In this episode:

Have you ever looked back at your blogging journey and thought, "If only I knew then what I know now"? If you've been blogging for more than a year, you've probably had that exact moment of reflection. The food blogging industry has transformed dramatically over the past decade, and what worked five years ago might not be the best strategy today.

Whether you're just starting out or you've been blogging for years, these nine strategies can help you build a more sustainable, profitable, and engaging food blog that truly connects with your audience.

Listen along as I share my honest take on what I'd do differently if I were starting a food blog from scratch today!

 

 

The 9 points I discuss:

• Start on self-hosted WordPress from day one
• Build your audience with strategic opt-ins
• Email your list consistently and more often
• Focus on video content
• Connect with your audience and understand their pain points
• Create a system for maintaining content updates
• Hire out writing sooner
• Build multiple revenue streams from the beginning
• Build authority through podcasting or YouTube

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related content:

The Crafted Website Experience

Sign up to get podcast updates sent directly to you!

 

 

 

Connect With Madison

Instagram | Website | Show Notes

Work with Grace + Vine in 2025:

1. Design Services for Food Bloggers

2. Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

In this episode:

If you've thought about creating digital products to diversify your revenue streams, you're going to love this week's episode. I'm chatting with Emily Baksa, a food copywriter and content strategist, about creating digital products that diversify your revenue and reconnect you with the creative joy of food blogging.

She unpacks a three-part framework that can transform your digital product launches — from creating offers your audience actually wants and building engaged email audiences to implementing marketing that connects rather than sells.

Vine Podcast Exclusive! Get your FREE Digital Product Income Calculator from Emily today!

 

 

Key Points:

• Why digital products matter for food bloggers now
• What are we talking about when we say "digital products"?
• The 3 reasons your digital product launch didn't succeed
• Digital products as an evolution, not a one-time effort
• Be bold and try again

 

 

 

Related Episodes:

EP 175: Exact Steps to Create a Digital Product ASAP

EP 190: Monetizing Your Expertise Through Digital Products with Jillian Leslie

 

 

 

Related content:

The Crafted Website Experience

Sign up to get podcast updates sent directly to you!

 

 

 

Connect With Madison

Instagram | Website | Show Notes

Work with Grace + Vine in 2025:

1. Design Services for Food Bloggers

2. Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

In this episode:

Your personal brand is the only thing truly setting you apart from countless others in your niche. Yet so many food bloggers hide behind their websites, creating a disconnect between who they really are and what their audience experiences online. Today, I'm sharing how to stop hiding and start authentically aligning your website with your personal brand.

Today we're talking about how your website should support your personal brand - the element that truly sets you apart in a crowded niche of food bloggers.

 

 

Key Points:

• What is your personal brand (and why does it matter)?
• The About Page: Your brand's foundation
• Bridging the Gap: Aligning your website with your social media persona
• Weaving your story throughout your content
• The power of consistency & regular audits
• Your Challenge: Conduct a personal brand audit

 

 

Related Episodes:

EP 199: Risk Proof Your Business Through Personal Branding

 

 

Related content:

See how we can help you refine your personal brand!

The Crafted Website Experience

Sign up to get podcast updates sent directly to you!

 

Connect With Madison

Instagram | Website | Show Notes

Work with Grace + Vine in 2025:

1. Design Services for Food Bloggers

2. Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

In this episode:

Are you tired of chasing SEO trends and algorithm updates without seeing sustainable growth? As food bloggers, we often get caught up in technical SEO tweaks and site speed optimizations, but what if there's a more holistic approach that could lead to long-term success?

In this insightful conversation with SEO expert Jeff Hawley, we explore why the most successful food bloggers are shifting from purely technical SEO tactics to a more comprehensive content strategy focused on building topical authority and creating a memorable brand. Let's dive into how this approach can transform your blog from just another recipe site to a trusted authority in your niche!

 

 

Key Points:

• Why traditional SEO advice falls short for food bloggers
• Building a long-term brand strategy (not just content)
• The 75/25 Rule for Content Planning
• Building topical authority through strategic content
• Balancing new content vs. updating existing posts
• Practical tools for implementing this approach
• Moving Forward: A Balanced Approach to SEO

 

 

Related Episodes:

EP 154: 5 Ways to Boost Your SEO This Year

EP 207: SEO Still Matters in 2025 with Carl Ross

 

Related content:

The Crafted Website Experience

Sign up to get podcast updates sent directly to you!

 

Connect With Madison

Instagram | Website | Show Notes

Work with Grace + Vine in 2025:

1. Design Services for Food Bloggers

2. Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

In this episode:

Have you ever made an emotional decision that impacted your food blog? It can be so easy to chase the next big thing for your business, but you could find yourself frustrated with the lack of results. In today's episode I'll share how you can shift away from emotion based decision making and focus on making data based decisions that will serve your business and help it grow! If you're tired of feeling like you are spinning your wheels, this episode will help you determine and focus on the things that move the needle forward for your food blog.

