I’m going to help you start blogging!
I take it that you want to start food blogging or maybe blogging in general? Otherwise,why would you be here? This section is for those who want to start a food blog but don’t really know where to start. As your blog continues to grow it will require more maintenance and effort on your part. As you continue to grow you will learn more about what it takes to maintain your food blog and to make it successful.
Please note that these are affiliate links and I do earn a commission if you choose to purchase any of these products through the links provided. These resources are highly recommended because they are products that I have and are currently using from trustworthy and helpful companies.
Setting Up Your Site
Go Daddy:
You have to get a company that is going to host your site. This is important because you will want to make your website accessible to the World Wide Web. A hosting company also maintains your site files. There are several prices that you can pay monthly that is fairly inexpensive. Go Daddy is my hosting company for my blog. When you decide to host your website you are choosing a company that will house and support your files. You are paying a company to rent space for your website. I have not had any issues with Go Daddy. There have been a few times were I needed help getting everything set up and I have had to call them. I honestly felt that they were right next to me guiding me to fix whatever issue I was having.
Foodie Pro: My blog currently runs on the Genesis Framework. Genesis is used by many popular bloggers and it is extremely user friendly. I have used several themes but I find Genesis to be as close to being flexible enough to allow your blog to look customizable without paying the big bucks. The great thing about this theme is that there are tutorials for everything you need to make this theme you. I love this theme and until I am in a position where I can pay Shay Bocks to create my blog from the ground up, I will continue using this awesome theme of hers! Click here for for pricing and information!
Genesis Framework- Studio Press: Although Foodie Pro is my go-to theme that you see here on my blog, there are several other themes you can choose from that is apart of the Genesis Framework. You can also purchase the Genesis Framework with a chid theme and if that option is available for you, the developer can customize the theme according to your brand. This may be less expensive than paying a developer to completely create your website.
Promote and Make Money From Your Blog
Food Blogger Pro: Last but definitely not least, if you want to begin food blogging you are going to need a guide to gain some understanding as to how to put your blog together, how to make money, and how to make your blog grow overall. The resource that I recommend, hat has helped me immensely, is Food Blogger Pro. One of my favorite blogs is Pinch of Yum. Lindsay and her husband, Bjork, are wonderful people that likes to share with the rest of us food bloggers how to make their blog grow and, eventually, earn money. There are several videos and tutorials that demonstrate how to take excellent photos and how to get your site started. I recommend that you invest in this resource so you don’t start off struggling like I did. Click Here to Get Started with Food Blogger Pro
How to Monetize Your Blog E-book: I got to a point with my blog where I was seeing my traffic grow but my money wasn’t. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong! Sure I had ads on my blog but I didn’t realize that using this one stream of revenue is more than just putting ads on your blog, you have to learn how to maximize your blogs fullest potential. You have to learn how to understand the worth of your blog and how to optimize your blog so you are making the most bang for your buck. I really got a lot from this book. Although I could not figure out how to master this technique like many have (my blogs are managed through The Blogger Network) it is still a valuable resource to have and it is good to know how this work and to try it yourself before you bring in another group to manage your ads. Click here to view more details
How to Grow Your Twitter Followers: Growing your audience via your social media channels (i.e. Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr) is extremely valuable and important to a blogger in any avenue. Expanding your audience in these channels will lead to more traffic, more opportunities, and more money. If you are like me, there are certain social media channels that are a mystery. When I see someone with high Twitter and Instagram followers I always ask myself what I am doing wrong? Does this sound like you? Well fortunately an awesome local food blogger friend of mine, Nathan Engels of WannaBite.com, has created an e-book that offers two main strategies for growing your Twitter followers. I am still working his system but I can tell you that it does work! Click here to view more details.
ViralTag- Schedule Pins on Pinterest & Social Media Outlets: I am new to this resources (about 2 months in ) and I LOVE IT! Using Viraltag has made my interaction on Pinterest so much better! I can see the best time for me to pin, I can schedule my pins, and I can also schedule posts for Instagram. This resource is will definitely grow your Pinterest followers and create more impression for you via social media. I also use Hootsuite but I like Viraltag best because you can schedule posts amongst all social media outlets. You can try this out for free for two weeks to take it on a test drive! Click here to try Viral Tag!
Now, let’s get your photography skills sharp.
Click here to learn how to enhance your food photography.
