One look at Social Media Influencer Emilia Taneva’s Instagram account @BubblyMoments, and you’ll feel like you’ve taken a 5-Star trip around the world, hitting all the hottest spots along the way. With her breathtaking pictures and vivid descriptions of her travels throughout Europe, The Middle East, Asia, South Pacific, Caribbean, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and Maui (to name a few), and you will be able to finger your next great travel destination. Too bad for us, the gorgeous Emilia Taneva is not included with our travels.
Aside from Emilia’s must-see-to-believe travel picture journal, this rapidly growing social influencer informs her followers of the best natural wonders, cultural hubs, site-seeing excursions, restaurants, most luxurious accommodations and hottest nightclubs wherever she visits. Think of Taneva as your one-stop-shop concierge to the world’s most beautiful and exciting destinations. Her more than thirty corporate sponsors read like a “Who’s Who” of household name brands, from Clinique and Macy’s, to Jared Jewelry, FabFitFun and Pantene.
Taneva’s 690K Instagram followers (accumulated in less than two years!), live vicariously right along with the globetrotting beauty on all her excursions. As if that wasn’t enough, Taneva splits her time and efforts between her growing online following and her other, equally important career, as a successful orthodontist.
Trips Emilia Taneva has chronicled on her blog and IG account, include Croatia, France, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Italy, Bulgaria, Malta, Japan, Bora Bora, Spain, Africa and the Republic of Seychelles, Thailand, The Maldives and so many more locales.
Followers can get a taste – and an eyeful – on her Instagram feed @Bubbly.Moments, and can read her detailed breakdown of how to get the most out of each destination on her blog, BubblyMoments. You can even “shop her life” on her blog’s Resources page. We sat down with Emilia Taneva to chat about her life and her success as both an orthodontist and social media influencer.
How would you describe your follower demographic? Who are they, and what are their interests?
There are different types of analytics tools that I use to gain detailed follower statistics information. The majority of my following is female (80%) in the 25-34 age group, and from the United States. Typically, once a week, I explore the insights of recent blog posts and social media shares to determine the type of content that brings the highest interactions and discovery.
What kind of feedback do you get from your followers and readers of your blog?
Almost every day I receive messages from people from different parts of the globe telling me how I have given them the inspiration to visit a place they would have never otherwise considered. I’ve been asked a wide variety of questions ranging from travel and my beauty routines, to my outfits, lifestyle, my beagle pup Max and my husband. Because I am an orthodontist, I also get questions about dentistry and tooth whitening. People will ask me about their bite and how to correct it, because of my dental background. People will also ask me how I started blogging and photo editing. A big part of my followers and readers are interested in my recommendations on travel destinations, the hotels I’ve stayed at, and the restaurants and local activities I recommend at different destinations. I get a lot of questions about Chicago, where I am based, like the best places to visit and see during a weekend trip.
You are also a successful orthodontist in Chicago. How do you balance all this travel and your photo shoots with seeing your patients?
My full-time job as an Orthodontist and my patients will always have priority, and I usually try to coordinate blogging in such a way so it doesn’t interfere with my patients’ diagnoses and their treatment planning. I have amazing assistants in my practices and a wonderful team helping me run Bubbly Moments. During my days off from my practice, I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to pursue my passion for traveling and discovering beautiful destinations. I treat Bubbly Moments as a business. As with any other business, building a successful website and social media presence takes time, patience, and dedication. I keep a thorough schedule and plan both my orthodontic practice and Bubbly Moments calendars (travel, photo shoots, content, etc.) at least 4-6 weeks in advance.
We see that you recently did a sponsored Dunkin Donuts post for National Donut Day. How did that partnership come about, since most of your collaborations are with beauty and fashion brands?
I feel truly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with brands that resonate with my lifestyle. Dunkin Donuts is actually my favorite coffee brand. I drink their cappuccino during the winter months and their iced coffee during summer. I stop by a DD store on my morning commute to work, and I’m really happy when I discover a DD store when traveling outside of Chicago! When Dunkin reached out to me, I was absolutely thrilled to jump at the opportunity to work with them for the National Donut Day.
What is the best thing about being a popular social media influencer?
I’m able to set my own schedule and explore topics I’m really thrilled about: from travel to fashion and more. In addition, I am connecting with so many amazing people. I’ve built wonderful business and personal relationships through social media that I can rely on for honest critiques, advice, and insight. Having an online support community is very empowering. This is especially true for women in today’s world. As an influencer I’ve also had some fantastic experiences and opportunities that may not have been possible otherwise.
How do you plan to leverage and grow your brand, BubblyMoments, in the next few years?
In the next few years, I see Bubbly Moments as a much bigger platform, taking on new challenges over time. I would like to launch video content, a product line or a book. I’m also passionate about finance, investing, real estate, and saving for retirement. Those are some of the topics I would like to cover in the future.
Your pictures are beautiful! How do you stay in such great shape?
Thank you! I usually do simple things such as eating small portions of the right foods, not consuming too many calories, and drinking plenty of water throughout the day. I love HIIT, running, and yoga, but with my pregnancy this year, it has been really hard for me to look forward to a daily workout.
It is your husband who photographs you in these exotic locations around the world. Do the two of you collaborate on creative ideas for pictures, or do you call the shots so to speak?
Teamwork always produces great results and that is true for photography as well. When traveling, my husband and I usually create an action plan for each day of the trip. I like when we brainstorm together. I am always happy to hear his creative ideas for photoshoot locations, lighting, and a better angle or pose.
Do you prefer shooting in summer outfits and swimsuits in beach locations, or do you prefer wearing fall and winter fashions in colder climates?
I love traveling to tropical and tranquil beach destinations such as Hawaii, the Maldives, and the Seychelles. I definitely prefer shooting in summer outfits and swimwear in pristine and beautiful sandy places around the world. My favorite place I’ve ever shot at is definitely Exuma, the Bahamas. It was an entire fun day of swimming with pigs, sharks, and feeding iguanas.
Why should people follow your Instagram account @Bubbly.Moments and your blog BubblyMoments.com?
I’m passionate about travel and orthodontics. I love capturing the beauty of my surroundings, the most precious moments, and to tell stories through my images. I would love to inspire positivity and motivation. I hope more people pursue their true desires, dreams, and express their passions after reading BubblyMoments.com and following me on Instagram. I hope my audience is gaining valuable information about different destinations and about dentistry and orthodontics. I would love to motivate the younger generation to succeed in their careers, propel them to travel, experience different cultures, broaden their horizons, and create more memories.
By Allison Kugel
