The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

Measuring an ROI, how to fit into a brand's strategy, and long-term brand relationships with Nick Brucker. ----- Welcome to episode 196 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Alexa interviews Nick Brucker from Sparq Designs about common questions about influencer marketing. Answering Your Questions about Influencer Marketing  Nick knows marketing. His company, Sparq Designs, helps businesses with their online marketing, media needs, and strategic planning, and he has a deep understanding of marketing from both a brand and a blogger perspective. Today on the podcast, Nick is tackling your questions about influencer marketing, and…we’re answering real marketing questions from bloggers like you! We asked the Food Blogger Pro community about their influencer marketing struggles, and Nick is here to offer his advice and strategies for creating long-lasting and beneficial relationships with brands. In this episode, Nick shares: How he started Sparq Designs Why brands like to offer free product How to start getting paid from sponsors How to measure ROI How to narrow your niche (and if you should) How you can fit into a brand’s strategy How to start a long-term relationship with a brand How to change your mindset when you work with brands What brands and influencers are looking for Resources: Notion Sparq Designs Follow Sparq Designs and Nick on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. We’d like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

How we started Food Blogger Pro, why we're switching to WordPress, and how to start something with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 195 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chats about a big and exciting change we’re making on Food Blogger Pro. Some Exciting Updates Coming to Food Blogger Pro  Something very exciting has been happening behind the scenes here at Food Blogger Pro HQ for the past few months, and we’re finally spilling the beans: we’re moving to WordPress! That’s right! We’re migrating Food Blogger Pro from a CMS called ExpressionEngine to our recommended CMS for food bloggers, WordPress. There are many reasons why we’re switching over to WordPress, and that’s what Bjork is here to talk about today. He’ll share how Food Blogger Pro was initially set up, why we think WordPress will be a huge win for our membership site, strategies for starting something big, and more. We’re so excited to share this new and improved version of Food Blogger Pro with you. :) In this episode, Bjork shares: The story of how Food Blogger Pro started How Food Blogger Pro is currently set up Why we’re moving to WordPress His thoughts about starting something Resources: Kicktastic FortySeven Media Sign up for the Food Blogger Pro waiting list! If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Finding your photography style, what makes quality content, and the Saveur Blog Awards with Sam Adler. ----- Welcome to episode 194 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sam Adler from Frosting and Fettuccine about the importance of creating quality content. Making Great Content Sam knows quality content. Whether she’s publishing on her blog or on her Saveur Blog Award-winning Instagram account, she’s constantly on the quest for creating the highest-quality content she can. That’s what she’s here to chat about today. You’ll learn about her approach to photography and color, her background in cooking, and what it was like to be nominated (and eventually WIN!) a Saveur Blog Award. Enjoy! In this episode, Sam shares: About her experience at Le Cordon Bleu How her understanding of colors helps with her food blog How she found her photography style What it was like to win a Saveur Blog Award Why the quality of your content is so important What makes quality content Resources: Planoly Frosting and Fettuccine Follow Sam on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. We’d like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

The importance of a business plan, helpful tools for SEO, and making the most out of your old content with Nora Schlesinger. ----- Welcome to episode 193 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Nora Schlesinger from A Clean Bake about how she prioritizes her work and runs her blog. Doing Less to Accomplish More  Nora had a few other blogs before landing on her current blog, A Clean Bake. Throughout her time running these blogs, she’s learned a lot. Most importantly, how to work less and still be able to accomplish everything she wants to. This interview focuses around the ideas of prioritizing your work and working smarter. It’s a fantastic interview, and you’ll love learning about her favorite tools, the course she took to understand SEO, and how she makes her older posts work for her. In this episode, Nora shares: How she ended up with A Clean Bake What happened when she took her blog full-time How she decided to go back to work Why she wrote a business plan The tools that she uses to run her blog How to make your old content work for you What it means to write for ads Resources: CoSchedule A Clean Bake Ahrefs SEMrush Hashtag Jeff SEO Mastermind Course Google Search Console AnswerThePublic Zapier Follow Nora on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, WisteriaJ7! If you’d like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We’d like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

The importance of understanding a business at a whole, starting a brick and mortar business, and hiring help with Jen and Rob Morris. ----- Welcome to episode 192 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jen and Rob Morris from Cupcakeology about starting and growing their bakery. How Rob and Jen Built a Successful Business  Have you ever dreamt of opening up your own bakery or restaurant? Jen and Rob did, too. They opened Cupcakeology in Philadelphia due to a love of desserts and management. Jen and Rob learned a ton about running their own business, and that’s what they’re here today to chat about. You’ll learn about how they overcame the difficulties of starting their own business, how they decided to hire help, and why they eventually started a blog. This is such a fun interview, and we know you’ll love learning about their journey. In this episode, Jen and Rob share: How they started baking When they realized they wanted to start a bakery Why it was important to understand both the food and the business The different businesses they started The hard lessons they needed to learn when they first started How they decided to hire help The importance of stories Why they started a blog Resources: Pinterest Strategy Recommendations from the Experts Cupcakeology Lovin’ from the Oven Follow Cupcakeology and Lovin’ from the Oven on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Wordnerdy! If you’d like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We’d like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Tips for Instagram success, building a product or website, and how to know when you should invest in your business with Ryan Walker. ----- Welcome to episode 191 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Ryan Walker from Link in Profile and Tap Bio. Building a Better Bio  If you’ve spent any time on Instagram, chances are that you’ve seen the words “Link in Profile” and / or “Tap Bio” before. Link in Profile and Tap Bio are Instagram bio tools that help send your followers to your blog content. Ryan Walker, the founder of these two companies is here today to chat about these tools and how they can help you with your Instagram strategy. He shares his tips for Instagram success, his advice for building a product or website, how to know when you should invest in your business, and so much more. Enjoy! In this episode, Ryan shares: His background in software How to know when you should invest in your business How he decided to start and build Link in Profile How Link in Profile works Tips for Instagram success Why he started Tap Bio The differences between Link in Profile and Tap Bio His advice for building something Resources: Link in Profile Tap.Bio Against All Grain Real or Fake: 5 Instagram Rumors Explained Follow @tap.bio on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Margaret! If you’d like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We’d like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

