Episode 808: My Traffic Is Down 40% – Here’s What I’m Doing About It With Megan and Taryn Solie

EBT808 – Taryn & Megan

[00:00:00] Megan Porta

What do you do when the thing you’ve relied on for years suddenly stops working? Over the past couple of years, I’ve watched my Google traffic steadily decline and my ad revenue drop by 40%. I have had to make some really difficult decisions. I’ve had to simplify my business and rethink nearly everything I thought I knew about growth.

In this episode, my community manager, Taryn Solie, joins me for a candid conversation about what that journey has looked like, from cutting expenses and embracing AI to leaning into video, following intuition and finding unexpected opportunities in the middle of uncertainty. If your traffic is down, your business feels shaky, or you’re wondering what comes next, this conversation is for you.

[00:00:45] Intro

Hi food bloggers. I’m Megan Porta and this is Eat Blog Talk. Your space for support, inspiration and strategies to grow your blog and your freedom. Whether that’s personal, personal, professional, or financial, you are not alone on this journey.

[00:01:01] Megan Porta

Hello Taryn. We’re doing things a little backwards today and we’ll talk about that in just a minute.

But how are you?

[00:01:07] Taryn Solie

I’m good, how are you?

[00:01:09] Megan Porta

I’m doing good as well. I just watched my 19 year old get into a car with his girlfriend and smooch her. So a big happy smile on my face. It’s so adorable.

[00:01:19] Taryn Solie

It’s adorable.

[00:01:20] Megan Porta

Yeah. Friday, summer Friday. I’m excited to chat with you. I usually don’t do interviews on Fridays, so it’s kind of like a light, you know, summary mood today, which is kind of fun. But we’re going to talk today about something really real and I think a lot of people can relate to this issue.

I’m going to share just a little bit about what my business has been going through in the last year. I’ve experienced some traffic loss and revenue loss and kind of how I’ve navigated that because I really think this can help people, I don’t know, just navigate their own journeys. It’s a pretty widespread issue.

As you know, a lot of people are experiencing this during this weird time that we’re in. So that’s going to be our conversation today and Taryn is joining me just to have a conversation about it as opposed to me just throwing out a solo episode. So thank you for joining me. Taryn, do you want to give people a little bit of info about who you are?

What do you do for Eat Blog Talk, etc?

[00:02:20] Taryn Solie

Yeah, definitely. So, hello. So, so happy to be here. I think this is going to be a really good conversation. But first, yes, my name is Taryn. I am the community manager for Eat Blog Talk, which I’ve been doing for two, three years.

[00:02:35] Megan Porta

I’m not even three, I think.

[00:02:38] Taryn Solie

I think. Yeah.

[00:02:39] Megan Porta

And I love it.

[00:02:40] Taryn Solie

It’s fantastic. I help manage the community in general, which typically involves the Inner Circle and the Slack group, as well as helping out with the mastermind and just really supporting members of the Eat Blog Talk community. So that’s great. And then I also have my own food blog, Hot Pan Kitchen, which I started in 2017.

So I’m coming up really close on 10 years next year.

[00:03:06] Megan Porta

Yeah. Crazy.

[00:03:07] Taryn Solie

And I focus mostly on grilling food, like grilling recipes there. So, yeah, I mean, just very, very high level.

[00:03:16] Megan Porta

Yeah. Amazing. Well, thank you for sharing all of that. So, I guess we can just start having a conversation about this very real issue.

[00:03:26] Taryn Solie

Yeah. Like, I want. I want to give you lots of good questions because I think that people love hearing from you, Megan. That’s why they listen. Right. So, I think, like, the overall thing is, you know, traffic is down for many, many people, and including you and including me. And by traffic, I mean Google traffic, particularly.

So today we want to talk about, you know, how you have been navigating that in your business and what’s changed, what you’ve learned. And, you know, you are always an optimistic person. So I think it would be good for people to hear why you are optimistic about, you know, the future in general.

So I guess maybe the best place to start is with your traffic and what it’s looked like over the past couple of years.

[00:04:19] Megan Porta

Yeah. So first of all, if you don’t know, I’ve had a food blog since 2010, so it’s a really old blog. I started out just like everyone else back in that era, kind of just putting up all kinds of recipes. So I did like salads, you know, main dishes. I mean, it was all across the board, desserts, everything.

[00:04:37] Megan Porta

So I have so much content on my site, and in recent years, I’ve just kind of felt like that hasn’t been serving me well. So I’ve really tried to narrow my focus because you always hear when you niche down, that’s where the success is. And it’s just been confusing to me. Like, I haven’t really known how to niche down.

I’ve tried really hard, and every time I try, it’s like, I don’t know, like comfort food. That’s what it all comes back to. And that’s not niche at all. There’s so much th

at can be included in comfort food. So I’ve just noticed this decline in traffic, specifically over the last, I would say two years, maybe not quite two years, a year and a half or so.

It’s just been kind of steadily declining, the Google traffic. Like you mentioned, Taryn, and it just felt like I needed to figure some stuff out if I wanted to turn it around. [JC(1] So, yeah, I guess your question was that’s, you know, how has my traffic looked? That’s how it’s been looking. A very gradual decline that has not really gone back up.

[00:05:44] Taryn Solie

Yeah. And I think too, like, you are such like a positive mindset person and I know you focus a lot on mindset, so how did you kind of. Or how have you been kind of navigating the mindset of that when you’re like, oh my gosh, my traffic is declining? Like, what was your mindset like and how are you dealing with it? I guess, like, mentally.

[00:06:06] Megan Porta

Yeah, I mean, it’s hard, obviously. I think anyone listening who sees the traffic decline knows how much work they put into this business. And to see it decline over time is really discouraging. So I’m not going to lie, I’m not going to sit here today and be like, oh, I’m fine. It was great.[JC(2] 

You know, like, it really, it sucks. Especially a business like mine that’s so old and I mean, the love, sweat and tears I put into this business, it. It sucks. It really does. So with that said, I do tend to look at the positive side of things and I, I understand where we’re at.[JC(3] 

Like, things are changing. We all know that the landscape of food blogging and content creation is, has never been more, I don’t know, like, unsteady. We just don’t know where it’s going. There’s so many new things thrown at us all the time, it seems like daily. So I’ve kind of navigated both, like the decline.

