Starting a new food blog isn't simple, especially for newbie bloggers. If you are a foodie thinking about starting a new recipe blog or cooking blog, it may feel overwhelming. Don't worry, here's all you need to know to start a food blog.
This blog article is written for new bloggers who want to know how to establish their brand and generate income with a recipe blog or coking blog.
From finding a topic for your food blog to monetizing your site, I'll take you through everything you need to know to start your own food blog today!
In this article I'm going to cover: 7 things you need to start your food blog
What you need to know about starting a food blog in 6 steps Ideas for your new food blog content Steps you should take to become a successful food blogger How to use Jarvis recipes to write your blogs Almost every day, I get messages asking me for blogging advice on how to start a food blog and if it's possible to make money as a food blogger.
So here's what you need to know about how to start a food blog that generates traffic, attracts readers, and makes you money - and I'll even show you how my little artificial intelligence copywriter buddy Jarvis (the cute guy in the hat in the image above) can help you get there faster with his very own Jarvis recipes.
Hang on, I can make money from my recipes?
Yes! Blogs about food are popular and easy to monetize. It's not really just about the recipes. They are the hook that gets people to your website, but once you have them there, there are a multitude of ways to make money with a successful food blog.
How does a food blogger make money?
There are tremendous opportunities for earning money through food blogging.
Sell ads on your food blog with programs like Google AdSense™
Make money blogging with affiliate marketing, where you recommend and link to products and earn a commission when someone purchases through your link.
Sell your own recipes or your cookbooks.
Create a membership areas with premium paid content.
Create an app to complement your blog.
According to Semrush food bloggers make 42% of their income from ads and 10% from affiliate marketing.
Helpful Tip: Make cool custom images (like this ⬆️) for your food blog with Canva!
Your site will need new content to be successful, so be prepared to document all your cooking experience, new ideas, and of course, your step-by-step process for creating each dish. You also need to take good photographs of your culinary prowess.
I'll be honest; it takes time for a blog to build an audience that leads to decent earnings. How to make more money from your Amazon Associate Reviews
Don't be discouraged if you don't see results right away. Even if your blog never makes a cent of revenue, you will grow as a cook and an author - sometimes, that is more valuable than the money you could make.
Here are some eye-opening facts:
Blogs account for over a third of all internet sites.
On average, over 2 million new articles are published every day.
Over 90% of bloggers fail to generate income.
Wait, what? Bloggers don't make money?
Yes, it's true that less than 10% of blogs actually manage to generate income.
Why? Because they didn't do their homework before they started!
What do I need to start my own food blog?
A purpose! A successful food blog isn't just an online cookbook of your recipes. If you have no plan or aren't trying to accomplish something greater than publishing recipes, you're doomed to fail.
You need a goal! If you started food blogging to document your cooking experience or because you simply love writing, that's fine.
However, if you want to make money blogging, you need to define your blog's vision and how it will be valuable for your readers. Remember that food blogging is a commitment, and success doesn't come overnight.
7 things you need to start your food blog
A blog domain name and hosting, which I walk you through below in this article.
All your recipes in one place with step-by-step instructions and enticing food photographs so people can recreate them.
A system for organizing yourself to get new content on your site consistently.
A system for growing your blog by sharing, commenting, networking and promoting your blogs.
Tools for food blogging like Jarvis Recipes and Surfer for SEO.
It also helps if you are a huge foodie!
...And it's time to learn how to start a food blog!
Let me show you what you need to know about starting a food blog in 6 steps.
Food blogs are popular! How popular?
It's estimated that in 2021 there are more than 31 million bloggers writing over 600 million blogs.
Of course, these are not all food blogs, but food blogs have been shown to produce the highest median monthly income - in excess of $9,000/mo.
I can't tell you exactly how much money you could make, but I can tell you it is possible to earn money with a food blog.
Step 1. Start by choosing your food blog niche.
If you want to start a food blog, the first thing that you need to do is choose your food blog niche.
This may sound like an impossible decision, but it's quite simple, in fact.
Just ask yourself this question: "What kind of recipes will I share?"
Will you post recipes for vegan cuisine? Asian food? Italian dishes?
Will your food blog have gluten-free recipes? What about a raw food blog?
Just think about the types of things that you enjoy cooking and eating. These are hints for what your blog will be about. Keep in mind that whatever you choose, your content should be relevant to the type of food that you're cooking.
Types of food blogs.
If you want to establish a brand with the possibility to generate significant income from your food blog, you might want to consider being a little more innovative.
Start by looking at the food blog genres available today and consider which one is a good fit for you.
