How to start a food blog: 11 steps for quality content

Do you have endless creative ideas for recipes, or maybe some intriguing thoughts on the intersection of food and culture? A food blog is the perfect place to showcase those ideas and share them with the world. These blogs cover the ins and outs of a particular niche in food, giving you a platform to dive deep into your passion for everything edible. 

If you’re wondering how to start a food blog, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn how to choose the type of food blog you’ll create and get practical steps for starting your site.

Types of food blogs

Before embarking on the food blogging journey, decide what type of food blog you want to maintain. Do you have a passion for tasting unique ingredients, trying new foods as you travel, or coming up with vegan recipes? Your interests and ideas should dictate the type of food blog you start. Here are six types of food blogs to provide you with some inspiration.

1. Diet and lifestyle

A diet and lifestyle-based blog is equal parts inspirational and informational, often featuring recipes and cooking tips alongside facts about the food you’re about to eat. These blogs center around what you’re putting on the plate, but you can expand your article topics to discuss different aspects of this chosen lifestyle, including restaurant reviews, practical advice, and details about the diet.

Some examples of diet and lifestyle food blogs include:

• Keto diet blog
• Dairy-free recipe blog
• Sugar-free diet blog
• Plant-based meals blog
  

2. Cooking methods 

Grillmasters, listen up: This is your time to shine. Blogs focused on a cooking method feature specific appliances or methodologies in the kitchen. With this kind of food blog, you can truly travel all over the world with flavors and formulations — as long as the recipes are focused on your chosen cooking method.

Photo by Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash

Some cooking method blogs include:

• Air fryer recipe blog
• Pressure cooker (Instant Pot) recipe blogs
• Raw foods (no cooking) blog
• Sous vide blog
  

3. Regional cuisine

Traveling the world can be as easy as stepping into the kitchen. Unlock a world of possibilities by exploring a particular region’s cuisine. This could be as broad as a whole continent, or you can get granular and focus on the food diversity of one region within a particular country. There’s a whole world to explore out there, quite literally.

Some regional cuisine blogs include:

• Indian cuisine blog
• French cuisine blog
• Brazilian cuisine blog
• Thai cuisine blog
  

4. Ingredient-focused

If you can’t get enough of sweet summer strawberries or rich salmon filets, an ingredient-focused blog may be for you. This type of blog lets you focus on the specifics of a particular ingredient or a family of ingredients (think strawberry or all berries). You can share recipes which elevate your star ingredient to the heart of the dish.

Some ingredient-focused blogs include:

• A taco blog
• A noodle blog
• A burger blog
• A chicken blog
  

5. Meal type

Brunch ideas galore may be found in a blog that focuses on an entire meal category. Within this food blog type, you virtually have no limitations as long as the content you’re writing makes sense for the meal type you’re honed in on. 

Some meal type blogs include:

• Breakfast ideas blog
• Late-night snacks blog
• Dinner ideas blog
• Lunch ideas blog
  

6. Travel

Bring blog readers with you on a culinary journey. A travel blog centered around food explores a new culture or region through its flavors and local ingredients. With thrilling travel elements thrown into the mix, your blog can show readers the fun and adventurous side of trying new foods as part of being a world traveler.

Photo by Alice Young on Unsplash

Some food travel blog ideas include:

• Reviewing a specific food type around the world
• Telling the story of a geographical region through food history
• Sharing recipes for famous foods from around the world
• Documenting what you eat on your travels, no matter where you travel or the cuisine type you eat

How to start a food blog in 11 steps

Starting a food blog takes a bit of planning, but you’ll soon be on your way to showcasing your thoughts and ideas with a captivated audience. Here’s how to make it happen.

1. Select your niche

Unique and interesting content brings readers. Identifying your niche is the first step toward developing that content. With a general idea of the type of food blog you want to launch, think about your specialty within that blog type. And once you have a niche in mind, plan to stick with it — consistency will help build readership.

2. Come up with a catchy name

Your blog’s name is how you’ll present yourself to the world. What do you want someone to know about your blog without reading a single page? Leverage a memorable name to communicate your mission quickly and succinctly. And don’t forget to make a logo that represents your blog, too! You can use this logo on your website, social media, and other platforms.

3. Register your domain

With your idea in mind, it’s time to buy your web address. As the doorway to your site, an easy-to-remember domain is a must to ensure visitors can easily find and view the content you’re publishing. It’s also a quick and inexpensive way to secure your intellectual property. Buying a domain typically only takes a few minutes, and you can secure your name for as little as a few dollars a year.