How notifications work, how to create a customer journey strategy, and writing engaging notifications with Josh Wetzel from OneSignal. ----- Welcome to episode 190 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Josh Wetzel from OneSignal about using push notifications on your blog. Push Notifications for Bloggers Chances are that you’ve seen a prompt on a blog that says something like, “Do you want to opt-in to browser notifications?” Pinch of Yum might be one of them! Those are called push notifications, and OneSignal is a company that helps you create those push notifications to increase user engagement on your site. Josh Wetzel, OneSignal’s Chief Revenue Officer, is here today to talk about the benefits of using push notifications on your blog and the results that you may see after enabling them for your website. In this episode, Josh shares: How he started with OneSignal How notifications work How voice notifications work How to create a customer journey strategy The different types of messages you can send with OneSignal How you can monetize notifications How you can write engaging notifications How intelligent delivery works Resources: Diversifying Traffic: How Different Sources Perform Over Time OneSignal In 2018, push alerts featured less yelling and more thinking Follow OneSignal and Josh on Twitter If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Crackersandcabernet! If you’d like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We’d like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Why you should build your processes, how to create a more valuable business, and prioritizing your tasks with Blake Bailey. ----- Welcome to episode 189 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Blake Bailey from Process Street about the importance of documenting your processes. Make Less Work Whether you know it or not, there are a lot of processes that go into creating blog content. Photographing a recipe, publishing a post, sharing that post on social media, reaching out to sponsors, adding ads to your site. Blake from Process Street is here to talk about why you might to document these processes and how to get started documenting these processes. He’ll help you save time and work smarter by automating some of your most common to-dos and prioritizing your tasks. In this episode, Blake shares: What an SOP is How you can start creating processes Why you might want to start building processes How you can automate your processes How you can make less work for yourself and your team How to create a more valuable business with processes How you can build your processes and prioritize your tasks How to use Content Lock Resources: Process Street Zapier The Checklist Manifesto Ahrefs MarketMuse Checklists for Bloggers If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Sylvia! If you’d like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We’d like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Retina images, how to start optimizing your site, and the different levels of image optimization with Simon Duduica. ----- Welcome to episode 188 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Simon Duduica about optimizing images on your website.  Optimizing Your Website’s Images We know that optimization is important when it comes to building a website, so today’s interview focuses on optimizing images. Optimizing images on food blogs is especially important. Food blogs are typically heavy-handed with their use of images, and for good reason: people eat with their eyes. That said, it’s just as important that your images look good as it is to optimize them for site performance and speed. That’s where ShortPixel comes in. They help you optimize your images in a way that doesn’t compromise quality or that “drool-worthiness” we all want to see in our images. ShortPixel’s Head of Technology, Simon, is here to chat through what optimizing your images means and how you can make sure the images on your site are optimized. In this episode, Simon shares: How they started ShortPixel Why image optimization is important for website owners How images load How you can tell if your images are optimized The difference between optimization levels What retina images are and how you can optimize them How you can start optimizing your website Resources: Register for the Growing Your Food Blog Q&A with Bjork and Lindsay! ShortPixel WP Engine Cloudflare GTmetrix Google PageSpeed Insights If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Brenda from Become Betty! If you’d like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We’d like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

What self-publishing is, how much you can expect to spend, and enlisting the help of others with Chelsea Cole. ----- Welcome to episode 187 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Chelsea Cole from A Duck’s Oven about the process of self-publishing a cookbook.  How to Self-Publish Your Own Cookbook It’s time for part 2 of our two-part publishing series! This week, we’re chatting with Chelsea Cole, sous vide master, all about the steps she took to self-publish her very own cookbook. Self-publishing is certainly different from traditional publishing, so this episode focuses on the nuances that make self-publishing so accessible and exciting for bloggers. You’ll learn how she found her topic, how much you should expect to spend if you’re self-publishing a book, and more. Enjoy! In this episode, Chelsea shares: Where her blog name comes from What sous vide is How she decided to focus on sous vide Why she started thinking about writing a cookbook How payments work when you write a cookbook How she managed her cookbook team and timeline How much you should plan on spending if you self-publish a cookbook How she promoted her book What she would do differently next time Resources: Delivering Happiness A Duck’s Oven Shoe Dog MacBreak Weekly Sous Vide 5-year trend on Google Trends Well Fed Diane Morgan Asana Amazon’s Royalty Calculator 097: How to Create a Full-Time Income from Blogging Using The Egg Carton Method with Bjork Ostrom Everyday Sous Vide: It’s All French to Me BONUS! Check out Chelsea’s blog post all about her self-publishing process If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Bob! If you’d like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We’d like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.