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

Surveying your audience, Identifying pain points in your community, and starting a meal planning membership app as a food creator with Liam Smith from MealPro App. ----- Welcome to episode 428 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Liam Smith from the MealPro App. How to Diversify Your Income with a Meal Planning Membership App If you’ve been listening to The Food Blogger Pro Podcast for any length of time, you know how important it is to diversify your income as a food blogger. And one of the ways that you might consider doing that is by starting a meal planning membership app! Liam Smith founded the MealPro App as a white-label meal planning app to allow food creators to easily (and affordably) personalize an app for their community. Bjork and Liam chat about the process of developing the app, how food bloggers can monetize through the app, and the importance of surveying your community to better meet their needs. In this episode, you’ll learn: About Liam’s background in tech. What inspired him to develop his own meal planning app (the MealPro App). What no-code tools are and how we use them. All about his low-risk process for developing, testing, and marketing the app. How food creators might use the MealPro App to create a membership community. How to identify the problems or pain points your community needs help solving. The importance of surveying your audience to help refine your content strategy. What it looks like to start a membership through the MealPro App. How to monetize within the MealPro App (and how much money you might expect to make). Resources: MealPro App BBC Good Food The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss Upwork Webflow Bubble Y Combinator Mind the Product: How I Built an App Without Writing a Line of Code Fiverr MealPro App Masterclass ConvertKit ChatGPT WP Recipe Maker Teachable Kajabi Kevin Kelly: 1000 True Fans MealPro App Pricing Follow MealPro App on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. 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

Blogging with a global audience, diversifying website traffic sources, and tailoring content depending on the platform with Arman Liew from The Big Man's World. ----- Welcome to episode 427 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Arman Liew from The Big Man’s World. Why Diversifying Your Website Traffic Matters Arman has been blogging for almost ten years now and has a really fresh perspective on everything from sponsored content to social media. He is really honest about some of the struggles he’s faced with blogging over the years (fickle algorithms, anyone?) and how those have led to a very strategic and intentional approach to his site nowadays. Arman also shares more about what it’s like to be a food blogger in Australia, and why he’s chosen to prioritize an American audience with his content. It’s a really entertaining and thought-provoking interview — don’t miss it! In this episode, you’ll learn: About the early days of The Big Man’s World. How Arman was able to leave his full-time job to work on his blog. What strategies Arman found to be the most effective in growing his site. How he reached out to brands for sponsored content and decided what to charge. About how he put all his eggs in the Pinterest basket — and how he has recovered from that. How he transitioned from prioritizing Pinterest traffic to SEO. The importance of diversifying your traffic sources. How he tailors his content and voice depending on the platform. How he grew his team. Why he prioritizes an American audience despite blogging from Australia. What he’s most excited about with his business right now. Resources: The Big Man’s World Wayback Machine Pinterest Pinch of Yum NerdPress Raptive Atlassian Envato Follow Arman on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. 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

Developing a social media strategy, avoiding overwhelm, and navigating new tools and trends in the social media space with Andrea Balogun. ----- Welcome to episode 426 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Andrea Balogun from Balogun Strategy & Design. Social Media Deep Dive: Threads, X, and AI Social media is constantly changing — new algorithms, new platforms, new trends. It’s hard to keep up and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But luckily we have Andrea Balogun to help walk us through it all! Andrea’s back on the podcast to talk about the hot topics in social media right now. She explains more about the Threads app and why food creators might consider adding it to their social media strategy. Andrea also imparts her wisdom around crafting a social media strategy and being intentional about how you create content for social media to avoid burnout. Andrea and Bjork also chat about new tools and AI in the social media space and how to incorporate them into your workflow. If you’re on social media as a content creator, this is a must-listen! In this episode, you’ll learn: About the work Andrea does at Balogun Strategy & Design. What Threads is and how food creators can use it. Why you might want to activate your Threads account sooner rather than later. The kinds of topics that perform well on Threads and/or Twitter/X. How to develop a social media strategy to avoid getting overwhelmed. How to approach creating content for social media. About new tools in the social media space that can make your life easier. How to use AI tools in your social media content creation. Resources: Balogun Strategy & Design The Food Blogger Pro Podcast 329: Social Media Strategy – Creating a Content Plan, Growing Your Following, and Diversifying Your Platforms with Andrea Balogun Threads @StripMallGuy @ViperChill Full Focus LifeScore Assessment Buffer Klap Dumme OpusClip Notion ChatGPT Bard Follow Andrea on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. 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

