Episode 629: Secrets of Top Instagram Food Creators – Strategies to Build and Monetize Your Audience with Kimberly Espinel

EBT629 – Kimberly Espinel

Intro 00:00

Food bloggers. Hi, how are you today? Thank you so much for tuning in to the Eat Blog Talk podcast. This is the place for food bloggers to get information and inspiration to accelerate your blog’s growth, and ultimately help you to achieve your freedom. Whether that’s financial, personal, or professional. I’m Megan Porta. I have been a food blogger for 13 years, so I understand how isolating food blogging can be. I’m on a mission to motivate, inspire, and most importantly, let each and every food blogger, including you, know that you are heard and supported. 

Supercut  00:37

You are going to want to download our bonus supercut that gives you all the information you need to grow your Instagram account. Go to eatblogtalk.com/Instagrowth to download today. 

Megan Porta  00:52

Do you ever wonder why some food content creators crush it on platforms like Instagram, and why others don’t, and seemingly they’re all working the same amount of time, and they’re all working hard and doing their best well. Kimberly Espinel from the little plantation has some answers for us. She joins me in this amazing episode to talk about her findings from a study she did, she talked to a lot of food content creators about this topic. All of them were highly successful on Instagram, so I think 100k followers or more. She found some common threads that they were implementing in their businesses and in their accounts, and she shares some of those here, she wrote a book putting all of her findings together. So you’re going to want to grab a copy of the book. We’ll talk about it in the episode. Kimberly also shares some core mistakes food content creators make that stops their growth. We talk about a few ways to monetize your Instagram accounts, and I love the actionable steps we end the episode with three things food bloggers can do today to improve their food reels. This episode is gold. You’re probably gonna listen twice, and I really hope you grab her book. I can’t wait to gift her book and get a copy of my own. This is episode number 629 sponsored by RankIQ. 

Sponsor  02:21

Maybe you are eager to join one of the Eat Blog Talk mastermind groups, but not quite ready to make the full investment the Eat Blog Talk accountability group could be the perfect solution for you. For just $34 a month, you will be part of a supportive community that offers weekly accountability check ins a private Slack channel, live productivity sessions and monthly zoom calls with fellow bloggers and me. Megan Porta, we are here to help you stay on track, stay motivated and connected as you build your brand and work towards your big blogging goals. If you are ready to move forward without the pressure of a huge commitment, visit eatblogtalk.com/focus and claim your spot today. 

Megan Porta  03:00

Kimberly is an award winning photographer, best-selling author, creative business mentor and Instagram expert dedicated to empowering food bloggers, photographers and content creators to refine their skills, discover their unique style, and develop a social media strategy that works. Kimberly, hello, it’s so good to have you back on the podcast. How are you doing?

Kimberly Espinel  03:22

I’m fine. Thank you so so much for having me back. I’m super excited to chat with you.

Megan Porta  03:27

Yeah, we have a little bit of a different topic today than your last episode, which we were just talking I think it’s been years since you’ve been on the podcast. So yeah, we have a fresh new topic. We’re going to dig into Instagram strategies that work for food creators, and you have a book that you just published that I’m really excited to learn more about, and I think my audience will be too. But before we get to all that fun stuff, do you have another fun fact to share with us? 

Kimberly Espinel  03:56

Yes, I don’t think I shared this last time. I hope not. So I don’t have a lot of fun facts, but one of the fun facts is I am completely, totally obsessed with interiors. And I have toyed with the idea of starting an interiors a page for years. I just never got around to it. But I love interiors almost as much as I love food.

Megan Porta  04:19

Interesting. So is your house just exactly how you want it to be, how you’ve always dreamed? 

Kimberly Espinel  04:26

Yes, and which is very annoying for the people who live with me tell you, because my son’s like, why can’t I not leave that one cup? It just doesn’t look cute. So I love it. I’m not sure about people that live with, yeah, I love, no, seriously, like, I think just living in a place that feels like a sanctuary in the crazy world that we live in, I think it’s just so just love being at home. I love, you know, the tranquility I have here, and it gives me the strength to do all the crazy things that I do. 

