Eat Blog Talk | Megan Porta

Cassidy is a blogger who has recently dug into creating traction on YouTube through video creation. In this episode she explains why curating videos for YT is important and how to approach it. - Creating videos specifically for YouTube is a lot more work than Tasty-style, so make a commitment. - Start with the equipment you have now, even if it consists of an iPhone and natural lighting. - Consider YouTube SEO! Search for keywords on the platform that are underestimated, just like you would with Google.

Join us in episode 200 as Megan interviews John Lee Dumas of the award-winning podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire. JLD imparts wisdom about how food bloggers and other entrepreneurs can achieve success. - Become the best solution to a real problem. - Niche down, then niche some more. Then a little more. This is where the magic happens. - Remember that the pain of being broke and unsuccessful hurts more than the pain involved in achieving success.

Aysegul “Ice” shares her own story with feeling intimidated by other food bloggers and the transformation that occurred once she reached out to a blogger she admired. Reaching out to other bloggers might seem scary, but it will unlock the power of community. - Reach out to bloggers, even if it is scary! - It is VITAL to lean on and learn from others in our space. - Consider starting a mastermind group! Ice talks through logistics to help get you started. - Prepare to watch your business take off!

Christine is founder of the popular food blog Cook the Story. She has since launched a second blog that grew quickly due to her existing knowledge about blogging. She makes a great case for why launching a second blog is something for you to consider. - Before you dive into blog #2, make sure you have the bandwidth. - Get help! Don't attempt this alone. - Create a spreadsheet with all existing blog content. - You already know how to CRUSH IT blogging, so why not do it again?!

In 2 years, Maria has grown her Instagram following to over 180K through the power of visually striking, consistent content. Inside this episode, she shares her secrets about how other bloggers can find traction on the platform, as well. - Figure out what people want from you and lean into it. - The algorithm is not a villain. - Reels are a unique way to connect with your audience, so use them! - Take risks, try new things and ultimately always keep a close eye on what your audience is telling you.

When a project is finished, it’s not actually finished. Megan dives into examples where the “end” is not actually the end and what were to happen if it WERE the end (disaster!). Evaluate projects and how to take your content from “published” onto the next chapter, which usually involves selling, promoting, refining or all of the above. - Spend 15 minutes every day on the “next chapter” for projects that align with your goals. - Dig into the discomfort. - Most importantly, be disciplined and consistent!

Meagan is a Pinterest strategist, niche marketing expert and OG pinner, so she understands bloggers’ challenges with and questions about Pinterest. - The scoop about all of those red numbers you’ve been seeing lately in your Pinterest analytics. - Stop resisting changes inside the platform and instead embrace them. - Importance of incorporating story pins into your strategy. - Why you should diversify your streams of traffic now more than ever.

Samantha is a 6-figure blogger at RecipeThis. She focuses on cooking with kitchen gadgets and the quality of the recipes is top priority. Samantha makes a case for not focusing on the photos and instead being the approachable “girl next door” to users. - You definitely need quality SOMEWHERE, but it doesn’t have to be in the photos. - Experiment with approachable ingredient photos on Pinterest, such as process shots or raw/just-cut ingredient shots. - Be honest and real, and always focus on the user.

Amira is dedicated to teaching you how to flow through your goals to build a life of ease, instead of always hustling. She talks about THE MOST IMPORTANT parts of being an entrepreneur: maintaining wellness while achieving goals in your business. - Follow Amira’s SMARTEY method to ensure success! - Behavior, thoughts and feelings are linked, so choose one to change. The rest will follow. - Establish healthy habits and everything else will fall into place in your business with greater ease.

A lack of confidence could be the thing holding you back from finding the successes you are chasing in your business. In this episode Megan dives into 7 tips that will give you a boost in confidence so you can speed up your success and growth. - Awareness is always the first step! - Commit to scary things. - Log your achievements. - Find your tribe. - Be decisive. See you inside the episode for the rest of the tips!