 

 

Key Points:

• The Emotional Decision Trap
• Data points you should be tracking
• Creating a framework for data-based decisions
• Combining emotion and data for smart decisions
• When to hire help

 

 

Related content:

The Crafted Website Experience

Sign up to get podcast updates sent directly to you!

 

Connect With Madison

Instagram | Website | Show Notes

Work with Grace + Vine in 2025:

1. Design Services for Food Bloggers

2. Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

In this episode:

Is your Instagram strategy draining your creative energy? When today's guest, Kimberly Espinel realized almost all her content had become promotional, she took a bold step back - and discovered a better way forward. We're exploring what actually works on Instagram in 2025, from finding the right mix of content types to maintaining authenticity while growing your audience. If you're tired of feeling like every post needs to drive traffic or sales, you'll learn how to create content that not only performs well but keeps you creatively energized.

 

 

Key Points:

• The Wake-Up Call
• The power of personal connection
• Creating a sustainable content strategy
• Instagram trends for 2025 and beyond
• The path forward

 

 

Related content:

The Crafted Website Experience

Sign up to get podcast updates sent directly to you!

 

Connect With Madison

Instagram | Website | Show Notes

Work with Grace + Vine in 2025:

1. Design Services for Food Bloggers

2. Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

In this episode:

If you've been wondering whether AI could help or hurt your food blog, this episode will transform how you think about AI as a business tool. Join me for a great conversation with Hanelore Dumitrache as we dive into practical ways AI can streamline your workflow—from cutting blog post writing time by 75%, to uncovering hidden patterns in your analytics. Plus, you'll discover how to use this technology in a way that actually strengthens your brand, without sacrificing what makes your content unique.

 

 

Key Points:

• Ethical AI implementation for food bloggers
• Streamlining content creation with AI
• Leveraging AI for analytics and growth
• Additional AI applications for food bloggers
• Embracing the future of food blogging

 

Exclusive Offer!

Receive 50% OFF Hanelore's ebook "AI for Food Bloggers!" Click the link below and enter discount code VINEPODCAST at checkout!

AI for Food Bloggers Deal

 

 

Related content:

The Crafted Website Experience

Sign up to get podcast updates sent directly to you!

 

Connect With Madison

Instagram | Website | Show Notes

Work with Grace + Vine in 2025:

1. Design Services for Food Bloggers

2. Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

In this episode:

What happens when you commit to posting Instagram Reels every day for 90 straight days? Today I’m chatting to a blogger who came up with the challenge to create and share daily recipe videos without batching content in advance. You’ll hear what she experienced instead of massive follower growth like you might expect! Whether you’re feeling disconnected from your audience or stuck in a content rut, you’ll learn practical strategies for how to break through those challenges without burning out.

 

 

Key Points:

• The Challenge: Going all in
• Breaking free from perfectionism
• Unexpected results
• Building authentic connections
• Content creation tips
• The power of consistency

 

 

Related content:

The Crafted Website Experience

Sign up to get podcast updates sent directly to you!

 

Connect With Madison

Instagram | Website | Show Notes

Work with Grace + Vine in 2025:

1. Design Services for Food Bloggers

2. Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

In this episode:

Wondering if SEO still matters for food blogs in 2025? Despite what you might have heard, Google remains the largest source of traffic on the internet, and food blogs are still ranking prominently in search results. Today, I sit down with Carl Ross from Uku Digital for a discussion all about what's really working right now, from smart content strategy to the technical elements that can make or break your site's performance!

 

 

Key Points:

• Core web vitals deep dive
• Common technical issues
• Advanced technical SEO
• Future-proofing your site

 

 

Related content:

The Crafted Website Experience

Sign up to get podcast updates sent directly to you!

 

Connect With Madison

Instagram | Website | Show Notes

Work with Grace + Vine in 2025:

1. Design Services for Food Bloggers

2. Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

In this episode:

Are you wondering if Pinterest is still worth your time in 2025? Here's the truth - Pinterest isn't just another social media platform, it's a powerful search engine that can drive consistent traffic to your site for months or even years. In today's episode, I sit down for a really insightful conversation with Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media about breaking down what actually matters for success on Pinterest, which metrics to track and how to turn traffic into email subscribers.

 

 

Key Points:

• The evolution of Pinterest
• Current strategy deep dive
• Future-proofing your Pinterest strategy

 

 

Related content:

Sign up to get podcast updates sent directly to you!

 

Connect With Madison

Instagram | Website | Show Notes

Work with Grace + Vine in 2025:

1. Design Services for Food Bloggers

2. Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.