Megan Porta  04:59

I love that. And don’t you feel like it removes mental clutter too, just having a space that is clean and the way you want it.

Kimberly Espinel  05:07

I love it. I mean, I am. I have Marie condos book. I’m obsessed with her. Everything she says, I do like, I just think there’s something about space. And, yeah, space, physical space. And I feel that when I’m in a space that is calming, that’s when I feel the most inspired and creative you know.

Megan Porta  05:27

Yeah, I think people discount that a lot, and then once they do clean up and declutter their space, they realize how empowering it is and how just it’s so powerful to have a space like that. 

Kimberly Espinel  05:41

I just think, you know how much we love beautiful scents, like a gorgeous candle, just those smells, the way things look, the other way the light gets the flow through, if it’s not cluttered, you know, all those things, the textures you have on your sofa, and you know, it’s just, it’s just a feeling you’re not even aware. I think you know, when you go to a beautiful spa or, like, a really nice hotel or restaurant, like, you just feel like a million dollars, and it’s all those little details, and you can just bring that into your home. And I love that. So that’s, that’s my fun fact and my little obsession. I absolutely

Megan Porta  06:17

love that fun fact. Oh, good fun. Okay, so I would love for you, Kimberly, to tell us just a little bit about the little plantation before we get into your new book. 

Kimberly Espinel  06:29

Of course. So I started my blog, the little plantation, all about eating plant based foods, almost 11 years ago, so it’s just over 10 years, 10 and a half years and I started it as a food blog because I was studying to be a nutritional therapist. I wanted to share, like, plant based, vegan, healthy recipes. And then when I picked up my camera and started taking photos for my recipes for the blog, I just fell in love with food photography, and within a year and a half, was getting, you know, hired to photograph, you know, campaigns and blog posts and websites and all the things. So that’s kind of what the little plantation has morphed into, more of a food photography blog where I teach food photography and so on. 

Megan Porta  07:15

Yeah, oh my gosh, your photography is just beautiful. Beyond words. I can’t even, I don’t think I could put words to it. It’s just so so inviting and gorgeous, and that’s probably what your home looks like.

Kimberly Espinel  07:31

Thank you so so much. It’s very kind.

Megan Porta  07:33

Yeah, um, truly mean that. Okay, so you have a little background on your blog. Now I know you made or published a new cookbook very recently. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Kimberly Espinel  07:43

Yes, so it’s not actually a cookbook. And if 

Megan Porta  07:48

Did I say cookbook oh, wow, I’m so sorry. I know it wasn’t a cookbook.

Kimberly Espinel  07:54

No problem at all. Makes complete sense, and that’s really what you think. And it’s very interesting, because when I started the little plantation, the thing, you know, thing that food bloggers were doing, like joy the baker and such, they were publishing cookbooks, and that felt like the thing to do, but it never felt like the thing I needed to do, like I hadn’t written that idea off, but it didn’t feel like The shoe that fit my foot, kind of thing. So I around 2019, 2020, decided that I wanted to write about food photography. There was one book that everybody got and that felt a little dated. It felt like we’d moved on. And you know that I felt that really, really strongly. And when it came last, it was when I published that book, created food photography. And at the time, I approached like 30 or so publishers, and they all said, No, there’s like, nobody’s interested in food photography. This book won’t sell. You know, this is not this. No market for this, etc. And so I decided to self publish that book, and I share this because my new book I publish with a traditional publisher. But the reason they approached me is because they saw my first book, creative food photography, and just loved the way that I wrote and the topic, and they felt that I was the right quote, unquote, expert to take on this new topic, which was about, you know, the boom of food influencers, food content creators, food photographers. And you know why some kind of hit the mark and get millions of followers, and like others, who seemingly do exactly the same never quite make it, and so they saw that book that nobody wanted to publish. And you know, off the back of that, I got this new, this new book deal for my current and brand new book, How to ake your food famous.