Blogging within a narrow niche, diversifying your income streams, and growing your team with Amy Palanjian from Yummy Toddler Food. ----- Welcome to episode 425 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Amy Palanjian. Thriving within a Niche and Creating Your Dream Job Amy Palanjian first started her blog, Yummy Toddler Food, in 2014. Since then, she has been incredibly intentional about every aspect of her business, from her content strategy and becoming an authority in her niche, to diversifying income streams and email marketing. In this interview, Bjork and Amy chat about all of these aspects of her business, and how she has worked to create a role for herself at Yummy Toddler Food that looks as close as possible to her dream job. It’s a must-listen episode for anyone thinking about picking a niche, and how to grow your business within that niche. In this episode, you’ll learn: About Amy’s career journey, from working in magazines to starting Yummy Toddler Food in 2014. What skills and knowledge Amy uses towards food blogging from her decade in the magazine industry. How she has built her affiliate marketing strategy. What it’s like to blog within a narrow niche. How she strategized to diversify her income streams. Why she decided to transition from selling ebooks to selling a printed cookbook. How and why she outsourced certain tasks in her business. The process that she used to organize all of her business-related files. How she built her job description to reflect what she actually enjoys doing. Her approach to email marketing, and why she uses both Substack and ConvertKit. Her strategy for growing her email list. Why she chose to work with a manager for her sponsored content. Resources: Yummy Toddler Food Squarespace WordPress Pinch of Yum Yummy Toddler Food eBooks and Cookbook Emily Perron The Food Blogger Pro Podcast #286: Build Your Team – How to Write an Eye-Catching Job Listing and Hire the Right People with Emily Perron The Food Blogger Pro Podcast #365: How to Find Your Zone of Genius and Hire the Right People with Emily Perron Google Workspace Substack ConvertKit Email Crush by Matt Molen Mailchimp The Food Blogger Pro Podcast #201: Email Marketing for Bloggers with Matt Molen Canva Cookit Media MealPro App Follow Amy on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. 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

Analyzing how AI could disrupt the world of digital content creation, strategizing for the future of food blogging, and understanding Raptive's initiatives to protect online content. ----- Welcome to episode 424 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Paul Bannister from Raptive. The Future of Content Creation (and Protection) in a World of AI It’s hard to keep up with AI, as the technology, legislation, and our understanding of it, are rapidly evolving. As content creators, it’s imperative that we stay as informed as possible to understand how AI will alter the future of food blogging, and what we need to do now to stay ahead of these changes. And that’s why Paul Bannister is back on the podcast this week! Bjork and Paul discuss how AI tools are currently using existing content, like recipes from food blogs, and how online search might change in the coming years. They share actionable steps you can take to protect your content, and how you might want to change your content and business strategy in a world of AI. This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the content creation space. In this episode, you’ll learn: How AI has the power to disrupt the world of content creation and SEO. What Generative AI is. How AI tools use existing online content (like recipes). How AI might change online search and search traffic patterns. What the path forward for content creators looks like. How to prevent the GPTBot from crawling your site. What you can do to protect your content moving forward. How to approach balancing SEO vs. creating content in your own unique voice that connects with your audience. The importance of diversifying traffic sources. Resources: Raptive ChatGPT Bard Midjourney Runway Stable Diffusion Reddit will begin charging for access to its API OpenAI GPTBot Yoast How to prevent GPTBot from crawling your site 091: Optimizing Recipes for SEO with Joost De Valk from Yoast SEO Raptive’s AI Open Letter The Washington Post: Inside the secret list of websites that make AI like ChatGPT sound smart How to sign the Consent to Advocate for Responsible AI agreement (CARA) Google’s SGE Kevin Kelly: 1000 True Fans Search Engine Land Follow Paul on Twitter Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. 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

Educating their audience about data privacy, prioritizing annual goal setting, and building a team with Liz and Lauren Allen from Tastes Better from Scratch. ----- Welcome to episode 423 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Lauren and Liz Allen from Tastes Better from Scratch. Building a Food Blog with 11 Million Monthly Pageviews Twin sisters Liz and Lauren Allen started Tastes Better from Scratch in 2009 and have been working together on the blog ever since. They are incredibly strategic about every aspect of their business, from hiring and content creation to data privacy and goal setting. In this interview, Bjork chats with Liz and Lauren about how they’ve expanded their business over the years and worked to maintain the huge growth they saw in 2020 that skyrocketed their pageviews from 5 to 11 million per month. They are also open and honest about their plans for the future of Tastes Better from Scratch in a world with AI and changing data privacy laws. If you’re looking for new ways to think about growing your business while leaning into your strengths, you won’t want to miss this episode! In this episode, you’ll learn: About the origin story of Tastes Better from Scratch. How they went from 5 million monthly pageviews to 11 million monthly pageviews in 2020, and how they’ve maintained that growth since then. Their approach to updating and republishing content. What tools they use to analyze how their content is performing. How they plan their content calendars. What the Tastes Better from Scratch team looks like, and how they decide to outsource a task. How they create processes for their business. How they develop their annual plans and goals for the business. What they think the future of food blogging looks like (AI, data privacy, digital advertising, etc.). Why they’re prioritizing email marketing right now. What they think the most important skills are in their current roles. Resources: Tastes Better from Scratch Semrush Google Analytics Google Search Console Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert Loom Slack Monday.com Bard Tastes Better from Scratch Meal Plans Manychat Follow Liz and Lauren on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. 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

