If you're passionate about food and want to turn it into a side hustle or even a full-time gig, starting a food blog is the way to go.
Successful food bloggers are making serious cash every month, just by sharing their experiences. So, why not join them?
In this post, I'll show you how to create a food blog that connects with readers and brings in some dough.
If you're ready to become a food blogging authority, let's dive in!
Why You Can Trust Our Food Blogging Guide
Lasso is installed on over 8,000 websites, including many food blogs.
Our team has built multiple 7-figure blogs in a wide range of niches.
We have hands-on experience working with founders to grow and monetize their food blogs.
Food Blogging Basics
Starting a food blog can be a really fun and rewarding experience, but it's important to know what you're getting into.
Here are a few basic things to keep in mind before diving in:
What Is a Food Blog?
A food blog is a website or online platform where individuals share their knowledge, experiences, and passion for food. It serves as a platform for food enthusiasts, home cooks, and professional chefs to showcase their culinary skills, share recipes, provide cooking tips, and review restaurants and food products.
Food blogs are a great resource for finding inspiration for cooking, discovering new recipes, learning about different cuisines, and staying updated with the latest food trends. They often include mouthwatering food photography, detailed step-by-step instructions, and personal anecdotes that make the content engaging and relatable.
Food bloggers typically have expertise in specific areas such as vegan cooking, baking, ethnic cuisines, or healthy eating. They may also specialize in reviewing local restaurants, creating budget-friendly meals, or catering to dietary restrictions.
Food blogs can be a valuable source of information for anyone looking to expand their culinary repertoire or simply indulge in their love for food. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner in the kitchen, exploring food blogs can be a delightful and informative experience.
Why Should You Start a Food Blog?
Starting a food blog can be a fun and rewarding experience. Whether you're a passionate home cook or a food enthusiast, here are some reasons why you should consider starting your own food blog:
- Share your culinary creations: A food blog allows you to showcase your delicious recipes and culinary experiments with the world. You can share your favorite dishes, unique flavor combinations, and innovative cooking techniques.
- Connect with a community: Blogging about food opens up opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals who share your love for all things culinary. You can interact with fellow food bloggers, exchange ideas, and learn from each other.
- Inspire others: Your food blog has the power to inspire others to try new recipes and explore different cuisines. By sharing your experiences and passion for cooking, you can motivate others to step into the kitchen and unleash their creativity.
- Document your culinary journey: A food blog serves as a personal diary of your culinary adventures. It allows you to document your progress, track your growth as a cook, and look back on your favorite recipes and food memories.
- Build a portfolio: If you aspire to work in the food industry, a food blog can act as a portfolio to showcase your skills and expertise. It demonstrates your ability to create visually appealing dishes, write engaging content, and connect with your audience.
- Monetize your passion: With a successful food blog, you have the opportunity to monetize your passion for food. Through sponsored posts, brand partnerships, and advertising, you can turn your blog into a source of income.
So why wait? Start your food blog today and embark on a culinary journey filled with creativity, community, and delicious food!

Ready to kickstart your Food blog? Get Your FREE 20-Page Guide To Making $1,000/Day.
Finding Your Food Niche
Youâre probably thinking, 'I already picked a niche! Food' But for the purposes of blogging, thatâs not nearly specific enough, at least in the beginning. If you want your blog to succeed, you need to niche down.
Why Choosing a Niche is Important
Choosing a food niche is important for a number of reasons.
First, it makes it easier for readers to find your content and for search engines to rank it. If your blog is too broad, it will be hard to compete with other established food bloggers and get organic traffic.
Second, having a specific niche will help you establish yourself as an expert in that area. Readers will come to trust your opinion and recommendations, and you'll be able to build a loyal following.
Finally, having a food niche will also make it easier for you to come up with content ideas. Rather than trying to cover every aspect of food, you can focus on the specific topics and recipes that your readers are most interested in.
