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The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

Welcome to The Food Blogger Pro Podcast, hosted by Bjork Ostrom from Pinch of Yum! Our goal is to help you create a beautiful, functional, and profitable blog. We interview successful food bloggers and industry experts in an effort to surface strategies that can help you more efficiently grow and monetize your site. You'll learn about recipe SEO, food photography, plugins, monetization, traffic, and more. New episodes every Tuesday! Learn more at foodbloggerpro.com/podcast
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Now displaying: Page 1
Mar 26, 2024

Balancing two blogs, social media, and two dessert shops, using trends and viral videos to drive blog traffic, and winning a baking competition on Netflix with Catherine Zhang.

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Welcome to episode 454 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Catherine Zhang.

Catherine Zhang on Being a Netflix Star and the Power of Social Media

Catherine Zhang has quite a resume: she was on (and won) NETFLIX’s Zumbo’s Just Desserts season 2, runs two food blogs, has over 1 million followers between Instagram and TikTok, and owns Kurepu Crepes — a dessert shop with locations in Perth and Sydney. She also happens to have a Bachelor of Science majoring in Food and Nutrition Science, and spent two years working in pastry kitchens.

Safe to say, she has had tremendous success as a creator over the last few years. In this podcast interview, Bjork and Catherine chat about her professional journey, how she balances her businesses, and the power of social media.

It is a really fun and inspiring interview — Catherine is so intentional about everything she does for her businesses and will definitely leave you with a lot to think about.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • More about Catherine’s professional journey (including opening two brick-and-mortar dessert shops, being on a Netflix show, and growing her Instagram following to 500,000+ followers).
  • How she first started creating content online.
  • How she applied for (and won!) the Netflix baking show, and how it impacted her online presence.
  • How she balances her blog, social media accounts, and dessert shops (Kurepu Crepes).
  • How she manages and maintains her blog (which gets 350,000+ monthly pageviews).
  • Why she decided to start a second food blog (Dimsimlim) with her business partner (and how they qualified for Raptive within one week).
  • How she uses social media, trends, and viral videos to drive blog traffic.
  • What she’s learned about the process of building a team and running a brick-and-mortar business.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Raptive.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Mar 19, 2024

Transitioning careers, deciding not to take your blog full-time, and using your blog as a business card with Vincent DelGiudice from Always From Scratch.

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Welcome to episode 453 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Vincent DelGiudice from Always From Scratch.

Balancing a Full-time Job and Your Food Blog

We first met Vinny when he joined Bjork for a Coaching Call in 2023. He is on the podcast this week to chat more about his career journey — including how he made the leap from working as a full-time speech-language pathologist to where he is now.

Vinny started his blog, Always From Scratch, in 2019 and has had lots of success in that short amount of time — including qualifying for Mediavine and reaching over 100,000 followers on Instagram. While he contemplated taking his site full-time last year, he has since decided to hold off and shares more about his decision-making process in this interview.

Vinny and Bjork chat about balancing a full-time job with your blog, how you can use your blog as a “business card” for other job opportunities, and how to create a work-life that fills your cup.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • What’s changed since Vinny’s Coaching Call with Bjork in the last 6 months.
  • Why Vinny decided not to take his blog full-time (yet!).
  • How he used his blog and Instagram account to get himself a full-time job in this industry.
  • How he balances his full-time job, his blog, and his family.
  • How to mentally justify the early days of blogging, when you’re spending lots of time on something without yet making an income.
  • How qualifying for Mediavine and reaching 100,000+ followers on Instagram changed his mindset.
  • What advice he has for someone looking to make the transition into running their blog full-time.
  • How to approach your work tasks to make help you be “gas tank full.”

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti and CultivateWP. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Mar 12, 2024

Creating content for YouTube, developing meal plans for your community, and strategizing for growing your brand with Nisha Vora from Rainbow Plant Life.

Welcome to episode 452 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Nisha Vora from Rainbow Plant Life.

YouTube, Meal Plans, and Business Growth

Nisha Vora (who just so happens to be the YouTube Expert on Food Blogger Pro!) is back on the podcast this week to chat about all things YouTube, business growth, and meal plans!

Bjork and Nisha kick off the conversation with a deep dive into YouTube — YouTube shorts, longer-form videos, monetization on the platform, and more.