Megan Porta  09:47

Yep, that’s a, the perfect reason to just put your stuff out there, no matter what, to make it happen if you can’t find a publisher, do it yourself. I love that you did that. Because it has opened up the doors for this project, which is super important. 

Kimberly Espinel  10:04

Absolutely self-publishing for you know, firstly, it just taught me so much, and also, actually it’s very interesting. Now that I’ve had both experiences, I do feel that there’s another book in me, and I’m not sure that necessarily go with the traditional publisher again, because hard as it was, the self publishing route just gives you more creative freedom, and actually also financially, ends up being much more profitable. So, you know, there’s there’s, but it’s also more work, I have to say. But yeah, so my new book is about what, as I mentioned, like, why are some food content creators, food bloggers, food photographers, just completely taking off, and why, you know, what is it that they’re doing differently than those of us who are kind of stumbling, stumbling along on social media? 

Megan Porta  10:57

So you researched, right? You talked to quite a few food creators before you wrote the book or during writing it. How many people did you talk to? Who did you talk to give us that scoop?

Kimberly Espinel  11:10

Yes. So I spoke to over 40 different creators, and what was really important to me was that, and so the interviews with them are part of the book. So you’ll see, you know, each second, each contributor has like a double spread where they share, they take their insights, and so on. And what was important for me is that I didn’t want to have 40 people who are doing the exact same thing. I didn’t want anybody to pick up the book and be like they share vegan food. I don’t share vegan food, therefore this book doesn’t apply to me. I wanted anyone to pick up the book and find 2, 3, 4, 10 tips that they could relate to, that they could put into practice. So I wanted to find people who were doing things differently, who, you know, didn’t all have exactly the same hook, or all whatever talk to camera, or, you know what I mean, like. So that’s, that’s how I created that list. So everybody had to have at least 100,000 followers. Most of them had many, many more. They needed to be on a growth trajectory, and they all needed to have something unique and something different in how they approach their food content online. So that took a lot of, a lot of research. I took a lot of research. You know, you know, when you have your phone and at the end of the week, it tells you how many hours you’ve been not talking during the research of the book. It was…

Megan Porta  12:34

You’re like, No, no, it’s not true. 

Kimberly Espinel  12:37

It was ridiculous, but it was worth it. I think we I got to, I spoke to some really inspiring people. Yeah, it was, it was very eye opening. And actually, during the time that I wrote the book, over it’s in like a 12 week period, I grew 20,000 followers just applying the tips that I was gathering. So it does definitely work what I that I share. 

Megan Porta  13:01

Okay, this is so juicy. I love that you talk to so many different creators who are doing different things. They came from different niches, they had different personalities. I absolutely love this. So what were some kind of common threads that’s that the most successful creators had in common? 

Kimberly Espinel  13:21

Yes, so the first one that I’m going to share is one that I do not do myself, but I will say this is one that I found a handful of them did. And I would argue that people with the biggest audiences, so a million plus, tend to do this, and that is be really authentic, raw, vulnerable, and, you know, share more of, just say, a food reel, like, there’s more story there. We get to go behind the scenes, or we get to meet the kids, or, you know, the grandparents, or whatever. Like, I feel that the food creators who give us a sense of we’re their best friend. They tend to really, you know, take the crown. So to say, like, they tend to perform the best, the biggest audiences, the most loyal audiences. And I mean, I mentioned Joy the Baker earlier. She’s not one of the creators. I teach it, actually. But, you know, I don’t, I don’t know, follow her, but I do what I often hear people say about her is that they feel that she’s their best friend. You know, like you feel like this connection to her. And I think you know the creators that I featured who are just really running away with the top spot. They they are like that. You just feel like you know them. That’s not to say they share everything. That’s not to say that they don’t have privacy, but there’s a way of them sharing themselves very openly and vulnerably that resonates on a really, really deep level. And that would be my top tip.