Yes, I see it, but I also know the terrain we’re walking in and I know that change is inevitable. When you’re in something long enough, you’re bound to experience change. That’s just, it’s like a given of life. Like, we all know this. So I’m just, I think I’ve handled it with grace. Like, I, I know that things are not going to look the same as they have been looking.

I’m not going to be able to rely just like the rest of us on Google traffic like I once did. So I just need to pivot. And I think that we all need to adopt that mindset of maybe grieving a little bit for the way things were and how easy things used to be with ad revenue, you know, and also pivoting and being able.

Being willing to adjust our strategies and our mindsets and just having a little bit more resilience. So I’ve. I don’t want to dismiss the grief part of it because it. It’s hard and it’s sad, but we’ve got to move forward. Oh, can I share one thing? I heard this line on. What’s that show?

It’s the Jon Hamm show on Apple.

[00:08:20] Taryn Solie

Oh, I. I haven’t watched Your Friends and Neighbors. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:08:24] Megan Porta

Okay. And this, this. This line came up. So his sister in the show, like, he’s going through all these changes, and she says, turn and face the strange. And he’s like, what? She’s like, you know, that David Bowie song Changes. There’s a line in there that says, turn and face the strange. And ever since I heard her say that, I have just.

I’ve had it in my mind. We all need to do that, not just in food blogging, but in life. Like, turning and facing the uncomfortable, weird things is the only way to move forward. And it has been literally my motto, like, 50 times a day. I’ve just been saying it because outside of work, things are also strange, like in our house and beyond. So. Yeah, Yeah, I just love that line. I wanted to share it.

[00:09:08] Taryn Solie

That’s a really good line. And I think, too, I’ve heard something similar where it’s like, essentially, face your fears, right? But like, lean into the discomfort, lean into the fear. That’s where the growth happens. And I think particularly anyone who’s. Whose blog is on the decline, but really anybody in general, you know, if you’re looking for growth, you have to lean into the strange.

You have to lean into the fear in some way to. What is that other phrase? Like, if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got, you know? So anyway, I’m sure we could just keep throwing idioms out.

[00:09:44] Megan Porta

I know you get the gist, but, yeah, it’s very important to do that. Yeah.

[00:09:48] Taryn Solie

Yes.

[00:09:48] Megan Porta

Grieve first and then. And then lean in. Yeah.

[00:09:52] Taryn Solie

Yes, exactly. So, okay, well, you brought up pivoting, so let’s maybe move on to that. Like, what. What does that look like? I know you are very good at trusting your gut, and so what was your gut telling you how to pivot? Or was it. And you were like, you had to search it out. I don’t know.

[00:10:16] Megan Porta

Yeah, I run my business heavily by intuition. And, and a little data too. But I, like, you’ve known me for a long time. I’m always like, my gut tells me this. You’re like, okay, you got to lean into it. So last fall, things were still going down, despite the holidays coming up, which is usually when things are going back up.

[00:10:37] Megan Porta

So. So I just thought, oh, gosh, this doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel like previous years. Everything was just kind of all over the place. So I just had this gut feeling that I needed to lean heavy into video and social media, which is not something I’ve ever had the thought to do before.

[00:10:57] Megan Porta

I have loathed social media in the past. I’ve avoided it. I avoided it for six years. Taryn. I had an Instagram account long time ago and I did not personally publish anything on that account for six years. So I, I avoided it. But simultaneously I also had this kind of like burning passion to just get, like, dig in and see what I could do with it, which shocked the crap out of me.

I was like, where is this coming from? This is so weird. So I listened and I kind of shelved a lot of the other things I was doing. Like, I cut back on blog posts, I cut back on a lot of the normal Q4 things I would be doing. And I put a lot of energy into YouTube and creating long form video and then short form video for Instagram.

And then I also publish on TikTok and YouTube Shorts. So that has been my main focus and pivot ever since then. And yeah, I, I think I. For me, that was just kind of what felt right. Um, I know other people lean into like brand work or something, but it just feels like I needed to kind of shuffle my foundation around a little bit and restructure and that felt like the right thing to do.

Video, I know, is so huge right now. And I just feel like you can’t go wrong if you build a solid business with a blog and video and social media. So that’s kind of where I’m at.

[00:12:28] Taryn Solie

Yeah. And then, I mean, yes, I agree. I think video is also something that I’ve been leaning into. And I agree with all of what you’re saying. I think where I have gotten frustrated in the past and where a lot of people get frustrated is they don’t see results quickly. And a lot of the time that, like most things of blogging, it’s very difficult to see results quickly.

But what, what did you, what was your experience? Did. Did you see results quickly? Did you not? How did you handle that? That sort of thing.

[00:13:00] Megan Porta

Okay, I, I mean, I think everyone needs to, like, just know this. It is a time when you’re not going to see results quickly, and if you do, you’re the anomaly. And it’s great and I’m happy for you, truly, but it’s just not a given. You’ve got to commit to something that hopefully aligns with something you enjoy and just keep doing it, show, keep showing up over and over and over and over until you seem like you might be crazy, other people might think you’re crazy, but if you just keep doing it and if your gut tells you you got to keep going, and if you’re seeing little signs of progress or success and you just have that feeling like, this is what my business needs, you just can’t give up.[JC(4] 

Because, I mean, if we’re basing like success on follower count on Instagram, no, I have not found success. But if we are basing success on am I improving my reach? Yes, by a lot. Am I learning and growing? Oh my gosh, I’ve learned so much. Not just about how to put together a short form video, but what, like, kind of audience psychology behind why people scroll and stop and watch.

It is so cool the things you learn when you really just commit to letting it play out. You know that graphic where it’s like someone’s digging for gold and then they stop right before the gold and you can see they gave up that. I feel like so many people do that because they don’t see, quote, progress, but progress is happening.

Even though you don’t feel it or you don’t see it, it is, it’s happening. So just keep going. That’s been another one of my mottos. Like, just keep going.

[00:14:48] Taryn Solie

Well, and I think too, you know, like, look for the small wins, right? Like you could. And that goes back to mindset, right? Like, you can look for the negatives or you can try and look for the positive. And that, that is not to say don’t stop and evaluate because you don’t want to just keep going forever with no return.