Reinvesting in your business, working together as a couple, and prioritizing video with Liz and Paul Madsen from Zardyplants. ----- Welcome to episode 422 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Liz and Paul Madsen from Zardyplants. Why Success as a Food Blogger Isn’t Linear Liz and Paul Madsen started Zardyplants in 2018 as a way to share their favorite plant-based comfort food recipes with readers. Over the last five years, they’ve worked together to grow the site (and Paul now works full-time for their business)! Liz and Paul share about the early days of Zardyplants, and how their processes and business have changed over the years. They have really practical advice about the importance of reinvesting in your business, being strategic around the types of recipes you create, and what to prioritize as a beginner blogger. This is a particularly valuable episode for beginner bloggers but is also a great listen for any content creator trying to define what success looks like for you and your brand. In this episode, you’ll learn: About the early stages of Zardyplants, and what it was like starting a blog as a couple. How they’ve balanced working full-time with the blog over the years. What the division of labor is like between Liz and Paul. The benefits of having a side hustle. How and why Liz and Paul have transitioned the type of recipes they’re creating over the years. How they approach keyword research. What growth on Instagram has looked like for Zardyplants. About their photography and videography equipment set-up. Why they chose to prioritize video as part of their growth strategy. Their history with, and strategy around, sponsored content. The importance of reinvesting in your business, and what they would recommend paying a premium for as a beginner. What advice they’d give to beginner bloggers. Resources: Zardyplants What success looks like Intercom Raptive Google AdSense KeySearch Ahrefs Semrush Canon EOS 80D Aputure at B&H Photo Video Canon EOS R5 C Mirrorless Cinema Camera Adobe Premiere Pro BigScoots Bluehost WPEngine Filmic Pro InShot Jeremy Giffon Follow Zardyplants on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. 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 and diversifying your business, managing your time efficiently, and hiring team members. ----- Welcome to episode 421 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Cheryl Malik from 40Aprons. Scaling Three Food Blogs and Tips for Hiring a Virtual Assistant Cheryl first started food blogging in 2009, and now runs three different food blogs, in addition to an agency that matches food bloggers with virtual assistants. In this interview, Bjork and Cheryl chat about growing and diversifying her business over the years and how she manages her time efficiently while running all of her different businesses. She also shares recommendations for hiring team members, and how to effectively onboard new team members. It’s a really practical episode that will give you lots of advice for thinking strategically about growing your team and your business. In this episode, you’ll learn: More about Cheryl’s food blogging journey from 2009 to the present. Why she decided to start three different food blogs. How she has grown her team, and why she started a business to help match food bloggers with virtual assistants. What the revenue streams look like amongst her different businesses. Her recommendations for successfully adding someone to your team and the onboarding process. What it’s like to work with Cheryl’s 40A agency to hire a virtual assistant. The difference between hiring a team member or contractor and working with an agency to find a virtual assistant. How she manages her time (and is more efficient) by batching her days. Resources: 40Aprons Easy Healthy Recipes Cheap Cheap Eats 40A Pinch of Yum’s Traffic and Income Reports Whole30 Upwork Asana ClickUp Follow Cheryl on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. 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

Testing ChatGPT's recipe writing skills, transitioning from a blog to a Substack newsletter, and discussing the future of food writing with Dianne Jacob from Will Write for Food. ----- Welcome to episode 420 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Dianne Jacob. ChatGPT, Substack, and the Changing Landscape of Food Writing Dianne Jacob has been an expert in the food writing space for twenty years (she literally wrote the book on it!). We were happy to welcome her back to the podcast to chat about the changing landscape of food writing. In this interview, Bjork and Dianne discuss how AI might alter the food blogging space, and how food bloggers can best position themselves to adapt to these changes. Dianne also shares more about her Substack newsletter, and why she prefers writing for her Substack newsletter to blogging. Both Bjork and Dianne have been in the food writing space for decades now, and it’s fascinating to hear them discuss what they think the future of food blogging might look like. Don’t miss this episode! In this episode, you’ll learn: About Dianne’s professional background in food writing. How the food writing space has changed over the last 20 years. How AI (or machine learning) is changing the food writing space. What she learned from testing ChatGPT’s recipe writing skills. What recipe attribution currently looks like for ChatGPT and Bard. Why your voice matters more than ever in the food blogging space. Why she transitioned from writing a blog to having a Substack newsletter. What she likes about being a content creator on Substack (spoiler alert: no need for SEO!). How Bjork and Dianne think the food blogging space will change in the coming years. Resources: Dianne Jacob… will write for food Dianne on the Food Blogger Pro Podcast in 2015 and in 2021 Will Write for Food by Dianne Jacob ChatGPT Bard Sally’s Baking Recipes The Kitchn Preppy Kitchen Substack David Lebovitz Jeremiah Tower’s Out of the Oven Chez Panisse 129: Forging Your Own Path with David Lebovitz Alison Roman’s Substack Pinch of Yum’s Meal Plans Connect with Dianne via email Follow Dianne on Instagram and Substack Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. 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