Nisha also recently launched Meal Plans by Rainbow Plant Life and shares more about the process of developing and marketing the meal plans, and what the future of Rainbow Plant Life might look like!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How she prioritizes creating content for her different platforms (blog, YouTube, newsletter, and social media).
  • How her income varies between platforms.
  • Her current strategy around YouTube Shorts vs. long-form videos (and how monetizing differs between the two).
  • How she developed her meal plans product.
  • Why surveying her audience played such an important role in the development of her meal plans.
  • What meal plans version 2.0 might look like.
  • How she tested and promoted her meal plans.
  • How she continues to improve her skills as a content creator.
  • How she balances creating content and managing the business side of Rainbow Plant Life.
  • How she has grown the Rainbow Plant Life team.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Memberful and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Mar 5, 2024

Navigating the evolution of online content creation, balancing SEO with creating content you love, and defining success for you with Katie Higgins from Chocolate Covered Katie.

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Welcome to episode 451 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Katie Higgins from Chocolate Covered Katie.

Staying True to Yourself as a Content Creator

Katie first started creating content online in 2006 and has been making a living from her food blog, Chocolate Covered Katie for a long time. In her first podcast interview (!!!) Katie shares openly about navigating the online content creation space for almost 20 years and how she has stayed true to herself throughout that time.

Katie has been very intentional about running her business in a way that prioritizes doing the things she loves — creating recipes, SEO, photography, FOOD, and letting go of the things she doesn’t — video, sponsored content, Instagram.

She has a really refreshing perspective on what success looks like and how she navigates imposter syndrome in the industry. We’ve been longtime followers of Katie and enjoyed getting a peek behind the scenes of her brand!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How she first started creating content on the internet (on Xanga!).
  • How she started monetizing her site.
  • How she has persevered through all of the iterations of what it looks like to publish content online.
  • Why she prioritizes the parts of food blogging she likes (i.e. SEO) and doesn’t worry about the things that she doesn’t (i.e. video).
  • How she balances SEO with creating content she loves.
  • What success looks like for her right now (and how she deals with imposter syndrome).
  • Why she is working to make the user experience better on her site.
  • Why she’s chosen not to do sponsored content for her blog or social media accounts.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti and CultivateWP. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started at foodbloggerpro.com/work-with-us.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Feb 27, 2024

Delegating tasks, batching content, and planning ahead with Jessica Hylton Leckie from Jessica in the Kitchen.

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Welcome to episode 450 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jessica Hylton Leckie from Jessica in the Kitchen.

Planning for Extended Time Away from Your Food Blog

Jessica first started her blog 10 years ago when she was in school pursuing a law degree. Since that time, she has continued to scale her business and now receives 1–2 million pageviews each month.

While pregnant with her first child, Jessica knew that she wanted to take some time away from her business to focus on being a mom. In the process, she developed a strategy for planning extended time away from your food blog and social media accounts, without losing any of the momentum she had worked so hard to build.

Whether you’re hoping to take a maternity/paternity leave, need time away to support a family member or loved one, or just need a break from being an entrepreneur, this is an incredibly valuable episode all about the importance of planning ahead, delegating, and learning to let go.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How she transitioned from her baking business to her food blog (all while in law school)!
  • How she scaled her brand to 1–2 million monthly pageviews and over 1 million followers across her social media accounts.
  • How (and why) she decided to leave her career in law to pursue her career as a food creator.
  • How she planned ahead on her blog and social media for her year-long maternity leave.
  • Why she found it valuable to outsource certain tasks and work “on” her business instead of working “in” her business.
  • How she approaches delegating work.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti, Memberful, and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Feb 20, 2024

Diversifying income streams, working as a private celebrity chef, and scaling his food blog from 6,000 to 45,000 monthly page views in 5 months with Matthew Duffy. 

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Welcome to episode 449 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Matthew Duffy.

Monetizing Through Bread, Courses, and a Food Blog

We first got to know Matthew when he joined Bjork for a 2-hour-long marathon Coaching Call as a Food Blogger Pro member. He started his career in food as a professional chef in Michelin-starred restaurants before becoming a private chef to a slew of celebrities. Since that time, Matthew has become an online food creator with his courses, social media accounts, and food blog (while also baking lots of bread and panettone on the side).

Since his Coaching Call last fall, Matthew has kept the FBP team updated on his progress with his site (spoiler alert: there has been a lot of progress!). One major win? His site traffic has grown from 6,000 monthly pageviews to over 45,000 in just 5 months!