How to Choose a Food Blog Niche
Choosing a food blog niche is an important decision that can set your blog apart from the rest. Here are some tips to help you find the perfect niche:
- Identify your passion: Think about the types of food you love to cook and eat. Your passion will shine through in your blog posts, so choose a niche that aligns with your interests and expertise.
- Research popular trends: Stay up to date with the latest food trends and identify areas that are gaining popularity. This can help you find a niche that is both relevant and in-demand.
- Consider your target audience: Think about who you want to reach with your blog. Are you targeting health-conscious individuals, home cooks, or food enthusiasts? Understanding your audience will help you narrow down your niche.
- Explore your unique perspective: What sets you apart from other food bloggers? Whether it's your cultural background, dietary preferences, or cooking techniques, finding a niche that showcases your unique perspective can attract a loyal following.
- Look for gaps in the market: Analyze existing food blogs and identify areas that are not yet covered extensively. Finding a niche that fills this gap can help you stand out and establish yourself as an authority.
By following these tips, you'll be able to choose a food blog niche that resonates with your passion, appeals to your target audience, and sets you up for success.
Weâve written extensively about niche research for bloggers, but you should look for these qualities in your final choice:
- A mix of big and small competitors. If the niche doesnât have big sites, there isnât much money to be made. If there arenât small sites, you wonât be able to compete.
- Income potential. A healthy mix of affiliate offers, display ads, and original products will allow you to diversify your income.
- Keywords and link-building opportunities. Youâll do more extensive keyword research later, so right now youâre just looking for content gaps. Are there keywords you could realistically rank for and get traffic early?
Popular Food Blog Niches
A popular food blog niche is a specific topic or area of interest that a food blogger focuses on. It helps them stand out and attract a specific audience. Here are some popular food blog niches:
- Healthy Eating: Providing recipes and tips on how to eat nutritious and balanced meals.
- Vegan/Vegetarian: Catering to those who follow a plant-based diet and offering delicious vegan or vegetarian recipes.
- Baking: Focusing on all things related to baking, including cakes, breads, cookies, and pastries.
- Quick and Easy Meals: Sharing recipes that can be prepared in a short amount of time, perfect for busy individuals.
- International Cuisine: Exploring different cuisines from around the world and providing recipes and cultural insights.
- Food Photography: Concentrating on capturing and showcasing stunning food photographs.
- Food for Special Diets: Catering to specific dietary needs, such as gluten-free, dairy-free, or nut-free recipes.
- Restaurant Reviews: Sharing personal experiences and reviews of various restaurants and eateries.
These are just a few examples of popular food blog niches. Each niche allows bloggers to connect with a specific audience and share their expertise in a particular area of food and cooking.
Planning Out Your Food Blog
So you've picked a niche for your blog, that's amazing! But don't forget,'failing to plan is planning to fail.'
Before you run off and start posting, let's take a moment to plan out your business strategy.
Set Your Blog Goals
Setting goals for your Food blog is essential to its success. It gives you direction and helps you stay focused on what matters most.
When setting your goals, it's important to consider your audience, your niche, and what you realistically hope to achieve.
This can include things like increasing your readership, building your email list, or monetizing your blog.
By setting clear and achievable goals for your food blog, you'll be able to create content that resonates with your audience, establish yourself as an authority in your niche, and achieve the success you're looking for.
Define Your Target Audience
Defining your target audience is crucial when starting a food blog. It helps you tailor your content and marketing strategies to attract the right readers. Here are some key points to consider:
- Demographics: Understand the age, gender, location, and other relevant demographic details of your target audience. This information will guide your content creation and help you connect with them.
- Interests and Preferences: Determine what kind of food your target audience enjoys, whether it's vegan, gluten-free, or comfort food. This will help you create recipes and write posts that align with their preferences.