[00:15:05] Taryn Solie

Like, there’s there. You need to, like, decide, you know, the point. And I don’t know, did you have that in mind ahead of time or is it like, maybe this is a kind of a moot point because you, you know, we’re saying you follow your gut and you trust your gut to tell you when it is enough or when it’s not, I take it?

[00:15:25] Megan Porta

I mean, I, I rely heavily on that gut feeling. But you, you also have to, you know, like know if it’s working. I think we talked about this in our mastermind group last week. Actually, this topic was really great. We were talking about like, you know, how to determine what a good ROI is and when to stop a project, when to keep going and all of that.

And we were talking about like, okay, let’s say you give a project in your mind, like I’m going to give it six months and see if it works. And then six months is up. What do you do? And my point was you, you already kind of know, like when you’re getting close to the six months, you have little clues that you’ll see that tell you if you should keep going.

Like little data points. For me on Instagram, like, were things improving over time? Absolutely, yes. Was I learning more? Absolutely, yes. Did you know, was YouTube, were those numbers looking good? Were people commenting? Were people engaging? So you have those little nuggets, I think, to kind of back up your data that tell you whether you should keep going or throw in the towel.

Like if, if nothing would have happened within six months, if I would have felt like I haven’t learned anything, nobody’s engaging with my content, my reach is going down or whatever. Like that probably would have been a sign to maybe pivot somewhere else. But yeah, you know, you can kind of see when things are trending up and down well.

[00:16:50] Taryn Solie

And I like, to your point of having like check ins and then you do a gut check and that is like, I’ve tried several different things and that is I’m like, I’m going to give myself six months and then, and then maybe I’ll see if I’m ready to give it up. And most times it’s like, nope, not ready yet.

I said it was going to be six months, but I’m going to go for another six months and then I’m going to go for another 6 months because I just, yeah, for whatever it is, I don’t feel ready to give it up. And it sounds like that’s sort of similar to what you’re saying.

[00:17:18] Megan Porta

Yeah, and I think some people get caught in a trap. Like if they reach six months and maybe there isn’t any data show showing that things are working, but they’re like, but I put in this much time, how could I possibly give up now? That sort of thing, then they just, they keep going anyway.

So I think you have to be realistic with yourself. Like, am I continuing this project because just because I said I would and I put in so much time, or am I continuing it because I feel. Feel it in like, if there’s a story stirred up passion inside of me and the data is showing it.

So I think you just have to kind of step outside yourself a little bit too.

[00:17:59] Taryn Solie

Yeah. And I think too, what you just said about data, there’s actually, I have like two, I guess, questions for you regarding that. One is like, learning. Like, you’re. Are you. Where did you kind of look to. To learn how to do some of this stuff? Because I know that some. Something that trips people up.

And then also in the mastermind and other places, you know, you have mentioned you really are looking at the data, which I’m sure has been part of the process of learning as well. So can you talk a little bit about those things?

[00:18:36] Megan Porta

Yeah, I think whatever venture you’re on, the really good thing about living in this time is that every platform has amazing analytics. You have access to, like, every number you can ever imagine. So whether it’s YouTube or Instagram or Facebook or whatever, you can go in and access all the data. Like, it’s crazy the information you can get access to.

So I’ve just. I mean, at first, to answer your question, I didn’t have a plan. I was just like, I’m just going to do this and kind of dive in the deep end and. And I did. I was just putting up stuff. I looked back at my. My reels and my content from last September the other day, and I was like, oh, my gosh, this was so.

It was so bad. I. And I thought it was good. Do you ever do that where you. You look back and you’re like, I remember what I was thinking when I published this, and I thought it was really, really good. And it sucks so bad.

[00:19:33] Taryn Solie

Yeah.

[00:19:33] Megan Porta

Oh, my gosh. So, yeah, I mean, it was kind of embarrassing what I did. I just, like, I’m putting it all out there. I don’t care. I’m just going to get started. But then once you get into it, you’re like, wait, is this actually working? And then you start kind of digging into the numbers.

So for Instagram, I just figured out kind of what their algorithm favors. So, you know, skip rate. And there are other factors as well. And then I was like, okay, this is a good skip rate. So I tried to get below 30% is ideal. And then it’s like, well, how do I do that?

Okay, well, it’s focusing on the first two seconds. Okay, well, how do I do that? Like what? You know, like kind of going down a rabbit hole a little bit. Like first figuring out what’s important in the data. And then, like, literally all you need to know is, step one, skip. If you’re just focusing on skip rate for Instagram, great.

Where do you go from there? How do you make that better? And then you just go down the rabbit hole. So that’s kind of what I’ve done with every platform. I’ve done it with YouTube as well, and it’s served me well. Like, it. It really does pay to look at those analytics.

[00:20:40] Taryn Solie

And that can be hard or even discouraging sometimes, too. Cause you’re like, oh, gosh, this is. I’m not getting it. Right. Right. I mean, like, I’m assuming you. But did you have any of those thoughts, you know?

[00:20:51] Megan Porta

For a long time, you guys, I published pretty much daily on Instagram and YouTube for three straight months. And I got. I mean, it was like, nowhere. I wasn’t going anywhere, and I wasn’t really looking at the data quite yet. Not really deeply yet at that point. So maybe when you’re just starting, that’s good advice to just put stuff out there and show up and learn.

Like, commit to maybe learning for a couple of months before you dig into the data. Because if I would have looked at my data, then I. I don’t know that I would have continued because it was really bad. It was really bad data. But then after that, once I’m like, okay, I

I’m onto a niche. I’ve kind of figured out a style, like who I am as a video creator. Then I felt comfortable digging into the data. So be careful with that. Don’t do it too soon.

[00:21:51] Taryn Solie

I think, yeah, that was what I was going to ask next was like, when did things start to click? Like, at. What was kind of the progression of like, okay, you’re trying, you’re trying, you’re trying. And then, oh, you’re hitting on something and people are responding to it and that sort of thing.[JC(5] 

[00:22:10] Megan Porta

Yeah. I had a pivotal moment with Instagram in February. So I had been publishing nearly daily content to the platform since the beginning of October. And it was just like, oh, my gosh, I’m doing this over and over and over. It’s eventually it’s got to click. And I just accidentally published two things in a row that were in the Instant Pot and that were both desserts and a previous version of Megan in, like, circa 2018.

