Learn from the Best
The Best in Blogging series gives you proven strategies from top industry experts.
For many people, blogging begins as a hobby. It’s a way to let off steam or connect with family and friends. It’s personal, not business.
But then you begin to connect with people outside of your immediate circle. You get feedback and questions from people who have begun to trust you as an expert. Your subscriber numbers grow.
You know for a fact that people are making money doing this. You accept the fact that, like other people, you need money. That, like other people, you would rather make money doing something you enjoy. That, like other people, you’d enjoy the luxury of working from home on your own schedule as your own boss.
Of course, you would! And it’s possible. But it’s not as simple as easy money ads might lead you to believe.
The moment you decide that you want to make money from your blog, your blog becomes a business venture, and successful business ventures require business skills. So what skills should you hone if you want to grow your food blog into a booming business in 2017?
Strategy
This is the number one difference between a personal blog and a business blog. You can coast along without a plan if you’re blogging strictly for your own pleasure. However, once you decide to make blogging your business, you’ll need to develop a plan that includes strategies for growing your audience, marketing your blog, and building recurring, sustainable revenue streams.
Setting specific, actionable, measurable goals – in particular financial goals – will give you direction and motivation. Defined objectives help you to plan the smaller steps that lead to big wins.
Systemization
Anyone who’s spent any time in a kitchen has developed systems: storing herbs and spices in one location, keeping oft-used utensils near at hand, maintaining a list to keep pantry items supplied. Why? Because it makes life easier and improves your chances of success when trying out recipes (especially the complicated ones).
Similarly, businesses function better when systems are in place. As your blog traffic increases and your own ambitions begin to grow, so will the complications. Readers may call for more frequent posts or you may find yourself invited to post more regularly on other blogs as a guest. Then there’s advertising and other revenue streams to track. Developing systems and processes that streamline redundant tasks will make the transition from personal blog to profitable blog much simpler.
Sales
Sales is a tough one for most people. You may feel as if you’re imposing on others when you pitch your food blog or boasting. But you’ve got to get past that. Any sales that you make without actually selling are good luck, but luck isn’t an effective business model.
To ensure the continued growth of your food blog, you’ve got to be ready and willing to sell it to advertisers, networks, and new readers. One great place to start is with a media kit, but you can also try out your sales pitch on social media just by sharing your posts more aggressively.
One more tip for the road
The most important step in taking your food blog to the next level is changing the way that you think about yourself and what you have to offer the world in 2017. If you’ve been thinking of yourself as “just a writer” or “just a blogger,” it’s time to kick it up a notch. This year, you’re the CEO of the next big food blog. And don’t forget it.
What skills have helped you grow your food blog into a booming business?
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