- Lifestyle: Consider the lifestyle of your target audience. Are they busy professionals looking for quick and healthy meal ideas? Or are they passionate home cooks who enjoy experimenting with new recipes? Tailor your content to their lifestyle.
- Goals and Challenges: Understand the goals and challenges your target audience faces when it comes to food. Are they trying to eat healthier, lose weight, or learn new cooking techniques? Address these goals and challenges in your content.
- Engagement Channels: Identify the social media platforms, forums, and online communities where your target audience spends their time. This will help you promote your blog and engage with them effectively.
By defining your target audience, you can create a food blog that resonates with them, builds a loyal following, and ultimately achieves your blogging goals.
Do Your Keyword Research
Keyword research is an important aspect of creating content for your Food blog. It helps you understand the phrases and questions people use to search for information on the topic you're writing about. That way, you can use those phrases and questions to optimize your content for search engines.
Identify the keywords that are most relevant to your niche. These are your âseed keywords.â
Seed keywords are broad terms used to generate super-specific long-tail keywords.
- Recipes
- Cooking
- Food
- Cuisine
- Restaurants
- Ingredients
- Healthy eating
- Diet
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Desserts
- Baking
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Appetizers
- Drinks
- Seasonal
- Local
Take your seed keywords and feed them into your keyword tool of choice. I like using Ahrefs.

Add them to the report and hit search. Then, go to âKeyword Ideasâ and click âMatching Terms.â
This list will contain thousands of possible terms for you to write about. I recommend targeting the lowest-volume keywords possible, no matter the traffic.
When you first start your food blog, itâll be hard to get traffic. But you can get it by targeting keywords that other site owners ignore.
TIP: When you first start your food blog, focus on info content (question keywords). The content will be more helpful for your audience and less competitive since monetizing it is more challenging.
By doing your keyword research, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages and attracting more traffic to your Food blog.
Supercharge your earnings from day one. Lasso makes it easy to organize affiliate links make your first sales with conversion-optimized displays.
Don't wait for success; seize it with Lasso!
Learn MoreHow to Start a Food Blog | Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you're done with the business plan, let's get to the fun part.
Here's how to start a Food blog:
Step 1. Pick a Blogging Platform
Choosing the right blogging platform is crucial for the success of your Food blog.
I strongly recommend building your blog with WordPress. Itâs open-source, so your blog won't be dependent on a private company, and itâs fully customizable.
Some bloggers are intimidated by the number of features WordPress offers, but the best way to learn is just to jump in and start.
Here are some other options to consider:
- Blogger: A free platform owned by Google. Offers simple templates and easy integration with Google AdSense for monetization.
- Squarespace: A premium platform known for its design-centric approach. Offers visually appealing templates and in-depth customization options along with integrated eCommerce solutions for monetization.
- Wix: A free platform with a drag-and-drop website builder and customizable templates. Offers e-commerce options for selling products.
Consider the features, ease of use, and cost when choosing a platform that fits your needs. Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it's important to do your research before making a decision.
Step 2. Register a Domain Name
Registering a domain name gives your blog a unique online identity. When choosing a domain name for your food blog, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Make it easy to remember
- Keep it short and sweet
- Include your main keyword
- Avoid using numbers and hyphens
Also, please donât create an exact-match domain name, like foodblogrecipes.com.
Itâs limiting, has terrible branding potential, and just looks amateurish. You can do much better.
Instead, spend some time brainstorming food blog names that have the following:
- A keyword related to your niche
- A feeling, emotion, or quality you want your website to communicate
- Three words or less
So, instead of the example used above, you could use one of these:
- TastyEats.com
- DeliciousBites.com
- YummyTreats.com
- FlavorfulDishes.com
- SavoryFeasts.com
All of those are available at the time Iâm writing this, and all would be easy to build a brand around (not to mention better for Search Engine Optimization or SEO).
You can also use a domain name generator tool for inspiration.
Once you have a few ideas for a domain name, you can check if they are available using a domain registrar.