Megan Porta  14:56

Interesting, and this is something a lot of people avoid. I know. Assist. People are always like, I don’t want to do videos, reels, whatever, because then I have to be real and vulnerable. But that’s actually the thing that’s going to push them over the edge. 

Kimberly Espinel  15:11

That’s what my research showed for sure. 

Megan Porta  15:13

Yes, so interesting. Okay, what was another common thread you found?

Kimberly Espinel  15:17

So the second thing I would say is this will not come as a surprise, and maybe we’ll chat about this a little bit later on. But most of the creators who were knocking it out of the park were doing video first. So they were going, you know, hard on reels, TikToks, some of them have YouTube channels, like they were putting video before photography. And so that was another really core winning strategy, as it were. 

Megan Porta  15:46

That doesn’t surprise me. I feel like as the years go on, it becomes so much more important video does, right?

Kimberly Espinel  15:53

Yeah, and I think, you know, I specifically put that in the book, like in, you know, exclamation marks, because for my audience, anyways, and you know, the old school food bloggers, so to say we were really photo first, and I feel there’s still a chunk of us who are holding on some photos from life. And I think there’s will always be place for food photography, be it cookbooks, magazines, websites, all the things, right? But I think if you’re reluctant to fully embrace videography, it’s just so so hard right now to really gain traction.

Megan Porta  16:31

Where do people start with that? Because it does seem like such a daunting, overwhelming project. Just to say, embrace video. Do you have to be on all the platforms? Do you think, or do you just start with maybe reels on Instagram. 

Kimberly Espinel  16:42

I think go to the platform that you enjoy consuming content on the most. For me, that’s Instagram. If you’re on Tiktok, if you love Tiktok, then maybe that’s a good place to start. I think YouTube is a whole other ball game, because it’s much more long form content. But if you enjoy that sort of content, that’s more you that can also be the place. So it’s about what plays to your strengths, so what you enjoy the platform you understand best. But I would start with one and then take it from there. 

Megan Porta  17:11

Okay, that way it’s not so overwhelming. You can do one little thing and start and then let it grow. What other common threads did you find? 

Kimberly Espinel  17:20

I would say that most of the people that are doing incredibly well really understand their audience. So they spend a lot of time looking at their stats. They spend a lot of time communicating with their audience. They they have like an avatar. They have somebody in mind, so they will start their hook with that person in mind to talk to a specific pain point, they will design recipes specifically for that particular person. So let’s say I don’t know like you. You speak to busy moms or something like that, they need recipes that are short, quick, easy, fun, you know, feeds family for in a low budget, whatever it is, you know, they really understand who they’re speaking to, and they use that data specifically to work on a super strong hook, a super strong call to action, like a strong storyline. You know, it’s not just like, Oh, let’s see what I’m gonna make today. Or, you know, like they’re really strategic. They think thoroughly about what their audience needs and how to communicate to their audience. So I would say people who are making it are just, they’re as creative as they are business minded, and strategic.

Megan Porta  18:30

Yeah, it’s not just randomly throwing stuff out there, which I feel like a lot of us do for a long time before we figure it out. 

Kimberly Espinel  18:36

We think that we see somebody who’s, you know, crushing it on Instagram and go, everything comes so easily to her. Or, you know, it’s just so easy, but we, but you don’t realize is those people really, they sit down, they plan out their content. They have, they know, okay, it’s gonna be Christmas in the next week. So I need to start, you know, like they have it all planned. You know, I’ve noticed that this story got so many views. I’m going to create a whole series around this recipe, type, you know, like they really are thoughtful, intentional, strategic. That really struck me. 

Megan Porta  19:11

Yeah, it really bothers me when people put out that thought that, oh, they’re just so lucky. Look at them. They have so many followers, or whatever the measurement is, there’s usually some sort of strategy, business strategy, you know, thought, thoughtfulness, that goes behind every success. So just keeping that in mind, it’s not, I mean, there’s some luck involved, probably, but it’s never all just luck. 

