How To Start And Market Your Food Blog
Creating And Marketing Your Food Blog in 7 steps
The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.” -Audrey Hepburn
How To Start A Food Blog:
Find your passion in life and blog about it! This is how I feel everyday I open up my laptop and log on to my website.
[Tweet “Find your passion in life and blog about it!”]
When I started my blog in 2009 I did not understand what I was doing. For the first year I literally had two followers, which was pretty cool because I didn’t advertise and I wasn’t part of an online group either.
I just knew that I loved cooking and I wanted a way to document my travels and to share my family recipes and other recipes I’ve picked up over the years.
I really wished I had the tools to help me set up my website, learn SEO, advertising, content writing and etc.
I was very surprised in the beginning, I started to have a small following of people. When I say small I mean less than 10 people that were not my family and friends.
Whether you’re starting a food blog or a fashion blog all tips on this page apply, the only difference is the content that you add to your website.
Starting a blog is easy. It’s even better when you do it step by step using WordPress and a hosting site. Are you ready?
You have two ways to start:
Option 1:
Do it yourself. I’ll explain how to build your own self-hosted WordPress website below and the awesome plugins I use.
It will cost you about $7 per month in hosting, plus the cost of a theme (free to $99).
Option 2:
You can hire me to create it for you! ( This part would be the easiest because all you would need to do is set up all your accounts and I will do the rest.) Learn more about how I can create your own blog for you with everything already setup!
Disclaimer: Please understand that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I have used all of the products listed below and recommend them because they are helpful and are companies that I trust. Thank you for your support.
How To Start And Market Your Food Blog, the basics:
Here are the basic steps to setting up a beautiful and functional self-hosted WordPress food blog that is all yours. Your blog will have your own domain name and your own unique look.
Step 1. Name your blog and buy a matching domain name:
Domain names are short, easy to spell, memorable and typically end in .com (yourblogname.com).
Buy your domain from GlowHost, they are always running a sale and are reliable.
Cost: $2 to $20 per year.
Step 2. Find a reliable web host:
A web host stores your website and makes it accessible to the internet.
In other words, your website “lives” on your web host’s servers.
One thing that I like about hostgator is that they offer one-click WordPress installation.
Cost: $1 to $8 per month.
Go to hostgator to check domain names:
Step 3. Install WordPress.
WordPress is top-of-the-line, industry standard blogging software. If your web host is hostgater, here’s how to install WordPress on your cpanal.
Step 4: Install a WordPress theme:
The WordPress theme you choose will determine the look and feel of your site, have fun!
Most themes will allow you to preview your site before you download or test drive it with a demo.
Here is a list of themes I use for my website.
Free Themes:
Recommended Premium Themes:
Step 5. Setting up your Google accounts:
First, set up an email with your hosting. An example: support@myblogname.com.
Once you’ve created your website email go to Google and sign up for an email there.
Next, follow the steps to add your new website email to your new Gmail account.
Once you have a Google account, log in and set up the following tools:
Google Analytics: helps you track blog traffic. (Note: install the tracking code in your WordPress SEO by Yoost plugin settings.)
Webmaster Tools: makes sure your website is up and running.
Cost: free!
Step 6. Install WordPress plugins:
WordPress plugins extend the functionality of WordPress in certain areas.
Here are my recommended plugins:
Akismet
Blogger Importer
Broken Link Checker
Contact Form 7
Easy Recipe
Flickr – Pick a Picture
MailChimp – Setup your Free mailchimp account!
A Free Read: A Beginner’s Guide to Google AdSense
Cost: free!
Step 7: Publish your content:
Now you’re ready to start blogging. Start with some research on what you want to write about and start writing. Create a welcome post and publish it!
Cost: free or use foodcontentpro
Blogging tips that are essential to your blog:
Google apps for work is amazing!
Try the best shared hosting around!
Join the ALOHA Affiliate Program
Dropbox is an awesome way to store your food photos! Best part- It’s Free to use!
[Tweet “Dropbox is an awesome way to store your food photos! https://db.tt/mWXnrjWl”]
Check out Tasty Food Photography to get more tips and tricks for improving your food photography.
Learn From the Best: Tasty Food Photography
Meet Swizly – the digital solution to aggregating your dispersed social media content into one social hub.
Looking for ways to grow your website and make money at the same time?
Below are links that you can join today, they are easy to use and best of all, and it is free!
Find a sponsor for your web site. Get paid for your great content.
Join the Provisions by Food52 Affiliate Program Today!
Teach Your Readers How To Cook!
Social Media Management -A Must Have!
Hootsuite – From one dashboard you’ll schedule Tweets and Facebook posts, monitor conversations, and more.
When you need to prove your social ROI, quickly create and customize ready-to-present analytics reports.
Learn from one of the best in food blogging!
Food Blogger Pro Membership Coupon
[Tweet “Use this Food Blogger Pro coupon today! http://ow.ly/R4F2C”]
Questions?
Please leave a comment below if you have any questions or if you would like me to help you get started.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.