After the pandemic obliterated her local activity-based blogging income, Kate started a food blog about sourdough bread, as well as a Facebook group that has accumulated more than 18K members in just under one year! Kate shares how and why food bloggers should follow suit. - Start with your niche, then create a sub-niche to start a FB group. - Show up every single day, be consistent and pay attention to the questions people are asking. - Create products that also solve problems. - Start today! Why not?!

Amy is a food blogger, photographer and home cook. Her blog Pinch Me Good shares produce-inspired recipes to help people eat better and feel better. Amy recognizes that food blogging requires balance and provides insights about how to achieve it! - In the kitchen, there are ways to streamline in order to preserve time and energy such as taking advantage of cooking appliances and using seasonal ingredients. - It’s all about color, movement and water! - Helpful meal prep tips included!

Chef Dennis is a food blogger and chef who loves sharing his restaurant-style recipes. With a lot of content sitting in his archives, Dennis has come up with a strategy for updating and optimizing existing posts. - Start with Google Analytics and figure out which posts are performing well. - Come up with a system so updating becomes a habit and somewhat of a mindless task. - Don't discount using social media and your email list as ways to allow older content to shine.

Whether you are finding this to be a particularly noisy season or you are just trying to streamline your business and make a few tweaks to your focus, this episode will be valuable! Listen in for 5 things to ignore (or mostly ignore!) for a boost of sanity and clarity. - Unplanned social media time - Email - Numbers (analytics/followers) - Social accounts that make you feel icky - Learning (when it gets in the way of life and work)

Uma has been a food blogger for 6 years and believes that cooking is about so much more than JUST cooking. It’s the whole experience, including culture, patience, entertainment and time management. Uma provides tips about how to manage time to streamline your blogging business! - Allot time in each day for social media. - Align recipes with upcoming meals and events. - Establish a dedicated space for all blogging equipment. - Log expenses and consider hiring a qualified accountant to help with taxes.

Chelsea Cole is the food blogger behind A Duck’s Oven. She landed on her niche happily yet somewhat accidentally when she fell in love with sous vide cooking. She brings insights to the table about how and why you should consider niching down! - Your niche does not have to reflect a cooking style or appliance. It can be something really unique, such as being a woman bbq expert. - Ask your audience specific questions about what they want and need. - Your niche is likely staring you in the face!

John Greely runs marketing for Slickstream, a software company that handles search and engagement tools for hundreds of food blogs. Slickstream has rolled out features specific to Google web stories and John talks about ways bloggers can increase engagement through them. - The potential value of web stories in the future is promising, so they’re worth paying attention to now. - Use stories to let your personality shine. - Don’t allow the lack of confidence in this medium keep you from getting started.

“A rising tide lifts all ships” is a popular phrase for a reason. This concept holds truth and power! Being a useful person inside the entrepreneurial space and collaborating with peers will bring you toward success so much more quickly than if you fall into the traps of competition. Ways to collaborate: - Reach out to bloggers regularly! - Get on Clubhouse. - Start a project with a trusted peer. - Start a mastermind group. - Regularly spend time in food blogging spaces. - Attend conferences/summits.

Alli shares valuable insights about how bloggers should be pricing themselves when launching into sponsored work, as well as how to build long-term partnerships. - Find a price range that speaks your worth as a blogger. - Consider your time, expenses and reach. - Don't work for free! - Always be kind when working with brands. Place value on those relationships. - Under promise and over deliver! - Know your audience and don't be afraid to dig into your stats.

Carrie is the blogger behind Clean Eating Kitchen and has found a new level of success since niching down. She offers advice to other bloggers who either need to find a niche or who need to niche down even further. - Spend time leaning into your audience to hear what they are needing from you. - Put yourself “out there” on video in order to get a clearer understanding of your avatar. - Ask friends and family for clues about what you are good at delivering. - Back it all up with keyword research!