4. Select the right web host for your food blog

Web hosting comes in many shapes and sizes. Some popular options include shared hosting space, which only costs a few dollars a month, and dedicated servers, which are ideal for high-traffic websites. As you first start out, a shared hosting plan can be just the ticket to get you online. You can always upgrade down the line.

5. Build your website

With the building blocks of your site ready, it’s time to complete your design. Whether you hire a web developer or use a drag-and-drop builder, this is when you’ll establish the look and feel of your blog. Since your site is all about the new content you publish, consider a design that puts your newest and most popular entries front and center on the home page. When you use a platform like Site Maker, you can make changes and adjustments with ease.

6. Set up website performance tools

Before launch, take some time to set up website performance tools that help you track and analyze who’s coming to your website and how they’re finding you online. Free tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, as well as many types of paid tools, can provide data you can use to come up with new content ideas and expand your blog down the line.

Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash

7. Start writing

And now, it’s time to create content! Start your site strong with a few entries that show a sampling of what readers can expect from your blog.

8. Optimize your content

Write and publish your content with SEO in mind. Look up keywords your readers may search for and use the data to shape your content. Some best practices for optimized content include:

• Writing an informative title that includes the main keyword
• Using subheadings to organize and structure your content
• Linking to other relevant blogs and content on your site

9. Set a publication schedule

A publication schedule ensures that you’re releasing content on a regular basis. Not only is that good for SEO, but it’s also good for your readers, who will come to expect fresh content.

When it comes to deciding how often to post, that comes down to how much content you plan to produce. A good rule of thumb is to evenly distribute your content throughout the month. For example, if you have 10 blogs per month planned, you can schedule them every three days. You can also plan on releasing content on certain days of the week so readers know when to expect new posts.

10. Promote your blog

Get the word out! Reach new audiences and reconnect with current ones by promoting each new entry you publish. Some great ways to promote your blog include:

• Post about your blog on social media pages
• Share your blog in online communities that may be interested in your content
• Create an email newsletter to send new releases to subscribers
  

11. Look for monetization opportunities

Your blog is more than just a fun hobby — you can also find ways to bring in a little extra cash from the content you write. While it may not make you a millionaire, many of these methods can help you earn money from your food blog.

Some ways to monetize your blog include:

• Create exclusive releases for paid subscribers via a platform like Patreon or Substack
• Display advertisements on your blog
• Explore affiliate marketing opportunities, where you earn commission from sales of other products linked to on your blog

How to write good content for a food blog

The best content comes from a place of authenticity, where you offer fresh and interesting perspectives on new topics, places, and cuisines. Readers look for original points of view that open up their eyes and minds to new experiences. If you can do that with good food blog content, you’re well on your way to success.

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

But content creation doesn’t always just come from your imagination — there are tools you can use to come up with topics. One such way is to look up keywords and phrases readers might be searching about your chosen niche. Working backward from there, you can create content that answers their questions and helps push your site to the top of search results, giving you more exposure to a larger audience.

How to take good photos and videos for a food blog

No food blog would be complete without beautiful images to illustrate your chosen topic. Use the following tips to capture great photos and videos for your food blog.

Use natural light

Natural light is one of the best ways to bring your subjects to life. Sunlight brings out colors in a way that artificial lighting can’t. But if you find yourself short on windows, you can invest in LED lighting to help shine a light on your food pics.

Take photos from multiple angles

Left, right, center, close up, far away — your readers want to see the food you’re making or reviewing from all angles. Take photos from many different vantage points, showcasing everything from the fun plating to the finishing details. These angles bring your visitors even closer to the experience.

Make the food the center of attention

A busy background and bold tableware can unintentionally take away from the star of the show — the food. Keep your props neutral so the food can shine. Colors like beige, white, gray, and black keep the background muted.

Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash

Have a consistent style

Your visual identity is just as important as your brand voice when writing about food. Stick with a single photography style to help establish those photos as uniquely yours. Eventually, as your blog grows, you may even get recognized by your visuals.

Don’t jump for the professional-grade equipment just yet

You can use your smartphone to get started! Many smartphones have advanced features that can capture some incredible shots. There are plenty of smartphone accessories you can use to improve lighting, hold your phone in the right position, and more. As your blog grows and you need more kinds of images, you can consider investing in a camera with professional lenses. But in the beginning, a smartphone with the right settings can go a long way.

Create crave-worthy content on your new food blog

Now, you have a vision, an angle, an appetite, and the know-how to launch your food blog. And with Namecheap’s suite of tools, you can easily prepare and publish your content. Namecheap Site Maker utilizes easy drag-and-drop builder tools that will have you up and running in minutes. You can add new text and photos to your site without taking a single web developer class. And with hosting and domain name packages, Namecheap makes it simple to get all the building blocks you need to take your food blog live.