How to Start a Food Blog and Monetize It Successfully

The secret behind any successful blog is its content, and food blogging is no different as well. You must create quality content that readers find useful. To become a food blogger, your focus should be on bringing unique recipes coupled with drool-worthy images. Knowing how to start a food blog is just the first phase. You also need to take care of the traffic if you wish to earn from your blog. Hence, if you want to know how to start a food blog and how to make money from food blogging, you will find this article useful.

Here are some food blogging tips that you can consider:  

Develop a Food Niche  

While sticking to any niche is not necessary when starting a food blog, you must consider selecting one.

Curation 

It is one of the easiest ways to kickstart your blog. You can curate original recipes under taglines like “25 Best Chicken Pot Pies Recipes” and link them to the original. It is also a preferred option among food enthusiasts who do not actually cook. However, it may not prove to be highly successful in the long run. You also need to be careful regarding the copyright issue. You must seek permission before you use others’ recipes and food images.     

Original Recipes 

If you have a knack for cooking and coming up with new recipes, then original recipes can be an ideal area for you. Besides adding brand-new content, you can also incorporate images and videos. It may sound like a lot of work, but if you are really into it, you will soon build a significant audience.   

Baking 

Baking has developed into a niche in the 21st century. In fact, baking has become so popular that people are adapting it to suit their lifestyles. Hence, if you are a baking aficionado, you can create a highly successful food blog.

Nutrition  

It is another niche that has gained immense popularity in recent times. However, you will require a college certificate as well as some experience to gain credibility in this field.  

Food And Travel   

Due to the various advancements in the field of the internet and technology, people can now travel to various places and explore food. Vloggers around the world visit different countries and showcase the food culture there. Therefore, if you have the luxury to pack your bags and travel around the world with a camera, then you can become a successful food vlogger.  

Research Keywords  

Once you have decided on your area of expertise, you need to focus on researching keywords. You can also get the help of platforms like Ahrefs or SEMRush in order to get an idea about the keywords related to your topic. Alternatively, you can use keywords to come up with new ideas as well. It is another one of the food blogging tips that will help you in the long run.   

Pick a Blog/Domain Name 

You can either pick something that stands out or simply use your name. While the former is useful if you wish to separate your brand from your personal name, the latter can work wonders in long-term branding. Chefs like Gordon Ramsay have used their names to create a brand. On the other hand, if you wish to take the corporate route, invest your time in coming up with something catchy. You must also pick a name that will not restrict your blog's growth. For example, if you name your blog “chickendishes.com”, your blog might be restricted to just chicken dishes.  

Set Up Your Food Blog  

Setting up your blog comprises developing a brand logo and considering the hosting prospects.   

Logo 

You can hire a graphic designer to create your logo if you have sufficient funds. Otherwise, you can visit Fiverr, where you will find several suitable logos.  

Hosting  

After registering your domain name, you must get a hosting account. You can start with an inexpensive option like Wordpress.org. However, once traffic increases on your site, you can switch to a better hosting option.  

WordPress would be an affordable yet efficient option when it comes to themes and designs. Since you need not worry too much about the appearance of your website initially, the simple themes of WordPress would suffice. Your focus should be more on publishing content and increasing traffic.  

Publish Food Articles 

Now that you have done your keyword research and your blog is live, you can go ahead and publish your articles. While the type of article will depend on your niche, a few tips might come in handy:  

• Write interesting introductions. 
• Your content must be research-backed 
• Include images 

Work On Increasing Traffic  

After taking care of the creative aspects, it is time to focus on the monetary aspects of your blog. And the only way you can earn money through your blog is if it attracts enough traffic. Here are some options you can consider:   

Read Also: Why Video Content is Important for Your Business 

SEO 

While getting significant traffic from Google takes time, you can quicken the process by incorporating SEO into your content. You must make sure that all your content is optimized, as it will not only help in the initial part of your journey but will also pay in the long run.  

Social Media 

The four prominent social media platforms for food blogging include Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. If you wish to use images of your dishes to increase traffic, you must consider Pinterest and Instagram. Hundreds and thousands of people do food blogging on Instagram these days. You can also post videos for food blogging on Instagram. On the other hand, if you wish to upload your videos, then Facebook and YouTube are the better platforms.  

Email 

You can also create an email newsletter if you are into food blogging. Since people always look for new and unique recipes, you will find thousands of subscribers to such newsletters.  

Video  

While video may be expensive and time-consuming, it is the way to go if you wish to grow your blog. There are numerous TV channels and networks dedicated to food and travel. Hence you can create a considerable following if you start uploading videos of your recipes.  

Monetize Your Food Blog  

After starting a food blog, your next question might be how to make money from food blogging. You may be a food enthusiast who wishes to share your recipes with the world, but if you wish to monetize your food blog, here are a few options you can consider:   

AdSense   

If you are getting a lot of traffic on your website, you can make money by displaying ads. With your blog's growth, you may also get access to premium ad networks like AdThrive and Mediavine that monetize food blogs.  

Affiliation 

You can also earn money by product affiliation. However, this would only work if you create content regarding kitchen gadgets and appliances.  

Read Also: 8 Strategies for Community Building in Business

Recipe Books 

You can also publish your recipe books or sell them as eBooks or PDFs.  

Teaching “How to Start a Food Blog” 

Since blogging has become lucrative, you can also earn money by teaching others how to start a food blog.  

Book/Television Deals 

While this may sound a little far-fetched, you can get some attractive deals if you become a famous blogger. Since you will have a large following, publishers and producers will always look to capitalize on that.  

No matter how good a blog is, it needs time. Hence, do not be discouraged if you do not find encouraging results within the first few months. You may tweak your strategies a bit, but you do not have to change them altogether. Keep up the good work from your end, and you will soon taste success.