I used to do Instant Pot desserts all the time. And it was like one of my loves I loved it. And just by accident, I did two in a row and they both did. Crushed it. I was like, what? This is insane. So I was like, oh, my gosh. I think I need to lean into that and just see if there’s something to that, because it speaks to me.

Like, it’s not just a random, you know, it’s not like dips or whatever. It was actually something that I love doing. So I did. I leaned heavily into that, and lo and behold, it turned out to be something Instagram really liked and also YouTube really liked.

So I think you just need to keep trying stuff. If, if something is not working, don’t be afraid to experiment and keep trying new things. If it’s not working, it doesn’t mean that you’re, you know, you’re not going to be a success on Instagram or fill in the blank. Maybe there’s just some hidden niche that you haven’t found on the platform or a certain angle or a certain hook or a certain way to express you.[JC(6] 

[00:23:43] Megan Porta

Or maybe it’s that you’re not showing up on camera enough. Just keep digging. I think, yeah, that would be my biggest piece of advice on that.

[00:23:52] Taryn Solie

Yeah, I think that’s. I mean, I think that’s really good. And I think to your point about, you know, you. You tried a lot of different things for a long time. Right. And my hunch, and correct me if I’m wrong, is you weren’t necessarily like, I have to post every day because that’s what the algorithm wants, but more of, I have to post every.

Or not I have to, but I’m going to post every day because I need test out and find what works.

[00:24:20] Megan Porta

Yes, yes, exactly. And I loved the experimentation of it. And once I got into the Instant Pot desserts, like, creatively, I felt just reengaged in a new way. Thank God, because I was doing, like, all these things I wasn’t. I wasn’t particularly passionate about, like, I don’t know, potato soup. And, I mean, potato soup for some people is, I’m sure, great, but it just wasn’t lighting me up.

I was like, gosh, how much more can I do? Like, baked potato chips and baked sweet potato chips. And I was doing all these things, like, what is it? So once I found that, I was like, oh, okay, this is great. This is like new fuel for the fire. And then I just haven’t stopped since.

I have so many ideas. I want to keep going and I want to publish every day. And I. I get so excited to see, like, okay, did that hook work? Did this content work? Like Instant Pot sundae sauce? Is that working? Or a fudge? Like, you have to find that thing eventually that stirs a passion in your soul.

If you don’t, it’s just drudgery and you’re eventually just going to want to stop.

[00:25:26] Taryn Solie

Yeah. And I think too, you. You’ve talked. I think this was in the mastermind and about, like, this style. This is getting a little bit into the weeds, but I think people will be interested because you’ve talked about, like, the style, like, focusing, and that’s a data point. Right. It’s like, okay, I’m going to try this style or I’m going to try this style.

And. And you’ve gone back and forth and you had some old or different video that you’re like, oh, let me try and see if this works.

[00:25:51] Megan Porta

Oh, yeah.

[00:25:52] Taryn Solie

And then it didn’t. Do you know. You know what I’m talking about?

[00:25:55] Megan Porta

Yes, I know what you’re talking about. Yep. No, that was a good experiment, too. So my. I have a videographer who comes in once a month to film long form for YouTube. She’s awesome. And we spend the day filming, and then she gives me kind of vertical footage if I want to use them in reels or shorts.

And I just thought, I’m going to take her footage and test it on Instagram just to see, because she’s got, like, the polished lighting, like, everything looks really great. I usually curl my hair on those days and put on makeup. And it’s just. It’s very different from my style. My style is like, the way I look right now in my.

[00:26:35] Megan Porta

Just the corner of my house. And the lighting isn’t always ideal. So I threw up her polished reel material just to see how it would do in my same style. So, like, chunking the reel out in the same way, just her footage, and it bombed it. Like, nobody watched it. It got like, just a handful of views.

I’m like, okay, well, now I know that people are showing up for this lighting. You know me as I am and all of that. So, yeah, that was a good experiment.

[00:27:05] Taryn Solie

Yeah, no, that’s good. And I think that’s important. Like, you just have to. You have to experiment and see what works for sure.

[00:27:11] Megan Porta

Absolutely. Yep.

[00:27:13] Taryn Solie

Is there anything else? I want. I do want to get back to kind of like talking about, like, the business in general, but is there anything else with, like, video or. Or Instagram, YouTube, that sort of thing that you wanted to hit on or tell people about your experience there?

[00:27:30] Megan Porta

I don’t think so. I think everything we talked about, just if that is a nudge for you to. Yeah, just find the thing that lights you up and look at the data eventually and just keep going. I think that’s kind of the main stuff there.

[00:27:46] Taryn Solie

Yeah. Okay, good. So. So, okay, now focusing kind of back on your business overall, because we’re all treating this, you know, as a business, and if it’s not a business for you yet, then, you know, you might be working towards that. So while you’re doing all this video, like, what else is happening in your business?

[00:28:05] Taryn Solie

How are you trying to kind of like, I guess, compensate, you know what I mean?

[00:28:11] Megan Porta

Yeah. Well, the video stuff has been a really great, healthy distraction for me, I think, because as I mentioned, the decline has been continuing. And just to like, let you know how much it’s been declining. So my. My ad revenue right now compared to a year ago is down 40%. And I just ran these numbers before I got on the call with you.

So because of that, I’ve reassessed my business and really decreased my spending. So I have cut back on contractor spending by 55% as, like, compared to a year ago. And I’ve also cut back on tools, apps and plugins, etc, by 35% from a year ago. So I’ve had to really kind of weed my business and clean out things that I just don’t, quote, need.

And I’ve had to downgrade and get rid of apps and software and let go of contractors and decrease hours and all of that. So that’s kind of been a biggie, and it’s been hard. There have been some growing pains with that. But I will say, Taryn, that I feel like things feel so much simpler in a good way.

Like a year ago, I remember just stressing out about email and I don’t know, I just felt stressed. Remember before I went on vacation, I was like, oh, I just need, like two weeks. I can’t look at anything. I don’t feel like that anymore. I feel like I can go on vacation and take time off, but also look at my email because it’s not.

It’s not the same feeling. So I think it was hard, but I’ve. I feel so much lighter because I’ve pulled the weeds of my business, so to speak.

[00:29:59] Taryn Solie

Yeah.

[00:30:00] Megan Porta

So that’s been a big thing. Yeah. Did you have anything about that?

