In recognition of World Social Media Day, Glazia Magazine is spotlighting some of the digital world’s most influential figures. Among them is Cynthia Onyeanuna, widely known as Your Food Girl. A Lagos-based food and restaurant influencer, Cynthia’s content reaches over a million people across various social media platforms.
Cynthia’s expertise lies in creating diverse content that appeals to a broad audience, focusing on factors such as budget, ambience, location, and type of food. Her impressive portfolio includes collaborations with major brands like Samsung, Jumia Food, and Alabappin.
Cynthia has garnered recognition in several prestigious publications. She was named one of the “Most Influential People in the African Food Industry 2023” by the African Food Network (AFN100). Additionally, she was prominently featured in the “Profiling the City” segment of Glazia’s first-quarter 2023 issue, which highlighted multi-hyphenate Beauty Tukura on the cover.
In addition to being a highly sought-after food and lifestyle influencer, Cynthia is a seasoned Public Relations expert with over seven years of experience as a digital marketing manager. She is also part of the team behind the annual Bole Festival in Port Harcourt, one of Nigeria’s largest food festivals.
Your Food Girl pages across social media have over 148,000 followers.
“The first strategy is always having a plan… I am very intentional about taking my audience on a journey with my videos, showcasing not only the restaurant’s interior but also the experience of enjoying the meals.”
Your Food Girl
Glazia in conversation with Your Food Girl
Glazia: How has social media enabled you to balance your 9-5 job in PR and Communications with your passion for reviewing restaurants and sharing your culinary experiences?
Your Food Girl: Social media tools have been of great help also because I don’t create the content and post immediately. I use my weekends to visit restaurants and then schedule the contents to go out during the weekday. That way, I can plan my time as an influencer and also work a 9-5 because of scheduling apps.
G: What strategies do you use to create compelling food content that stands out on social media, and how do you manage to keep your audience engaged?
YFG: The first strategy is always having a plan before I get to the restaurant, how I want the food set up etc. I also upload high-resolution videos and since people eat with their eyes first the meals must be captured in a well-lit environment. This makes it appealing at first glance. Angle shots are also important when capturing food. I am very intentional about taking my audience on a journey with my videos, showcasing not only the restaurant’s interior but also the experience of enjoying the meals.
I manage to keep my audience engaged using storytelling and making some fun related sounds, using words that are currently buzzing during my voiceovers. Lastly, I also find the right trends to jump on and find a way to relate it to food, so when I am not visiting restaurants, I have content to post. This way, my page is not solely dependent on me visiting restaurants. Most times I indulge them in weekend quizzes on my story and giveaway, and asking questions in the captions and since Instagram introduced caption polls, I also include that when I share a post and it has been very fun.
G: Can you share an example of how a social media post or review led to a significant opportunity or collaboration in the food industry?
YFG: Certainly! I can give you three. The first one was when I reviewed the famous Korede spaghetti. It garnered about 1.4 million views and people started requesting I do a street food hunt and restaurants. The second was a visit to a local spot in Port Harcourt that video also garnered 1.2million views on IG alone. These and more caught the attention of prominent brands in the food industry.
The third significant moment was when I reviewed Bokku bread. That video went viral on both Instagram and TikTok, leading to a flood of requests from my audience to try breads from various regions, not just in Lagos. I received DMs and comments from people in Enugu, Abuja, and Benin, offering to send me bread from their states. Additionally, I got invitations from restaurants outside of Lagos and received baked goods from local bakers to review. It was a fascinating and busy period.
Rapid-Fire Questions
G: Favourite cuisine to review?
YFG: I’ll say Soups and Indian dishes.
G: Most Instagrammable dish you’ve ever posted?
YFG: Beef platter at BBQ cottage
G: Best restaurant you’ve reviewed this year?
YFG: Ci Gusta
G: One tip for creating mouth-watering food videos?
YFG: Good lighting (natural light, content light )