Start A Blog
Click Here to see all of the tools and equipment we use.
Secrets Revealed: Are you interested in learning how to start a Food Blog? We started Natasha’s Kitchen in 2009 and I’m so glad we did! It has grown into a very fulfilling and seriously FUN full time career for my husband and I. We’ve gotten so much helpful advice from top food bloggers over the years and we are so happy to be able to do the same for you. We’ve found that the most successful people are also the most willing to help others. We created this page to share advice based on what we’ve done that worked and also mistakes we’ve made (and some were so time-consuming and stressful that we want to spare you the same troubles we had).
Your blog can be LIVE in less than 30 minutes; no technical skills required! Let’s dive right in to: How to Start a Food Blog 🙂
Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we earn a commission if you purchase something after clicking the link. As always, we only recommend products and services that we trust.
How To Start a Food Blog:
First of all, I wanted to share a really great resource with you that I think would be super helpful for many of you.
If you have a blog or are considering one (even if it’s not a food blog), you need to look into Food Blogger Pro. It’s a membership website for food bloggers that shows you how to set up and grow your food blog step-by-step. It has 250+ video tutorials to teach you everything from:
- Starting a blog (step-by-step video instructions!)
- Building traffic and growing your blog
- Improving your food photography, and editing photos
- Social media setup and growth
- Utilizing all the “essential tools” for your blog (Google analytics, managing giveaways)
- How to generate an income through your blog
- Writing and creating an e-book
Food Blogger Pro is a membership-based website so you have the option of a monthly membership or yearly membership. It will take your blog to the next level and that’s why I’m so excited to share it with you!
(Step 1) Naming YOUR Blog
If you are serious about your blog, take some time to brainstorm a domain name. Pick something that is catchy, relevant and easy to remember. Run your ideas by your closest friends or fam and get feedback. I think my sister Alla gave me the idea for NatashasKitchen.com! Head on over to GoDaddy and plug in your ideas. This part is fun and you can stake your claim on your unique domain name asap!
Once you’ve purchased your name, also purchase domain privacy (so your home address isn’t floating on the internet) and also open accounts on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else that you can secure your business name (i.e @natashaskitchen).
(Step 2): Webhost
1. The two biggest factors to consider when choosing a hosting company are reputation, customer service and performance. We recommend Rocket.net and signing up is easy, fast, and secure. Their hosting is delivered and optimized by Cloudflare Enterprise, making our website load quickly for all of our readers around the world. I am an affiliate with Rocket so let them know I sent you and you will get a 20% discount on your hosting plan.
(Step 3): Installing WordPress
After you’ve signed up with Rocket.net you will need to install WordPress (a blogging software). We have used WordPress from the birth of our blog and love it because of it’s simplicity; it’s very user-friendly and installation is a breeze. The team at Rocket.net can walk you through the process.
You’re there. You’re officially a blogger. Congrats!!
Choosing a Theme or Design for your Blog
Thesis Theme for WordPress
– We started out with Thesis and used it for about 2 years. Genesis is a very popular theme as well.
Free Themes for WordPress
– WordPress has tons of free themes available if you’re not ready to purchase a “premium” theme right. Please do some research and check the theme’s rating before downloading and install it onto your blog. Avoid themes with three stars or less.
If you’re serious about your blog and want it to the next level, invest in a custom web design. Cre8d redesigned our blog in 2015 and it was blog changing! We continue to work with them and I always recommend them; worth every penny. If you get a quote from them, let them know I sent you by using my referral code: NK.
Creating an Income With Your Blog
When you’re first starting out, if you decide to place ads on your site, they will help to cover costs. As your blog grows with time, dedication and hard work, it is possible to create a full time income from blogging. The primary ad network we work with is Adthrive.
