Eat Blog Talk

In episode 451, Megan chats to Wan Na Chun about how we can develop more nutrient dense recipes, giving our readers healthier options without specific diet talk. Wan Na Chun is a registered dietitian and personal trainer. Her blog, One Pot Wellness, is focused on prioritizing self-care through nutrition, physical health, and mental health for the busy working professional. In this episode, you'll learn more about adding nutrient dense ingredients to your recipes as well as other important aspects to consider when developing healthier meals for your blog. - Why is it important to create more nutrient forward recipes? - What to consider when using words such as 'healthy' and 'unhealthy'. - Make recipes more nutrient-dense by using easy swaps, for example coconut sugar or dried fruits for a natural sweetener or oat flour instead of refined flour. - Add cultural recipes (e.g. Mediterranean, Indian, Japanese) that focus on nutrient density such as fiber, olive oil, omega 3s. - Should you claim cultural recipes are 'authentic' and how can you rephrase it? - Add valuable nutrient information in your blog posts by cross-referencing scientific articles. - Fact-check with a qualified health professional, such as a registered dietitian, if you make any qualified claims (e.g. low-carb, vegan, gluten-free). - Do it scared - if you're comfortable in what you're doing, you're not growing. Connect with Wan Na Chun Website | Instagram

In episode 450, Rebecca Eisenberg teaches us practical and unique ways to repurpose our content on social media and on our blogs, including what to do if our content goes viral. Rebecca is a journalist turned food blogger who built a career at media and tech companies like Buzzfeed, Upworthy, Medium, and Headspace, before launching The Practical Kitchen in 2019. In 2020 she got her pastry certification at Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, graduating as valedictorian of her class. The Practical Kitchen is a food blog geared toward ambitious beginner cooks and bakers, providing lots of in-depth tutorials and tips to give readers the confidence to try new things in the kitchen. The Practical Kitchen is known for unfussy, straightforward recipes, and is particularly well known for the viral mini focaccia recipe as well as other mini bread recipes that use just one cup of flour. In this episode, you'll learn exactly what Rebecca does to repurpose her content, including how she films her recipes in order to use it multiple times on social media, making it more likely to go viral. Megan and Rebecca cover the following information: - How can you get a good ROI for time spent on social media? - If you repurpose content you make less work for yourself. - Repurposing content gives more people the chance to discover you. - Unique ways to make your content reach more people and go viral. - It is beneficial to cut different versions of the same recipe. - Use and reuse existing content - don't be precious with edits! - Work smarter not harder by using the same process shots for blog posts. - How can you rework segments of videos so that they can serve multiple blog posts? - What should you do if your posts go viral? Connect with Rebecca Eisenberg Website | Instagram

In episode 449, Megan chats to Kayla Burton about the hurdles she had to overcome in order to become a full-time blogger, quitting her corporate 9-5 job, and ways in which we can make our own blogging journeys easier. Kayla founded the baking blog, Broken Oven Baking Company, in May 2020 after a few months of sharing baked treats on Instagram. She didn't know much about blogging when she started, but she got eager to dive in and learn as much and as fast as she could. At the end of April 2021, Kayla left a corporate job to pursue blogging full-time. A year later, Kayla was excited to be accepted into Mediavine. Today, you'll find Kayla coaching other food bloggers to help them achieve their business goals. In this episode, Kayla shares the details of how she transitioned seamlessly from her 9-5 job into a full-time blogging career, including learning how to shift her mindset to overcome fear, what she did before she quit her 9-5, how she dealt with her finances and picking the right website theme and host from the start. - Save up money before you decide to quit your 9-5 job. - Find one person to believe in you, even if it's yourself. - Create systems and proof that you know you can make it work before taking the leap. - The entrepreneurial route is not easy but with the right mindset you can make it a success. - Ask yourself, what is the worst case scenario and would you be able to deal with that? - Create a business entity and bank account, separate to your personal one. - Choose the right host and theme for your blog from the start. - Hire help to soften the workload and build long-lasting work relationships. - Use free food blogging resources to set you off in the right direction. Connect with Kayla Burton Website | Instagram

In episode 448, Michelle Morey teaches us how to avoid getting discouraged while blogging, especially when we experience challenges like slow traffic or seeing other bloggers succeed faster. Born and raised as a Mainer, Michelle is a stay-at-home mom who started blogging right before the pandemic. She's been working with food since graduating high school in 2004 and has successfully turned her love of food into a passionate business. Today, Michelle and her husband whom she met at the bakers they both worked at share a love of all baked goods and a love to entertain and explore beautiful Maine outdoors. In this episode, you'll learn how to avoid becoming discouraged when you experience obstacles in your blogging journey, covering topics from finding an inspirational keyword research tool to the importance of time off and not comparing yourself to others. - Find a keyword research tool that takes the load off when it comes to SEO. - Rank IQ is great for planning content - use their keyword library when you just can't be creative. - Invest in an SEO course that could help you take a more logical and analytical approach to keyword research and writing posts that would rank. - Connect with fellow food bloggers for a monthly chat provides encouragement and helps to refresh your ideas. - Take breaks when you have to. - Stop comparing yourself to others - remember "Comparison is the thief of joy". - Other bloggers probably went through what you are going through right now. Connect with Michelle Morey Website | Instagram

