I know, like the world needs more food blogs, right? As if we need more “Tasty”-style videos on the internet to serve as a reminder that we nearly always burn our toast in the morning.
At the start of 2019, I started to take food photography and styling much more serious, and found myself helping more restaurants than musicians with their online presence. This meant coming into their space and collaborating with their management and ownership to provide them with amazing content, from photo to video to 360-degree Matterport tours as an online walkthrough of their space.
I created hundreds of photo assets, dozens of promotional videos, and attended at least 50 promotional events and brunches. All the while, I was jet-setting off to festivals and shows in order to work with members of the music industry as a press photographer or media team member.
At the top of the pandemic in March, I did a purge of all my usable photos for the next year and the vast majority of them came from my so called “day job” of being a food photographer and marketing strategist. So, without hesitation, I created Big Foodie Bish as a method of publishing content, but not feeling as if I was cross-promoting too much between my two professions.
Total Hannah Montana moment, am I right?
Massive Lobster at Boston Sword & Tuna Headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, 2020. (Photo by Cassidy Kotyla)
Fall 2019 Menu Launch Photoshoot at The Harp Boston in Boston, Massachusetts, 2019. (Photo by Cassidy Kotyla)
So, what would I suggest in order to hit the ground running on your new food blog during the height of a pandemic?
Network, Network, Network.
Think of the ways you can garner the attention of your audience. Rather than that whole “follow/unfollow” bullsh*t you see from certain bloggers, learn how to send DM’s to influencers and bloggers you like with your information and a call-to-action that has return for them as well. An example of this might be to ask an influencer to lunch, and offer to take a few photos of them with your camera while you’re also getting content for your blog.
That brings me to my next point…
Cross Promotion Is Your New BFF
Remember that phrase, “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer"“? That applies to nearly every life situation you run into—especially running your own business. Don’t worry about getting likes, but rather worry about how you can cross-promote with your current competition. Offer up suggestions to other influencers who have a similar following or slightly higher than yours that will not only help your channel, but draw their attention as well.
What I constantly ask myself when pitching to different potential collaborators is the following question: “What would make me get up off my couch, get dressed up, and meet this person right now?” If you’re not satisfied with your offer at that point, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board.
Copying Isn’t The Way To Become Famous, Sweetie.
I won’t say copying other people didn’t get people to the top of the social foodchain (I mean look at half of the celebrities out there today), but I will say that being authentic and original is key to growing your social channels. No one wants to surround themselves with someone who is constantly being accused of copying those around them.
If you feel like you’re bordering the line of copying someone else’s creativity, I suggest downloading an app like Planoly—this app lets you see your Instagram grid layout before you even post, giving you the opportunity to look at other peoples’ feeds and compare them to yours. If you feel as if you have a unique voice and likeness in comparison to those around you, you’re golden.
Lobster Photoshoot with Boston Sword & Tuna in Boston, Massachusetts (Photo by Cassidy Kotyla)
Bruins Game Day in Boston at Hurricanes at the Garden, 2019 (Photo by Cassidy Kotyla)
Hopefully these three tips will guide you towards success, just like I’m trying to do with my own blog! Make sure to follow Big Foodie Bish on Instagram immediately, since I’ll be posting nearly daily with new content from around the world. Also, check out my personal Instagram for more marketing tips. Until next time, lovelies! xx