Many services can help you register a domain name, but I recommend getting one from your hosting provider. (They usually include a free domain name when you buy hosting.)
When you find the perfect domain name, register it right away before someone else takes it.
Step 3. Secure Reliable Hosting
Once youâve chosen a domain name, you have to purchase website hosting to make your food blog accessible online. (As I mentioned earlier, you can usually purchase both simultaneously.)
Website hosting is a service that allows your website to be stored on a server and accessed by Internet users.
CAUTION: I recommend staying away from Godaddy. They have awful customer service and a history of alleged predatory behavior
Here are some popular website hosts for food blogs:
- WP Engine: I host all my sites with WP Engine. It's lightning quick and super easy to use. I've tried almost every shared hosting provider, and WP Engine is by far the best.
- Kinsta: A premium hosting provider known for its high performance and managed WordPress hosting solutions.
- Hostgator: A popular host that offers affordable pricing and easy WordPress integration.
After youâve chosen and registered your domain (following the instructions from your hosting company), youâre ready to install WordPress and start building your site.
Step 4. Install WordPress
The first step to setting up your food site is to install WordPress.
NOTE: WordPress is an open-source software found on WordPress.org. WordPress.com is a premium blogging platform, but you never need to pay to install WordPress on your website, even if itâs self-hosted.
Any legitimate host these days will offer automated WordPress installation with the click of a button. Follow their instructions, and reach out to their support if you get stuck.
Once youâve installed WordPress, go to your WordPress Admin Dashboard and start customizing your site.
TIP: You can find your dashboard login page at yoursite.com/wp-admin
Step 5. Pick a Theme for Your Food Blog
When choosing a theme for your website, it's essential to consider your niche and target audience. Your theme should reflect your content's style and tone while being visually appealing and easy to navigate.
There are thousands of themes available to choose from, both free and paid. These are the free themes I recommend for new bloggers:
- Carbonate - Carbonate is a simple WordPress theme designed for online businesses. It makes it easy to create a stunning niche website without all the fluff.
- GeneratePress - GeneratePress is one of the most popular WordPress themes on the market. It's lean, fast, and easy to customize. There's free and paid versions available.
- Kadence - Kadence is an extremely fast and lightweight theme, with a wide range of free customizations, although it does fall behind in updates from time to time.
You could also buy a premium theme, but free themes are fine in the beginning.
Step 6. Install Essential Plugins
A lot of people are afraid of plugins because they think more plugins will slow their site down.
However, any good plugin these days is built for speed, so you shouldnât worry too much about it.
If youâre still worried about site speed, our Cloudflare review shows how to perfect it.
To install a new plugin, click on âPluginsâ in your WordPress dashboard sidebar. Then, click on âAdd Newâ and either upload a plugin ZIP file or search for free plugins in the WordPress Plugin Repository.
Here are a few plugins that I recommend for every new Food blog:
- Lasso Lite - The best way to insert product displays and affiliate links into your content is to use Lasso. Lasso Lite is the free version of Lasso and is great for new sites.
- Cloudflare - I recommend the paid Cloudflare plan, but even the free CDN will do wonders for your site speed.
- Imagify â Big images are the biggest thing that slows down websites, and an image optimization plugin like Imagify fixes them instantly.
- RankMath â RankMath is my favorite SEO plugin, but you could also use Yoast SEO or All-In-One SEO. SEO plugins provide guidelines rather than done-for-you solutions.
Now that youâve installed and set up WordPress and your plugins, itâs time for some branding.
Step 7. Design Your Site
Iâm not a web designer, but here are a few guidelines for beginners to create a professional-looking site:
- Use two colors: You only need two colors for your brand, a primary and an emphasis color. The emphasis color should contrast your primary color and only be used for CTA buttons. I use Coolors to quickly find a color palette that works for me.
