to just have that range. I think investing in artificial lighting is something that’s super important.

Megan Porta: Yeah. I love that you’re just giving a range of options for people to put on their goal list. I know a lot of us food bloggers have that list, things we want that we don’t necessarily have now. It can happen down the road. Yes. But don’t let anything keep you from getting started. Just get started and experiment. Oh, I had a question about the hands in pan style video. Do you think that’s still a thing or not? The whole process, like putting together the recipe? 

Shanika Graham-White: Yes. I wouldn’t say yes and no. I say that because I do it, but I don’t think the traditional way is still popular. I think if you’re doing just your hands and pans, people want to see, like I was saying before, different perspectives and different angles. So I think just the overhead straight shot of just doing it from start to finish is dead, but I think you definitely can use your hands and pans method and switch it up and create different zoom-ins. I think the transitions are really what captures people today in videography. So it’s yes and no, but you just have to be way more creative. 

Megan Porta: That kind of leads to how we film videos so that we’re keeping all of the platforms in mind because there’s obviously the blog that you want your video to be on, but then there’s TikTok that’s more raw and real and Instagram that has a different flavor. So how do we do all of that at once? Or do you do it multiple times? 

Shanika Graham-White: Honestly, I do it once. That’s a risk because again, like you were saying, every platform is different and the audiences are different. I thought at first I was trying to do TikTok videos differently than for Instagram and for the blog. Then one, it created more burnout because it just felt man, you have to do one recipe twice. Then two, I just realized when I started just taking the reels that I did for Instagram and just putting them onto TikToK, your audience does find you. I think you just have to realize that your audience can be similar on all platforms, regardless of the fact that you think they’re not. I think you just have to, again, your videos have to be so creative that it draws the same audience on each platform. So you don’t definitely don’t have to, because it’s a lot of work to try to do different videos for each thing. But yeah, I think if you just make your videos as captivating as you can, or as creative as you can, you’ll find your audience on each platform. Now if you’re doing YouTube, obviously that’s a different orientation. So either way you have to do that twice. But for the ones that are all vertical, you can use the same video. 

Megan Porta: Okay, I just have a picture in my mind. Because when I was doing a video like it was pretty straightforward, hands and pans. That’s all we did really and then we would put that same video on Instagram. I wasn’t on TikTok then or maybe it wasn’t a thing and then the blog as well and YouTube. But now I feel like I would be running around like a crazy person trying to cook the food and be presentable and film with all of these different styles. So you’re saying just do something and then spread it out amongst platforms. 

Shanika Graham-White: Yeah, and your audience will find you, trust me. Your audience will find you. 

Megan Porta: It seems like Instagram right now, the videos or the reels that do really well are just really short, like hero shots. So you will likely be able to pull something from what you’ve filmed, and use it and repurpose it there. 

Shanika Graham-White: That’s one of the other things that I also say with videography. Making sure that you actually record the entire process. So although reels and videos are technically just seconds, having the entire process actually, for one, like you said even if you wanted to do a different video for TikTok versus Instagram, you have an entire process so you can edit one portion for Instagram and one portion for TikTok versus having to do the recipe twice. Then it also just creates more of a seamless editing experience anyway. So I always tell people record the entire process, even if 70% of it won’t be in the video, but it’s just great to have that footage because you just never know when you want to just either manipulate it and do a second video for a different platform, or if you wanted to even repurpose it. Because reposting is a thing, and I think most people don’t realize that, but you can repost your content. You don’t have to always make new content, but it’s just about timing and just, again, the experience of how you edit the video. And maybe having that footage, like some other trend will evolve in the future where you go back and you’re like, oh, that didn’t apply then, but now it applies so I can use it.

Megan Porta: Yeah. Yeah. How do you manage all of this? Just adding a video component to your whole workflow, is that overwhelming? Do you have any tips for that? 

Shanika Graham-White: At first it was overwhelming, but I created a system. So how I usually do it is I will write down the recipes that I’ll do for today. So let’s say I do two. I actually do photography and videography at the same time. So I think because I usually use like two to three cameras and so I will literally like, like you said, it’s like planning. You have to map it out in your head. So if I’m doing like a chicken recipe, I will literally do how we usually do it for the blog. We show all the ingredients and then you do it step by step. So in between, doing a video, I would put all the ingredients together with the chicken. I seasoned it. Then I’ll stop the video and then I’ll switch over into photography. Then take that picture and then switch back over into videography. So it sounds super complicated, but it makes it seamless as you continue to do it. So it’s with practice, I think it has created a really super seamless system for me. It also prevents you from having to, again, do it twice. Because doing it twice really is like a ton of work. 

Megan Porta: Yeah, the thought of having to do the exact same thing twice, like it keeps me on task for sure, even if it’s crazy. Yeah, I did have those days, but I had, like I said, I had somebody coming and helping and she was awesome. She used to map out storyboards for what we were filming, which was super helpful because we could just both oh, we can’t forget that shot or whatever, and just kept us on track and that took her extra time, obviously, but it was so worth it. It was so helpful. Yeah. What are we missing? So is there anything else that you feel like food bloggers should know if they’re struggling with this or if they’re just getting started or maybe not started yet?