Click Here for More: Blogging Resources
I hope you found this tutorial on how to start a food blog helpful and do let me know once you’ve published your first blog post. Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging. 🙂
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
I have 1 more question. How do u load great videos to Instagram? I’ve been looking everywhere and not finding how to load from pc to instagram. There’s a software called blue something and it keeps freezing and crashing (doesn’t work), and if I load from cellphone it’s really poor quality. What app or software would help fix this issue? Thank you
My husband does all of that for me. He does not use an app. He creates a square video in Final Cut Pro and then exports it to our dropbox. From there I download it to my phone and upload it to Instagram.
Hi, Natasha, I was so inspired by your recepies! After reading your “for bloggers” section, I decided to give it a try and create my own blog with recepies that my family enjoys. Can you check my website and give me any comments or suggestions?… I know my pictures are not the best yet lol
Congratulations on starting your new blog!! It’s a great time to start a blog because there are so many resources out there for growing it and improving. I’m so glad my blog inspired you 🙂
Wow! thank you so much for posting this. I just started a food blog, or to be exact, I’m still in the process of setting it up and let me tell you this post is priceless for a newcomer. I read some other stuff but this is better then anything else out there. And what a coincidence, my sister Alla came up with my blog name too 🙂 thanks again, Natasha
That’s awesome and congratulations on starting a blog! I wish you great success! 🙂
What type of software or equipment you use to make videos with the recipes?
Hi Ella, we have everything listed here
Natasha!! Thanks sooo much for the help! It really means a lot that you’re reaching out to other food bloggers and willing to share it with us 🙂
I do have one question, If you had to start your food blog all over (from scratch) where would you focus all of your marketing efforts? Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, etc?
I’d really love to know your opinion and advice. I love you and thanks again! 🙂
I would do them all and focus on growing them one at a time. Secure your blog name for all of the social medias and start with Pinterest because that is the biggest traffic driver for me of all the social media channels. I would make the rest secondary because I do beleive it is important to connect with your readers on those channels. When you connect with your tribe on social media channels like Instagram and snapchat, they are the ones that become your loyal tribe and share your stuff for you.
Hi Natasha,
I was wondering how you watermarked your photos? It looks almost transparent, but isn’t….if that makes sense.
I have been blogging for a few years now and would like to “up my game”, which means I need to re-vamp my blog some what. Also, I would like to try a few of your recipes and feature them on my blog, with a link back your yours…if that would be alright with you. Thanks for all of your help…I love and admire your blog~
Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
We searched on google for transparent watermark and found some tutorials that way. I didn’t keep the links though, sorry. You can design them in pic monkey or photoshop and then if you are using lightroom, you can adjust the opacity there. If you would like to feature any of my recipes, my policy is: you must re-word the entire recipe in your own words and use only 1 final picture from my site with a clear link back to the original recipe on my site from your recipe post. I wish you success in your blog! 🙂
Hi Natasha! I’ve been toying with the idea of starting my own food blog and I have to admit it’s pretty overwhelming. One of the things I’ve been wondering about is how often do you post recipes when you just starting out?
Thank you!
To be honest, I didn’t keep a schedule when I first started because it was so much a hobby then and I was in school and working and I just posted when I could. If you are serious about starting a business, work on building great content and really focus on cranking out quality recipes with the best pictures and instructions possible. Do what you can in the time that you have. Everyone’s life is so different and there isn’t really a specific mold that you have to conform to to succeed. If I had known my blog would grow to where it is now, I probably would have upped my game earlier on rather than pursuing other things. It really just depends on you and what you have time for. This page may help: https://natashaskitchen.com/blogger-resources/
This link appears to be broken
That’s strange since it is working for me. Scroll to the to of my blog and on the menu, click on “for bloggers” and you’ll get to the same page. Maybe it was a temporary glitch?
I got it, thank you!
Hi Natasha! Is it free to sign up at media.net? Do they accept blogs written in other languages? Thanks!
Hi Cher, the sign up is free. I have no idea about the langue question. You will have to ask about that one.
