Many people think that it is easy to become a food blogger. But the truth is, just like every other profession, there is no magic or shortcut for food blogging. Food blogging is all about hard work, creativity, and making exclusive efforts to make your blog shine.
The biggest trick to becoming a good food blogger is consistency. You must be consistent with the process as it is time-consuming and requires a lot of effort on your part. Over time, since becoming a food blogger, I compiled a list of different tips and tricks that can help you polish your food blogs, and I will be sharing a few of them with you today.
Starting your food blog
Starting the food blog is the major step in the journey of blogging because it requires detailed planning of all the steps that will follow afterward. However, before you do start, make sure that food blogging is right for you. Start out by posting recipes on your favorite social media platform and see how others respond to them. Also, pay attention to how you are feeling during the process to ensure that you can commit to it long term. If you feel disconnected from the entire process, then take a step back and reaccess if you truly want to dive into food blogging.
That being said, the first step to starting your food blog is to select the theme for the blog.
Select the specific niche you are passionate about
Before selecting a theme, it is important that you first pick a niche you are passionate about. Several topics come under food blogging, for instance, quick meals, gluten-free meals, vegan meals etc. Thus, I recommend picking something that will make your blog stand out with a target audience in mind.
In addition, try to keep your blog name catchy and short so that people can easily remember it. Since it will be a food blog, consider using names that are SEO friendly, and can communicate to google or other search engines that your blog is about food. That way, it will be easy for your blog to rank on search engines.
Build a self-hosted blog
Paying for hosting space gives you the flexibility to use plugins on your site. You will have the flexibility to custom design your site and place advertisements that generate income. It is also important to mention that you should choose the right hosting service for your website.
Back when I started my first blog, I was not informed about the importance of picking the right hosting service. As a result, I ended up with a host that kept slowing down my site with crappy services. Thankfully, as I learned more about hosting services, I ended up switching to Site ground which changed everything!
Designing your food blog
To become a food blogger, another major focus should be the design of your website.
Designing a food blog requires you to be creative and professional at the same time. It is important that you take your brand into consideration when designing by picking the right fonts, colors, and photos that clearly communicate your brand’s message.
Select a clean theme
Select a theme that is clean with a light background. The reason for using a light background is to let the viewers focus on your content. Incorporate eye-catching pictures of your food to maintain the interest of your audience. If you are not good at doing this, you can hire a professional web designer or food photographer to help capture your imagery.
In addition, your font size must be large. Try to use fonts that are easy to read, for example, Arial (a font that most bloggers use) is a great option. Avoid using faint colors and cursives as this draws the reader’s attention away.
Also, use bright and attractive color combinations that clearly communicate your brand. That way, your readers can easily spot your content when shared on other sites like Pinterest, Instagram, etc.
Creating content for your food blog
Creating content for the blog is the most creative part of the process. The content must have high-quality information and images to maintain the interest of the audience.
Post regularly
Be consistent while posting content on your blog. No matter if you do it daily, weekly, or monthly, just be consistent. It will make your readers know about your posting schedules and will keep them coming back for your content. If you use another site or blog recipe as a reference, always cite the source and give credit to the author. It increases the authenticity of your blog and builds trust with your audience.
Capture interesting food pictures
The picture of your food must look as good as it tastes. Taking good pictures is one of the most crucial factors for food bloggers because people tend to eat with their eyes. The picture of your food must urge your readers to try your recipe. Therefore, sharpen your photography skills or hire a professional photographer.
If you are a new blogger, it may be tempting to upload every single photo you may take. But be careful not to fall into that trap. Instead, select your top 5 highest quality photos that communicate “YUM” to your reader. I would suggest getting a second or third opinion before posting a photo in order to remove any bias.
Develop your own recipe
The food blogs with unique recipes always stand out. Try to create your recipe instead of taking recipes from different blog sites. Try to come up with exclusive recipes that make you different from the rest. The goal is to stand out from the crowd. Therefore, figure out what makes you unique and try to implement that uniqueness in your recipes.
Only write what you know
This is one of the best advice food bloggers will ever get. Don’t fake and refrain from sharing anything you are not. Your blogs should be sincere and reflect your true personality.
In the blogging space, it is okay to be unprofessional in your writing style as it helps the reader recognize your own voice. Thus, keep it sweet, simple, and YOU!
Optimize your blog
Learn search engine optimization (SEO) to optimize your blog and its ability to rank in search engines. You can read this guide on SEO. to help you get started.
Market your content
You can provide your readers with an incentive to sign up for your email list. Such incentives include e-books, meal planners, recipe cards, etc. That way, each time you create a new blog post or other services you already have a loyal community willing to access your content.
Also, take advantage of social media in marketing your blog. Make it easy for people to share your content from your blog using a single button that links to various social media platforms. Don’t be afraid to experiment with video as a way to expand your reach.
Connect with your readers
Connect with your readers in the best possible way when trying to become a food blogger. Readout their comments, queries, and questions. Try to reply to them as much as you can. Consider their suggestions and feedback to design the content for your blog.
Successful food bloggers are the ones that improvise their strategies according to changing trends. Thus, be flexible in your approaches so that you can retain the interest of your readers.
If you are looking to become a food blogger, what are some steps you have taken to begin your journey? Sound off in the comments below!