Here are a few popular genres from the wide world of food blogging:
Recipe blog : This is probably the most common type of food blog. It's just an online version of your own cookbook with all your recipes, organized in categories or tags so that people can find them easily. You can go specific and focus on one area, such as a vegan cooking blog or a baking blog.
Product review blog : Reviews of kitchen products can be a great source of income if you're able to get sponsored by the companies or sign up as an Amazon affiliate.
Recipe tutorials: A blog that documents the journey of preparing a single dish or meal in each blog post.
Instructional cooking videos: A combination of both video and photography with step-by-step instructions can help you to reach your audience in an attractive way without too much effort on your part once the content is ready.
How-to food blog: How-to blogs are perfect for your food blog if you like to teach and share your knowledge with others. A how-to blog can be extremely attractive because it allows you to create a franchise by adding products and services related to your niche.
Kitchen tips and hacks: Everyone wants kitchen shortcuts, so this is a great way for you to establish yourself as an authority, an expert in your niche. These tips and tricks will make your blog look more professional and help you differentiate yourself from the competition.
Recipe directory: This is another great way for food bloggers to monetize their blogs. Directory-style sites are an easy way to get started, but they won't generate very much income unless they're extremely popular or you can find a way to get a lot of traffic.
Step 2. Figure out what your followers want the most.
If you're just starting out, it's essential to know what your audience wants and how you deliver that through personal and meaningful conversation style content. That means writing in a way people are going to want to read, rather than just boring instructions!
There are several ways to find out what your readers want.
Do some keyword research online and see which words people are using in their searches when they look for recipes or information on food. You can also use tools like Google Trends to check how often certain keywords are searched.
Surfer SEO is my go-to for research, especially for new bloggers, as it's not too complicated to navigate like some of the more advanced tools (like Semrush).
Hang out where they hang out online.
This is simple, but it's definitely worth mentioning.
Who are your readers? Where do they live online?
Do they communicate on Facebook groups or follow food bloggers on Pinterest?
Do they chat on forums like Reddit and Home Cooking?
Or maybe they go on Twitter more often than anywhere else to find new recipes.
When you find out where your readers are, start engaging them there. It's as simple as that!
Know your content marketing audience and create a persona so you can tailor your content to them easily.
When you know who your target reader is, it will make it easier for you to decide what kind of content they might want to see on their screen.
Step 3. Name your blog and buy a domain name.
Just like a real-life cookbook, your food blog needs a name.
Think of words that you think people might search for when they're looking to get new recipes. Think about your cooking style and what sets it apart from the competition. This will help you with your blog name.
I have a great tip for you here - my AI Copywriting Assistant is crazy good for coming up with names for companies, products, websites, and blogs!
There is a Business / Product name template that is built just for this purpose!
When you have settled on a name, if possible, buy all variations of the domain i.e. .com, .net and .org so that it's easier for people to find you online.
Wherever your blog is hosted, your blog name should be easy for readers to remember and spell!
Which is the best web host for new food blogs?
I'm a huge believer in Bluehost - one of the most popular hosting providers on the planet.
Bluehost is a reasonably-priced and reliable web host service that's simple to use, quick, and provides round-the-clock support.
Bluehost provides a free domain name, an SSL certificate for free, and a significant discount on web hosting to WPBeginner users. It's a bargain that you won't find anywhere else.
Helpful Tips - If you go with a BlueHost site, make sure you use your contact details when you register your own domain name. That way, you are always in control of it!
Step 4. Install WordPress on your web hosting account.
When you sign up with Bluehost, you can install WordPress right away.
WordPress is the best blogging platform because it's open-source, SEO-friendly, and incredibly flexible.
With over 30% of the web running on WordPress, it's also extremely popular with both bloggers and their readers. That means you'll stand out for being different.
There are plenty of free themes available that look great right out of the box. If you're feeling creative, there are also plenty of premium themes and WordPress experts available that can help you achieve your website's design goals.
Step 5. Decide if you want a food blog theme or recipe plugin.
With a food blog WordPress theme you get the convenience of focusing on your content rather than worrying about the layout of your WordPress site.
However, it can be limiting because you don't get to choose what features are included or how they're set up when you choose a WordPress theme.
WordPress offers a dynamic range of themes that can help you build your website faster and easier. Your blog theme is a key ingredient in your success.
When you first set up your WordPress website, it comes with a default theme for your site that you may modify with the free, paid, or premium alternatives.
If you're looking for more flexibility, look into different WordPress plugins that will enable you to add recipes and style them in the way you want.
With a WordPress plugin, you can get creative with your look and feel while still being able to include the useful features that come with a theme.