- Use one or two fonts: You donât want to overwhelm your audience. A tried and true technique is to use one font for your headings and one for your body text. It also helps to have one serif font and one sans serif font, so they stand apart. Fontpair is a great tool for this.
- Start with a text logo: Too many marketers get hung up on details like logos. You donât even know what your site is going to be yet. Give your brand time to develop by starting with a simple text logo.
Donât worry too much about your siteâs design in the early stages. You can change all this stuff later when sales start coming in.
Step 8. Set Up Your Basic Blog Pages
You'll need to create a few key pages before you can start publishing awesome Food content.
The first page is your homepage, which should introduce your blog and give readers an idea of what they can expect to find on your site.
You should also create an "About" page, which provides more information about you and your blog. This is a great place to share your story and give readers a sense of your personality.
Another important page is the "Contact" page, which makes it easy for readers to get in touch with you. You can include a simple contact form or provide your email address and social media links.
You can create these pages by using your blogging platform's built-in categories or by creating custom pages that link to your posts.
By providing readers with clear navigation and easy access to your content, you'll be on your way to building a loyal following.
Step 9. Write Your First Blog Posts
Once you've set up your blog and have a clear idea of what you want to write about, it's time to start publishing your first blog posts.
Here are some tips to get you started:
- Choose a topic you're passionate about and that your audience will find interesting. Research what's already out there and offer a fresh perspective or unique insights.
- Plan out your post by creating an outline or mind map. This will help you stay focused and ensure that your post flows logically.
- Write your post in a conversational tone and avoid using jargon or overly technical language. Use short paragraphs and sentences to make your post easy to read and scan.
- Include images or other media to break up the text and make your post more visually appealing.
- Use subheadings and bullet points to organize your content and make it easier to read.
- Edit your post carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Read it aloud to ensure it sounds natural and flows well.
- Once you're happy with your post, hit the publish button! Share it on social media and other channels to get it to as many people as possible.

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How to Write Great Food Blog Posts
Now that you officially have a site, itâs time to fill it with top-notch content.
You wonât get really good at it until youâve done it for a while, so itâs best to write as much as possible in the early days
Hereâs how to publish better food articles from day one.
Brainstorm Ideas
Coming up with great blog post ideas based on your niche and your audience's needs can be very tough.
What I like to do is start by writing word clouds with pen and paper. It helps me quickly move from one topic to the next without thinking about it.
Once I have a good list of topics, I organize the keywords and put them into Ahrefs. Then I prioritize my content production based on what I think I have the best chance of ranking for (and what sounds like the most fun to write about).
Build a Solid Framework
Before I ever write a blog post, I build an outline using Dynalist.
I look at what competitors have published for my keyword, write down my version of the headings, and move the structure around until the flow makes sense.
Not only does this give me a solid foundation to build my article upon, but it helps me pace my article. If Iâve written 300 words under an H3 heading, I need to wrap it up and move on to the next point.
If you establish solid guidelines, your posts will practically write themselves.
Write Without Stopping
Once you have an outline of where you want your article to go, itâs time to just sit down and write.
I like to shut out any distractions and write in silence, or put on very quiet music. Itâs insane how quickly you can write when you donât have anything else to think about.
You shouldnât even care about quality when writing your first draft. Just get your words down on paper.
Once youâre finished, step away for a bit, then come back and start editing. Correct any grammar mistakes and make sure your ideas make sense (it helps to read the content out loud).
TIP: I use Grammarly Pro to speed up the editing process for all my content. Itâs probably the most valuable tool I use (aside from Lasso, of course đ).
Optimize Your Content for On-Page SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your content to rank higher in search engine results.
Make sure you do these things when writing your food blog posts:
- Properly structure your headings. Headings are like a map that search engines like Google use to decipher what your content is about. Make sure your headings make sense (nest smaller ideas under larger ideas), and that youâve included keywords.