Kimberly Espinel  19:36

For sure, not, definitely, not. 

Megan Porta  19:38

Okay. I love that one. So we have authenticity video first understanding their audience, anything else for common threads you saw.

Kimberly Espinel  19:46

I mean, then with that, I would say, you know, with the understanding your audience, it’s just how you weave that into your hook, your story, your planning, you know, so it’s a kind of a bigger, a bigger thing, as it were.

Megan Porta  19:57

Incorporating it into your content. 

Sponsor  20:00

Food bloggers, hello. Imagine this a retreat where learning, growth and community come together in the most delicious way possible. Join us at the Eat Blog Talk, Spring 2025, retreat happening March 6 through 9th in Minneapolis, with only 10 spots available, you are in for a treat that is intimate and very personalized. This retreat is packed with mastermind sessions, special SEO information and incredible connections that are sure to be made. But the real highlight Chef Ryan from Cookery Amendola is going to cook for us. Ryan’s dishes go above and beyond. You will be blown away by his customized multi course dinner on Saturday night and so many other delicious goodies enjoyed throughout the weekend. Every retreat that Ryan has been at has been a truly unforgettable experience that everyone raves about. And it’s not just the food. Ryan also brings the fun. Reserve your spot now to tap into all of this awesomeness. Apply ateatblogtalk.com/retreat.

Kimberly Espinel  21:03

And then the other it kind of connects to the authenticity piece, but I still wanted to pull it out. And for the rest, of course, you’ll have to get the book. But I think there’s something about that personal touch that people like. And so, you know, I mentioned in the beginning that I’m not one for sharing my behind, like my personal things that are going on behind the scenes, or nobody’s ever seen my husband on stories or, you know, like I keep very private, but I do add a personal touch to my content, and that personal touch could be a voiceover that you do. That personal touch could be being really intentional about the kind of music that you choose. So one of the people featured, she always has classical music, because that’s just so important to her and brand who she is, what she does. Maybe it is shown your face, so you don’t have to, necessarily, you know, share something you know, deep and personal, but just featuring yourself so that you don’t your content doesn’t look, you know, user content generated kind of generic content, but it has, it has a personality. It has something that feels human. And that personal touch, if you don’t want to get bumbled, if you don’t want to necessarily talk to camera, or whatever it is, that personal touch throughout your content on social media is so so, so important and definitely a key part of finding success. 

Megan Porta  22:30

People like seeing you, they want to know who you are, at least a glimpse of you, or hear you

Kimberly Espinel  22:36

Yes, or hear you exactly like they have to feel that there’s a person there, and that you’re not just like everybody else. So I know it’s sometimes tempting to only use, you know, those, those, what’s it called, like the shining audios and the voice over things, or not show your face, or not do a voiceover, or but it is going to be so much harder to consistently build a community without something that feels like there’s a real human there. 

Megan Porta  23:07

You’re not a robot, you’re not AI, you are actual you’re an actual human with blood and breath and all that stuff. Yeah. So these are four great things do you want to leave the rest for people to read in your book?

Kimberly Espinel  23:19

Yes. So I definitely recommend you can get it on Amazon, all the places how to make your food famous. And apart from the 40 tips from all the different creators, I also share videography tips and lighting tips and those kind of things. So yeah, if anybody’s feeling a little bit stuck with their reels or hasn’t started at all yet, this could be a great thing for Christmas Hanukkah or birthdays, all the things. 

Megan Porta  23:45

Oh, I’m so excited to get it. Did you notice any mistakes or not necessarily, in the planning of the book, but just in general, do you have any kind of main mistakes that you think food content creators make that keeps them from growing? Because I know that is a thing too. 

