Are you new to food blogging? Overwhelmed and trying to figure it all out? Keep reading to learn My Top 20 Food Blogging Tips For Beginners!
I’m often asked if I have any food blogging tips for beginners. I know it can be extremely overwhelming at first! So I’ve come up with a list of my top 20 tips.
I wish someone had told me these things when I was first starting out. I’m no expert, and there are many out there who have been doing this a lot longer than I have.
These are just tips from my experiences over the past decade, and you can take them for whatever they’re worth. What has worked for me might not work for you.
My Top 20 Food Blogging Tips For Beginners
1. Be Patient and Persistent
When I began this blog in 2009, Julie and Julia was out in theaters. I had read the book a year earlier. Food blogging was becoming more mainstream, but it was NOTHING like it is today. People were blogging primarily for fun, not money.
Last I checked, there was some ridiculous statistic like 160,000 new food blogs starting every day. If your goal is to turn a profit, you are entering a FLOODED market.
Buckle up and get ready to work harder than you think. It will be frustrating, and success will not happen overnight. Burnout happens to all of us. This requires patience and persistence.
2. Do Research
I strongly suggest researching the following before you start: blogging platforms (I recommend self-hosted WordPress), hosting companies, types of food blogs, food photography, editing software, how to shoot videos, best social media practices, SEO, and copyright infringement.
You don’t need to be an expert in these things, but you should have at least a novice understanding of them.
I’ve learned a lot about SEO from a monthly course with Hashtag Jeff. I highly recommend it; my traffic has improved dramatically since I began working with him. (Note: this is an affiliate link).
3. Have a Plan
Have a vision for your blog that feels representative of you. Come up with a name, design, and photography style that embodies what you love.
Make sure your site name isn’t under trademark, and that the domain and all relevant social media platforms are available (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter).
If you really want to plan ahead, have numerous posts ready when your site goes live.
4. Know Your Elevator Pitch & Intended Audience
Listen, I hate the term elevator pitch. However, it serves a purpose here. You don’t need to robotically state the same thing every time someone asks what your blog is about, but you need to be able to express your vision clearly.
If you’re not clear, no one will care. Know exactly who you’re trying to reach in your posts. Write like you’re talking to that person. Hello, person!
5. Have a Clean, Easy-To-Navigate Website
Have an easy-to-navigate menu bar and recipe index. Make your recipes searchable and easy to find. Get rid of any unnecessary banners and junk in the sidebar.
Stop linking to places that aren’t on your blog unless you’re sharing relevant posts or research-related content. Why would you want people to visit your Foodgawker gallery? Keep readers on your site! Make sure to use clean, easy-to-read fonts.
6. You Need To Spend Money To Make Money
I understand how difficult it is to invest money in something that’s not yet turning a profit. However, there are many instances where cutting corners will harm your ability to earn revenue, so it’s worth investing up front.
Example: hosting companies. Do not use a $10 per month hosting company like BlueHost. Why? You get what you pay for, and they are going to kill your site load time. That, in turn, will kill your Google SEO ranking, which will negatively impact your traffic and ad revenue (once you have ads).
Invest in a solid hosting company that doesn’t throttle your bandwidth. (PS- Are you on a food blog that’s recommending BlueHost? Is it an affiliate link? Think about that for a moment before trusting their recommendation.)
I’m not saying you have to go nuts. But don’t be cheap, either. I’m using WordPress-VPS. The cheapest available option is $50 per month, but it’s worth it..
7. Build Your Fan Base
Once your blog is live, you need to work on building a foundation of solid content and an audience. This takes time. Post regularly to your social media platforms, even if it feels like you’re shouting into a black hole, and engage with whoever is listening.
Once you connect with an audience, be there for them. Answer questions, help with troubleshooting, and always be kind and patient (even if it feels difficult sometimes when people are rude).
8. Rewrite Adapted Recipes
If you’re going to adapt a recipe, you MUST take the time to rewrite the instructions. You should also reorganize the ingredient list a bit if possible. This is a common rookie mistake.
It doesn’t take long to do. Not only does it upset recipe developers who spend time coming up with their own wording, but it can potentially harm the page ranking of their website AND YOUR WEBSITE in Google’s search results. Everyone loses if you don’t rewrite, including you.
9. Credit And Link Your Sources
If you adapt a recipe, you need to credit and link to the original author. Adapting doesn’t make it yours. Your mother taught you not to steal. Don’t steal. Check out my tomato bisque for an example of how I link to the original source.
The same goes for photography; don’t post a photo from someone else without crediting and linking (bonus points if you ask, but most bloggers are pretty laid back about this. Other food websites might not be).
Don’t crop it or add an overlay without permission, either.
10. Post Quality Content
Be consistent with your recipe formatting. Write clear instructions and don’t abbreviate. Consistency will make people feel comfortable. Proofread! Mistakes happen to the best of us.
If a recipe is bad or just ok, don’t post it. Rework it. If someone tries one of your recipes and they don’t like it, chances are they’re not going to trust you again. They might spread the word.