[00:30:04] Taryn Solie

Well, no, I think there’s just. I think there was a lot there. I know, like, you’ve reduced the number of podcasts that you’re doing. And you had already previously mentioned like the mastermind is sunsetting. For now anyway. And, and so both. It’s both Eat Blog Talk and Pip and Ebby, your food blog, right?

[00:30:26] Taryn Solie

You looked at it holistically, everything.

[00:30:28] Megan Porta

Yeah. Yep, absolutely. Yeah. It’s felt, I mean it’s honestly been a little bit liberating. It just like sometimes simplifying things in your business really just provide so much levity. It, I don’t know, I just feel so much better and at ease now versus last year at this time. You know, I don’t. It’s been a good, good change, but a hard change too.

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[00:32:13] Taryn Solie

So one thing that we haven’t really talked about that I think is very topical and you know, we’ve talked a little bit about the mastermind is AI. Right. And that I think AI Overviews tend to, you know, like on Google search, I think people have gotten hit a lot from that. But also people are incorporating AI more and more into their business.

So what, like what has been kind of your, I don’t want to say stance, but like how have you either incorporated it or dealt with it for good or for bad, any of those sorts of things?

[00:32:55] Megan Porta

I think AI is huge and make or break. Like if you’re, if you feel like you’re in a tough spot right now with food blogging. Use it to your advantage. I know it’s taking a lot of the traffic from food bloggers, which really stinks, but there are things that it can do to offload tasks.

I mean, if you just go to AI, your favorite tool, and just say, like, for me, I would say, here’s my situation. My traffic declined by 40% year over year. I need to get rid of, you know, this amount of contract work to come out ahead, blah, blah, blah.

Like, just put in some numbers and. And some basic, like, projects that you work on and maybe things that you need to remove from contractors, et cetera, and use AI to make a plan. And it’s really good at that. It has some really great ideas. I’ll just give you one example, because I did not know this was even possible, but there’s a tool I’ve been paying for.

It’s $444 a year that creates sales pages or landing pages. And I was like, I don’t want to pay that anymore. I am. There has to be a better way, an easier way to create a landing page without hiring a designer. So I went to AI and I said, how do I do this?

And they were like, oh, well, show me the information you need and I’ll write you code. So, yeah, AI wrote me code for my new landing page, and I do have to tweak it. Like, I have to go in and, you know, make sure it’s all good and, like, formatted and everything, and add photos, et cetera.

But there’s. I feel like there’s always a way in this day to do things that you weren’t previously able to do. Like, AI can do a lot of stuff that we don’t even know it can do. So use it. I think that’s my stance.

[00:34:49] Taryn Solie

Yeah. No, I would agree with that. I think if people don’t use it, then it’s. You run the risk of being left behind. Right, Absolutely. So, yeah, I think that’s really good. And you’ve done. This is kind of along the same lines. What is that? AEO audit as well. Right. Did that help?

[00:35:12] Megan Porta

Yeah. Another decision I made this year. So I haven’t really been spending money on my business, but I just had this nudge after I listened to Han. She came into our. She. She was on the podcast. She is from HannahLord.com or SugarYums. You can find her either place. But she talks about AEO or AEO and then AI and how it has affected food bloggers.

And she does AEO, so Answer Engine Optimization audits for food bloggers. And I just, like, I sat on it for a little bit. I was like, I think this is what I need. Because I talked before about how I just knew that my business needed kind of a foundation shake up and rebuild.

And I just, I went for it. So I got her to audit my blog. And it has been amazing. Taryn, I. I could not recommend it more, especially if you’re in a position like I was, where you’re like, what is my niche and where am I going and what am I doing and why am I doing all this stuff?

And everything is declining. And, you know, so it’s just helped to really put clarity into my business. And I do kind of feel like I’m starting at the ground level, like, building from scratch. But that’s good because at least I’m building. So we just defined, you know, like, what are the main categories for my site and what.

What content hubs should I create and what should be my focus and what should I. Noindex and what should I bring back to life and all of that. Finally, I feel clarity about. And not only that, but how the content on my blog relates to other platforms. So kind of how it plays with the content I’m putting on YouTube and Instagram.

Before I did my audit, I felt really hopeless because I was like, why am I putting all this work into Instagram Instant Pot desserts when I only have 20 Instant Pot desserts on my site? And, you know, like, it just didn’t feel like it was cohesive. But Han had such a great perspective, and she was like, Megan, you’re not seeing this.

Like, it is cohesive and here’s why. And I was like, oh, my gosh, thank God. Because I. I just didn’t see it the way she was seeing it. So I feel like we are building from scratch. But it feels so good. Every time I publish now on my blog, I’m like, okay, this has meaning.

It’s so great. I know exactly what videos to make, and it’s been such a great experience.

[00:37:42] Taryn Solie

Oh, that’s good. I’m really glad to hear it. That’s a good. You know, I feel like people can be shy about audits in general, so that it sounds like things are really like, like a fundamental changing for your business by doing that audit.

[00:37:51] Megan Porta

It really was. And I don’t. I don’t know that it’s right for everyone. Like, if you have a really well defined niche and you’ve been diligent and your blog is maybe like less than 5 years old and you’ve been diligent about publishing just what’s in your niche and you, you know, everything is pretty well defined.

I don’t know that you would need it. But if things feel like they did for me, where it was like, where am I going? What exactly am I doing right now, then it might be for you. It’s worth a chat anyway.

[00:38:21] Taryn Solie

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, that’s good. I think that’s really. That’s really interesting. It’s not something that I’ve heard a lot of people have been doing.

[00:38:30] Taryn Solie

Yeah, yeah. Okay. So this kind of. I’m kind of bouncing all over the place, but, you know, that’s fine.

[00:38:38] Megan Porta

No, that’s good.

[00:38:40] Taryn Solie

Yeah, kind of. I’m thinking back again to AI and I know one of the things that I struggle with, and I think a lot of people struggle with, is using it. If they’re using it, still maintaining like your voice and your creativity and all of that sort of thing. So do you have tips or how have you handled, you know, using AI and still maintaining those things?

[00:39:08] Megan Porta

Yeah, I think first of all, it’s so important that you do. You can’t just produce something through AI and copy and paste. I just, you can’t do that. So I, I guess I have little tricks. Like I’ll go in and like, if I’m asking it to help me create an intro for a post that I’m writing and it produces something and I’m like, I give it very specific instructions.

