Before I started food blogging, I was a professional journalist for over 20 years. My background means that I am often asked for writing advice. As a result, I am sharing my top writing tips to help other food bloggers, current or just beginning, and those who are already successful.
Food Blog Writing Tips
1.Get your readers’ attention.
Food blogging is unique from other types of blogging because it is humankind’s natural response to food. We love food!
Once you have captured your readers’ attention with beautiful photos, how can you keep them interested and not let them go off to find the next delectable delight?
The hook is the key! Hooks are an attention grabber (introduction) that draws readers to your posts.
Here are some creative hook ideas:
- Ask a question.
- Example: Did you know you could make creamy homemade vegan ricotta cheese in just minutes?
- Use imagery to describe your food.
- Example: Try “This chocolate cake tastes so good!” Instead of “This chocolate cake is delicious!” “
- Please give them the incentive to try your recipe or solve a problem.
- Example: Are you short on time? You don’t have to be short on time! This 5-ingredient one-pot pasta recipe is quick and easy to prepare. It will satisfy your whole family.
2.Find your voice
Blogs are meant to be conversational, by definition. How can you have a conversation with someone who isn’t speaking up? Your readers will see that you are human, just like them.
This is where your voice comes in.
Your voice is what makes you stand out among the rest. Your readers become friends and feel like they know you personally. Because they feel a connection to you, they may be motivated to read older posts or your “About” page. The ultimate goal is to make them come back.
Here’s the comment of a reader on a blog post I wrote back in 2015. “Hi, Sherri, my name is Sherri, and I am new to your site. I have some dietary restrictions, so finding things that work for me is excellent. Yay. Your writing voice is amazing. I look forward to reading more. “
How can you find your voice?
These are some ways to find your writing voice.
Ask yourself these questions when you write:
- “Do you talk like this?” Is this how you sound?
- “Is this a blog post I would like to read?”
- “Whom am I writing for?” Who is my target audience? What interests them? What would they like about this job?
You can also browse my blog to get an idea of my voice. Here are some other blogs: Peas and Crayons. These bloggers were able to create a unique writing voice and connect with readers at the time of this post.
3.Be authentic
It’s great to see how other bloggers use their voices, but you must write in your voice, not another’s.
Your blog is your blog. Keep it that way. You are the author of your posts and not another blogger. Do not try to copy another blogger’s posts.
These are some ways to be authentic.
- Consider your personality. Is your personality funny? Are you funny? Are you endearing? Are you inspirational? Are you serious? Are you serious?
- Listen to yourself…literally. Listen to yourself speaking and record the conversation.
- Write from your heart. Writing about your passions or interests will show in your work. However, readers will notice if you aren’t interested in the topic you write about.
4.You can proofread it yourself or have another person do it.
Spoiler alert! Spellchecking only sometimes works.
Even though it’s funny, spell check sometimes misspells words, especially if they exist.
Let’s take dessert and dessert as an example. Both words are real. The one is a sweet treat at the end of a meal. The second is a very dry and hot area. You can also use the second to mean leaving someone or something if you want to get technical.
You should also ensure that you spell the brand’s name correctly if you’re writing a sponsored blog post. This may sound obvious, but mistakes are common. Proofreading is essential. It can lead to credibility loss and show carelessness. To make the brand hire you again, you want to make a great first impression.
You should not only spellcheck but also check for grammar and punctuation errors and ensure that your post makes sense.
Either proofread your post or ask another person to do so. It is easier for me to have someone else review my posts. But it’s only sometimes possible.
But don’t fret! You have many great tools to help you proofread your work, such as Grammarly (affiliate hyperlink).
This online “writing assistant” reviews your copy to help you correct grammatical mistakes.
Grammarly offers both a free and a paid option.
These are some suggestions for proofreading your work.
- Listen to your post. This technique is great for catching problems with word flow or phrasing. You can confuse your readers if you misunderstand your words.
- Mark up your post. Although this might not align with environmentalism, it makes it much easier to see mistakes while reading on paper. Mark up any errors with a red pen so you can quickly fix them later.
- Take some downtime from your post. I don’t know if you’re like me, but I had had times when I wrote a draft of a blog post late at night, only to wake up and wonder, “What was the point?” Get up in the morning. You can catch errors and improve information by taking time off from the post.
5.Food is important!
While readers want to connect with you, they don’t want your entire life story in a blog post. Engage your readers to make them return to your site. But don’t overdo it.
You need to strike a balance between your conversation with your readers and what product (recipe) you provide. Your post should tell readers what to expect from your recipe, what they will enjoy, and how they can make it. Ensure you are clear with your instructions and inform your readers about everything they need to make your dish.
These are some questions you should ask yourself when creating a recipe blog post.
- What is unique about your recipe? Is it unique or different from others?
- What is the reason you used a particular ingredient? What information do your readers need about this ingredient? It is available in many places.
- What combination of ingredients did you use? How do these ingredients work together to make the perfect dish?
- Are you a nutritionist? Do you know a lot about certain eating habits, such as vegan, low-carb, gluten-free, or paleo? Is this recipe healthy? Would you recommend it to others?
- Do you have any tips or tricks that will make this recipe perfect? Is there a particular way you make it? Do you have a favorite product? Do you need any special equipment?
- Is this recipe good for reheating? What should you do to reheat it?
- What is the shelf life of this recipe after it has been made? How and where should leftovers be kept?
- Is this a recipe that uses unusual or difficult-to-find ingredients? They can be used in place of more commonly-used ingredients that someone might already have.
- What substitutions can make it more appealing for other diners (gluten-free, vegan, etc. )?
- What are your suggestions for serving this recipe?
- Which other recipes can you link to that you believe the reader will like?
Remember that you are writing a blog article, not a memoir. It’s crucial to strike the balance that allows you to make a personal connection and give your reader what they want – the recipe.