15 Fantastic Food Blogging Tips for a Site People Crave

Need tips for starting a food blog? Or, maybe you just want to spice things up on your current food blog. Either way, these 15 food blogging tips will help you cook up a beautiful and successful food blog.

I'll cover all the bases, from the basics of recipe writing to the finer points of food photography and blog promotion.

New to food blogging? These food blogging tips will still help! Plus, I have a separate guide just for you on how to start a food blog.

Ready to start? Take a seat while I serve up the food blogging tips! 🍽️

My top 15 food blogging tips

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1. Be yourself

The secret ingredient to being a good food blogger or food influencer? YOUR personal touch and authenticity.

Your voice, stories, and experiences make you stand out. So, don’t shy away from sharing them.

Try these food blogging tips to make your blog feel more “you”:

• Share stories about learning to cook (the good, the bad, and the burnt!).
• Experiment with flavors you love. Ever tried brie on apple pie? Go for it!
• Bring readers along with you. Did you score fresh tomatoes at the farmer’s market? Show them off!

The bottom line? Be yourself, even if it's a little spicy! 🌶️

Your readers will love it and keep coming back for more.

2. Find your niche

In the food world, everyone has a favorite flavor.

When you pick a niche, your blog becomes the spot for those recipes. And that's exactly what you want!

“But won’t that limit me?” you ask.

Technically, yes. But it’s not about being stuck on one recipe forever. It’s about becoming a big fish in a small pond and being known for something special.

Here's how to find your niche:

• Follow your food passions: Love vegan cooking? Can’t resist comforting casseroles? Start there!
• Play to your strengths: Are your breads always a hit? Are your celebration cakes famous in town?
• Spot trends & gaps: If low-carb desserts are popular but no one's using local produce, you've got your niche!

Once you find your focus, dig in and become an expert. Research, practice, and share your yummy creations.

The goal? Be so good that people think of you when they’re craving your specialty! ⭐️

3. Create your own unique recipes

Creating unique recipes might sound as daunting as trying to pull off Gordon Ramsay’s Beef Wellington. But remember, even the best recipes start with a few messy attempts!

Your creations don’t need to be Michelin-level. It could be a twist on your family’s secret lasagna recipe. Or, maybe it’s a bold fusion dish like kimchi tacos! 🌮

Need some inspiration? Take a peek at the best recipe websites to see examples of how the pros are doing it.

And, when you’re ready to share your recipes, check out my guide (or WP Tasty's video) on how to write a food blog post that brings your unique flavors to the table.

So, grab your apron and start cooking up something new and creative! 🍳

4. Learn food styling

Food styling is about making your dishes look as good as they taste!

Just look at this beautifully styled Butternut Squash Green Chile Chicken Soup from one of our Tasty Recipes users at Ang Sarap.

See how the vibrant colors, layered textures, and carefully placed garnishes create a feast for the eye?

So, ask yourself: Does this dish look mouthwatering on the plate? If yes, good job! If not, try tweaking some things.

Here are a few food blogging tips for food styling basics:

• Color: Balance your colors! If your dish is mostly brown (like steak or chicken), add a splash of green or purple for some visual pop!
• Texture: Think about rough vs. smooth. Adding cilantro isn’t just for flavor. It's for a textured look, too!
• Negative space: Sometimes, less is more. Leave a little room on the plate and around it to make your dish stand out.

Try using the rule of thirds: Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid on your photo and place the main focus along those lines. It’s an easy way to create a balanced shot!

With practice and patience, you’ll get better at food styling.

Speaking of the rule of thirds, let's move on to a related food blog tip: improving your food photography skills.

5. Snap great food photos

Great food photos are like gooey chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven — hard to resist! 🍪

Photos are extremely important for food bloggers. They show off your recipes and make your readers' mouths water. So, snapping low-effort, quick pics won’t cut it if you want to get more traffic to your recipes.

Not sure where to start with food photography? 📸 

I have 11 food photography tips to make your photos pop, from lighting tricks to the best angles.

