The Makin' Bacon Podcast helps food bloggers serve their Fans, grow their income, and get the most from their blogs. Bringing in readers is only half the battle, making money is also crucial to building a sustainable blog. Listen to top experts share the secret ingredients that turned their blogs into a business. So you too can start Makin' Bacon!
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Harnessing Authenticity and Kindness to Grow Your Brand with Jenny Melrose
Giving Back and Moving Your Blog Forward with Annelies Zijderveld
Publishing a Cookbook with Sally Ekus, Literary Agent
Mental Strength and Crushing it at Conferences with Kami Kilgore
Episode 74
As bloggers we often try to build a community through our blogs and social media, but we often leave a valuable tool on the table...Facebook groups. Today, Linda Reed-Enever and I dive into just how Facebook groups work, how they can be used to connect with your audience, and why building a community is incredibly powerful.
Episode 73
As bloggers we are often told we need to be on Pinterest to maximize our blogs and businesses. But with a constantly changing algorithm, the addition of new features, and updates to the core functionality, it can be really hard to stay up to date with it. Kate Ahl and I dive into all things Pinterest, including how it differs from the other social platforms, the top mistakes bloggers make on it, and why Pinterest matters more than ever!
Episode 72
We often don't think about getting behind the microphone ourselves. But from growing our brands to creating content, podcasting can be a great way to move your business forward. Today, we dive into the ins and outs of podcasting, including how to generate leads, grow your brand, and even create amazing content.
Episode 71
As bloggers we often are working alone and can struggle to break into new audiences, much less bring in a new source of revenue. Luckily Cate Brubaker is the perfect person to help us out! Today, we dive into running a bundle giveaway, launching an activity book, and using air table to organize all of your work!
Episode 70
As bloggers we often have a never ending list of to-dos. Things that we just need to do, but aren't necessarily taking advantage of our strengths. If only there was a source of help that was inexpensive, or even free! Luckily today's guest, Christina Hitchcock is the perfect person to help us out!
Episode 69
One of the biggest potential for sources of income is for teaching cooking classes. But it can be intimidating figuring out where to start. Cynthia Samanian and I dive into all things cooking classes including deciding on your subject, how to teach the class, and of course the best ways to sell it.
Episode 68
Today on Makin' Bacon, Jenna Urben and I dive into how to pitch brands, ways to connect more with your fans, and how to create products they love.
Episode 67
As bloggers we often read articles about food writers, watch chefs on TV, and see cookbook authors on morning shows...but we rarely believe that could be us! Where do you get started, and what can you expect? Dr. Tiffany Eurich and I dive into everything PR, including how to find media coverage, what the benefits of getting featured is, and how you can even do it all yourself!
Episode 66
As bloggers we always hear about how important a niche is. But a niche isn't always a method of cooking or a piece of equipment...it can also be a culinary point of view! But how do you find your culinary point of view, and more importantly, how do you make money from it? Luckily today's guest, Chef Evelyn Williams, is the perfect person to help us out!
Episode 65
As bloggers we often become experts at writing about food, of connecting to our audience, and clearly explaining how to make something in their kitchen...but writing sales and marketing copy is a whole nother beast! Today, Alyson Lex and I dive into how to write compelling copy for your landing pages, how to maximize profits through lower-priced items, and how to sell without feeling icky!
Episode 64
As bloggers, we know we should be getting our videos into as many places as possible, but how can we possibly create Instagram reels and recipe videos, YouTube shorts and Facebook videos, not to mention TikTok videos and Pinterest video pins! Today, Lauryn Piemonte and I dive into all things Jumprope including how video can increase your ad revenue, ways bloggers can use TikTok to move their business forward and how you can "do it all" while still holding down a job.
Episode 63
Today, Dianne Jacob and I dive into everything you need to know about food writing. From blogs and cookbooks to recipes and reviews, there's a whole world of food writing out there! Next, on Makin' Bacon!
Episode 62
Today, Mark Asquith and I dive into how you can use podcasts interviews to grow your brand, and how you can maximize your time on them! Plus, how do you find them and what do you do once you are on there?
Episode 61
As bloggers we understand how important video is to connecting with our audiences. But how can you get started with video, especially cooking videos, and where the heck can you find the time to do it all? Luckily today's guest, Caleb Dempsey, is the perfect person to help us out!
