Food Blogging

I Earn a Living Because of My Blog, Not From It

March 17, 2015 by diannejacob 54 Comments

Amy Sherman started a food blog 12 years ago, before there were ads or sponsored posts.

A guest post by Amy Sherman

Right now there’s a lot of buzz about how hard it is to earn an income from food blogging. I find it hard to be part of those discussions because I have never looked at blogging as a way to earn a living. I think of my food blog as a marketing vehicle and a platform and it’s led to a thriving career.

I started my food blog, Cooking with Amy, in 2003. There were no ad networks, no ads that I can remember, no sponsored posts or spokesperson deals. Food bloggers weren’t getting book deals or TV deals — let alone movie deals — and they certainly didn’t expect to [Read more…] about I Earn a Living Because of My Blog, Not From It

Amateur Gourmet Shocks Fans with an Announcement

March 10, 2015 by diannejacob 58 Comments

Adam Roberts of Amateur Gourmet was on fire last week in the media, due to two events that reverberated on social media.

Last week Adam Roberts of Amateur Gourmet led the news among food bloggers with two major online events. On his blog, he stunned fans by announcing that his advertising income has dropped so far that he can’t make a [Read more…] about Amateur Gourmet Shocks Fans with an Announcement

A Food Blog About “Everything” Can be a Trap

January 13, 2015 by diannejacob 36 Comments

A guest post by Melissa Hartfiel

For the last three years it has been my job to review every blog that applies to join Food Bloggers of Canada.

I make sure they meet our membership criteria, such as being Canadian and being 50% food related. I also find bloggers who can write for us, become a featured member, or a good fit with a brand campaign.

It may sound harsh but, now that I’ve read more than 1600 food blogs, the majority bleed into one generic blog on home cooking and [Read more…] about A Food Blog About “Everything” Can be a Trap

Confusion Among Bloggers on Disclosing Compensation

December 16, 2014 by diannejacob 61 Comments

A gift is considered to have cash value.

When a food blogger gets free stuff, it is payment in kind, which is considered compensation.

You know those disclaimers at the end of blog posts, when food bloggers write about a product or service and say whether they were compensated?

I’ve noticed some confusion (or should we call it denial?) about what constitutes payment.

There are two kinds of payment: cash payment and “paid in kind,” which means a company gives you goods or services for free. That could be [Read more…] about Confusion Among Bloggers on Disclosing Compensation

Start and Grow Your Food Blog with Food Blogger Pro

November 19, 2014 by diannejacob 16 Comments

Pinch of Yum’s LIndsay and Bjork Ostrom report earnings each month of up to $30,000+.

Like thousands of other young women, Lindsay Ostrom started food blogging in 2010 with Pinch of Yum. She was in charge of the content and photography. Her husband Bjork, a techie, took charge of the tech issues and business.

Here’s what’s different: Four years later, the site receives more than 2 million page views per month. The couple has created a lucrative business that sometimes grosses more than $30,000 per month.

As the blog grew, the couple got questions on everything from food photography to starting a blog, so they started Food Blogger Pro, for food bloggers who want to [Read more…] about Start and Grow Your Food Blog with Food Blogger Pro

It’s Official: Readers Don’t Like Sponsored Posts

September 23, 2014 by diannejacob 86 Comments

Are readers of online content comfortable with sponsored posts? According to a new study, no. Most are confused and feel deceived.

Sponsored posts, for those not in the know, is also known as advertorial or native advertising. In our field, it means a company has paid (in cash or in kind) a blogger or website writer to write an endorsement. It must be disclosed as such, according to the FTC.

I first questioned writing content in exchange for pay or [Read more…] about It’s Official: Readers Don’t Like Sponsored Posts