Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Martinez.
Hi Jennifer, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My husband Norb and I both work long hours and at the end of a long week our favorite thing to do is to try out a new local restaurant we have heard about online or through word of mouth. We were eating such delicious and visually beautiful meals I started taking quick snapshots of them to post on my personal Instagram page. My family and friends really seemed to enjoy our posts and started asking for recommendations on where they should go eat! I sat on the idea of making my own local San Antonio Foodie based page for months since I really had zero knowledge about Instagram or creating content that would connect with people.
Finally one morning, I woke and up and while sitting in bed decided I was going to do this! I came up with the name foodiefinds.sa on the spot. That was over two years ago and the rest is history! Being born and raised in San Antonio, I think it is so vitally important we support our local community and give back in any way we can. I feel that by promoting local restaurants and the people behind them I’m doing my small part.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were certainly many obstacles and challenges that we have faced when starting our Instagram page and growing our foodie community. As I mentioned previously, I had no significant knowledge of all the work that goes into running a successful Instagram page. Learning how to take better photographs, learning how to edit those photographs and learning how to use the Instagram algorithm to your advantage were all things that I had to learn and teach myself. Plus Instagram is always changing and there is always so much more to learn! It’s not nearly as simple as taking a quick snapshot and posting it up if you want to really grow your reach and community.
The next huge obstacle that we faced was with the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic it was so much easier to socialize and network with other foodies and businesses in our community but of course all of that had to change. We had to switch to take out and still find ways to make food look beautiful at home. I ended up building a mini photo studio in my dining area and have greatly enjoyed the process of creating content at home as well as in a restaurant setting.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Over on our Instagram page we collaborate with local restaurants and brands to highlight unique and delicious food being made in our wonderful and diverse city. We will come out and take photos at restaurants, bars and coffee shops or create content for brand collaborations. We can also produce short videos.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I believe to have a successful Instagram account the two most important qualities are the willingness to learn and the ability to be consistent. Growing a community on Instagram does not happen overnight! It’s all about showing up consistently and providing value to the people that choose to follow you.
Contact Info:
- Email: foodiefinds.sa@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodiefinds.sa/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=PqhMqjPtYdz8SEWyv2uxkg
Image Credits
@foodiefinds.sa