Want to take these tips to the next level? I’m now offering monthly one-on-one food blogger mentorships! Learn more over on Patreon.
11. Make It Easy To Share
You want people to share your content, right? Make it easy. Offer ways for people to share within your posts, such as Pinterest buttons and various other social media icons.
Embed a hidden Pinterest collage in your post. Share new content across all of your social media platforms.
12. Link Within Your Own Site
This is another way to encourage people to stick around. Link to older posts! Did you know I have a delicious yellow cake recipe? See what I did there?
13. Network With Other Bloggers
Networking can be an extremely helpful part of growth. Reach out to other bloggers whose work you admire or who share your niche. Make friends. Comment on blogs.
Attend a conference if that sounds interesting to you. I highly recommend starting with a smaller conference that has less attendees so you have a chance of getting to know more people.
There are a ton of Facebook groups devoted to brainstorming ideas and sharing new content on social media. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. (On the flip side, don’t take advantage. Spread out those questions, be willing to learn on your own as well).
14. Food Photography (and Editing) Matters
You need to make your recipes look appetizing. Having mediocre food photography isn’t an option anymore, not when there’s so much competition. Learn to use your camera and ditch the “auto” setting. Learn to use Adobe CC or something similar.
There are tons of free tutorials online. For beginners, I’m a fan of the book Plate to Pixel by Helene Dujardin. If you are more of a visual learner, Lynda.com has fantastic video tutorials.
If you live in the MD/DC/VA area, I teach lessons! I’m planning on adding tutorials to the blog soon as well. Stay tuned.
15. Let People Get To Know You
People want to know you. I’m a bit shy and introverted in real life; it took me a long time to post a photo of myself on the blog. For years I was still hiding half of my face behind large sunglasses.
Readers want to know who you are. They also like responses to comments and questions. Make sure you have a plugin set up where they get an email response to their comment.
16. Don’t Be a Sell Out
It’s a rush when you first start hearing from PR companies and brands who want to work with you. Do not sell out yourself or your readers for a free pound of sugar. Don’t even do it for money.
You are worth so much more.
Figure out what type of brands align with your content, how much you want to charge and on what conditions. Always keep the copyright, never give away the RAW images.
If the brand is not authentic to who you are, you will lose your audience (or fail to build one). Do not blog about how you don’t eat carbs and then write a sponsored post for Hot Pockets. People will see through that.
17. Remember The Reader
I have ads. They’re a great way to earn passive income from traffic, and this is my primary source of income. However, I do my best not to go overboard, and I try to make sure that the ads aren’t invasive. I make sure there are no autoplay sounds on videos.
When I visit a website that floods me with ads, I usually leave. It negatively impacts the user experience. It also drastically slows down the load time. Always remember the reader.
18. Try New Things
I think that when you’re starting out, it’s a smart idea to check out what other bloggers are doing. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t try something completely new and unique! Be bold and daring.
Think you have a new idea? Be a trendsetter and let others follow you.
19. Comparison Is The Thief of Joy
Much easier said than done, right? Every creative person is guilty of comparing their work to others. I struggle with this constantly. That doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Go ahead, check in on what others are doing and try to feel inspired.
But you’re not them and they’re not you. No one will ever have your exact creative vision or be able to bring your personal life experiences into the puzzle.
You do you and try not to worry about what others are doing. Simply be inspired.
20. Love What You Do
When I’m excited about my recipes, my photos, and my work, it shines through everything I do. When I’m feeling burnt out, it shows.
Don’t be afraid to slow down when you need to, and be willing to reevaluate if your current strategy isn’t working (after you’ve tried that whole patience thing I discussed earlier).
Additional Resources
(Note: These are NOT affiliate links. I was not paid to promote these companies.)
Recommended Blogging Platform: WordPress.org
My Current Web Hosting: WordPress VPS
My Current Ad Network: Mediavine
My Current Technical Support: Grits Design
yummychunklet says
Helpful tips!
Lisa says
Excellent tips! Since I’m still on free WP (no scripts allowed) and don’t have natural light to take photos in, I’m a little limited, but once I self-host, those limits will start to diminish..except for the natural light, but I’ll figure something out! ;)
Emily says
Great post, Jen!!!! And huge congrats on your strawberry cake win!!
Tracey Evans says
This is awesome!! Thank you! I have been wanting to start a food blog for the past year or so and still have not started it. Can’t come up with a name! lol!! I have been reading “Food Blogging for Dummies” and your tips and this books have great info. Do you have any suggestions regarding a new blogger having their own site v/s using blogspot, wordpress etc….? I know you have to do your own back ups etc… if you have your own site. Thanks! :)
Savory Simple says
I think WordPress is a great startup site. In the end I prefer having my own site for so many reasons, but it’s a lot of word to build one if you’re not familiar with code. I’d start with wordpress.com and see how committed you are to the blog. I use feedburner for RSS. It’s had a few issues recently but for the most part it’s fine. Good luck! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Tracey Evans says
Thank you! :)
Tracey Evans says
Hey Again, I signed up with WordPress ($26.00), however I am not finding it to be very user friendly, Ugh! Have you used it before or how about blogspot? Thanks! :)
Savory Simple says
What cost you $26? I’m pretty sure it was free when I signed up but maybe they’ve changed things. It’s the only platform I’ve worked with so I can’t speak for blogspot. Which settings are you having difficulty with? There are a lot of little things but you’ll get the hang of it.