In this interview, Matthew shares more about his professional background, why he decided to start sharing content on social media and his blog, more about his different streams of income, and lots more.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • More about Matthew’s background as a professional, celebrity, and private chef.
  • Why he started teaching about bread.
  • How he transitioned his career into the online space and prioritized Instagram.
  • How he has built his brand and business online while also growing his bakery business.
  • Why he decided to work with a brand management agency.
  • About his different streams of income (in-person and online classes, selling bread, AdSense, and affiliate marketing).
  • How he scaled from 6,000 monthly pageviews to 45,000 in 5 months.
  • Why he and his wife are focusing on the blog right now.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti and CultivateWP. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Feb 13, 2024

Using trending audio on TikTok, navigating the social media algorithms, and creating video content with Faith Christensen from Faith's Fresh.

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Welcome to episode 448 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Faith Christensen.

How Faith Christensen Grew Her TikTok and Instagram Platforms to 2.5 Million Followers

Faith first started posting food content to Instagram and TikTok when she was in 2019 when she learned she was intolerant to gluten and dairy. Since that time, she has taken her career as a food creator full-time and grown her social media accounts to over 2.5 million followers (!!!).

In this interview, Bjork and Faith talk about Faith’s strategy for creating video content, how she uses trending audio, her tips for navigating the algorithms, and why she decided to work with a management agency to support her with brand partnerships.

If you’re looking to up your game on TikTok or Instagram this year, you won’t want to skip this interview!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How Faith grew her social accounts to over 2.5 million followers.
  • More about how she uses trending audio on TikTok.
  • About her process for creating video content on Instagram and/or TikTok.
  • How she approaches reposting content between platforms.
  • Her thoughts on navigating the algorithms on social media.
  • The importance of changing camera angles when filming videos for TikTok.
  • Why she exclusively edits on her phone.
  • How she uses analytics to shape her strategy on TikTok and Instagram.
  • Why she decided to work with a management agency.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Memberful and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Feb 6, 2024

Approaching risk as an entrepreneur, diversifying your income, and learning more about the changes in the world of search with Ewen Finser.

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Welcome to episode 447 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Ewen Finser.

How to Diversify Your Traffic and Income

The last few years have brought big changes to the online content creation world — AI, Google algorithm changes, you name it! As an entrepreneur, these changes can feel overwhelming, discouraging, and even scary. So… what can you do about it?

That’s why we asked Ewen Finser back on the podcast! He knows a lot about the importance of diversifying your business — from traffic sources to income and everything in between.

Bjork and Ewen chat about how to diversify your traffic income, how to approach risk, and different strategies and tools for managing your finances. Don’t miss this interview!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • About some of the changes happening in the world of search.
  • More about search generative experience on Google.
  • How to approach risk on search, email, and social media platforms to help create a stable foundation for your business.
  • How to think about the income you’re creating from your business as an investor.
  • The importance of diversifying your income.
  • How to approach scaling your business and managing risk.
  • About Ewen’s favorite tools and apps for money management.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by CultivateWP and Memberful. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Jan 30, 2024

Promoting your work, creating multiple forms of content for different platforms, and positioning yourself as an expert with Erin Jeanne McDowell.

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Welcome to episode 446 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Erin Jeanne McDowell.

How to Position Yourself as an Expert

Erin Jeanne McDowell is a cookbook author, food blogger, and video creator who brings lots of joy to everyone who follows along with her. In this interview, Bjork and Erin discuss her career journey so far, and how it all started with her love of writing.

Erin discusses her approach to creating multiple forms of content for her many platforms, including how she balances creating video content for Food52 and her own YouTube channel.

She has come to be one of the leading experts on baking in the online space and you’ll learn lots of her secrets in this great interview!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How Erin’s entrepreneurial journey as a food creator started.
  • The importance of prompts in writing.
  • How she has approached the promotion of her cookbooks.
  • Her strategy for creating multiple forms of content (without getting too overwhelmed).
  • What it is like creating content for Food52 vs. her brand.
  • How she thinks about her schedule and productivity.
  • How she has become the ultimate expert in baking as a content creator.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti, Memberful, and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors. 

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Jan 23, 2024

Pursuing zero-based dream building, being intentional about educating yourself, and focusing on yourself and the needs of your audience with Bjork Ostrom.

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Welcome to episode 445 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we have a solo episode with Bjork!