Here’s a snapshot of a few of those tips:

• Start small: You don’t need a fancy camera right away. Grab a beginner-friendly one that fits your budget, and learn its manual settings.
• Find the best light: Shoot near a window for bright, natural light. Just watch out for harsh sunlight. No one wants a washed-out cake!
• Play around with food styling: Add a garnish, try different angles, and make each shot a feast for the eyes.
• Keep it real with editing: Adjust the brightness and contrast, but don’t overdo it. Your readers want to see food, not plastic!

Investing in better photography makes your food blog look even tastier. And remember, the goal is to make your food look real and oh-so-delicious!

6. Understand SEO for your food blog

Picture this: Your decadent chocolate cake recipe is a dance, and the search engine — Google, Bing, you name it — is the dance floor.

So, how do you get your recipe to lead the search results like these delicious recipe rich snippets?

The answer lies in three words: Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

What’s SEO?

In simple terms, SEO helps your recipes pop up on the first page of search engines, bringing more eyes (and hungry readers) to your blog.

Here’s the recipe for better SEO:

• Keywords: Do some keyword research for your food blog. Find words people search for. Then, use them naturally in your posts to help search engines understand your content.
• Linking: Add links like you’d add spices. Use internal links to connect related content on your site and external links to credible sources.
• Recipe schema: Adding recipe schema is a must! It tells search engines exactly what’s in your recipe
• Great content: Even with the best SEO, you need content that’s valuable, tasty, and keeps readers coming back for seconds. 🍰

For more blog SEO tips, head to my article SEO Tips for Food Bloggers!

7. Keep your recipe organized

Think of a recipe index as your recipe collection or digital cookbook.

It’s an easy way for readers to find your best dishes, organized into categories like appetizers, main courses, and desserts.

✨ Want to know one of my best food blogging tips for creating a recipe index on your food blog? Use a WordPress recipe plugin like Tasty Recipes!

Unlike doing it manually, Tasty Recipes keeps everything organized and user-friendly. Easily groups your recipes into categories, making them look amazing and saving you tons of time!

Try Tasty Recipes

8. Build your brand

When it comes to food blogging, your brand is a lot like your personality. It's what makes people remember YOU.

It’s not just about the recipes you share but how you share them.

Here’s how to build a brand that’s true to you:

• Define your mission: Are you sharing family recipes, exploring vegan dishes, or focusing on quick weeknight meals? Your mission guides everything you do, from the recipes you create to your blog’s design.
• Create a look that’s “you”: Choose colors, fonts, and a logo that match your style. Make it feel as cozy, bold, or fun as your favorite recipes.
• Be consistent: Use the same visuals and voice across your blog and social media. The more consistent you are, the more readers will recognize and remember you.
• Develop a clear voice: Is your tone playful, laid-back, or a bit sassy? Let your personality shine in each post, so readers get to know you — not just your recipes.

Branding takes time, but it helps build a relationship with your readers. The more authentic you are, the stronger your brand will be!

9. Build up your social media presence

Social media is a great way to share recipes, connect with readers, and bring traffic to your blog.

Start with platforms where your readers hang out most, like Pinterest and Instagram.

Here’s how to make the most of them:

• Be consistent: Pick a posting schedule that works for you, like sharing three recipe photos a week on Instagram or pinning your top recipes on Pinterest every day.
• Engage with followers: Reply to comments and ask questions like, “What's your favorite pasta topping?” or “Do you like spicy food?” Show your readers you care!
• Share tasty photos: Use Instagram to show off your best dishes with close-up shots. Or, create easy-to-follow recipe pins for Pinterest.

Building a presence takes time, but it’s worth it! Stick to your style, have fun, and keep the conversation going with your readers.

10. Create video content

Big fan of the cooking channel or cooking videos? That's because videos bring action to your recipes. 🎬

Creating recipe videos doesn’t have to be complex, though. Start simple by filming short clips of your recipes. Think sizzling pans, smooth cake batter, or that perfect cheese pull!

