Why the Holidays are the Best Time of the Year for Food Bloggers

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Learn why the holiday season is the best time of the year for food bloggers and how you can capitalize on the holiday season to boost your blog traffic and revenue. I even provide three ways to give your blog a boost during the holiday season and five newsletter pop-up ideas to build an audience of super fans!

Why Are the Holidays Magical? … Especially When It Comes to Food Blogs and Making Money 

It’s no secret that the end of the year is a crazy time in the corporate world. With Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas, and the New Year, cash flow is everywhere, and capitalism booms. 

Why should food bloggers care? Because centered around every holiday is lots and lots of food! 

In fact, quarter four is such a lucrative period that many bloggers gear up for it in the same ways as some of the biggest companies out there. Okay - maybe not quite that seriously, but it is a time of all hands on deck for food bloggers and their teams. 

With endless parties and celebrations, more people than ever are looking up recipes and edible gifts, driving traffic like never before. On top of that, brands typically save up big bucks to spend on holiday campaigns, and influencers are one of the first places they look! 

Not to mention, it’s typically super cold outside, meaning readers are inside, often on their computers and phones scrolling social media, looking up holiday inspiration on Pinterest, and reading newsletters, too. 

If the proper strategies are implemented, that can mean hugely boosted site views, engagement, and revenue for you! 

Some of the best money-makers for food bloggers during the holidays include: 

  • Ads on blog posts (via Adthrive or Mediavine)

  • Affiliate links in blog posts, on social media, or in newsletters (Be careful with this last one - not every newsletter platform allows affiliate links!)

  • Monetized videos via YouTube or embedded into blog posts and recipe cards

  • Brand deals on social media, in newsletters, or on blog posts

  • Increased sales on your own products (ebooks, cookbooks, courses, food, etc.) 

3 Ways to Boost Your Blog This Season

  • Update old relevant blog posts: If you have old seasonal content, it’s time to give it a refresh with updated copy and images. Then, push it to your site’s homepage, and advertise on social media like you would a new post.

  • Hyper-focus on producing new holiday content: While I’m a huge fan of evergreen content, now is probably not the time. Instead, go all in on niched-down holiday recipes. This is especially helpful if you have a diet-specific niche (think vegan or gluten-free) because readers will be searching for recipes they can make for the family.

  • Implement a pop-up email series: Create a holiday-themed newsletter blast with about five different newsletters, pulling recipes from the top-ranking posts on your site. Once subscribed, readers should receive a new newsletter every day for a series of days. This not only positions you as an authority and gains their trust, but it also conditions them to open your newsletters moving forward and has the potential to create lifelong fans! (I’ll give you ideas to implement this below.) 

5 Free Newsletter Ideas to Generate Traffic Like Crazy 

Newsletter pop-ups, also known as quick start guides, are one of the easiest ways to capture emails and build an audience. You can’t just throw up any random recipes, though! 

The key to creating a successful quick-start guide is to make it relevant and actually helpful. You want to pull out all the stops, giving away your best content and tips for FREE. The more value you provide, the more likely readers are to come back. 

Some of the holiday pop-up themes that I’ve seen generate huge success (I’m talking 50% open rates and thousands of followers gained) include: 

  • My EXACT Thanksgiving Menu

  • 5 Days of Gluten-Free Cookies

  • 5 Homemade Candy Recipes for Halloween 

  • Your Complete Guide to Christmas Dinner

  • Cocktails for Every Occasion 

Have questions about how to grow or capitalize on your blog during the holidays? Want to know more about quick start guides? Let’s chat in the comments below! 

And if you’re looking for help this holiday season, check out my offers, or inquire to work with me. I’d love to help!