Hello! Love love your site! And your food pictures are awesome! Makes me want to eat them off the screen! Lol I’m just starting on my blog. It’s all kinda intimidating! 😬 Anyways, God bless you and your beautiful family! 😃
Welcome to the site Sheila and thank you for the warm wishes ?. To make your blog stand out, focus on improving your photography. I would strongly recommend reading this book – Tasty Food Photography. It will be a big help to your blog. Also check out our Blogger Resources page for more tips.
http://americanfoodbloggers.com/
#36 — up two places!
Congratulations!
That is so so awesome! This made my evening. Thank you for sharing that with me. I feel overwhelmed when I think about what a blessing it is to be #36 on that list. So thankful! 🙂
Up to #33!!! 🙂
Woohoo!! ) I’m so thankful for it. Thanks for sharing that with me 🙂
#25 as of May 14th! LOOK!
http://prntscr.com/b46pfx
Yay!!! That’s so exciting! I’m so thankful for that 🙂
Natasha, did you approach BlogHer and media.net to have ads placed on your blog? How does one go about this? Thank you!
Here are the links to sign up: Click Here . Click here to sign up for BlogHer. You sign up and they get back to you. I didn’t do anything special really :).
Hi, Natasha!
I like your photos. Mind sharing what you’re shooting with?
You can find all of our camera gear right here. Post-processing is a big part as well.
Not sure if you know, but your website has been blocked by Pinterest. I tried clicking on the Pelmeni Recipe, but I was blocked. Then I tried going directly to your website from your main Pinterest page, and the link to your website is blocked… Please try and fix this, I really enjoy your recipes
Thank you!
Cynthia
Thank you so much for letting me know. I contacted Pinterest about it earlier this evening and they were apparently having issues with “false spam blocking to various sites, mostly blogs” but my contact there said it has been resolved now. Apparently their spam filter went overboard on safety! She said it was fixed for my site but if you are still having the issue, please let me know. Thank you!!
By the way I went to check american best food bloggers, and you’re # 45. By the way you’re the first one from russian/ukrainian food bloggers. congratulation. keep it up… I hope in near feature to see you in top 20 🙂
That’s so so exciting!! Thank you for sharing that with me :). I’ll make it my goal to be in the top 20 :).
Natasha,
I love your recipes!!! However, the slow cooker stroganoff recipe (as if would print) has an error in the ingredients. It is only listing the beef. I hope that you will correct this since it is a delicious recipe. I want to print it off and keep it.
Thanks
I’m sorry that happened – I’m not sure what caused that but I have gone through and fixed it up. Thanks so much for letting me know! I sure appreciate the heads up 🙂
Hello Natasha I had write to your mail some questions and did not get any answer so I decide to ask here ))) how much did you earn from blog? thanks so much
Hi Rozana. I wonder if your email ended up in my spam box? Anyways, I don’t disclose that information. Sorry I’m not much help. Pinch of Yum does a great job of disclosing where there revenue comes from.
thanks Natasha I was not expect to get informations anyways
your personality is Goood )))
Hi. I just found out about your blog.
I read that you live in Idaho. And you are from Ukraine. I was so excited. Because I am from Ukraine. I was adopted when I was 10. 8 years ago. I also lived in Idaho for almost 3 years. I and my family moved from there 2 years ago. To South America.
I wondered where you live in Idaho?
Here is my sisters food blog that you might enjoy. Gringalicious.com
Thank you for sharing that with me! It sounds like you have traveled the world.
Hello Natasha ))thanks for sharing ideas and experience and give a chance to others.it is really great to able be with kids and make in a some income at the same time. I am mother myself)) I have some questions could you please help me with it? my email..kotik30@yahoo.com thanks alot
HI Rozana, you can email me if you have specific questions and I will do my best to answer them: natashaskitchen @ yahoo.com (no spaces)
Thank you for sharing.
HI Natasha,
I have been a regular visitor to your website. I looked into this resource regarding food blogging and I have some questions. Could you please private message me to my email?
Thanks,
Aliya
done 🙂