- Use your target keyword naturally and often. Itâs common knowledge that keyword stuffing doesnât work anymore, but itâs still important to use your target keyword often. It will help your readers stay on track and help search engines better understand what youâre talking about.
- Add Photos and Videos. Images and videos increase the time readers spend on your page. That signals to Google that your article fits what readers are looking for. They also break up a post and allow your readers to breathe before reading the rest of the article.
- Promote the post immediately after publishing. Thereâs some disagreement about whether traffic is a ranking factor, but Iâve definitely had faster rankings when I got early traffic to my blog posts. And, if you have a mailing list, your subscribers want to know about your content anyway!
Use AI to Speed Things Up
At the time I'm writing this, AI still isn't able to replace a skilled, knowledgable writer.
But it's getting really close.
As AI tools continue to improve, you're going to find more and more content online that's produced without a human writer. And that content will rank in Google. There's no consolation prize for human-written content.
For the time being, here's my advice; use AI to write the first draft of your content. Then edit it thoroughly before publishing.
To get the best AI content out of the gate, I recommend Copy.AI.
Out of all the AI writing tools I've tested (which is a lot), Copy.AI produces the best, most natural content, and also has the most reasonable pricing.
Promoting Your Food Blog
Once you publish a blog post, you need to promote it.
Seriously, most food bloggers post and pray. If you use even one of these promotional methods, youâre doing more than 99% of the competition.
Make the Most of Social Media
Social media and blogging go hand-in-hand. Social media can be a game changer, especially in the food niche, where readers care about the person behind the blog.
I donât recommend spending all day on Twitter, but comment on popular threads, respond to outreach and share helpful things.
Also, shout out when you have a new blog post! Your followers want to know when you put out new content.
Build an Email List for Food Enthusiasts
Thereâs a reason why email marketing is the only form of online marketing thatâs barely changed in the past 15 years. It works.
Itâs also challenging. Most food blogs ask readers to join their mailing lists, so give them a special reason to sign up for yours.
It could be a workout plan, equipment guide, or anything else that sets you apart from other food bloggers.
Why go through all this headache? Because anyone who signs up for your mailing list is devoted to what you have to say. These people are your congregation.
If you recommend a product to your mailing list, theyâll likely purchase it. At a bare minimum, send your new blog posts to your mailing list to pump up early traffic numbers.
Be ethical, but find things your mailing list will appreciate and sell, sell, sell!
TIP: You can find a bunch of premium sales email templates on Canva. Work smarter, not harder!
Collaborate with Other Food Bloggers
As website owners, we tend to think of our competitors as enemies, which is a bit silly. When you think about it, theyâre just like us, trying their best to hustle and make things work.
Instead of worrying about how other food bloggers will outrank you, reach out and see if you can work together.
If you build a network of small food bloggers who all promote each otherâs content, youâll stand a much better chance of competing with established food authorities.
Engaging in Food Communities
Join online communities related to your niche and engage with other members. This will help you establish yourself as an expert and build relationships with potential readers.
Monetizing Your Food Blog

Ok, so your blog is up and running, and you're gaining a following. How do you monetize a food blog?
Here are the best ways to earn a real income from your new food blog.
Affiliate Marketing
I recommend food bloggers start with affiliate marketing before any other monetization method.
I love affiliate marketing because itâs a low-effort way to monetize your website without ruining your readerâs experience.
To monetize your food blog with affiliate marketing, first, you have to identify products your audience will find helpful. Then, find the affiliate program for those products, and write thourough product reviews.
For beginners, I recommend focusing on the Amazon Associates affiliate program. The conversion rate is incredible, and you can diversify when your site is more successful.
For products that arenât available on Amazon, just do a Google search for â[Product] affiliate program,â and youâll find their programâs signup page.
Another way to find affiliate programs is by checking Lasso's database.
