Influencers are the new-age billboard. Dress them as you like. Feed them as you like. Paint them as you like. Crazier the better. Most of them have a team to help YOU make the most of it (stylists, MUAs, photographers). They don’t come cheap, but they sure have a solid ROI. Tried and tested.

Bloggers, on the other hand, are new-age equivalent of a daily newspaper from 1990s. Brimming with substance and opinions, but masses have an attention span of 29 seconds, so only about 5 people are reading their eloquently drafted blogposts (including their mom and ex’s current love interest).

Struggling to find their own ground are vloggers (I truly detest this term), with enough face value to attract both brands and audiences, and efficacy to deliver news/opinions/garbage. It requires partial attention, but as visuals (including double chin) seem to be more captivating than wordsmithery, vloggers make a prettier dime than bloggers. What can I say…there is no accounting for taste.

I have been thinking about where do I stand. I started Cherry Cross in 2013 but it was only around 2016 that I publicly acknowledged my blogger-status. Before that, I was either a journalist or an online journalist. Blogger seemed a step down, partially due to the kind of sub par content that was being created, and that everybody was a freaking blogger.

Influencer is someone who has received benefit to promote a product via their social media channels. Yes, I have done that too. I have also made a few vlogs, which are uploaded on my YouTube channel. I crossed 100 subscribers yesterday (thank you!) and claimed a custom URL. It’s 

I am a bit of all, so what exactly does that make me? Confused, for one. I think my objective helps me define where I stand – to consistently create content for an engaged community, however big or small they might be. This places me firmly in the blogger category. So, I am not an influencer per se and the number of vlogs on my channel do not suffice to claim the vlogger title either.

Hi, nice to meet you. I am Shaheen, and I blog at 

Now that you know the kinds of content creators out there, you’d agree that digital marketing has an exceptionally interesting and sly mix of players at the moment. And what’s even more interesting is that this pool of creators is constantly expanding. A tech baba (aka Namunu) mumbled in his sleep that this mess will continue to increase for another two years, until this bubble bursts, and then another three years will be spent to find an equilibrium, which is likely to be a mix of digital, broadcast AND print. In that order. Alas, there is a silver lining for potato faces like me who enjoy (and some would say have a talent for) writing.

Before you head for lunch, let’s do a rapid fire with me. I will ask the question and I will also answer them. You know the drill.

Will I be able to continue creating content until then? I think so.
Will I shift completely to videos? Never.
How do I identify myself? Blogger, who sometimes creates visual content as well.
Will I say I like something for money (when I actually like it)? Yes. Thrice if I am being paid for it.
Will I say I like something for money (when I actually don’t like it)? No. I have turned down both Gai Washing Powder sponsorships and adult website collaborations. It hurts to see money that will never make it to my Paypal account, but so does waxing. We do it anyway.
Why do I blog? For the love of writing.
What will make me give it up? Lack of readership. That hurts too.
What am I eating while writing this? Ring chips.