Tracey Evans says
It was $18.00 for the blog and $8.00 to keep my personal e-mail private. I can’t figure out how to add a contact form. In the book “Food Blogging for Dummies”, it states that it can be added via the Contact Form icon in the top portion of the Text editor. I don’t see this at all anywhere under the Dashboard. Are you familiar with this? I am playing around with it, just thought it would be easier to set up. Also can’t get my sidebar to move to the right sight of the page. Not sure if it’s because of the free theme I picked. Thanks for your help!! :)
Savory Simple says
There was no $18 fee when I started mine, I’ll have to keep that in mind when I recommend it from now on. I’ve never used a contact form so I’m not going to be very helpful there, unfortunately. With regards to the sidebar, every theme has different options so make sure your theme offers that customization. Good luck!
Tracey Evans says
Thanks Jen! I’ll change my theme and figure out the contact form thing! :)
Savory Simple says
I think my original free theme was Tarski and I really liked it. Clean, pretty. http://tarskitheme.com.
Linda Walbridge says
Jen you are so kind to share your knowledge. Thank you! I’ve been at this for a year and a half
I feel my biggest stumbling blocks are not being too savvy at using the WordPress site, figuring out RSS, links, etc.. Any suggestions in that regard? Take a class? It’s helpful to know others also get frustrated with the whole process…I just love to cook and write so I’m not about to give up!
Savory Simple says
There are so many great tutorials online. I would start Googling the subjects you want to understand better and go from there. “How do I set up RSS on a blog” etc.
Linda Walbridge says
Thank you!
Tracey Evans says
I find WordPress not to be very user friendly either and I am a beginner.
S.A. Fifer says
Thank you for sharing these tips–blogging about food is fun–but there is a lot to learn!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
These are great tips! I think when people start out, they don’t know what the rules are and so there are mistakes made :)
Jenny @ BAKE says
Fantastic tips! I’ll be using a couple of them myself!
Annamaria says
You have some great tips. I’m a relatively new blogger and I appreciate advice. I think my biggest problem is posting consistently. I work full time and sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day and maybe it just takes me longer than most to create a post. If you see anything on my site that could use improvement, I would love to hear it. Thanks for the post.
Savory Simple says
It can be very time consuming, I understand completely. Sometimes I try to get ahead by cooking a lot of stuff and once and taking multiple photos. Then I write up the actual posts at a later date when I have time.
Bridget Oland says
Thanks for the tips! It’s great to have a list to reference because it’s even easy to forget the basics. I’ll suggest one more tip…If you have a family tell them often that you appreciate their patience. Many a time I have left my kids and husband waiting to eat while I photographed a plateful of supper. (You gotta grab the light when you can!)
Valerie says
Excellent tips, Jen! When I started blogging over 3 years ago I had no idea what I was doing or where it would take me. I think it’s also important to stay true to who You are. For a long time I tried to be sugary-sweet (no pun intended) and perfect…almost robotic. Now I know that it’s okay to let readers know when I mess up on something, or if traffic made me particularly snarky that day. :) With the hundreds of food blogs that are out there now, being ourselves is the best way to stand out.
I’ve never been approached by companies to host a giveaway, and even though that’s not important, it still bruises the ego a bit. (I blame the inconsistent p & s camera). ;-)
Savory Simple says
I think it’s only a matter of time before you start hearing from companies, your site is wonderful. Shoot me an email, I might know a few good companies you can start with.
Also, yes yes yes to being yourself. I’m a pretty snarky person and I’m often bitching about something on Twitter. I wouldn’t want to be all unicorns and butterflies all the time, but I think some people feel pressure to do that.
kirsten@FarmFreshFeasts says
I started my blog last week, so I really appreciate the timeliness of these tips! I’ve got so many questions I don’t even know where to begin, so I’ll google for tutorials. I looked through BloggingWithAmy.com before I started, which was really helpful in a general blogging way. Now I’m looking for food-blogging specific advice.
Oh, and your D70? We loved ours. Almost as much as we loved the Sony 505. That was the best camera ever.
Thank you so much!
Savory Simple says
And thank YOU for the sweet comment! :)
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
These are great tips! I’m not a beginner but I still find these useful :) The only thing I want to add is to show some blog love to other bloggers, by linking to their sites every now and then (not just in the blog roll) or interacting with them via social media. It’s nice to feel part of a community!
Erika says
I love this post! #14 is a concept that I definitely didn’t get when I was starting out…and tips #4-7 are all things that I’ve vaguely thought about but never pinned down in exactly those terms. Thanks for the post!
Cassie says
Great list, I would agree with everything. I always say “be who you really are!” Don’t try to be what you think readers what you to be. We want the real you!
Savory Simple says
I couldn’t agree more!