Food blog WordPress themes.
Picking a theme is the first important decision you'll make when starting a food blog. Thousands of food blog themes are available, but it can be hard to pick one if you haven't seen what other sites are using.
Here are some great Wordpress themes that I recommend checking out:
Find the right recipe plugin for your food blog.
Recipe plugins for WordPress add recipe cards to your posts and pages to show photos, videos, ingredients, and cooking instructions.
These apps provide details about the dish, including nutritional information, how long it will take to prepare, and how many servings it has.
A plugin has a number of benefits:
They also use schema.org structured data and JSON-LD to help you rank higher in Google - for more blog traffic - and also in Pinterest search results, as well as pins.
They also include various features such as printing, scaling the number of servings, social sharing, formatting, and more.
WordPress recipe plugins for food blogs.
Enhance your site's look and functionality with a WordPress plugin like WP Recipe Maker or my favorite; WP Tasty
As with any blog, WordPress food blogs can benefit from using recipe plugins to enhance their site's look and functionality.
WP Tasty is a recipe plugin created specifically for food blogging. It includes a variety of different modules that will help bloggers to create recipes for their own food blog:
Tasty Recipes, Tasty Pins and Tasty Links - all within your Wordpress dashboard.
BTW - this Wordpress plugin was created by the team behind Food Blogger Pro and Pinch of Yum, so you can trust that it has been written by a food blogger with a food blogger in mind!
Learn more about WP Tasty for your food blog
Many recipe plugins for food blogs allow readers to leave comments on the page where they found the recipe. This is beneficial for both you and your readers, as they can ask questions or leave feedback right next to the recipe itself. It's also a great way to promote discussion among other food bloggers and users of your site.
Now it's time to start blogging about food!
Step 6. Create the content and start blogging!
Create quality content that makes an impact.
No one wants to read a blog full of boring text with no personality, especially on the internet where there's so much choice available.
People want more than just recipes; they want interesting content that makes an impact. They want to be entertained and informed, which is why food blogging is so popular!
What should a food blog article include?
A recipe blog post contains much more than just the ingredients and instructions.
Start by establishing credibility: What is your E-A-T (expertise-authority-trustworthiness), and why should people trust you?
Hook your readers: Let them know why they would love your recipes before giving them the recipe. You might tell them how this recipe will solve a problem for them.
Amazing image: Show them what will the finished product look like. Try Photovibrance and elevate your images to awesome!
Introduction: What is your personal backstory and relationship to this dish? Why are you writing about it?
Ingredients: Show them everything they need to cook this dish. You might want to include an image of the raw ingredients.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Describe how to perform each step in detail and show which ingredients are needed for each step.
Recipe plugin if you chose this option.
Alternate recipes: What other variations are available, or how can this dish be made with alternative ingredients. i.e., to make it dairy-free, vegetarian, etc.
Call to action: Tell your readers what they can do next to make this recipe work. This might be to share a comment or leave a rating, but it could also be to subscribe to your blog for future updates or follow you on social media. If your intention is to monetize your food blog, this might be an affiliate link to purchase products.
Ideas for your new food blog content.
Here are a few options to help you write a great post and make sure you have good food blog content your target audience will love to consume. Make sure you stand out in comparison to other bloggers.
Recipes (obviously!)
The best and most popular recipes to hit your site, straight from the oven.
You don't need to be a professional writer, just passionate about food. As long as you have the ingredients and process as a starting point, my buddy Jarvis can help you with writing your content.
Recipe Development.
A sneak peek behind the curtain - or should that be apron - when you are developing recipes. Explain exactly what your process is when refining the recipe details.
Technical stuff.
Share your helpful tips, like how you choose your kitchen equipment or varying cooking temperatures for different altitudes. Let your target audience know you've thought of everything they are going to need to know.
Video Tutorials.
Provide video tutorials of your recipes and step-by-step guides to cooking your specialty dishes. This is a sure-fire way to get your blog content shared on the social media channels, and of course, you'll want to pop them on your YouTube channel.
Reviews.
The best and worst recipe ingredients, cookware and gadgets reviewed by you! Share your experience with the rest of us. What do other foodie bloggers recommend?
Sponsored Posts.
Put yourself in the limelight by working with a brand to create a post on your food blog to promote them. As your site gets more traffic, you can sell sponsored posts to earn money.
Buyer's Guides.
Who doesn't love a list? Create a buyer's guide to show your readers how to select particular food items or types of ingredients. It's a great way to keep them coming back regularly as they know you will be posting regularly.
Food Photography Tips and Tricks.
