If you’ve ever thought “I want to start a food blog”, you’ve probably also wondered “how much money can you make from a food blog?”.
And that’s a great question!
If you’re planning to blog for profit, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of food blogging before you invest your time and energy into it.
While I’ve personally always loved the idea of starting a food blog, my cooking and photography skills are just not up to par (yet!).
But if food blogging is the right match for you, it can certainly become a very profitable side hustle.
This post contains affiliate links. See the disclosure page for more details.
How Much do Food Bloggers Make on Average?
Income levels can vary greatly depending on the size and scope of a blog, so it’s important to consider all the variables.
While some food bloggers bring in 6 figure incomes, they didn’t achieve those results overnight, and have spent years getting to that level.
However there are many bloggers out there, across a wide variety of food niches, that make a full time income from a blog they originally started as a hobby (I’ll show you examples below).
Which is great news for new food bloggers!
(if you’re curious, you can find the income reports for my equestrian niche blog here to compare).
How Do Food Blogs Make Money?
There are three main income sources for food bloggers:
Advertising Revenue
For any blog with a large audience, ad revenue can be a solid (and mostly passive) income stream.
While some bloggers choose to sell their own advertising space, most choose to join an ad network.
Some of the best ad networks for food bloggers are Mediavine, AdThrive, Google Adsense and Media.net.
(My equestrian blog has been with been with Mediavine since July 2018, and I highly recommend it for any niche! See my income reports for details.)
Sponsored Posts
For bloggers with a smaller audience, working with sponsors can be a great way to get started earning an income.
The one major advantage a small food blog has is a targeted audience.
Brands are willing to pay top dollar to have their product in front of an audience that is already highly interested in a particular food niche.
Check out my post Niche Blogging Income – 5 Steps to Sponsored Posts for more tips and strategies.
Affiliate Marketing
By recommending products they already use and love, food bloggers can earn passive income by sharing their affiliate links.
Amazon.com is loaded with cooking ingredients and tools that everyone needs. Just by sending their traffic over, bloggers can earn a percentage of the sales.
For more popular affiliate programs for food bloggers, check out this helpful post by Pickled Plum: 11 Best Affiliate Programs for Food Blogs
If you want to start earning quickly, I also highly recommend checking out Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. After taking this course, adding a passive income stream your blog is a piece of cake. Michelle earns over $50,000 a month through affiliate marketing, and she shares all of her best tips in this step-by-step course (it’s helped me earn an extra $1000 this year!). Get started here.
How Much Does it Cost to Run a Food Blog?
While it’s nice to focus on all the money coming in, it’s also important to see the money going out. Here are a few examples of common blogging expenses:
- Web Hosting (I use Siteground)
- Email Service (I use Mailerlite)
- Pinterest Scheduling (I use Tailwind)
- Photography/Video Editing
- Support Staff/Virtual Assistants
- Equipment & Supplies
Food Blog Income Reports
How much money can you make from a food blog? Check out these earning updates from some of the top food bloggers!
How I Made $98.368.78 by Blogging in 2018
Food Blog Income Report 2018: How I made over $5000 monthly in one year of full-time blogging?
Food Blog Traffic and Income Report June 2018 • Salted Mint
Blog Income Report - March 2018
March 2018 Income Report & Food Blog Update
Food Blog Income Report and Traffic: February 2018 + Putting Yourself Out There
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do food bloggers make money on Instagram?
Just like with sponsored posts on a blog, advertisers love to have their products in front of an engaged, targeted audience.
Watch for words like #ad, #sponsored, #partner to see which of your favorite food bloggers are making money on Instagram.
Do food bloggers get free food?
Yes! Samples are often sent to bloggers in hopes of appearing in a featured recipe or their social media feed.
How do I start a food blog?
Once you’ve chosen a niche and a domain name, you’ll need a hosting company that can set you up on WordPress.
If you want to make blogging your business (even if you’re starting small) I highly recommend choosing a web host that focuses on speed, uptime, and customer support (without blowing your budget).
Siteground has done all of those for me (including 100% uptime!) and has really helped take my blog to the next level. Check out their Managed WordPress Hosting here.
They can also get you set up with a domain name if you’re starting from scratch, and make it a breeze to get your blog up and running!
Not sure which type of blog is right for you? Check out these posts:
How Much Do Travel Bloggers Make?
How Much Do Fashion Bloggers Make?
Have you ever thought about starting a food blog?
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