[00:39:30] Megan Porta

So it knows my voice, it has examples about how I write. It knows kind of things I normally say and styles that I write in. So I refer to that. But then I will also, you know, give it the instructions, like, keep AEO in mind. Keep AI tools in mind. Keep SEO in mind.

[00:39:50] Megan Porta

And then the last thing I always do is, have you, Megan? I say, meganized this enough. Like I really want this to sound like me. And then it’s like, you’re right, Megan, let’s go through. And blah, blah, blah. And then I take that and then I just, I go through every word and I like comb through it.

[00:40:08] Megan Porta

And I change some things. Like I like to write with exclamation points. And AI is always like, delete this exclamation point. I’m like, no, that is how I sound and how I write. So yeah, that is. So you really do need to add those little things whether, oh, there was one thing I said the other day where it was like, this literally tastes like whatever.

[00:40:28] Megan Porta

Fill in the blank. And AI kept saying, but people don’t need to know literally what it tastes. And I was like, no, that’s how I talk. Literally talk like that. So stop. But you need to retain those things because people are used to you talking like that or writing like that. So don’t give those things up and make sure it’s helpful, but also make sure that you are in every corner of every sentence.

[00:40:52] Megan Porta

I think that’s so important to say.

[00:40:55] Taryn Solie

Yes, yes, I agree. And I think that is, like, I definitely struggle with that where I. And I think people get really frustrated because they’re like, don’t start all the sentences with and honestly. But honestly, or, you know, yes, honestly.

[00:41:15] Megan Porta

Oh, my gosh, that’s the most annoying one.

[00:41:16] Taryn Solie

And honestly, what’s hard is I will say that sometimes, you know what I mean? So I know there’s a balance.

[00:41:26] Megan Porta

It’s true. Because I do say, like, honestly, I’ll say that. So I’m like, well, that is actually something I might say. But, yeah, let’s scratch that because, yeah, I think people see that and they’re like, oh, that’s AI generated.

[00:41:36] Taryn Solie

That’s AI. Exactly. Okay, so I would think that was helpful. What this is like, again, in the weeds detail, but I think people are going to want to know, do you have a preference for which, like, are you ChatGPT user? Do you use Claude? Do you use both?

[00:41:51] Megan Porta

So I, for. For the longest time was ChatGPT only. And then at Flavor Media this year, everyone was like, oh, my gosh, you have to switch to Claude. It’s the better tool. So I’m kind of experimenting with both right now. I feel like ChatGPT is improving immensely rapidly, but I think Claude is too.

So I don’t. I don’t know. I don’t think there’s really an answer either or. But I think in our industry, a lot of people are using Claude.

[00:42:17] Taryn Solie

Yes, Yes. I think I am also actually in the process of kind of switching over to Claude, although I still have. I still use both. I think there’s some things that ChatGPT. I just. If I’m really like, I don’t know what I want to do or I don’t know how I want to write this, I will use both and be like, okay, which one is going to give me a better result?

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Have you. This is getting in the weeds, but have you done like, do you use like in Claude? They’re like skills and projects and ChatGPT. I think there’s like, agents and I don’t know what all the terms are, but, like, are you using that? Like, have you found that beneficial or are you not there?

[00:43:00] Megan Porta

Yes, I’ve used all of those features in ChatGPT. I’m not quite there with Claude, but like I said, I’ve heard people are using them and they love those features in Claude as well.

[00:43:11] Taryn Solie

Yeah, awesome. Good. Okay, so I guess going back out, is there anything else you want to say about AI before we kind of like, go back out to the macro level?

[00:43:20] Megan Porta

I think so. I think those are the important points.

[00:43:25] Taryn Solie

Okay, so then kind of looking at what your business and your life look like today versus a year or two or more. Or more. More ago, you know, how are you feeling about it? What’s really changed? Yeah, let’s start with those. Yeah,

[00:43:48] Megan Porta

Like I said a little earlier, like, it’s simpler. Everything is simpler. I feel like there are days when I sit down at my computer now and I don’t have anything pressing to do. I used to obsess over email and be like, oh, my gosh, I can’t handle all of this. Most days I’ll sit down and be like, there’s nothing I really need to respond to.

And that feels good. I am totally fine with that. So it feels simpler. It feels way less messy. It feels like this past year has been hard in certain ways. You know, it’s never fun to watch things decline and to have to get rid of contractors, but in so many ways it feels.

Everything feels like, okay, this is more aligned. And maybe, maybe this is what was meant to be all along for me just to kind of shake things up. And sometimes I feel like we get in ruts where we’re just doing things because we’ve always done them and paying for tools we’ve always paid for.

And, like, why. Maybe there’s a better way. So I really feel like this year, although hard, has been very enlightening, and I don’t think it’s done. I think there’s more aligning to come. So, yeah, I don’t know. That’s kind of in a nutshell, how I’m feeling. And that carries over from business and to my life all across the board.

I feel less stressed, I feel more peaceful, less pressure, less hurried, and, like, I can take vacation in time without completely freaking out, which has been one of my traits in the past. So it feels really good.

[00:45:34] Taryn Solie

That’s good. So, I mean, it sounds like there’s a lot of, well, a sense, kind of like peace around where you’re at now with your business.

Is there anything that you’re really. And maybe we can infer this a little bit from our discussion, but is there anything that you’re really excited about, like, where your business is going?

[00:45:55] Megan Porta

Oh, what a good question. I think I’m still feeling so excited about video and kind of what shape that is going to take. I actually have no idea. I’ve had a few people ask me who are very ROI focused, like, what is your plan? Like, you know, blogger friends, so they can ask me that.

And I’m like, I don’t really have a plan. I’m just kind of following the fun and the joy. And I know it’s gonna lead somewhere really cool. I just. I just know it is. So I just want to keep following those things that excite me and that feel good. I’m not doing the things that don’t excite me anymore, like, just taking them off my plate.

[00:46:45] Megan Porta

So following the joy, following a little bit of data. So I don’t really have a plan. Sorry, Taryn. I don’t know. Just excitement, I guess. Like, following the excitement is my answer to that.

[00:46:49] Taryn Solie

No, that’s good. I think that’s fair. And I think. I mean, you don’t want to never have a plan, but I think it’s fair that if you have built up your business in such a way that you can have a little bit of time to follow the joy and follow your gut and that sort of thing, like, then that’s great.

