If you voted in my Instagram story poll this week, you probably know what we're covering in this newsletter 😏
Q4 is here and it's the highest traffic quarter with the biggest earnings for many food bloggers! 🎉
Here are some tips & reminders for you ⬇️
1️⃣ Boost your seasonal recipes
Analyze what posts performed well last Q4, ensure they're up-to-date, promote them on social media, and keep your seasonal triangle rotating! (Check out how I view my post traffic and sources using this tool!)
Start pinning holiday content on Pinterest ASAP!
Engage in holiday recipe groups on Facebook and share yours there (follow the group's rules and don't be spammy)!
Hop on seasonal trends or tweak existing recipes to give them a fun holiday twist (I do this with my M&M sugar cookies)!
2️⃣ Engage your email subscribers
Now's your time to shine in people's inboxes!
Put together a holiday gift or party planning guide as an incentive.
Send out a series of emails with your best holiday baking tips and/or recipes!
Host a giveaway with a survey to get to know them and how they use your site (we're discussing this in today's mastermind call)!
3️⃣ Reach out to brands
Looking to get some last-minute brand deals? It's not too late to pitch to your favorite brands!
Don't be afraid to negotiate for higher rates while ad spend is high in Q4!
4️⃣ Be cautious
Back up your site regularly! If you have a good host, they should do this automatically. However, I still save my own redundant backups using UpdraftPlus's free plugin. (Find my recs here!)
Make sure your site is secure! Use a trustworthy host and set up a good security plugin (WordFence is a good starting point).
Turn off auto-updates for major WP updates (ask your host to do this for you) and avoid doing other things that could negatively impact your site's traffic or earnings.
5️⃣ Stay positive
The holidays can be a tough time for many. Give yourself grace and be kind to others!
Avoid the comparison game and unfollow/hide accounts if you need to. I go through phases of not consuming other's content to protect my mental health, and it's 100% okay if you need to do the same.
Embrace the holiday joy and remember why you love what you do!
Don't forget that it's normal for traffic to drop right after the holidays. Don't let it get you down - think about all the amazing things you accomplished this year!!
Need a system to get organized as you plan for Q4 and the new year? Grab my Daily Dashboard!
I have it integrated with my Notion calendar for optimal planning, and it's been helping other food bloggers as well!
I hope you found these tips helpful 🤗 wishing you all the best this quarter!!
Happy Q4!
-Kayla
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I'm a baking blogger and food blog coach based in Chicago! I've been sharing easy, sweet recipes since 2020. In 2023 I started helping other food bloggers grow their businesses. You can find blogging tips & resources in my weekly food blog newsletter and coaching website!