To save you some time, here are a few of the best affiliate networks for food bloggers:
-
Commission Rate: $2 - $10 Per Lead
Cookie Duration: 30 days
Same-day grocery delivery and pickup service bringing you fresh groceries and everyday essentials. With the Instacart shopper program, customers shop online with their favorite local grocery store.
-
Commission Rate: 3% - 15% Per Sale
Cookie Duration: 10 Days
Drizly works with local stores so you can shop their shelves using your smartphone or computer to order beer, wine, and liquor at the touch of a button.
-
Commission Rate: 5% Per New Customer Sale
Cookie Duration: 30 Days
Grubhub helps you find and order food from wherever you are. Find restaurants in your area that can deliver or offer pickup.
TIP: We maintain a database of the best affiliate programs. Click here to see the best food affiliate programs.
Once approved for your chosen affiliate program, add your affiliate link to products and images, and youâre good to go. Youâll earn a commission if a reader clicks on your link and makes a purchase.
If you're still wondering how to earn money with affiliate marketing, check out these affiliate marketing website examples for inspiration.
Earn More Affiliate Income With Lasso
If you want to take your affiliate marketing strategy to the next level, I recommend you sign up for Lasso.
Lasso is a WordPress plugin that helps affiliate marketers manage links and create product displays that convert.
All you need to do is paste the affiliate link in your Lasso dashboard, add some interesting sales copy, and youâre ready to insert that Display into your blog posts.
Your product displays could look like this one:
Lasso is the best WordPress plugin for affiliate marketing. If you want to earn more affiliate income and grow your niche site, you need Lasso!
Great Displays Increase Conversions!
If you ever need to change the link, you can change it once in your Lasso dashboard, which will update the link across your entire website.
Lasso will also handle your link cloaking and attributes, so your site will always be optimized and compliant.
Thatâs not even mentioning things like Tables, Grids, Lists, Link Alerts, and more.
4.8
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4.6
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Starting at $30 a month
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Starting at $30 a month
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Starting at $2.75 a month
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If you want to monetize your food blog the easy way, sign up for Lasso today.
Display Ads
Another great way to monetize your food blog is with display ads. Display ads use cookies to advertise products your readers will love, so itâs a very individualized experience.
Display ads are also the most passive way to monetize a food blog. You turn them on, configure the settings, and wait for the money to roll in.
The drawback to display ads is that nobody likes them. Itâs why so many people install ad blockers in their browsers (which stop you from making money, by the way).
TIP: If you use display ads on your food blog, configure the settings to prioritize user experience. By being selective with your ad placements, youâll make more money in the long run.
Here are the best ad networks to join based on your siteâs page views:
- 50,000+ Visitors per month - Mediavine
- 10,000-50,000 Visitors per month - Ezoic
- <10,000 Visitors per month - Google Adsense / waiting to grow
NOTE: With the low rates ad networks pay, it wonât be worth running display ads if you have less than 10,000 monthly visitors. Youâre better off focusing on affiliate offers and creating more content to grow your following.
Digital Products
Selling digital products is the easiest way to transition from advertising other peopleâs products to selling your own.
Thatâs a great step to take because it means instead of earning 3-8% of the profit, youâre taking 100% of the profit.
The drawback to selling anything is that youâre responsible for the bulk of the work. You need to provide customer service, handle returns, and find a way to process payments and distribute products.
High-potential digital products in the food blog niche:
- Recipe e-books: Create and sell digital recipe books with unique and delicious recipes.
- Meal planning apps: Develop an app that helps users plan their meals, create shopping lists, and track their nutritional intake.
- Cooking video courses: Offer step-by-step video courses teaching various cooking techniques and recipes.
- Food photography presets: Create and sell presets that enhance food photography for bloggers and social media influencers.
- Customized meal planners: Design digital planners that allow users to personalize their meal plans and track their progress.
- Ingredient substitution guides: Develop a digital guide that suggests ingredient substitutes for dietary restrictions or allergies.
- Digital cookbooks with interactive features: Create digital cookbooks that include interactive features like timers, shopping lists, and recipe scaling.
