Literally Sanj FAQs (2025)
Table of Contents
💠How did you start Literally Sanj?
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Officially, Literally Sanj started in June 2015; when I decided to travel to Europe from Mumbai. I had bought my first ever GoPro and remember being so inspired by Murad Osmann and Nataly Zakharova's Follow Me To series and of course the Bollywood movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara!
💠What were you doing before Literally Sanj?
I graduated an Electrical Engineer and worked as a Business Analyst with Nomura India post which I realised I wanted to explore my creative side and pursue photography. One media led to another and I ended up working as a Creative Strategist with Vogue India!
💠Are you blogging full time?
No, I'm not sure I want to blog full-time just yet as I love the structure and finanacial stability my 9-5 job provides me with. Literally Sanj is just a hobby for now, but who knows where it'll end up! :)
💠Do you have a team?
No. Literally Sanj at the moment is a single woman show! From content planning, admin work, brand pitches to actual travelling, I'm the person responsible for it all, along with a few kind friends and my family who help me out sometimes. :)
💠How does Literally Sanj make money?
Brand Partnerships, YouTube ads, Affiliate Sales, Social Media Consulting. I've realised that multiple income streams are really important when running your own business / side hustle. Although I have a full-time job, I'm working towards a multiple income stream.
💠How big is your community?
To date, I have 39K+ followers on Instagram, 10k+ unique monthly readers on the blog, 2.2K+ YouTube subscribers, a few thousand email subscribers.
💠I want to be a full time content creator. How do I start?
To kick things off, it's vital to approach your content creation endeavours as if you're running a business. So, what's your game plan? Who's your target audience? And how do you intend to rake in the moolah?
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To be honest, don't set your expectations sky-high about becoming a full-time blogger or influencer until you've put in at least a solid 1 1/2 to 2 years of hard graft (for reference, I still haven't made the leap to full-time 3 years of daily hustle). Keep in mind, though, that being a full-time content creator isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It's more like cultivating a robust personal brand and then reaping the financial rewards from that brand through various income streams down the road.
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P.S. If you're itching for some personalised guidance on making the transition to full-time content creation, don't hesitate to shoot me an email!
💠How did you grow your social media channels?
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Growing your social media channels involves a combination of strategies and consistency. First, I focused on creating high-quality and engaging content that resonated with my target audience. This included using eye-catching visuals, crafting compelling captions, and staying up-to-date with current trends.
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I also made sure to post regularly, keeping a consistent schedule to maintain audience engagement. Using relevant hashtags helped increase the discoverability of my content, and I actively engaged with my followers by responding to comments and messages.
Collaborations with influencers and cross-promotions with complementary accounts also played a role in expanding my reach. Additionally, running contests and giveaways helped generate buzz and attract new followers.
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Above all, understanding and analyzing my social media analytics allowed me to fine-tune my approach and make data-driven decisions to further grow my channels. It's an ongoing process, but these strategies have been key to my social media growth.
💠If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring content creators and bloggers, what would it be?
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Kickstart your creative journey ASAP! I can guarantee you, I wouldn't be where I am today if I spent more time pondering about content creation than actually rolling up my sleeves and creating.
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If you're always consuming more than producing, you're bound to feel a bit deflated when it's time to unleash your own voice. So, stash away that endless scrolling and start crafting some awesome videos!
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Now, if you're eyeing a money-making blog, SEO is your trusty sidekick. Gone are the days when a blog could be your personal diary. These days, it's all about packing it with valuable, helpful info if you're aiming for that sweet mix of traction, traffic, and income.
💠How do I work with brands?
Prioritise value. I work with brands that align with my values and target audience while making the case that collaborating with me would ensure the product, service, or experience finds its way to its ideal audience.
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Another crucial tip: don't shy away from requesting phone calls with potential brand partners! It can make a world of difference. And, of course, maintaining professionalism is key (it really shines through).
💠Why Literally Sanj?
There's literally NO story to it. I just wanted to be ME on social me, quite literally. So I went with 'Literally Sanj'. Sometimes things don't have a story, but just a random thought that clicks. This was one of those things. :)