The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

Understanding the Pinterest algorithm, focusing on user engagement, and hiring out the management of your Pinterest account with Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media. ----- 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: Simple Pin Media HerPaperRoute Rhodium Weekend The Simple Pin Podcast Pinterest Investor Overview Detailed Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group 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.

Running a mission-driven food blog, balancing business with purpose, and creating a recipe-testing process with Michelle Cehn from World of Vegan. ----- 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: World of Vegan 384: How Toni Okamoto Runs Two Food Blogs and Grew Her Email List to Over 80,000 Subscribers Plant Based on a Budget Plant Based on a Budget Meal Plans The Plant-Powered People Podcast The Friendly Vegan Cookbook Follow Michelle on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group 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

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. ----- Google has been… very busy in Q3 and Q4 of 2023. If the updates feel nonstop, it's because they have been: Core Update at the end of August/early September Helpful Content Update in September Spam Update in October Core Update in October Another Core Update in November 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: Venture 4th Media Semrush Ahrefs Search Quality Rater Program Guidelines 243: Best-in-Class Content – Keyword Research, Creating Value, and Authority with Ewen Finser Google is slowly killing blogging by Spencer Haws Ewen on LinkedIn Niche Media Publishing Content Teams A Q&A on Google Search updates 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.

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. ----- 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: Joy Filled Eats A Grill for All Seasons Baking Me Hungry Google Discover 430: Grow Your Email List with ConvertKit's Creator Network with Nathan Barry Sidetracked Sarah Raptive Evolving Table It is a Keeper Email Crush by Matt Molen ConvertKit LiveIntent 201: Email Marketing for Bloggers with Matt Molen Follow Taryn on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group 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.

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. ----- 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: Greedy Girl Gourmet Food Blogger Pro Coaching Calls Mediavine Food Bloggers Central Connecting Bloggers Y Combinator Basecamp 18 Ways to Make Money From Your Food Blog in 2023 RhodiumWeekend Interbrand Chat GPT Bard Substack The Woks of Life Follow Zhen on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- 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

Evolving your content strategy as a creator, building a village of food creators, and managing outreach to brands with Morgan Peaceman from Nomaste Hungry. ----- Welcome to episode 432 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Morgan Peaceman from Nomaste Hungry. Creating a Community of Food Bloggers Food blogging (or any career as an online creator or entrepreneur) can sometimes feel like a lonely space. But Morgan Peaceman is working to change that! Morgan started her blog back in 2018 and has been cultivating a food blogging village ever since. She is extremely intentional about reaching out to fellow food bloggers and like-minded brands to build her community. She has seen increased success since growing her community, which she attributes to sharing resources, experiences, and contacts with other food creators. In this episode, Morgan talks more about how she has the confidence to reach out to other creators and brands, and why she thinks it's so important to do so. In this episode, you'll learn: How to create a community of like-minded food bloggers. About the early days of Nomaste Hungry and how her content stategy has changed over the years. Her advice for reaching out to connect with other food creators. How to be more confident when reaching out to brands for partnerships. How she tracks and manages her communications and follow-ups with brands. Resources: Nomaste Hungry A Couple Cooks Folk App Salesforce Superhuman Boomerang Follow Morgan on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Businessese and Clariti. Learn more about our sponsors by going to foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors. 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

Starting a membership site, managing slow periods as an entrepreneur, and shifting your mindset around success with Lauren Toyota from hot for food. ----- Welcome to episode 431 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Lauren Toyota from Hot for Food. The Highs and Lows of Being a Food Creator for Over a Decade Lauren Toyota has been blogging for almost ten years and has had tremendous success during the past decade — two cookbooks, 450,000 subscribers on YouTube, and qualifying for Raptive. But all of these high points have been balanced by some professional lows, especially since the pandemic and becoming a mother. Lauren is incredibly honest in this interview about the current "slow" period of her business, and how her mindset has changed around her business goals recently. She openly shares her struggles, and how she views the future of hot for food. As part of the future of hot for food is Lauren's membership (EAT IT). Lauren walks listeners through the process of starting a membership and why she enjoys creating that type of content so much. This is a raw, transparent, brutally honest interview that we know will resonate with many of you! In this episode, you'll learn: What's changed (and what's stayed the same) since Bjork and Lauren last chatted on the podcast in 2016. The different experiences Lauren had writing and marketing her two cookbooks. How her business and mindset have changed over the last decade (especially due to the pandemic and becoming a mother). What the future of hot for food might look like. Why she decided to start a membership (EAT IT) on her website and what the process has looked like. How she's approaching creating content and growing her audience on YouTube. Resources: Hot for Food 079: How Finding a Unique Niche Led to YouTube Success with Lauren Toyota from Hot For Food Hot for Food Vegan Comfort Classics: 101 Recipes to Feed Your Face hot for food all day: easy recipes to level up your vegan meals The Iced Coffee Hour 1000 True Fans EAT IT by hot for food MemberPress The Getaway Co. Follow Lauren on Instagram and hot for food's YouTube page and her personal YouTube page Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Once Coupled and Clariti. Learn more about our sponsors by going to foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors. 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