I think that’s ideal, right? Kind of along those lines.

[00:47:11] Megan Porta

Well, can I throw something back at you?

[00:47:12] Taryn Solie

Yeah.

[00:47:15] Megan Porta

Can I throw a question? Okay, so with that in mind, that just brought up a question. Question that I don’t have an answer to. But yeah, like, more established businesses. You know, like, if you’ve been blogging for over five years or something and it’s kind of. There’s a little bit of momentum going so you can play a little bit.

So what would the advice be now for more less experienced bloggers? So someone who just started their blog three years ago, who’s maybe just monetized and they feel like they do have a plan. Like what? Yeah. What would advice be for them in the. In that situation? Do you have any thoughts on that?

[00:47:52] Taryn Solie

And they’re experiencing traffic decline. Is that what you’re…

[00:47:55] Megan Porta

Yeah, yeah. Like they’re in the same boat. Like, ooh, things are going down. I don’t really know what to do. And maybe there’s a little bit of panic.

I mean, I think. Are you, do you want me to try and answer this question? I can try, yeah.

[00:48:08] Megan Porta

I would love to just chat with you about it. So what do you think?

[00:48:14] Taryn Solie

I mean, I don’t think I have the best answer either. But the thing that I would say is there’s like, if it were me and I were in that situation, I would, there’s a couple like gut checks that I would do. Right. And one is, do I want to continue is kind of the first gut check.

Right. And I think that that’s a very honest gut check and it’s okay to say yes and it’s okay to say no, you know, and that’s. I. Many food bloggers I know have that gut check and ask themselves that question often than more often than people probably think. And that’s just honest and real.

So that’s the first thing. I think the other thing is, and this has always been a big topic is, is, you know, revenue diversification and where, you know, if you are two or three years in and you have, you know, you just started maybe with an ad company and that’s your only revenue, are there other things that you can do and that could be blogging related or in like your normal life, right.

Like if, if you are looking to increase your income because you’re like, oh dear Lord, I need, I need income. You know, evaluating where else can you get income? What skills do you have, whether again whether they’re blogging related or not, to try and build up a little bit of like, I don’t want to say a nest egg, but like, you know, build up your comfort level so that maybe you can go and explore other things that aren’t going to bring it like with your food blog that aren’t going to bring in revenue right away, but are, you know, longer term revenue streams that I guess that would, which is, you know, a really, it’s a hard answer.

I don’t know if that there is one solid answer, but that’s, that would be my suggestion. What about you?

[00:50:14] Megan Porta

I like that. No, that brought up something that I’ve just been thinking about too lately and that is if you don’t know where to lean with diversification, think about your brand and trying. Because I think right now brand diversification is so important. It trumps everything. We’re in an age where like it’s not just about the blog or it’s not just about Instagram or social media, it’s everything.

It’s like the big picture. So how can you diversify on, you know, in video, on YouTube, etc. And thinking about that and knowing it’s going to be long term and just like we were talking about earlier, just keep showing up and putting in the work day after day, month after month and it’s going to pay off.

And then what you said, just maybe finding something that aligns with your skills and your passions and making a little extra money, maybe that’s freelancing or, I don’t know, brand work or, you know, because some of those lesser known things outside of ad revenue. So yeah, I loved your answer or

[00:51:19] Taryn Solie

even I think too, you know, there’s, I mean this is getting like real in the weeds, but I think that, you know, there’s things that you can do or someone can do that are, you know, like, this is a really random suggestion. But you know, maybe if you are working from home, if you’re a food blogger who’s working from home.

And one thing that I’m trying to think of, like, okay, what would I do if I were in this situation where I’m like, we need money and I, I’m not able to find work or whatever, you know, I work from home. Like, maybe I can dog sit, maybe I can get on Rover.

[00:51:55] Megan Porta

Supplementing.

[00:51:56] Taryn Solie

Yeah, supplementing. In that way watch somebody’s kid for an afternoon twice a week. I don’t know, I mean, this is like real spitball in here. But I guess my point in saying that is think outside the box because it’s, you know, if you are in that really tough situation and there are people who definitely are, you know, maybe you can do that to get yourself through to the other side.

[00:52:24] Megan Porta

Yeah, I love it. Yep. There’s always a way. Always.

[00:52:28] Taryn Solie

There is always a way. For sure.

[00:52:30] Megan Porta

Thanks for having that conversation with me. That was fun. Anything else did you. That you wanted to talk about, Taryn, as we wrap up?

[00:52:40] Taryn Solie

No, I don’t think so. I think the, the thing that I had in my head that I would say, and this is a little like video or maybe Instagram specific is, you know, that’s something that I’ve been working on and it’s, for me it’s been, I’ve also leaned into video and I think recognizing, like, it’s good to be able to recognize the type of person you are and how you learn and how you’re going to best set yourself up for success.

[00:53:16] Taryn Solie

Because for me, I am. You’re so good, Megan. About like, you’re like, I’m gonna do this, and then you go for it. And for me, I’m like, yeah, for me, I’m like, I’m gonna do it, and then I peter out. And so I really have to. And I think. And there’s lots of different types of people there, but for me, like, for Instagram, I was like, I need to have group of people that I need to learn how to film, because I don’t know how to film.

I need to have a group of people that are going to hold me accountable. I need to be realistic about how much I’m going to add to my workload, because there are things that I need to do to maintain my business, and there are things that I can probably let go for a while.

And you. I mean, you talked about that a little bit. And so I had to. Personally, I had to kind of let go of doing a lot of new blog posts, because the filming and the editing and the posting and all that stuff on Instagram. Yeah, you know, it’s a lot of work.

It’s a ton of work. And so there’s this kind of readjustment period. And I knew I would need support through that in order to. And you can. I could either pay for that support and do it in a shorter time frame or not pay for that support and do it in a much longer time frame.

And I chose to pay and do it in a shorter time frame, which, you know, I was lucky to be able to do that. But those are the types of questions I think people should be asking themselves to help themselves evaluate. Okay, where do I need to go? What do I need to do?

How do I usually work? And what do I think? What supports do I need to get myself there?

[00:54:55] Megan Porta

Yeah, I think that’s a great point. Not to just think something sounds great and to dig in without giving it some forethought because you don’t want to get two months in and like, oh, my gosh, I’ve put. I’ve let everything fall away and now my business is crumbling. You do want to think about it in advance and get supports in place.

