TFS#214 - Lydia Lau @always.hungryyyy Reveals How You Can Get Paid To Eat!

THE FLIP SIDE with Andy Mai

Lydia Lau is a Sydney-based food content creator known for uncovering hidden gems, trendy spots, and budget-friendly eats. Renowned for her authentic reviews and stunning food photography, she supports businesses with social media strategies and influencer collaborations.

Connect with Lydia Lau!

https://www.instagram.com/always.hungryyyy

0:00 - Introduction

0:42 - Meet Lydia Lau

2:11 - Working in Marketing at Johnson & Johnson, Klook, Big W, and in FinTech

2:41 - How long ago did Lydia start creating food content?

3:13 - Her plans to quit her job & start her marketing venture

5:06 - Main services Lydia's marketing company offers to her clients

5:35 - How Lydia helps cafe owners grow their businesses

11:50 - Lydia’s advice on creating engaging content for your business

15:18 - How she helped Big W’s marketing agency grow their social media presence

15:40 - How she pitches the pricing of her marketing services

18:12 - Handling all content creation for her clients as part of her marketing services

19:41 - Having a massive backlog of travel content to post on her socials

21:05 - Lydia plans to create a second Instagram account for her marketing agency

22:40 - Insights on creating viral educational content

24:00 - How short-form content is great for reach and brand awareness on social media

25:04 - How she accidentally started attracting clients while creating food content in the F&B space

26:42 - How Lydia runs ads for the F&B sector

27:53 - Influencer marketing strategies for the F&B industry

29:04 - Cost for cafe owners to hire Lydia’s marketing services

30:17 - Took 6 months to get her first free food invite and 12 months to receive her first paid food review

32:36 - Lydia’s posting schedule for her food content

34:20 - Does Lydia eat out every day?

35:20 - How Lydia manages the places she features for food content each month

36:38 - How she includes friends in her food review experiences

37:28 - How clients reach out and invite Lydia for food reviews

37:55 - Lydia explains how paid invitations work

38:53 - Are there situations where Lydia turns down an invite?

39:47 - What types of invitations does Lydia accept?

40:24 - Free invites with only 500–5,000 followers

41:53 - Secured her first paid invite with only 5,000 followers

42:28 - Lydia on earning 3-4 figures per restaurant review

44:32 - Lydia limits herself to accepting 3–5 invites per week to manage capacity

45:53 - How Lydia organized a sponsored birthday party w/ Pizza Bros

48:08 - Reaching out to Pizza Bros to sponsor her friend’s birthday party

48:53 - Is it easy for Lydia to get restaurant sponsorships for events?

49:48 - Lydia tracks invoices and the places she has visited

51:11 - Lydia posts food content based on her capacity

51:38 - Best food spots in Sydney for every type of cuisine

52:58 - Best places to take overseas friends in Sydney

53:43 - Best spots to bring an older mentor for dinner

54:13 - Lydia’s top pick for date nights to impress a girl

54:47 - Lydia’s picks for “bang for your buck” dining experiences

55:09 - Her thoughts on this podcast (1st podcast she's done)

56:23 - Thoughts on the fast-paced nature of the marketing industry

56:47 - Recent life discoveries

57:51 - Lydia’s opinion on using the Advantage+ option on Meta

59:25 - Multi-advertiser option on Meta Ads

59:44 - Maximizing dynamic Ad copy and headlines in Meta Ads

1:00:23 - Audience targeting on Meta Ads

1:00:58 - How Lydia would optimize for leads when running ads in the F&B space

1:01:32 - Organic content & retargeting marketing strategies

1:03:32 - Comparing ROI: $10K on cold ads vs. $10K on hiring creators to produce five pieces of content daily

1:03:14 - Creating organic content to achieve free reach

1:05:54 - Personal goals for the next 6 months

1:07:05 - Would Lydia raise kids in Sydney or Malaysia?

1:07:39 - Differences in raising children in Malaysia compared to Sydney

1:08:49 - Lydia reveals she speaks seven different languages

1:09:16 - Connect with Lydia Lau

1:10:00 - Outro