Zero-Based Dream Building for Content Creators

In this solo episode, Bjork is chatting all about the concept of zero-based dream building. He discusses why you might want to try this strategy when thinking about growing your business and following your dreams, as well as how to go about zero-based dream building.

Bjork goes through a step-by-step process of zero-based dream building, which should help you as you’re thinking about setting goals for your business and for personal growth!

It’s a short but sweet, thought-provoking episode — the perfect listen as we head into 2024.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How to approach ‘zero-based dream building.’
  • The importance of staying in your own lane when building your dream (i.e. business).
  • Why you should focus on yourself (how you like to communicate and what you’d like to be an expert in).
  • Why you should focus on the needs of your audience during this process.
  • How to pursue getting a tiny bit better every day at a medium and a topic.
  • How to be intentional about how you educate yourself.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Cultivate WP. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Jan 16, 2024

Leveraging the power of your voice, overcoming mental barriers to trying new things, and tackling imposter syndrome with Sally Zimney.

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Welcome to episode 444 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sally Zimney.

Overcoming Fear, Judgment, Imposter Syndrome, and Perfection as an Entrepreneur

Have you ever felt a sense of fear, judgment, imposter syndrome, or a need for perfection as a food creator? Assuming this is a rhetorical question because… who hasn’t?! That’s why we asked Sally Zimney to join us on the podcast — she’s a professional speaker with a Master’s Degree in Persuasion (!!).

In this interview, Bjork and Sally talk about the power of speaking and why it’s so important as an entrepreneur. Sally explains how to overcome the mental barriers that might be holding you back from trying something new.

It’s a really inspiring and thought-provoking interview — we hope you enjoy it!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • More about Sally’s professional journey (and how it overlapped with Bjork’s)!
  • The importance of finding your professional ‘playground.’
  • How Sally empowers people to leverage the power of speaking.
  • How she defines “speaking” (spoiler alert: you don’t need to be an extrovert to be a speaker).
  • How to overcome fear, judgment, imposter syndrome, and perfection when it comes to trying new things.
  • How and why AI might impact our desire for human connection and imperfection.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors by going to foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Jan 11, 2024

Welcome to Tiny Bites from the Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Danielle Liss from LISS Legal all about the new Corporate Transparency Act.

Get the resources for this episode at foodbloggerpro.com/tiny-bites-corporate-transparency-act.

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If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, email us at podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Jan 9, 2024

Working as a food creator for 25+ years, transitioning from food blogging to Substack, and future-proofing your content against AI with David Lebovitz.

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Welcome to episode 443 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews David Lebovitz.

Why David Lebovitz Switched from Blogging to Substack (and How he Quadrupled his Income)

David Lebovitz is a pastry chef, cookbook author, and OG food blogger (he first started his blog in 1999!). He has witnessed every new platform, algorithm update, and trend in the last 25 years and is still one of the most successful food creators in the business.

In this interview, Bjork and David chat about David’s recent pivot from food blogging to his Substack newsletter. David shares what he loves about Substack, what he misses about blogging, and how he has had so much success with his newsletter.

We are big fans of David (and his sense of humor!) and know you’ll love this episode.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • The importance of adapting or adopting as a creator.
  • All about David’s journey through food blogging.
  • Why David stopped blogging and switched to Substack (and what he misses about blogging).
  • How and why he started doing Instagram Lives (and more about his success with them).
  • How he approaches free vs. paid content on Substack.
  • The meaning and importance of various metrics (like engagement) as a food creator.
  • What it’s like to be a food blogger in France.
  • What he would do differently if he were starting out as a food creator now.
  • His thoughts on AI in the food blogging space and future-proofing against AI.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by CultivateWP and Memberful. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Jan 2, 2024

Diversifying income streams, leaning into your voice, and navigating algorithms with Eric King from easygayoven.

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Welcome to episode 442 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Eric King from easygayoven.

How Eric King Took easygayoven Full-Time by Diversifying His Income Streams

This podcast episode is chock-full of pearls of wisdom — there is really no other way to describe it! Eric has been running easygayoven full-time for just over two years, but you would think it had been much longer with all of the knowledge he has to share.

Eric shares about the beginning of his career in journalism and social media and how it influenced his strategy for easygayoven. He also explains how he took his site full-time by diversifying his income streams (and what he’d do differently).

