Through this whole process of trying to build a successful blog, I have learned a lot. It’s only been 7 months now on this journey, but I know there is a long road ahead of me. There are a lot of programs out there that say they can build your blog to making thousands of dollars per month overnight. Yeah…that’s not going to happen. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that to build a successful website, you need to be very passionate about what you want to share with the world, and knowing it will take a while to get there. I have seen enough successful blogs, that I know I can do the same. I just have to keep posting stuff you guys want to see!
Here’s a list of things (some funny, some not) I have learned about being a food blogger.
1. You don’t just need quality writing skills, you need to be amazing with a camera to stand out from everyone else.
2. Most of the time, I eat cold meals. At least I get a good picture!
3. My wife Heather is so unbelievably supportive of me, and I love her for that.
4. That being said, I will make sure she never eats a cold meal I make (refer to #2 for me!)
5. You can’t really have enough plates, napkins, serving utensils, props…you get the idea.
6. I always have to make sure to be home in plenty of time before the sun sets. If not I have to wait until tomorrow to take pictures. *Sigh* winter time sucks for this!
7. I’ve learned not to get as upset when tens of thousands of people click my link as soon as I hit “publish.” They WILL soon enough!
8. Writing a blog to me seems like 40% content creation and 60% promotion of that content.
9. My HTC one smart phone takes really great pictures (check out one of my recent recipes here) Who says you need to spend thousands of dollars on camera equipment?
10. I shouldn’t be depressed when I see other food bloggers achieve a full time income from their website. (I still am sometimes…)
11. Garnish helps turn a regular looking dish into a WOW dish very easily.
12. I take my time testing recipes because when people print them off of my website, they need it to work!
13. Keeping track of all of my social media accounts can get complicated. I’ve learned to only stick with the ones that work the best and leave the others alone.
14. Food porn sites like FoodGawker and TasteSpotting can be really mean when they reject your pictures. I have finally got a few pictures accepted though. It felt fantastic when it happened!
15. Balancing life between a full time job and a food blog can be difficult. I’ve found balance using one critical tool…listening to my wife!
16. I check stats for my website more often than sports stats. That’s saying a lot!
17. Creating this food blog has made me more creative as a professional chef, and chef at home for Heather and I.
18. I’ve helped some people along the way, and I absolutely love that part of my website. I love helping people!
There’s definitely more I could probably think of, but these are the main ones. If any of you out there are having difficulty with your blogs, you need to remember a few things. Find what your passionate about and run with it. Make it unique and post content often. Know that the more you share your expertise and constantly promote it, the more successful you will become. It takes time, but it can happen.
Number 15 was so funny I spewed Merlot on my screen!
I found you through Google plus, which incidentally is tough on links because I tend to look at the giant photos and not think about what they are attached to in the first place. I am glad I did, if a food blogger can make me laugh then that is a good thing.
Pam
Happy to hear you found me Pam! I just hope your computer is okay! I’m learning a lot through Google Plus but I am finding it is helping me spread the Fresh Menu Planner word.