Kimberly Espinel  24:02

Yes, I think what people sometimes do is they find a formula that works and like, let’s just again, use Instagram and reels as an example. So when reels came on the scene in 2020, you know, it was all about dancing, lip syncing, you know, pointing. And people were growing rapidly. They were getting millions of views, and then, and this is, you know, an extreme example, but then, let’s say, a year later, they were still doing that, and they’re like, it’s no longer working the algorithm, painting, yeah, that kind of thing. And the truth is that, you know, things are constantly changing, and things are constantly shifting, and I think sometimes people get stuck in but this worked before. Why is it not working now? Like it, you need to always be evolving, always be changed. You know, changing, checking your stats, being abreast of trends and all of things. So I think that’s sometimes where people start changing things personally, when actually it’s nothing to do with them, but just that. Moment has passed, that recipe style has passed, that way of filming has passed. And there’s a new thing, you know, new style in town. So for example, generally speaking, I think really, really short reels, they might get you views, but it’s so much harder to actually grow with that, to build community with those, whereas longer so 20-30, even 60 second content pieces right now are performing so much better and really allowing you to build community, build connection, and those longer term, you know, loyal community members. So that’s something to focus on now, but it might be that in three months time and things shift again. And I think you need to be nimble on your feet and and be able to adjust and adapt. And I think sometimes got really, really stuck in one way of doing things, and get a little frustrated that it’s no longer working.

Megan Porta  25:52

It feels like the frustration in our space, a lot of it comes from that just like, oh, I it’s not working for me anymore, what’s going on, and they’re not so willing to be adaptable and resilient. Just figure out a new thing to focus on or try. 

Kimberly Espinel  26:10

Yes, and to go back to, you know, the book and the people I interviewed, I think some of them, not everybody, but the people who are really marching forward just have either much thicker skin or just more of much more pragmatic approach. If this didn’t work, let’s just see, was my hook strong enough did I was my storyline good enough to hitches of art music? Is there something else happening on the horizon? You know, a trend that I haven’t picked up on, like, there they were again, just much more business about it. If that makes sense, yep, that does make much more pragmatic. And it just means that you don’t, you know, feel so down, and it doesn’t feel like such an intense emotional roller coaster. And I think that’s why they can be so consistent, because they’re just more, yeah, I don’t know, like, a little bit more pragmatic about it all. 

Megan Porta  26:58

That’s really interesting. I’ve never thought about it like that, just maybe not taking things so personally and letting things go a little bit like, Okay, this was just a business experiment. So keep moving forward type of mindset. 

Kimberly Espinel  27:12

I mean, it’s, it’s really hard because I’m sitting here and, you know, I appreciate, it’s really easy to say, but it’s just one, it’s just something I notice. And I think, you know, as somebody who puts their heart and soul into their content, I do find it really sad. It’s something that I absolutely love creating just isn’t resonating, but it’s just, it’s also why I don’t have a million followers, and these other creators do, right? So I’m just sharing what I’ve noticed, where some of us are going straight? 

Megan Porta  27:42

No, that makes sense. That’s really interesting finding. Are there any other mistakes you’re willing to share that seem to be consistent across the board? 

Kimberly Espinel  27:50

Yes, I would say that a lot of the times, people get stuck in wanting things to look perfect from a very I mean, speaking specifically about food bloggers. That’s the the audience of speaking to hear food bloggers and food photographers. So sometimes people get stuck in wanting things to look absolutely perfect. And, you know, whatever the pore of that cocktail to be, you know, magnificent and the light. But in in this, in the context of reels and Tiktok that is so fast paced, those aren’t necessarily always the things that an audience is looking for. So, you know, I think sometimes food photographers and food bloggers focus on things from a professional perspective and with a professional eye, rather than a user perspective. So what is it that actually my user needs? Do they need to see, you know, three seconds of me pouring that cocktail in the glass and how, you know, whatever? Or do they actually need to know the next three steps within those three seconds so they can move on and move on to the next thing? So I think sometimes it’s that angle, you know, like we have to put ourselves in our audience issues, rather than, you know, the perfect thing. And with that also, I think sometimes people get stuck in using their DSLR. I think it’s beautiful. And if that’s what you do, and you love using that for videography, it works for you, amazing. But I think actually, generally speaking, people just prefer the phone for that authentic vibe, and it feels less intimidating, and recipes feel more achievable. So, you know, that’s like an example where you think like, of course, DSLR looks better, you know, it looks more beautiful. But actually, from an audience perspective, videos, I’d look more like commercials rather than something that is relatable. If that makes sense.