Bjork and Eric also chat about brand partnerships, Substack, storytelling, and so much more in this wide-ranging interview. It’s just a joy to listen to!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • More about Eric’s professional background at TED Conferences and how it impacted easygayoven.
  • The importance of capturing someone’s attention in the first 3 seconds of a video on social media (and how to do that!).
  • How he combines the visual and written aspects of storytelling on social media and his blog.
  • Why he wants to share more than just the recipes on his site (and why it prompted him to start a Substack newsletter).
  • Why he focuses on both sentiment and analytics when measuring the success of this content.
  • How he protects his mental health in this profession.
  • How he balanced working full-time with starting easygayoven (and how he took his blog full-time).
  • What his first few brand partnerships looked like (including one with Netflix Family!).
  • Why he turned to Substack as a means to diversify his income.
  • How he has navigated the ebbs and flows of brand partnerships.

Resources:

This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Dec 26, 2023

Focusing on SEO rather than social media, implementing keyword research, and sharing content authentically with Cree Carraway from Cooking With Bliss.

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Welcome to episode 441 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we’re rewinding back to our episode with Cree Carraway from Cooking With Bliss, which was part of our Blogging with a Full-Time Job series.

How Focusing on SEO Led to $2,000 Monthly Earnings

For today’s FBP Rewind episode, we’re bringing back our February 2022 interview with Cree Carraway.

From sharing content on her blog to working her full-time job to raising her family, Cree has a lot on her plate (both literally and figuratively!) all the time.

In this episode, you’ll hear how she strategically focused on SEO to increase her traffic and join an ad network, how she started doing keyword research, and what the impact of earning an income from her blog has been on her life. It’s an inspiring conversation that will encourage you to reflect and make progress on your own goals. Enjoy!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why Cree decided to launch her blog
  • When she decided to really focus on growing her blog’s traffic
  • What business lessons she has learned over the years
  • Why she decided to focus on SEO rather than social media
  • What it felt like to start earning money from her blog
  • How she started doing keyword research
  • How she balances her blog with her full-time job
  • How she narrowed her blog’s focus and started sharing content more authentically
  • How she’s been strategically growing her email list

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti and CultivateWP. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started at foodbloggerpro.com/work-with-us.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Dec 19, 2023

Connecting with your community, being strategic with your time when blogging, and hiring the right people with David Crowley from Cooking Chat.

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Welcome to episode 440 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we’re rewinding back to our episode with David Crowley from Cooking Chat, which was part of our Blogging with a Full-Time Job series.

Blogging with a Full-Time Job

For today’s FBP Rewind episode, we’re bringing back our February 2022 interview with David Crowley from Cooking Chat!

In addition to sharing hundreds of recipes with wine pairings on his blog Cooking Chat, David also runs Social Capital Inc., a non-profit organization that strengthens communities by connecting diverse individuals through civic engagement initiatives.

In this episode, you’ll hear how David has found balance with his work over time, why he’s been focusing so much on republishing old content recently, and what he’s looking forward to next with his blog.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • What David does for his full-time job
  • How he got into food blogging
  • How he’s found balance with his work over time
  • Why he’s been focusing on republishing old content recently
  • What specifically he updates when republishing content
  • What he’s currently struggling with when it comes to blogging
  • Why it’s so important to document your processes
  • How to find the right people to hire

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started at foodbloggerpro.com/work-with-us.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

 

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Dec 12, 2023

The importance of finding your niche, building an audience, and crafting a content marketing strategy with Joe Pulizzi.

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Welcome to episode 439 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Joe Pulizzi.

Developing a Content Strategy to Stand Out From The Crowd

Joe Pulizzi knows a lot about content marketing and has been an entrepreneur in this space for over a decade. And this week on the podcast he joins us to share all of his tips and tricks for differentiating yourself in the crowd as a food creator!

Bjork and Joe discuss the importance of finding your niche as a creator and how you should approach creating content as you grow your business. They also chat about building trust with your audience, and why it is such a critical aspect of content marketing.

This episode is the perfect deep-dive into content strategy as you start brainstorming your content calendar for the new year — don’t miss it!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • What ‘content marketing’ means in 2023 and how it differs from advertising.
  • The importance of differentiating yourself and delivering consistent content.
  • Why you need to find your niche.
  • Why you should build your audience before you consider selling a product or service (and how to figure out what to sell).
  • What content tilt is and why you should apply it to your content strategy.
  • Why exit planning is important for every entrepreneur.
  • More about Joe’s professional journey.