Getting started with ConvertKit's Creator Network, collaborating with other creators to accelerate growth, and monetizing your email list with Nathan Barry. ----- Welcome to episode 430 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Nathan Barry from ConvertKit. Grow Your Email List with ConvertKit's Creator Network Nathan Barry is back on the podcast this week to chat about all things email marketing and strategic business growth. ConvertKit recently started the Creator Network and Nathan is here to explain what it is, as well as how food creators can use it to grow their email lists. Nathan walks listeners through how to get started with the Creator Network and shares compelling case studies about how creators have strategically utilized the Creator Network as part of their business models. This is a great episode for anyone looking to diversify their income streams in a new way. We think you'll leave this episode feeling inspired to try something new and with a fresh perspective on sharing your content. In this episode, you'll learn: How ConvertKit has changed over the years and what it offers to creators. How email should fit into your marketing model. Why ConvertKit started the Creator Network (and more about how it works). How to get started with the Creator Network. Tips for optimizing your profile on the Creator Network. How to use the Creator Network strategically to optimize growth for your email list. How to collaborate with other creators within the Creator Network. More about ConvertKit's acquisition of SparkLoop and how to monetize through SparkLoop. About flywheels and how the concept applies to business. Resources: ConvertKit 140: From $300k in Product Sales to $9m in Software Sales with Nathan Barry Follow Nathan on Twitter James Clear: The 3–2–1 Newsletter Sahil Bloom: Curiosity Chronicle Ryan Holiday: Reading List Susan Cain: The Kindred Letters Lamberts Lately The Perfect Loaf 393: How Passion and Sourdough Feed a 9 Million Pageview Food Blog with Maurizio Leo SparkLoop Morning Brew The Skimm The Hustle ActiveCampaign MailChimp NathanBarry.com Mark's Daily Apple Primal Kitchen The Billion Dollar Creator essay Billion Dollar Creator Podcast Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Businessese and Clariti. Learn more about our sponsors by going to foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors. 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.

Shooting multiple recipes in one day, styling 'hard to style' foods, and reaching out to brands for partnerships with Rachel Korinek from Two Loves Studio. ----- Welcome to episode 429 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Rachel Korinek from Two Loves Studio. Tips for Styling, Editing, and Monetizing Food Photography Food photography can be overwhelming, no matter if you're a beginner or if you've been blogging for a decade! Luckily we have Rachel Korinek to help walk us through the tips and tricks that make food photography and editing just a little bit easier. In this podcast episode, Bjork and Rachel chat about Rachel's journey as an entrepreneur, and how her definition of success has changed over the years. She also shares her strategies for shooting multiple recipes in one day, and how she prepares in advance for her food photography days. She also has lots of valuable advice about styling foods that aren't photogenic (meatloaf, anyone?). The episode ends with a series of listener questions about phone photography, editing, and background props — it's a good one! In this episode, you'll learn: How Rachel got into a career in food photography and the different stages of her business. What the seasons of success and the seasons of reinvention have looked like for her business. How she tackles shooting multiple recipes in one day. How she sets herself up for success before big photography days. Her recommendations for growing your team to help with efficiency with photography. Some of the common mistakes she sees food photographers make with food styling. Her tips for styling 'hard to style' foods. Why she primarily shoots with artificial lighting these days and the tools she recommends. How she approaches reaching out to brands for partnerships. The three core edits she recommends for editing photographs. Her recommendations for background props. Tips for using your phone for food photography. Resources: Two Loves Studio 154: 5 Tips to Improve Your Food Photography with Rachel Korinek Backlinko The Pez Outlaw The Legend of Cocaine Island Rachel's Simple (Yet Beautiful) Artificial Light for Food Photography YouTube Tutorial Adobe Lightroom Capture One Follow Rachel on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Businessese and Clariti. Learn more about our sponsors by going to foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors. 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

Welcome to Tiny Bites from the Food Blogger Pro Podcast! In this episode of Tiny Bites, Bjork interviews Alison Bechdol from Digital-ade about GA4 data models and how to change yours if your data isn't looking quite right. As of July 1, 2023 Google Analytics 4, or GA4, is the default property within Google Analytics. There is a steep (and, it seems, long) learning curve to using GA4, especially because GA4 uses and collects data completely differently than Universal Analytics (or UA) did. New metrics, new language, new data… it's a lot to familiarize yourself with! In this podcast interview (our first episode of Tiny Bites!), Bjork chats with Alison Bechdol (who is also the Google Analytics Expert here at Food Blogger Pro) about some tips and trips that will make this transition from UA to GA4 a little easier. Resources: Google Looker Studio 363: What Bloggers Need to Know About Google Analytics 4 with Alison Bechdol Digital-ade The Insite Co Head over to foodbloggerpro.com/podcast to find the full episode shownotes! 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