In episode 447, Dalia Escobar teaches us the Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR) method to find low-competition keywords that will increase our traffic by helping posts rank quickly. After bidding farewell to an engineering career, Dalia wholeheartedly embraced her blogging dreams and embarked on a new path. Cooking has always been a lifelong passion, which motivated her to open several restaurants, despite not achieving the financial success she had hoped for. However, this setback served as a catalyst for her transition into the world of blogging. Initially, Dalia began with a personal finance blog, dedicating three years to learning and refining her skills until finally, she felt confident enough to pursue her true passion and establish a food blog. In this episode, you'll learn how you can increase your traffic using the Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR) method and how to use it in combination with other keyword research tools. - How does the Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR) work? - Why does it increase traffic to your blog? - The research process that involves KGR, RankIQ, Google autocomplete, and Google directives. - What is a good ratio to look for when using the KGR? - Should you still target higher competition keywords? - Can more experienced bloggers use the Keyword Golden Ratio strategy? Connect with Dalia Escobar Website

In episode 446, Megan chats to Karin Collins about dealing with a chronic condition while building a food blog and how we can do the same by overcoming our own challenges. Karin started her blog with a severe disability. Even though she has MS, she turned her blog into a success so she knows anyone can do it. Karin is a blogger as well as a social media manager for bloggers with over 2 million followers. She is proud to also run a video business as well that shoots food videos. Karin added the title blog coach to her list of skills and offerings. She does it all from a wheelchair. In this episode, she shares how she was able to overcome her health challenges while growing a successful blog and still being able to spend time with her family and lead a balanced life. - Can you keep up with the food blogging industry while dealing with severe life challenges? - Should you be truthful to your audience about serious health issues? - How do you deal with negative comments? - Make the workload more manageable by outsourcing tasks. - How do you hire the right people for your team? - Separate food blogging from the rest of your life to keep balance. - Should you push through a bad day when you run your own business? Connect with Karin Collins Website | Instagram

In episode 445, Megan talks about how you can experience a transformation in your business in 2024 by joining the Eat Blog Talk mastermind experience. Inside the episode you will learn about: The definition of a successful mastermind group. How the EBT mastermind differs from other groups. Information about investment and discounts, including a value analysis. How to determine if you are a good fit for the group. Information about how to get started. Audio testimonials from previous and current members of the Eat Blog Talk mastermind groups. Head to the EBT mastermind page for more information and to read in-depth case studies and to apply to be in the group in 2024!

In episode 444, Jessie-Sierra Ross teaches us how to book TV food segments and why this will help us grow our audience and expand our brand. Jessie-Sierra Ross is a former professional ballerina turned food blogger and home entertaining specialist. A self-taught cook and food stylist from Boston, Jessie is the personality behind her blog, Straight to the Hips, Baby. Known for her step-by-step recipes, easy elegance, and light and bright photography style. Working alongside her photographer husband, Jessie creates food and drink recipes for her blog, and features in magazines, as well as on TV, via cooking segments on NBC, PBS, and BloomTV Network. Jessie-Sierra is currently working on her latest creative project, a floral-inspired cookbook with Schiffer Publishing. In this episode, you'll learn everything about appearing on TV to share your recipes as a food blogger, including how to find a producer and how to best prepare for your appearance on live TV. - Why is getting on TV important for food bloggers? - TV provides exposure to more diverse audiences. - Which stations should you aim to feature on? - What should you ask the producer before stepping into the studio? - What makes a great TV recipe? - Tips to prepare for your appearance. - How to chat on camera. - How to leverage your appearances for more work. Connect with Jessie-Sierra Ross Website | Instagram

In episode 443, Megan chats to Michelle Hauck about copywriting for food bloggers, including how to become a copywriter and hiring tips if you're looking to outsource your copywriting. Michelle is a copywriter for food bloggers so they can focus on their favorite part - creating, testing, and sharing their recipes. Michelle loves what she does because it helps overwhelmed foodies find joy in their business again. Many bloggers aren't aware that they can have someone write SEO packed and engaging blogs for them. That's where Michelle comes in. In this episode, you'll learn how to start a career in copywriting and if you're a food blogger looking to outsource, you'll find out how the process works. - Should I become a copywriter? - What is the difference between copywriting and content writing? - What steps should you take to become a copywriter? - Is SEO important for copywriting? - What do copywriters charge? - If you're looking to outsource, what should you look for in a copywriter? - Effective copywriting includes knowing your ideal client and CTA. - What is the process of working with a copywriter? Connect with Michelle Hauck Website | Instagram

In episode 442, Megan chats to Geo Banks-Weston about using social media, specifically Instagram, to springboard the development of a blog and/or podcast. Geo Banks-Weston is a food and culture blogger, influencer, and recipe developer based in Philadelphia. In 2014, he launched his blog, Geo's Table, where he shares recipes rooted in the African diaspora, as well as highlights black-owned businesses, and explores food's connection to Black culture. In 2019, he started his podcast, Table 86 to showcase underrepresented creators transforming the food and beverage industry. His work has been featured in Food52, The Washington Post, The Spruce Eats, and Philadelphia Magazine and he currently serves on the boards of PA Eats and Eat the Culture, combating food insecurity and supporting Black culinary entrepreneurs, respectively. In this episode, you'll learn how you can transfer the skills you gain by building a social media profile to grow your blog/podcast. - Instagram (and other social media platforms) can inspire other creative outlets. - What are the main transferable skills from social media that can help you with blogging / podcasting? - Where should you focus your energy/effort first? - Does it matter how many followers you have? - Pay attention to the types of content you're constantly engaging with and liking. - Embrace continuous learning to see more rapid growth. - What are the core 3-5 values of your brand? Connect with Geo Banks-Weston Website | Instagram