Have you ever wondered where all the great spots are when it comes to food in Edmonton? Or have you ever been amazed by all the food spots that actually exists here and you didn’t realize it until you saw a post on well, Instagram?

The social media is a wonderful thing. Overtime the world of marketing has evolved and eventually we were all introduced to Influencer Marketing. Influencers range from different niches to help raise brand awareness locally, nationally or globally. Today, we have Stephanie Truong, an Edmonton based foodie influencer who shares her love for food has given us a glimpse of her story.

Stephanie Truong runs an Edmonton-based food blog where she reviews different restaurants and eateries throughout the city. Her blog name was originally The YEG Foodie but she wanted a name that defined her more which is why she rebranded a few years ago. 

Why Did You Start Food Blogging

I’ve been asked quite a few times about why I started blogging. My love of food stems from my childhood. As a child, I grew up in an Asian household where I mainly ate Asian food, particularly Vietnamese food. When I grew older, I yearned for non-Asian food. During high school, I finally had the freedom to go out to eat and try new foods. This freedom took me to different restaurants in Edmonton where I tasted food that was never cooked at home.

Although I still ate home-cooked food, I started to explore restaurants beyond the chains and franchises. My friends would see my food photos on social media then ask me for my opinion. This is when I was inspired to create a food blog - to share my tastes and thoughts to those who didn’t know me personally. Today, I still love to try out new cuisines but I will always appreciate the home-cooked Vietnamese dishes that my mom makes for me. 

What Exactly Do You Blog About?

I mainly blog about places in Edmonton but I have written about other countries I’ve traveled to. My blog is more of a side hobby or a side hustle, as I like to call it. I would love to become a full-time blogger one day but it is not a priority for myself at the moment. I spend most of my work time doing social media marketing, particularly at North America’s largest mall.

Many have asked me - how do you balance working and blogging? For me, I believe that you should leave work at work. Once I leave my workplace, I focus on other priorities which would be gathering content (eating) and creating content (on my blog & social media). Time management and prioritization is a big part of maintaining a blog.

I like to think that what started out as a blog has turned into a personal brand for me. 

What Advice Do You Have For Anyone Interested In Wanting To Start a Food Blog or Become A Food Influencer?

If you want to become a food blogger or a food influencer, you need to genuinely LOVE food. For me, that’s the most important thing as that will be reflected in your work and be your motivation. My love of food drove me to eat at different restaurants, not the same place over and over again. My love of food was the reason why people started asking me for my opinion on a restaurant instead of looking up a Google Review.

My love of food is why I still write about it to this day. 

Starting a food blog is not hard and doesn’t require any money but takes time and effort. There are many free blogging platforms nowadays: Blogger, Wordpress, Squarespace, Wix. Once you’ve chosen a platform, you will need content to write about. Obviously, this means that you’ll have to go to restaurants to take photos of the food/interior and share your opinion about it. Don’t worry about having any following at the beginning, everyone starts off at the same place.

As you start blogging more and more & posting food photos on social media, you’ll begin to build a brand or name for yourself. Make sure that you’re consistent and that your personality is showcased. Lastly, never feel embarrassed or ashamed for taking photos of the food before you eat it. It also helps if you eat with people that don’t mind having cold food! 

You can easily catch Stephanie hopping from one food spot to the next on her Instagram or Facebook. She’s always open to DMs for anyone who has further questions about food blogging or suggestions on where to eat!

Stephanie Truong ! MS. HANGRY FOODIE
instagram.com/mshangryfoodie
facebook.com/mshangryfoodie