Resources:

This episode is sponsored by Clariti and CultivateWP. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Dec 7, 2023

Welcome to Tiny Bites from the Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jeff Coyle from MarketMuse about creating content and SEO in a world with AI.

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It's hard to believe that technologies like ChatGPT and Bard have only been available for the last year. AI is constantly evolving and, with it, our understanding of how it will impact content creation. It's easy to feel helpless with the growth of AI technologies — is there a world in which food creators can succeed against AI?

That's why we've asked Jeff Coyle to join us on the podcast. He's here to discuss the impact of AI on online content creation and what you can do to protect yourself and your business against the competition from AI.

How to create AI-proof content

If you’re providing consistent value with your content, if you’ve built trust with your brand, and you've illustrated your expertise, you’re at an advantage in a world with generative content.

In other words, the tools you would use to stand out amongst all the other chocolate chip recipes in the world are very similar to those you’ll need to stand out against AI.

When you're creating content:

  • Avoid being generic.
  • Include your voice and personality.
  • Include tips for ingredient substitutions.
  • Highlight potential mistakes to avoid in the recipe.
  • Include high-quality photographs and step-by-step videos.

By including these features in your content, you're providing a unique value and sharing expertise that (at least right now) AI can't replicate. Part of this equation is ensuring that you're positioning yourself as an expert on your site (E-E-A-T, anyone?).

Jeff predicts that with the growth of AI, we'll see a shift towards the true expertise of the individual creating the content and a shift away from mass-producing content. Lean into that!

Learn more:

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Dec 5, 2023

Creating a brand aesthetic, sharing lifestyle content, and prioritizing brand partnerships with Remy Park from Veggiekins.

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Welcome to episode 438 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Remy Park.

Balancing Lifestyle and Recipe Content

Remy’s journey to food blogging started as a means of overcoming her history of disordered eating and addiction by sharing a diary-like view into her favorite recipes and lifestyle. Many years later, her blog, Veggiekins, is now her full-time job.

Remy is a pro at balancing sharing lifestyle and recipe content on her various social media platforms and blog, and she explains more about her strategy for repurposing content in this interview. She also shares how she filters what she shares with her followers and how she handles negativity online.

Last but not least, Remy gives her advice for creating a uniform brand aesthetic in her photographs and on her site. It’s a wide-reaching and inspiring interview — grab your headphones!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Remy’s journey to veganism and how it changed her life and provided a purpose for her blog.
  • What her day-to-day workflow looks like, and how she approaches outsourcing her work.
  • How she thinks about documenting her life and sharing lifestyle content on social media.
  • How she balances creating and repurposing content for multiple platforms.
  • Why she prioritizes brand partnerships and how she maintains relationships with brands.
  • How she creates an aesthetic and consistent visual look for her brand.
  • How she deals with negativity on social media.
  • More about the process of writing her cookbook.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Nov 28, 2023

Finding your voice as a creator, understanding cultural appropriation, and cultivating gratitude with Marta Rivera Diaz from Sense and Edibility.

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Welcome to episode 437 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Marta Rivera Diaz from Sense and Edibility.

How Grief, a Diagnosis with MS, and Biracial Background Shaped Marta Rivera Diaz’s Career as a Food Creator

Every once in a while on the Food Blogger Pro Podcast, we have an episode that feels like “required listening” for food creators. This is one of them! Bjork and Marta have a really thoughtful and moving conversation about the importance of finding your voice as a food creator and presenting your authentic self to your followers and community.

Marta grew up as a child of two active-duty airmen and as a biracial individual (she is half-Black and half-Puerto Rican). She was also diagnosed with MS in her early thirties. All of these experiences have shaped her as a person and as a creator. She speaks beautifully about the effects of her background on her personality and her work, and why it is so important to her to share recipes that reflect her heritage.

It’s a perfect episode for the week after Thanksgiving, as we all reflect on what we’re grateful for in our personal and professional lives. Don’t miss it!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How Marta’s background impacted how she presents herself to the world (and why she’s working to change that).
  • How she found her voice and true self as a creator.
  • More about her culinary background and how she came to create Sense and Edibility.
  • How her diagnosis with MS in her early thirties changed the trajectory of her career.
  • How her seasons of grief shaped her approach to cooking and creating.
  • What D, E, I, A (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) is and how it relates to the food blogging community.
  • The difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation.
  • What advice Marta would give to her younger self.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti and CultivateWP. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Nov 21, 2023

Understanding the Pinterest algorithm, focusing on user engagement, and hiring out the management of your Pinterest account with Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media.

