Food blogger Zachary Song Shares the Secrets to Success on Social Media
"Go viral in your community, not globally," says food blogger Zach Song, who has collaborated with big brands such as Nestle and Replica.
That key advice allowed him to gain personal connections and achieve buy-in on food posts. Song has been successful on social media while maintaining authenticity along the way.
Over five billion people use social media, or about 62% of the global population. Brands, influencers and the rest of us are competing to get in the spotlight. Creators go to extreme lengths for a fleeting moment of virality. According to The Social Intelligence Lab, virality is connected to the content’s ability to create emotional responses within the viewer.
Song says his engagement went up as the quality of his content improved—especially the lighting and the texture of his food posts. "Creating a moment where people want to taste the food or use the product is what gets people enticed," Song says. This can lead to virality, or success, which are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
What defines success will look different to each person, whether it is to be able to network, to get money and collaborations, to help communities in need, to support others, to learn or to experience the world differently. Success will not be one thing. For example, Song began with the aim of supporting and representing family owned and POC owned restaurants, and through his journey he has been able to achieve this aim and received grants to give to these restaurants, which is his definition of success. Ask yourself, when you are posting: What is my aim here?
If creating connections, collaborations or followers is your aim, then it is important to stay consistent. Just like a fake handbag will not give satisfaction to a shopaholic, a fleeting moment of virality will not give long-term satisfaction to an influencer. Song once had a restaurant phone him and tell him about the success of his giveaway, because he did three things: he kept his community local, he used his face in most of his posts to create engagement and he truly enjoyed it.
"People are hyper fixating on posting to go viral, but for me," says Song. "I feel that these posts are to have fun and show a side of myself that is genuine and goofy. Don't care so much about what people think. That is how I got triple the amount of collaborations."
It is safe to say that many people who post themselves online do not truly believe they are worth following. Having an aim for the account, as mentioned, will help with staying focused and consistent. The second part of it is having self-worth and self-confidence. "Some people are scared to show themselves, but I've learned this year, especially even this month, that appreciating who I am and showing that is what the end goal is," Song says. In a online world of constant competition, trolls, comparison and imposter syndroe, it is the relationship that you build with yourself that will create the most lasting success online or offline.
In a world where virality often takes center stage, Song’s advice reminds us that success on social media is more than just a moment in the spotlight. It’s about creating meaningful connections, staying true to your purpose, and finding joy in what you do. As Song has shown, long-term success isn’t about impressing everyone, but about being true to yourself and making an impact in your community.
The real question isn’t whether it is worth going viral, but whether you’re creating something that fulfils you and connects you to the people who matter most to you and your journey.