- Online cooking classes: Offer live or pre-recorded online cooking classes for aspiring chefs or home cooks.
- Food blog website templates: Design and sell customizable website templates specifically tailored for food bloggers.
- Food-themed mobile games: Develop entertaining mobile games centered around cooking, restaurant management, or food trivia.
Once youâve created a digital product, connect a payment processor like Paypal or Stripe to your site with a plugin like Woocommerce.
Then you can use a tool like ConvertKit to automatically email the lead magnet to customers after theyâve finished checking out.
Itâs a lot of work, but the extra profit is well worth it.
Consulting
Food blogging is a great platform for offering consulting services.
If you've immersed yourself in the food world as I recommended, you've gained valuable knowledge that you can now share with your readers.
The best part is, your audience will tell you exactly what they need help with.
As your following grows, people will reach out and ask for guidance on specific topics.
For just $100, offer them an hour of your time to address their needs. They can only say no, right?
If you find youâre selling a lot of consulting services, you can even create a section of your site dedicated to your services.
TIP: You can use Lasso to increase your consulting sales. Set the destination link to your contact page, and youâre all set!
FAQs on Starting a Food Blog
How Much Money Do Food Bloggers Make?
The income range for food bloggers is enormous. Many bloggers make no revenue, while some food blogs make over six figures per month. It all depends on traffic and how well you present your offers.
How Can I Monetize a Food Blog?
The best way to monetize a food blog is with affiliate marketing, but you can also use display ads, sell digital downloads, or even sell coaching services.
How Do Food Bloggers Get Paid?
Most food bloggers make money through affiliate commissions and advertising fees. Both of these monetization methods pay out one or two months after the fees have been generated.
Some food bloggers also sell sponsored posts, consulting services, or their own products. In these cases, a payment processor like PayPal or Stripe is necessary.
Is Food Blogging Easy?
Nothing worth doing is truly easy, but that doesnât mean food blogging isnât fun.
As a food blogger, youâll get to go places, try new things, and meet new people. And it will be part of your business! What could be cooler than that?
Is It Worth Starting A Food Blog?
Itâs absolutely worth it to start a food blog. Not only can you make a living from it, but you can also build a community and control the conversation.
Once youâre an established authority, people in food-related industries will take you seriously.
Final Thoughts on Starting a Food Blog
So that's all the advice I have for anyone wondering how to start a food blog.
Starting a food blog is tough. It takes months, even years, before you make your first sale. You might even lose money in the first year. But trust me, it's worth it.
If you want to be a successful food blogger, follow the tips in this guide, stay persistent, and publish the kind of content you'd love to read. It's hard work, but you can do it.
Just remember to stay consistent, engage with your readers, and most importantly, have fun!
Why You Should Trust Our Food Blogging Content
You may be thinking, "that's all great, but what does Lasso know about food blogging?"
Quite a lot, actually.
Here's why you can trust our process for building a successful food blog:
We've Built Wildly Successful Blogs
Lasso is built for affiliate marketers, by affiliate marketers. We're not gurus; we've walked the walk.
Our team members have built multiple blogs from the ground up, some of them earning over seven figures in revenue.
We put that experience into every guide we write, so you can trust we're giving you a process that works.
We Talk To Food Bloggers Every Day
Lasso's WordPress plugin is installed on over 8,000 websites, including a lot of food blogs.
Our team supports those bloggers every day as they create awesome content and earn lots of money.
These communications give us a bird's-eye view of what's new in the food industry. We take that information and use it to keep these guides as up-to-date and accurate as possible.
We're Super Nerds
We've put a lot of company focus into learning everything we can about blogging, affiliate marketing, SEO, and anything to do with online entrpreneurship.
We attend conferences, collect high-level contacts, read tons of books, and distill all of that information into our content. We pass information onto you that was previously only available to industry insiders.