Episode 60
Today, we dive into how to set up paid memberships on your blog, how live events can grow your business and just exactly how can you create custom spice blends to sell directly to your fans. As bloggers, we love to use spices and we know our fans do as well. So it's a natural leap to try to sell our own blends directly to our own fans. But how the heck does that work and how do you get started?
Episode 59
Today, we dive into the importance of video in creating your brand. What type of content actually resonates with fans and how Jumprope can help you streamline the entire process. Jake Poses is the perfect person to help us out. He is the co-founder and CEO of Jumprope. At Jumprope he leads the product design and community teams and is passionate about empowering creators to make amazing content.
Episode 58
Today, we dive into figuring out what your audience wants, how to analyze your data and the best way to formulate your plan of attack. As bloggers, growing our traffic is often a top priority. But what is the most efficient way to accomplish that? And how do we make time for all the work required?
Episode 57
As food bloggers, cookbooks are often on our radars. Many of us explore traditional publishing and self publishing but we ignore one path of publishing...getting paid to write a book. Luckily today's guest, List Builder and Lead Generation Expert Jennie Wright, is the perfect person to help us out!
Episode 56
In today's episode, Jennie Wright and I dive into everything you need to know about hosting online summits, how to harness the power of organic list building, and why building relationships with your audience is the key to jump starting your growth.
Episode 55
Today, Matt Molen and I talk about everything newsletter including how to maximize signups, why solving problems builds authority so quickly, and his game changing tip for using curiosity to encourage click throughs.
Episode 54
Today, we talk with Judi Leib, from Whisk in the Southern, about why teaching cooking classes is so meaningful, how finding a mentor can provide the guidance and support you need, and we explore the sometimes long and winding road to publishing a cookbook.
Episode 53
Tameka Bazile and I talk about how to monetize Instagram, why story telling is critical to building a following, and why being yourself is the surest way to standout and find your true fans.
Episode 52
Today, we talk about creating a brand without a blog, why self publishing is perfect for some people, and how podcasting can propel you forward.
Episode 51
Today, we talk TikTok! Including how introverts can succeed on it, what goals a blogger can accomplish, and why it's not just for the kids these days.
Episode 50
Today, I chat with Abbey Rodriguez and Chandice Probst about the true value of going to conferences, what small events even regular bloggers can host, and why networking is critical to success...yes, even for you.
Episode 49
In this interview Jason and Wendy Braitman chat about everything you need to know about reinventing your career and turning your vision into a reality! Discover how you can stand out from the crowd, maximizing the parts of the job you love, and the best way to take an idea and actually make it happen!
Episode 48
Today, Jason and Megan dive deep into the keys to successful long term blogging. They delve into why efficiency only matters if it's properly directed, how diversifying your traffics and income can kick your blog up a notch, and why none of it is possible without taking care of yourself first...
Episode 47
Jason and Meagan dive deep into unlocking the power of Pinterest and how the Pinterest algorithm actually works. It is vital to understand WHY people come to Pinterest and appreciate their journey. They delve into what to look for if you start outsourcing, and how to develop an intentional strategy!
Episode 45
Today we dive into everything you need to know about combining Personal Branding, Storytelling, and Business Modeling for food blogging success during my interview with Omaily Lucas.
Episode 44
>As bloggers we sometimes fall in to the rut of hiding behind our blogs ... we just publish recipes and post them to social media but we don't get out in front of our audiences. There's many ways to do this, from cooking classes to Facebook Live's, but one of the most effective ways to get in front of a new audience is by going on local television. Just thinking about that can be terrifying for many of us, but today's guest, Marie Fiebach, is the perfect person to help us out!
Episode 42
Today we talk about how to work with traditional publications, when to engage with negative commenters, and how to respond in a crises. Life as a food blogger is generally pretty low key most of the time. We write recipes, we take photos, we put it up on our website. But every once in a while something goes wrong and you're thrust into a crisis. Or, you know, there's a global pandemic. When this happens, it can be really hard to know what to do. But luckily today's guest, Doug Levy is the perfect person to help us navigate through it all.
Episode 41
As bloggers, we rely on our websites for money, not only through ads, but for selling sponsored posts, promoting our own products and for keeping our fans engaged. So when our sites go down, it can be a disaster. But today's guest, Andrew Wilder, the founder and CEO of NerdPress, is the perfect person to help us prevent that from happening.