I don't know about you, but my Instagram feed is full of food photos! People love to share photos of their food online! This section of your blog can include tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your camera, lighting, and styling for sharing on social media platforms.
Food Styling & Photography Courses.
There is a growing trend for bloggers to offer food photography courses or workshops. If you want to share your skills with like-minded people, then why use this as another way to monetize your food blog?
Food Travel.
Who doesn't love to travel and try new experiences? If you're a foodie or have visited a great restaurant, café or bar, sharing this experience with your readers will ensure they remember you when looking for their next dining destination.
Write about the food industry.
People want to hear news from trusted sources that help them make their decisions, which can include things like new products or issues with particular brands.
Give recognition to your blogging heroes.
One of the best ways to stand out is to give kudos where it is due! If you're reading a great food blog, then let them know by acknowledging them in your post or giving an interview.
Create themed days for your posts.
This gives people something to look forward to and includes posts that link to each other. A theme might be "quick and easy recipes," where you post a new recipe every day for one week.
Award-winning posts are easy to spot; your readers will know when you have created something special!
Here are some steps you should take to become a successful food blogger.
Make sure your recipes are tried and tested.
People trust bloggers infinitely more than they trust traditional media, but that doesn't mean they're comfortable with getting bad information.
High-quality appetizing photos are a must.
People have an attention span equal to that of a goldfish these days, so you need to grab their attention in less than one second, or you'll lose them forever.
Provide photos of your meals and take care of how they look – a tasty dish should leave an impression on the reader as well!
Hold on! What if you can't cook?
Create food blog images without food
How would that even be possible? Surely a food blog requires a lot of cooking and styling of food?
Not any more!
Now you can create realistic images with artificial intelligence. Just describe the food item, presentation, and even the mood, and let the AI do the magic!
No ingredients were wasted in the creation of this image! Stress-free, calorie-free food blogging, even if you can't cook!
What is this magic? It's called Jasper Art.
Helpful Tips - Brand your images with Canva, and make sure your images are memorable!
Include a contact form.
Ask your readers to contact you and share their experiences and feedback – you might be able to build a guest post out of this.
Build an email list.
Email lists are one way of converting people who visit your website into loyal customers and repeat visitors. Create an email sign-up form on your website and make it easy to find. People who sign up get updates from you about your recipes, new posts, events, and discounts on products.
Create a newsletter.
If people opt-in for your email list, send them helpful recipes and content that they can look forward to. There's no better way to keep customers coming back than with loyalty programs.
Take advantage of the resources out there to help you with everything from design to SEO, like Blogging Pro!
Be original and unique.
You don't want your blog to become the same as everyone else's, so mix it up, be creative with your content, and share new ideas.
Remember that what works on one blog might not work for another, so try out different things to see what resonates with people on your site.
Be honest.
Remember to maintain a high level of honesty, integrity and stay humble.
No one wants to read a blog full of arrogance or see a blogger getting cocky with their success, so keep it real and remain personable and friendly.
Don't forget to include a disclaimer that explains that you are an affiliate marketer and adverts may fund the site and some posts are entirely editorial.
Be friendly and relatable.
Smile! Even when you type. It really does mak a difference.
When someone leaves a comment, reply as soon as you can – this is another great way to build your following and show your readers that you care.
Build a following on social media.
Share the love on social media with related hashtags that allow your audience to easily find what you're sharing.
Post regularly.
Regularly post new content so that people can get used to your website and will visit again in the future. Make sure that whatever topics you cover align with your brand.
Remember it's quality, not quantity!
Wait! I nearly forgot to tell you how to use Jarvis recipes to write your blogs!
Yes, that's right! There are recipes for your recipes! Well, not exactly for the recipe itself, but to help you write all the content surrounding the actual recipe and the instructions.
Watch Jarvis write a Hook & Introduction for a food blog:
As you can see, Jarvis isn't going to write the actual food recipe for you, but he can sure help you brainstorm ideas for your hook and introduction, and indeed write those for you in just a few minutes when you follow the simple steps in this recipe, available in the Blogs by Jarvis Recipe Club.
This was the finished text:
Crab cakes are a favorite food of mine, and I wanted to share my Keto Crab Cake recipe with you! This recipe has only 8 ingredients, is super simple to make, and it's low carb too.
The first time I tried Crab Cakes was on my 40th Birthday. It was a beautiful day in Santa Barbara, California, and we were out on Sterns Wharf.
When I put that first Crab Cake in my mouth, it tasted so fresh and delicious. It was crunchy on the outside, with soft, moist crab meat on the inside that was complemented by the flavor of fresh local bell pepper. Delicious!