Shanika Graham-White: Honestly, the only bit of inspiration that I can give just outside of all the equipment and all that stuff is just understanding, going at your own pace. I think that is probably the number one thing that puts so much pressure on food bloggers and that really creates a lot of the burnout. It’s trying to keep up with what everyone else is doing and the frequency at which they’re going. There are people who put out videos daily, sometimes twice a day. But I think you have to understand one, the type of videos that you are putting out. Two, that you can go at your own pace, much like when we do blogs. Some bloggers post five new recipes a week, and then some do just two. Understanding that same thing can apply to videos. It’s not always about the quantity of the videos that you do. It’s just the quality. There are some people who do two videos per week and still grow super fast. Again, I think it’s just focusing on what pace you can do, and just making sure that every video that you create is just really high quality and it really makes you proud. That is what will help you grow. It’s not about the amount of videos that you can do. Because some people who do two a day, they might be doing something easy, like hacks. That’s totally different from being able to do two recipes. So I think, yeah, just not comparing yourself and just knowing that you can go at your own pace is my little tidbit.

Megan Porta: Shanika just gave you permission to go at your own pace, not look at who’s next to you and what they’re doing. Then what platforms do you feel are the most important ones that you should absolutely dive into if you are creating video? 

Shanika Graham-White: Okay. So I think this also depends on your business, but for me personally, I think Instagram is my number one. I say that because I think that’s where most brands head to. So if you’re thinking about brand partnerships and you want to partner with brands and create content for brands, I think making sure that your Instagram is your main. Your most important driving one is important because that’s usually where they go first. It’s like your resume. Then I think TikTok is also important because brands are trying to head over into that as well. But I think TikTok is a little bit more of a learning curve. So if you already started with TikTok when everybody else was swarming towards it last year, then great. But if you’re new to it, then I think just taking your time and figuring that out is cool. Then I think also with video, YouTube. I think YouTube isn’t going anywhere. So if you’re thinking about it or you want to do it, I think YouTube is another channel in which you should go to, especially for SEO. If you think of those three main platforms, that is what is also showing up in search engines now. So those also go hand in hand with SEO. So those are my three. 

Megan Porta: If somebody feels intimidated by YouTube and doing the long format there, would YouTube Shorts be a good place to start on that? 

Shanika Graham-White: Oh yeah, for sure. I’ve seen accounts that actually grow just off of YouTube Shorts. So again, it’s starting where you are and just doing what you can. But yeah, people have done shorts and that has grown their account and that’s fine. 

Megan Porta: Yeah. Okay. I don’t know much about shorts. I know I’ve heard people say that they’ve gotten really fast traction just by posting these really short shorts. They get tons of engagement and just feedback and all of that. So why not? Yeah. All right, so to sum up, like Shanika is saying, just get started. Video is not going anywhere, so get on board. Even if it’s just on a minimal level, just do what you can. Don’t let anything hold you back, including equipment or the platforms. Try several methods, try experimenting, batching, and yeah. Just get started with it, right Shanika?

Shanika Graham-White: Yeah. Literally. 

Megan Porta: Yes. All right. Thank you. This was so fun. Thank you for joining me today and giving us all of this great info about videography. 

Shanika Graham-White: Of course. Thank you for having me. 

Megan Porta: Yeah, do you have either a favorite quote or words of inspiration to leave us with today? 

Shanika Graham-White: Yes, so one of my favorite quotes is by Steve Jobs, and he said that innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. So basically it’s just saying that it’s super easy as we know to jump on all the bandwagons and follow what everyone else is doing. But a true leader actually thinks outside the box and they set a new standard for what is to be done. So that’s my thing that I put in terms of just content creation and videography. It’s again not trying to do the trends and not being so stressed out about trying to follow what other bloggers are doing, just creating your own space, your own lane. Again, your audience will find you and people will appreciate it because there’s just so much content. It’s over saturated as we know, and so the only way to stand out is to be different. 

Megan Porta: Yes, love that. So true. We’ll put together a show notes page for you, Shanika. So if anyone wants to go look at those, you can go to eatblogtalk.com/orchidsandsweettea. Why don’t you tell everyone where they can find you, Shanika? 

Shanika Graham-White: Okay, so the main place you can find me is on my website, so that’s orchidsandsweettea.com. Then I am also on Instagram, which is orchids, the letter N, sweettea underscore. Then you can also find me on Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, and they’re all the same username.

Megan Porta: All right. Awesome. Thank you again so much for being here and thank you for listening today, food bloggers. I will see you in the next episode.

Outro: Thank you so much for listening to this episode of EatBlogTalk. Please share this episode with a friend who would benefit from tuning in. I will see you next time.