Megan Porta  29:46

That takes a lot of pressure off from my perspective, I feel like, Yay, that I can actually achieve that and be successful. It just seems like so much work to get out your DSLR and record and get it, you know, like this camera situated perfectly in the editing. Oh my gosh, that deters me from even trying that. But the phone is so easy. 

Kimberly Espinel  30:06

It’s so easy. And I will say, you know, if you’ve got incredible storytelling skills and you’re vulnerable, and you know you’ve got your pacing, and you know, anything can work. You can use the latest and greatest DSLR and kick butt and get a million dollars in it, you know, it can all happen, but generally speaking, I have noticed that we sometimes focus on perfection rather than the things that our audience actually looks for. If that makes sense. 

Megan Porta  30:33

I have ditched perfection Long, long ago. I’m actually probably at the other end of the spectrum where I should probably pay a little more attention, but it feels like an evolution that food bloggers go through, like they want to be so perfect for so many years, and then you get to a point where maybe you’ve matured as a food blogger. And I don’t that’s been the case for me. I don’t know if that’s the case for everyone, but it’s like this cycle, this evolution of being a content creator. I feel like I am curious. Kimberly, if you have thoughts about monetizing on Instagram, what are your thoughts about how food creators can do this? 

Kimberly Espinel  31:09

Yes, so it actually ties in really nicely with what I just said, because one of the ways that we can, of course, monetize is working with brands, and that can be really lucrative, especially if you’re doing video because for video posts, you can command a higher fee than you know, for photo posts on social media. So I think what brands are looking for is somebody who really understands platforms, who understands the right pacing, how to use music, voice overs, all the things, and they want to see that your your content, that you’re creating organically, reaches people organically. So I think that’s one of the things to you know, double down in your video content. Double down on understanding how to create a good hook. Double down and understanding good pacing and so on. So that, you know, you become an attractive collaborator for brands. So that’s one of the ways. And this has been around for a long time, but I’ve just noticed that brands are loving working with creators who really understand reels, because it’s so much, you know, work for the brands to create even more than just photo content was so they’re really looking for, you know, creators to work with. So that would be number one. Number two is I have noticed that I still like I, of course, I still have my courses, so I definitely still try to drive people from Instagram to my website to purchase there and you know, the link sticker in stories just is so hard to get people to click on it. And the same with my link in bio, for one, if I mention the link in bio, Instagram doesn’t like it. If I use this, the link sticker in stories, Instagram doesn’t buy doesn’t like it. So what I do on my on my grid, is I just have, like, a call to action. So, like, you say the word podcast and I will send you the podcast link. Or, you know, say the word course, and I will send you a link to my course. So a it means that people are leaving comments. It means that there’s more engagement, more interaction, and I avoid, you know, the whole go to my bio, to click on the link scenario, which people aren’t going to do. So it’s a much better way to drive people to where you want to go, and ultimately, for them to purchase from you.

Megan Porta  33:34

Do you use an engagement tool, such as Many Chat or how do you typically do that?

Kimberly Espinel  33:39

I’ve done in the past, I’ve played with both, because it kind of depends on your audience size and how many people you get. So I have used Many Chat on the grid, but I also do it in stories. And there, I actually do it manually, and I tend to also chat to people there, because I don’t get, like, 2000 people. So you’re asking is, like, whatever, a handful of people, like, say, 50 or 60 people, and I do chat with them, so I do it manually there, but I think it kind of depends on your audience and how many people you get. So yeah, I would say both can work depending on where you’re at.