Then, you can share these videos on YouTube, TikTok, or even Instagram.

Videos can also improve your food blog's SEO, too! Search engines love video content, so adding it can bring more eyes to your food blog. Just remember to use the right keywords and tags when posting.

Start small, experiment, and have fun! Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. Just hit record and cook on! 🎥

11. Look for guest posting opportunities

Guest posting is a great way to share your food expertise with a new crowd!

When you write for another blog, you connect with its readers and bring them back to your site.

Here’s how to get going with guest posts:

1. Find food blogs similar to yours and look for ones that accept guest posts.
2. Pitch your best ideas to show off your unique cooking style or helpful tips.
3. Follow their rules for guest posts. If they ask for 800 words with 2 photos, make sure you do that.

Guest posting not only drives traffic back to your blog but also builds connections in the food blogging world. And who doesn’t love new blogging friends? 🫱🏻‍🫲🏾

12. Attend conferences

Food blogging conferences are a big buffet of food blogging tips, knowledge, and networking!

You meet other food bloggers, learn new info, and get fresh ideas from experts about photography, recipe writing, and making money from your food blog.

Try popular events like the Tastemaker Conference or the International Food Blogger Conference. Make sure the sessions match what you want to learn about food blogging.

Here's WP Tasty's very own, Steph and Steve Wells, at the Tastemaker Conference!

13. Explore monetization opportunities

You’ve put in the work, so why not earn a little dough? 💰

Making money from your food blog isn’t as hard as you might think. Here are a few ways to start:

• Ads: Sign up for ad networks like Google AdSense or Mediavine. They place ads on your blog, earning you money every time someone clicks.
• Affiliate marketing & links: Join affiliate programs. Then, use a WordPress link plugin like Tasty Links to add affiliate links to your posts. Promote products you love and earn a commission when readers click and buy!
• Sponsored posts: Partner with brands to create recipes or reviews featuring their products. You get paid, and they get exposure.
• Sell your own products: Think cookbooks, meal plans, or even merchandise! Have something valuable to offer? Turn it into an extra income stream.

Pick what works best for you, your audience, and your blog's style. It might take some trial and error, but the extra cash will be worth it!

14. Stay consistent

Consistency makes a big difference in food blogging. Regular posting keeps readers coming back and builds trust.

But keeping up is tough, right? Content burnout is real and painful. But, tools like ClickUp and Tailwind make it a little easier.

I use ClickUp to schedule blog content and keep track of keywords. Tailwind is perfect for organizing and scheduling social media posts like Pins and recipe reels.

Just remember: you don’t need to post every day. Find a schedule that works for you and stick to it! 🗓️

After all, food blogging isn't a sprint. It's a slow roast, where your quality content gets jucier over time.

15. Be patient

Blogging, like a good soufflé, takes time to rise. You can't rush it, or it might fall flat!

Food blogging is also still profitable. But, you have to give things a chance to simmer. It's not a microwavable meal where you hit a button and, poof, success! 📈

It's important to understand that blog growth happens slowly. You might not see leaps and bounds of progress at the start, but don't let this dishearten you.

Your blog is that special recipe stewing away, where flavors meld over a slow fire. And the mouthwatering result? Totally worth the time.

Have patience, follow these food blogging tips, and love what you do. You can AND will make your food blog successful.

Go and use these food blogging tips to grow!

Whether you’re just starting or trying to improve, these food blogging tips will help you along the way.

Every recipe, photo, and post is a chance to learn and connect with your readers. So, keep cooking, snapping, and sharing. Your blog will get better with each post!

Ready for more?

Check out the best WordPress plugins for food bloggers to make your blog run smoother. Or, dive into food blogging courses to learn new skills. Building a WordPress recipe site? Use my guide to help you.

Keep cooking, snapping, and sharing — your blog will get better with each post! And remember, the most important ingredient is you. 🫵