Episode 40
Join Jason as he interviews Casey Markee as they chat about everything SEO, including the biggest mistake bloggers make, what Core Web Vitals are, and how to prepare your site to get the most out of your holiday traffic!
Episode 39
As bloggers, we often forget that there is a whole world outside of our blogs. We get so caught up being online, writing our recipes and relying on ads and affiliate links that we forget there are things offline, whether it's tours, demos, events or classes. There's a lot of things you can do in the real world; at least when the pandemic is finally over.
Episode 38
Today, we talk about the what jobs are best to outsource, where to find freelancers, and how to tell when you really need help! Running a blog can be a full time business...and so can managing social media, finding sponsorships opportunities, editing videos, taking photographs, and everything else we have to do! So how can you get it all done? By hiring the right people. It's a really intimidating process, but Emily Perron, today's guest, is the perfect person to show us how.
Episode 37
Today we talk to Chelsea Cole about how to self publish a cookbook, leveraging your blog to work with brands and how publishing a cookbook can help you stand out in the crowd!
Episode 36
Today, we talk with Megan Porta about the power of tracking your time, how to limit distractions, and why if you aren't following a vision, you're not going anywhere. As bloggers, there is always too much work to get done. So being able to effectively prioritize, and maximize, our efforts is a huge key to moving our blogs forward.
Episode 35
Today, we dive deep into going live on video, overcoming your fears, and why sometimes when things go wrong, it's just an opportunity to connect with your fans even more! One of the biggest challenges bloggers and creators have is connecting with our audiences, of letting our personality come through and making our fans feel involved. One of the best ways to do this is through video, especially live video.
Episode 34
Today, we dive into the world of competitive cooking, how to host your own competitions, and how to harness the power of guest bloggers. As bloggers, we often get caught up in making money directly from our blogs, using ads, affiliate links and sponsored posts, but we forget there's a whole world of food out there to explore and make money from. Today's guest will show us a few of the unique ways she's created a living.
Episode 33
Today we're going to dive into using giveaways to promote your brand, getting started with Instagram, and why you just need to ignore the numbers. Part of being a successful blogger is crafting your own style and being visible across several platforms. Today's guest is going to help us discover how.
Episode 32
Today we are going to talk about growing your community in a Facebook group, getting into sponsored posts, and how you know when to finally cash out. Trying to learn everything you need to know about blogging can really be daunting. But luckily, there are people out there like today's guest who are willing to share their expertise.
Episode 31
In this episode we talk to Luci Petlack about hiring contractors, how to introduce new themes into your blog, and how to restart your blogging career after a life change. This could be good or bad, from taking care of a sick parent, transferring to a new job or city, having a baby, or you know, a global pandemic. Recovering from these types of changes can be really hard, and it can be a lot more emotionally draining than we think.
Episode 30
Today, we are going to talk with Madison Wetherill about how to find out what your audience is looking for, why great design matters, and why a brand is more than just a logo.
Episode 28
Today we are talking about how to set the tone with your fans, ways bloggers can get their foot in the door, and how remote shoots can help during the pandemic
Episode 28
Today, we talk with Annelies Zijderveld about the hardest part of writing cookbooks, how to pitch brands you love, and why giving back can help you, and your community.
Episode 27
Audio is one area most bloggers neglect. Discover how a podcast works, whether or not you are ready for one, and how to use a podcast to grow your brand.
Episode 26
Working in food is a shared passion for most food bloggers, but this can take many forms outside of just blogging including writing cookbooks, being a chef, working with brands and teaching classes. Today's guest is going talk about some of the jobs she's done and how you might be able to get involved in them as well.
Episode 25
When it comes to growing your blog, you simply need to connect with your audience, solve their problems, and watch the money roll in. Easy, right? We all know it's not as simple as that. And today's guest is the perfect person to help us actually accomplish our goals. Today, we talk about how to position your brand to reach your biggest fans, why kindness matters in business, and how to authentically fake it until you make it.
Episode 24
Today, we talk with Heather Johnson how to make keyword research more manageable, how niching down can actually make you more creative, and why you shouldn't fear the algorithm.
Episode 23
Most bloggers know that lead magnets are critical to growing your email list, but most do not think about using an email course as a lead magnet. Here is how you can go about doing it.
