Himani Chawda likes to add a personal flavour to branded content

Professional experience as a radio jockey has helped Himani Chawda record better voiceovers for her vlogs, engaging content quality.

Himani Chawda loves to travel and document her experiences. She took her first solo trip a little less than a decade ago and there has been no looking back. Her Instagram feed is full of travel stories. However, in the last few weeks, she has stuck to posting throwbacks, with updates on how she is getting through social distancing, on a regular basis.

Looking back where did it all begin?

Travelling for me a therapeutic exercise. I have been travelling since I was a kid. When I was a kid, our family holiday tripes helped me almost half the country. In 2013, I took my first solo trip to Sikkim and since then, I have been unstoppable. I try to travel every month, may it be a small weekend trip or a bigger, planned one. I usually search online as well as talk to people before visiting a place. Once there, meeting local people and trying local food is something I absolutely love to experience and document.

What is your USP in this cluttered space? How does your content give you an edge?

I believe my USP is the voiceover I do for every travel video as I have professional experience in this. It helps my content differ from others.

Please take us through your content creation process. How do you stay relevant and relatable?

I have shot all the video myself from the beginning. Over time, gadgets have made the process easier, especially when you want a wide shot or click your own picture without anyone's help. Including stories of locals helps add relevance and relatability to the content.

How do you maintain editorial objectivity with the influx of brand briefs?

Brand briefs are very important but I believe in adding my personal flavour to each piece of content I put up on social media. Nowadays there are a lot of content creators, each with something different to offer. On my part, I try to be real when I work on brand collaborations.

One instanced/experience that made it all worthwhile.

In May 2018, I got the chance to visit the Foreign Press Centre in Washington DC, USA, as a part of an all-sponsored 15 days trip by the US Consulate. It was my first ever trip of out of India!

Weirdest brand brief request ever

Till now, there hasn't been one, to be honest.

Also Read: Readers will always come first: Riya Patel

If not blogging you would be

I used to be a radio jockey and would have probably continued if I hadn't switched out to be a blogger.

A day in your life

I wake up early at about 6-6:30 am. Daily journaling is one of the first things I do in the day, writing my to-do list and listing things I have grateful for. It is my favourite part of the day. Then, I go for a run, exercise and stretch. If I have a meeting or a shoot scheduled for the day, I step out after breakfast.

If not, I sit at home and edit my videos, check emails and complete other tasks till lunch, after which I take a nap. Evenings are about snacks, coffee and conversations with friends. I end my day with dinner and Netflix or YouTube videos before hitting the bed by 11.

Message/tips for upcoming blogger

Be real, don't copy others. Just show people who you are because there is no one in this world like you!

Your favourite influencer

Among Indian influencers, I love Larrisa Dsa. Her style is the goal! Speaking globally, it's Mimi Ikon.

The future you foresee for your personal brand

I believe in the present and going with the flow. However, someday, I would love to perform on the YouTube Fanfest stage!