And like you said, accountability is huge, too. Maybe you need to join a mastermind or a group of some sort just to have that accountability. So I think that’s great. And use AI too. Like, if you have an idea or some sort of vision for what you want to do. Like, if you want to do what I did, like, okay, I’m going to publish shorts and reels every day for two months.

Great. But don’t just do that without thinking through it. Like, put it into AI. Put your other tasks and projects in there and say, how can I do this so it’s sustainable and kind of, you know, have a plan in your mind so you’re not, you know, throwing in the towel two days in or whatever, so.

Yeah, I’m glad you brought that up too.

All right. So good. And then it just. Maybe we could each give a little final word of encouragement for people in. In the boat where. I mean, I feel like we’ve kind of done this throughout our chat, but if somebody is feeling like, okay, my traffic is going down, down, down, down, I feel so discouraged.

I don’t know. What encouragement would you give them? Just off the top of your head?

[00:56:21] Taryn Solie

I think one thing I would say is. And we kind of said this already, but, like, look for the wins, because if you focus on the negative, that’s what you’re gonna see, right? And you’re just gonna. It’s gonna be this feedback loop. So are there things that you can focus on and look for, like, the small wins, even if they’re, like, minuscule, to help you kind of get out of that mindset?

Because I think that mindset is gonna hurt you in the long run. It’s not necessarily, like, a specific action somebody can take to, you know, but, like. But I think that that’s. That’s maybe the first step.

[00:56:58] Megan Porta

Okay. I love that. That’s great. And then I guess I would say, like, I mean, all the stuff we’ve talked about, but maybe try decluttering your business and just see what happens. Because when I started the whole video fiasco last September, there are things that naturally fell away that I. I just didn’t have time for because I was like, I’m into this video thing, and they’re gone.

Like, they’re. And it’s fine. Like, some things just died away. And I was like, oh, my gosh, I was doing that forever, and I didn’t need to. So really take a fine tooth, fine tooth comb through your business and don’t be afraid to look at things and pass some things off or completely get rid of them for a time just to see what happens, because there’s so much stuff that you’re probably doing and paying for and putting energy into that you don’t need to. So I think that would be. That would be one of my big pieces of advice.

[00:57:59] Taryn Solie

Along the same lines. And maybe this would be the third step. We don’t have to keep going, but I just really quickly is, you know, to your point previously about using AI and that is where I am at now in terms of how can I. Because video and recording and all that stuff is taking up so much of my time and I’m getting better and that time is decreasing.

But what areas of my business can I really use AI in a much better way than what I’m currently using to decrease the amount of time that I’m spending on. Like for me that looks like writing my emails in a much more efficient way. And to do that I’m like building skills in Claude and really working with it to like get my tone and all that sort of stuff and also post updates because I have a bunch of post updates.

I don’t want to totally ignore my website. And so I’m working again with Claude to set up like a really not fully automated, but as close to automated as I’m comfortable with to really get that process going so that it’s working in the background. And I just need like, it only needs like whatever 10% of my brain to get it over the finish line.

So I think that’s another thing that people can do as well. And that takes, it’s hard because it takes time away from your business to work on your business to get that set up. But I think in the long run that’ll pay off for sure.

[00:59:25] Megan Porta

Once you do it. It does pay off. Yeah. Use AI. To use. To use AI and like lean, like lean into it and let it be your business partner or your like consider it your co CEO or whatever you call yourself and just talk with it like, like what you just did. Like, okay, listen, I want to spend this percentage of time less doing this and it’s incredibly powerful when you can see AI as a yeah, like a, a partner in what you’re doing versus like a tool that’s delivering results to you.

[00:59:58] Taryn Solie

Yes. And I will say really fast. Sorry, really fast. No, you’re good at the end since I know we’re getting deeper. We’ve had such a long conversation. It’s been so good. Is one thing that I’ve done. I don’t know if ChatGPT does this. I’m sure it probably does. I’ve been doing it with Claude is when I am like driving my kids to school or when I am on a walk, I will talk to AI.

I use the little microphone button and I’ll talk to AI and you can with Claude, there’s like a little play button at the end of their responses where it’ll read it back to you. So I don’t have to be like, type, you know, because nobody. You shouldn’t be typing. Maybe some people do it, and I’m sure I have done in the past.

But like, ideally you’re not, you know, typing and driving or whatever, those sorts of things. But. Or walking, I guess. Walking and typing. But that has really helped me when I’m. Particularly when I’m walking and I’m thinking and I’m kind of like outdoors and my environment’s different and I’m just like talking through Claude or talking through something with Claude and I, I don’t know, it’s just like a different thought process.

And I, I’m so much faster getting things out verbally than I am typing. So that’s something. If you’re not doing that, think about doing that.

[01:01:16] Megan Porta

Yeah, it makes it so much easier to use. Like sometimes it’ll be daunting. Like, I don’t want to sit down and write out this, this issue or this question or this, whatever problem I’m having. So I’ll just take my microphone and do what you said and just talk through it in like two minutes.

And then it’s like, okay. Oh my gosh, that was so easy. Yeah, that’s a great suggestion. I feel like this episode is. Yeah. Just valuable. I, I think in our time we need a little encouragement. We all do. So hopefully this gives you guys some good little nuggets and some ways to move forward.

And if you have any questions or need any support at all, please feel free to. Free. Feel free to reach out to me and Taryn, Taryn at Eat Blog Talk or Megan at Eat Blog Talk and join the Inner Circle. It is like shameless plug, but it is such a great group. I, I mean, it gets better every month too.

It is so good. It’s a low cost investment and it. I promise you won’t find anything better for food bloggers out there for what we deliver. It’s amazing.

[01:02:22] Taryn Solie

It’s really, It’s a wonderful group of people. For sure.

[01:02:25] Megan Porta

It is. And Taryn does such a good job running it. And you can find that at eatblogtalk.com/focus if you’re interested. Okay. Well, thanks, Taryn. It was so lovely to chat with you today and thanks for listening food bloggers. See you next time.

[01:02:47] Outro

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Eat Blog Talk. If today’s episode sparked an idea for you, snap a screenshot, post it on Instagram Stories and tag me at Eat Blog Talk. I love seeing what resonates with you. I will see you next time.

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