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Welcome to episode 436 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media.

How to Find Success on Pinterest in 2024

This is Kate’s sixth (!!!) episode on The Food Blogger Pro Podcast because she is our go-to resource when it comes to all things Pinterest. And there have been a lot of changes to Pinterest in recent years!

Kate is here to explain those changes (sunsetting Idea Pins, evolving algorithms, and the rise of video) and more in this interview. She also shares more about how her team at Simple Pin Media manages Pinterest accounts for food creators (including Pinch of Yum) and what success looks like on Pinterest.

If you’re confused about Pinterest strategy (who isn’t?!) and/or need some motivation to get back into posting on the platform, this is the interview for you!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How Pinterest has changed in recent years (hint: video! algorithm!).
  • Why you need to focus on user engagement when planning your Pinterest content.
  • How the Pinterest algorithm has evolved.
  • How to think about brand partnerships on Pinterest.
  • Why Idea Pins are no longer a thing (and what the new format looks like).
  • How to repurpose Instagram or YouTube content for Pinterest.
  • What success looks like for Simple Pin Media when managing a Pinterest account (like Pinch of Yum’s).
  • How to track Pinterest analytics in GA4.
  • How to hire out the management of your Pinterest account.

Resources:

This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Nov 14, 2023

Running a mission-driven food blog, balancing business with purpose, and creating a recipe-testing process with Michelle Cehn from World of Vegan.

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Welcome to episode 435 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Michelle Cehn from World of Vegan.

Prioritizing Recipe Testing and Purpose in Food Blogging

Michelle has been blogging for a long time (she even has the @vegan handle on Instagram!) and has been passionate about animal rights and vegan cooking from the get-go. But her approach to sharing that mission with her readers has evolved over the years, and she explains more about why in this interview.

Michelle also shares more about how she balances the aspects of her job that bring her joy and a sense of purpose with the business and financial side of running a food blog.

Last but certainly not least, Michelle and Bjork chat about the recipe testing process that Michelle has used for her cookbook and for her blog, and how she recruits volunteers to help test each of her recipes.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How and why Michelle started a vegan blog and how her approach to sharing vegan recipes has changed over the years.
  • How Michelle and Toni Okamato monetized their sites with meal plans.
  • How she balances a mission-driven and profit-driven approach to her business.
  • What the recipe testing process at World of Vegan looks like.
  • About the recipe testing process (with over 75 volunteers!) for Michelle’s cookbook.
  • The exact questions Michelle asks her recipe testers for each recipe.

Resources:

This episode is sponsored by Cultivate WP and Clariti. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Nov 9, 2023

Welcome to Tiny Bites from the Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Ewen Finser from Venture 4th Media about the recent Google algorithm updates.

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Google has been… very busy in Q3 and Q4 of 2023. If the updates feel nonstop, it’s because they have been:

Some of these updates may impact your site traffic positively, some may impact your site traffic negatively, and some may have no real impact. But every update tends to cause some unease for online creators. So what can you do about them?

What exactly is the Google algorithm and why is it updated?

The Google algorithm is essentially how Google indexes and categorizes all of the content that is published online. You can also think of it as Google’s ever-changing thesis on what constitutes ‘good’ or ‘valuable’ content.

Updates occur in response to new information Google has, tweaks to what they think is valuable, and/or how they measure or evaluate content. The algorithm is constantly changing and evolving.

As Ewen mentions in the interview, Google released their most recent Helpful Content Update and used AI to determine if entire sites were helpful or not helpful (while previous updates tended to be on a post-by-post basis). If a certain percentage of your content is deemed unhelpful, your content will be deprioritized in the algorithm. This update did not include rewarding helpful sites, but rather penalizing unhelpful sites.

How should you approach the Google algorithm updates?

The #1 thing you can do to anticipate and respond to Google algorithm updates is to focus on creating high-quality, user-first content. There will be ebbs and flows with every Google update — know that if your traffic goes down with one update, it might go up with the next update. Because of this, it’s important to avoid huge course corrections after updates.

But what if your site was negatively impacted and you can’t figure out why? Ewen has noticed a few takeaways from the recent Google algorithm updates that might explain why:

  • Older sites tend to perform better.
  • Market leaders tend to perform better.
  • User experience with display ads may play a role.
  • Topical relevance matters (i.e. does your content cover too broad of a subject matter? Do you have gaps in your content?)