Episode 22
No matter how long you have been blogging, you never have all the answers. This makes it incredibly valuable to talk to people who become successful using methods that are different from what you did. And that is one reason I'm so excited to talk to today's guest, Elizabeth Falcigno from The Clean Eating Couple.
Episode 21
Quality doesn't matter. Too many food bloggers focus on increasing their quality and it's holding them back. I'm going to tell you why and what you should be focused on to maximize your productivity,
Episode 20
There is a lot that goes into the book publishing process and my guest is Sally Ekus, a literary agent who has helped publish hundreds of cookbooks. She is here to help you figure it all out.
Episode 19
In this episode, we are going to talk with Kami Kilgore from Everything Food Conference about what you can do to get the most out of conferences, how to approach and work with brands, and the importance of critically looking at the bad to move forward with the good.
Episode 18
In this episode we look at how to craft your own personal story, the best way to stand out in the crowded blogging space, and how you can take advantage of times of uncertainty to push yourself.
Episode 17
Discover how you can invent and create your own products during this interview with Kate Hansen. Kate is the inventor of the Ergo Spout(R), a spout and handle for mason jars, which she launched on Kickstarter raising over $40,000 from over 1,000 backers. She shares her journey, tips and tricks she learned along the way, and talks about how food bloggers can do the same thing.
Episode 16
Affiliate links are a great way to make money for your website and they're a good way to serve your fan's needs. In this episode I talk to Christen Evans, who is an affiliate guru and brand manager for Apogee Agency.
Episode 14
When most food bloggers want to start selling a product, they think about putting out a downloadable PDF for sale but that's not the best approach. I'm going to tell you why and tell you exactly what is, so you won't make the same mistake other people do.
Episode 13
There is never enough time. But once I started implementing this one method in my blogging process, it exponentially increased my efficiency. I've gotten more done, I've gotten better quality content out there, and I'm moving my blog forward much more quickly. I'm going to show you how you can harness this superpower for yourself.
Episode 12
Barbara Hobart is a television writer/producer who has also been manufacturing and developing products since 1994. (She invented and introduced the first injection-molded decorative light switch cover to the UK.) She expanded her company, HomePlates Worldwide, and now consults with companies large and small to help strengthen brand identities and awareness through custom products.
Episode 12
Putting out a cookbook can be this long, lonely process where everything is on your shoulders and you have to make sure it all comes together. It can be really hard, but it doesn't have to be that way. I'm going to share with you what I do when I want to put out a great cookbook that I'm really proud of but doesn't just fall on my shoulders.
Episode 11
When people sit down to create a cookbook they often make a single mistake that hurts them throughout the entire cookbook process. It's an easy mistake to make and almost everyone makes it. But once you know how to avoid it your chances of success are going to skyrocket. I'm going to share with you what it is and show you how to avoid it when you put out your next cookbook.
Episode 10
Mike La Charite is a sous vide cook and conference planner, and he comes on the podcast to talk about how a blogger can create and host an event, how finding partners can make all the difference, and what you can use to attract sponsors to pay for the whole thing.
Episode 9
No one gets paid to be a blogger unless you're working for a company. No one's going to pay you to put out that blog post but there are a lot of ways you can make money from your blog. I'm going to show you several of the ones that are most effective so you can start moving forward and making additional money from your blog.
Episode 7
In this article I wanted to talk about a few of the goals you might have as a food professional, and what is important for each one. This is because determining your goals is probably the most critical thing you can do.
Episode 6
Lauren McElwain from Cooking as a First Language comes on to talk about how to host cooking classes, the challenges in growing and brand, and how cooking can bring communities together.
Episode 5
Lori Rice is a professional photographer who built up her clientele by working with brands and networking at food and blogging events. We talk about when to pivot your blog, how to price client work, tips for photographers looking to improve, and how to get the most out of conferences.
Episode 4
The worst thing that could happen to you is that what you're doing could work. What type of blog are you building? What type of job are you creating for yourself? I'm going to show you where you might be going wrong. And if so, how you can correct it and start building the type of blog that you want to work on.
Episode 2
I brought Gary Logsdon from Amazing Food Made Easy on the show to talk about where he sees blogging going.
Episode 1
Stop learning. That's my message today. It's currently holding you back and I'm going to tell you why. I wanted to delve into some of the ways we hide when we don't want to put ourselves out there.
