Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: Mollie Dronson @phillyfoodies

1) Tell us a little about yourself. What are you doing now and where do you come from?

Hi! I’m Mollie and I run the third largest Philadelphia-based food Instagram account, @phillyfoodies. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, about 20 minutes from Center City. I graduated from Penn State in 2015, and now work full-time at a media agency outside of Philadelphia.

2) What are your topics of interest? What do you post on Instagram the most?

FOOD!!! I love posting photos from my favorite restaurants, as well as going out to try new restaurants whenever I can. I go to several foodie events during the week, and always post photos of the food I try at these events. I also repost photos from Instagram users who use the #phillyfoodies hashtag or who send them to me directly.

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

During one of my summers home from college, I had a particularly boring summer job and took to social media to fill my time. There were a few weeks in the summer where I was eating in the city a lot, and posting photos of my meals on my personal Instagram account. I thought that my friends and followers would get annoyed from a constant stream of food photos from my personal account, so I decided to create an Instagram dedicated to all things Philly food-related, and @phillyfoodies was born.

4) What are some apps you use to edit your photos? Share with us your photo-editing routine!

I really don’t edit my photos much after they’re taken. I try to find the perfect lighting in restaurants, and if it’s dark, I have someone hold their phone light over the food for optimal lighting. The lighting and angle make the photo. If it needs some touching up, I usually will just use the editing tools in the Instagram app itself.

5) Any Instagrammers whom you really like? Which Instagrammer inspires you the most?

I love what @missnewfoodie is doing with her account now. I started following her when she was studying abroad in Florence posting delicious-looking photos of croissants, pizza, and gelato (I studied abroad in Florence so I was living vicariously through her photos). Now she’s turned her account into more of a lifestyle account with photos of fashion, NYC, and still lots of food. She ties all aspects of her life together in a really cool-looking Instagram account.

6) If there’s one thing your fellow Instagrammers just gotta try now, what’s it gonna be?

I think my fellow Instagrammers should just post whatever they love!! I love food, made an account dedicated to it, and now have almost 50,000 followers!!

7) What’s your favorite part about being an influencer?

My favorite part about being an influencer is having my followers come to me for advice about where/what to eat when they’re in Philly. I get so many messages from people from other cities saying that they’re traveling to Philly for a couple days and want my suggestions for where to go. I love having a platform where I really just get to talk about food all day!

8) What are some of your top tips to brands for running campaigns? How do you maintain authenticity?

I think one thing brands need to understand is that their content and brand image needs to fit in with the influencer that they want to work with. I have gotten requests from brands that I have turned down because it just doesn’t fit in with my normal posts. Brands also need to give influencers the freedom to create their own captions and messaging for a campaign that aligns with the brand, but also reflects the usual voice of the influencer. It’s hard to work with a brand who gives a strict script of what you have to post…it’s easier to work with brands who allow you to kind of create your own post within the brand guidelines.

9) What would your advice be on the importance of quality and original content?

Originality and quality of content is soooo important!!!! Followers don’t want to see the same type of photo on every food account their looking at. Your photos are what set you apart from other accounts!! I try to incorporate as many of my own original photos into my account, along with photos that I repost from my followers.

10) What do you like best about partnering with brands?

I like partnering with brands because it helps put a trustworthy face to the brand name. People are more likely to try a new product if someone they follow is promoting it, rather than just trying it from seeing an advertisement from the actual brand. I feel like it brings in an element of trust. People who follow my account seem to trust my opinions, therefore making it more likely that they will try something that I promote.

Topics:

• Food & Drink

Country:

United States of America