How should you respond to Google algorithm updates?

The first thing to do after any update is to let the dust settle. It usually takes two weeks to roll out an update. Wait to change anything on your site so that you can determine that any traffic changes were, in fact, due to the update (and not just a natural ebb or flow).

Ewen shared lots of great tips for reacting to Google updates and creating content that is more resilient when these algorithm updates do come. Here are a few of our favorites:

  • Use data (like from Google Analytics) to inform decisions.
  • Experiment and test hypotheses.
  • Understand what your audience wants.
  • Avoid chasing trends that are only working right now.
  • Solve a problem for your audience.
  • Follow SEO best-practices.

If you’re looking for more concrete suggestions for responding to an algorithm update traffic dip, consider:

  • Turning down the ads on your site for a bit, or removing intrusive video ads for a time.
  • See if that change has any effect on user experience and/or site traffic.
  • Filter through your content and consider the posts that aren’t getting any traffic at all.
  • Update those posts if they are relevant to your overall content strategy and have the potential for traffic.
  • Otherwise, delete/redirect.
  • Look at your inventory to assess where you have big gaps in content.
  • Consider diversifying your traffic sources (email, social, etc.).

Last, but not least, check out this guide from Google with questions to ask yourself to help you uncover potential opportunities for improving your content.

Thanks, again, to Ewen for joining us on the podcast. We hope this episode provided some additional context, guidance, and encouragement when it comes to Google algorithm updates.

Learn more:

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Nov 7, 2023

Growing three food blogs as a family, organizing retreats for food bloggers, and leveling up your email marketing strategy with Taryn Scarfone from Joy Filled Eats.

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Welcome to episode 434 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Taryn Scarfone from Joy Filled Eats.

Navigating Google Algorithm Updates, Leaning into Email Marketing, and Running Three Food Blogs

Taryn started Joy Filled Eats eight years ago and has recently started two additional food blogs, one with her 14-year-old daughter and one with her husband. With each new blog, her approach has become more intentional and strategic — and has seen more rapid success as a result.

In this interview, Taryn shares more about how she manages the responsibilities of three food blogs. She also speaks to the effects of recent Google Algorithm updates and why she has prioritized email marketing for Joy Filled Eats.

Taryn has also hosted a mastermind group for food bloggers, as well as an in-person retreat with fellow food creators. She explains the process of organizing both, in case you feel inspired to do the same!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How she came to have three food blogs and why she enjoys running these sites with her family.
  • What it’s like to juggle the responsibilities for all three sites.
  • How they grew A Grill for All Season to 150,000 monthly pageviews.
  • How her sites have been affected by Google Algorithm updates and how they recover from updates in which the sites are negatively impacted.
  • More about Google Discover and how it can affect site traffic.
  • How she organized a retreat and a mastermind group for food bloggers.
  • How she leveled up her email marketing strategy and grew her email list to 40,000+ subscribers.

Resources:

This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Oct 31, 2023

Solving a problem for your readers, monetizing and scaling a food blog, and creating a community of creators with Zhen Zhou from Greedy Girl Gourmet.

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Welcome to episode 433 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Zhen Zhou from Greedy Girl Gourmet.

Transitioning from the Corporate World to Full-time Creator

We first got to know Zhen when she joined Bjork for a Coaching Call on Food Blogger Pro back in July, and we loved that conversation so much we wanted to bring her on the podcast!

In this interview, Zhen shares more about her journey from working in the corporate world to working full-time as a content creator. She shares her strategy for monetizing from the early days of blogging up until now, and how she has diversified her income.

Zhen is also working to create a community of food bloggers through her Facebook group (Connecting Bloggers) and is very transparent with the steps she’s taken to find success as a creator.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • More about Zhen’s Coaching Call with Bjork (lessons learned, takeaways, etc.).
  • Why she started a Facebook group to connect food bloggers.
  • The differences between her corporate job and her current role as a creator, and how she made the leap out of the corporate world.
  • What the monetization of her site has looked like over recent years.
  • The things that were most helpful for her to implement when trying to replace her corporate income with blogging.
  • How she diversified her income.
  • What her plans for scaling and diversifying her business look like (keeping in mind changes to third-party cookies and AI).
  • Her best advice for beginning food bloggers.

Resources:

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This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

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