Resources for Food Bloggers

Are you interested in starting your own blog? It can be very overwhelming and stressful– I’ve been there too. Here, I’ve included tools, services and and other resources that I have found to be helpful in creating my blog. I hope you find this helpful to start your own creative journey!

This post contains some affiliate links. However, I have personally used these products/services and these suggestions are based on my enjoyed experience.

Photography

Nikon D3300 Camera: I actually have the Nikon 3100, but Nikon no longer makes this model. This was their next model and also has high reviews. I have been completely satisfied with this camera and is a great starter DSLR!

Nikon 18-55mm Lens: This is the original lense my camera came with and it worked great. This versatile lens gives you a larger range of zoom and is a great starter lens.

Nikon 50mm Lens: I just purchased this lens in April 2016 and I am obsessed. This is a prime lens, meaning you cannot zoom in or out. This works just fine with food photography because everything stays pretty still :) This lens is also great for portraits! It has a lower aperture, which allows more light to flow in and to create a shorter depth of field.

Eyefi 32GB WiFi Card: This EyeFi Card allows you to get photos from your camera to your phone or computer practically instantly. Instagram has created this satisfaction from posting your photos immediately. Long gone are the days of eagerly waiting to go home, plug in my camera, download, email to myself, and open the email of photos on my phone. Game. Changer.

SanDisk 32GB: If you are looking for a less expensive option, SanDisk cards are always reliable. I used SanDisk cards for the past 15 years and been very happy.

Build your blog:

Bluehost was my original hosting company. They are very user-friendly and compatible with WordPress. This is a great option if you’re just getting started! They make it easy to register your domain and hosting starts at only $5.95/month.

WP Engine: I recently made the switch to WP Engine because their package included daily back-ups via BlogVault, plus, they are local to Austin! So far, I have been very pleased. Click the icon to get a 20% off code!

WordPress is the publishing software that you need to create your beautiful blog. WordPress has many free themes if you do not wish to spend any money on a theme when you first start out. I used free themes until my recent redesign (which is Oleander).

Google Analytics: Google provides a free website tracking and analytical tool. This program is wonderful and extremely useful for anyone with a website. Google Analytics allows you to track and monitor traffic to your site, bounce rate, acquisition of visitors, and much more.

Grow your blog:

Food Blogger Pro: This is my “blogger school”. It is an awesome “school” that teaches you how to start, grow and monetize your blog. It was founded by Lindsay and Bjork Ostrom, the couple behind the very successful food blog Pinch Of Yum. They have over 300 videos and tutorials which have helped me understand technical aspects of a blog, improve my photography, and inform me of useful plugins and tools. I highly recommend Food Blogger Pro.

I have learned SO much and Spring enrollment is NOW open! It’s only open from May 24th – June 2nd, so act fast. Sign up for Food Blogger Pro here!

If you missed the enrollment dates, you can join the Food Blogger Pro Waiting List!

MailChimp is the service I use to send emails to my readers! I send out weekly emails recapping the most recent recipes and posts. If you want to get updates from The Fresh Find, the subscription is on the right-hand side of the page!

I also submit my photos/recipes to food sharing sites. These sites have helped drive a significant portion of my traffic. I typically post to the following sites: Foodgawker, Tastespotting, Healthy Aperture, Tasteologie, and Tasty Kitchen

I hope you choose to start your own blogging journey! It has been hard work, but this creative space has been such a fun ride.