How to Successfully Cold Call for Food Writing Jobs

As you saw in my post about the new edition of Will Write for Food, my new chapter focuses on how to make money as a food writer, which interests an increasing number of food bloggers. Food blogger Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen, a world-class negotiator , contributed tips.

She and her husband Scott launched a new mastermind program for food bloggers recently, helping those who want to grow their blogs into a business. They have the chops: Jaden’s food blog, Steamy Kitchen, has been profitable for over eight years. She and Scott experimented with many business models, and “worked with brands before it was even socially acceptable to mention ‘brand’ and ‘blog’ in the same sentence,” she says. “We’ve been paid in butter (literally), all the way to over $70,000 for a single campaign.”

According to Jaden, “Possibly the most controversial topic in food blogging is working with brands. These days, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a successful food blog that doesn’t include advertising, sponsored posts or endorsement deals. How do you effectively create sponsorship opportunities with companies you love, pitch a killer promotion and successfully negotiate a fair deal?”

Rule number one is to choose only those brands you are a raving fan of already, she advises. It’s easy to pitch a company when you already use their products. It’s more challenging to successfully cold call and create rapport with a company that’s never heard of you. Watch this half-hour video below, called How to Successfully Cold Call Brands, to learn more. It’s part of Kitchen Mastery’s membership program, and Jaden and Scott have provided it free, from me to you:

To jump start their new business, the couple hosts free webinars. Topics cover how to become a lead magnet, and how to supercharge your business with events. You can also read Jaden’s posts about working with brands for free.

I’ve become an affiliate by putting their ad on my blog page, because I’ve known these two for years and I trust their information. While I’m not a big fan of sponsored posts, I figure that if you’re going to do them, Jaden can teach you how to be paid well. I’ve also poked around on the site to make sure it’s a good match for you. If you sign up I receive a small commission, just as I do for Food Blogger Pro.

This new program costs $597 for a lifetime membership. It specializes in boosting your online business strategy and mindset. Jaden and Scott host bi-weekly live training seminars on goal setting, the power of stories and other topics. They provide video lessons like the one above to watch at your leisure, and created a private Facebook page for communication with members.

Sign up now for their next free webinar tomorrow, July 29, “How to Price Your Services and Negotiate with Brands Like a Pro.”