Crab Cakes are my favorite low-carb dish to make to remind me of California.
This Crab Cake recipe is keto-friendly because it doesn't have breadcrumbs, flour, or sugar in it. Crab Cakes are great for any special occasion, from a weekend dinner to a weeknight meal. These also freeze very well, so you can have them on hand to enjoy at any time.
Crab is so good for you! It's low in calories, has a lot of protein, and is great for those following a keto diet. Crab has omega 3s, B vitamins, healthy fats that protect the brain, cancer-fighting properties, and more.
Crab is good for your heart and can help reduce inflammation. It contains sulfite that helps prevent diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and arthritis, and amino acids that improve memory function and energy levels.
Crab also helps to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and prevent atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries). It's a superfood!
On a keto diet? Crab cakes are the perfect choice for you! Crab cakes are one of the lowest carb seafood items out there. They can be served hot or cold, and the possibilities of sauces that compliment Crab Cakes are endless!
What's your favorite seafood sauce? Let me know in the comments below.
Crab cakes are one of those dishes that everyone loves, but not many people know how to make at home because they're usually deep-fried in oil which isn't healthy or easy on your wallet. But this keto crab cake recipe is different - it's baked instead of fried, so there's no need for oil or butter, making them healthier than traditional recipes while still tasting just as good!
Fun Fact: Crab cakes have been around since at least 1836 when they were served to President Andrew Jackson during his visit to Baltimore
This simple recipe is easy to follow and makes for a wonderful dish. Enjoy!
Want to try it for yourself?
You can grab a 5 Day Free Trial of Jarvis Boss Mode and try out Jarvis Recipes for your food blog today!
Once your amazing blog post is written, it's time to get it seen.
Promote your food blog and grow your audience.
One of the best places to promote your blog is through social media platforms - this is known as social media marketing. This can certainly help the potential for making money from your blog.
Sharing content via social media helps establish an online audience of people who are likely to visit your blog.
Getting more traffic to your blog will increase its chances of being noticed by search engines, so you'll see a big boost in the number of visitors looking for the keywords related to your site content.
When you share content on your blog, make sure that you link it to all of your social media accounts.
The more shares and likes you get on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., the more people will see your new blog posts.
You can also use influencers in your niche to help spread the word about your food blog.
How do food bloggers get famous?
You probably think of Ree Drummond, AKA The Pioneer Woman when you think of famous food bloggers.
For anyone who's not familiar with her, she's a stay-at-home mom who started blogging about cooking and now has nearly 4 million followers.
So how did she do it? She was blogging for years before hitting the big time, and she has a dedicated following that keeps coming back again and again.
Back in 2007, when social media was nowhere near as popular as it is today, Ree had her own website where she built a mailing list. Without these subscribers, she would never be where she is today.
Now that she has every social media platform at her fingertips, it's easier than ever to share her delicious recipes with the world.
Another famous food blogger is Jamie Oliver, who started his own website called jamieoliver.com, which gets over 6 million hits per month.
Like Ree Drummond, he was blogging for years before making it big and had a dedicated following who return to his website again and again.
He also has his own TV Show called 'Food Revolution', which further increased awareness of Jamie Oliver as a food blogger.
Jamie is known by many people all over the world and has done a lot of work with the United Nations, promoting healthy eating and fighting against childhood obesity.
So there you have it! It's certainly possible to become a famous food blogger if you put in the time and effort of writing great content that people will love.
How do I get more traffic to my food blog?
Search engine optimization (SEO), can be used to boost search engine popularity for your new food blog.
How do you get search engine traffic? By making sure your articles answer the questions / provide the recipes that people are searching for online.
If you chose BlueHost as your hosting provider, you'll find marketing tools in your dashboard that help get found in the search results and assistance for Google My Business and Google Ad Services.
Food blogging is a great way to share your love of cooking with the world. It's important, though, that you put in the time and effort into writing content that will resonate with your audience.
You can make money from blogging about food by posting pictures of your dishes and telling people how they're made. It's easy - all it takes is a little creativity and some basic skills in photography.
One important thing you should keep in mind is that blogging takes time and commitment, so be prepared to spend a fair amount of hours writing, editing, and publishing content on a regular basis.
It's all worth it, though!
One more thing...have you thought about creating a recipe or cooking app to complement your blog? Creating an app on Passion can help you transform your business and scale your impact with with your target audience. With a Passion app you can grow subscription income, and build a lifestyle that creates time freedom to be a more involved parent or travel the world! Learn more in the Free Webinar
Now that we've got that out of the way - it's time to get cooking!