Megan Porta  34:17

Okay, great. And then I am wondering, do you have any actionable steps for us if we are just looking to improve our Instagram reels really fast, like today, this week, right now? What are your thoughts? 

Kimberly Espinel  34:30

Yes. So the number one thing that I would say that can definitely help with engagement, with views, with shares, with all the things, is getting your hook right. The whole entirety of your recipe can be gorgeous. The whole entirety of your reel can be chemaine spells. But if that hook, the first 1, 2, 3, seconds, doesn’t hit the mark, whatever fault comes after will never be discovered. So that would be the thing, like, maybe look at the 10 creators whose work you love the most. What are they doing in those first 1, 2, 3, seconds. Like, what is their opening frame? How long are they lingering on that opening frame? What is the angle they’re choosing for that opening frame? What is the lighting in that opening frame? What are they saying in that opening frame? Like, really study that. Understand that. And then I wouldn’t say copy and paste, but I would say adjust and adapt to a style that feels real and authentic to you. So I would say that is going to be worth gold getting your hook right. And I see so many people stumble on that point. The second thing, and this is really basic, but I’m still gonna put it out there, because it does make a difference get your lighting right. So lighting for videography and lighting for photography are very similar, but not 100% the same. So understand, you know what lighting will work best for the camera angle that you’re using? You know all the things that will make a huge difference. And then also, like, get that, you know how we always on the blog, you have that one hero shot that will maybe be the blog cover, or that will be the one that everyone’s pinning on Pinterest that is such a good one to start your reel with, so that from the outset, people know we’re making sticky toffee pudding, or, you know, we’re making, I don’t know, a pistachio tomato soup. I don’t know. So we want to see from the beginning, versus starting with putting the ingredients on the counter, and, you know, actually doing it chronologically. So those are the kind of three things, you know, really, really nail your hook, get your hero shot right, and have that as part of the first two three seconds of your reel, and get your lighting you know, tip top.

Megan Porta  36:48

Great tips. Every time I talk to you, I feel inspired to just dig into everything you’re talking about.

Kimberly Espinel  36:55

Oh, you’re so sweet. Megan, thank you.

Megan Porta  36:58

This is so good. So your book is called How to make your Food Famous, correct?

Kimberly Espinel  37:03

That’s the one.

Megan Porta  37:05

Okay, so everyone should go get that. Can they get that at Amazon? Where can they find it?

Kimberly Espinel  37:09

Yes. So it’s available, I think even in Barnes and Nobles, all the places in the US, Canada and also in the UK, online, anywhere and everywhere. And yeah,

Megan Porta  37:21

I think this would be a really good just peer to peer content creator gift for the holidays. I am thinking of getting this for my mastermind group next year. I love

Kimberly Espinel  37:35

It’s a really fun book. And, you know, I think one of the things so there, you know, there’s going to be 4050, tips in there. Not all of them will resonate with you. It’s about picking and choosing the ones that do. But the way it’s written, actually, somebody said it’s like, yeah, actually, it’s very much, very Instagram. It is very bite sized. You can read the book in one weekend easily. You can, you know, dip in and out. You can skip bits that don’t resonate and pick up here and there. It’s also, I think really, the color of it is really pretty, so you can have it as a coffee table book too. And yeah, it’s like, yeah, I hope, I hope it brings lots of joy. 

Megan Porta  38:13

It doesn’t surprise me at all that it’s pretty and would adorn a coffee table Well, Kimberly, I love that. Well, I definitely will be purchasing a copy, and can’t wait to gift it to people. And thank you so much for being here. This was amazing. You shared so much great information, and we’re just super grateful for you.

Kimberly Espinel  38:29

Thank you so much.

Megan Porta  38:30

Do you have a favorite quote or words of inspiration to leave us with today?

Kimberly Espinel  38:34

I bet my bottom dollar I said the same thing, because this is my quotes, one of my most favorite quotes. I have two, so maybe I showed the other one. I hope I didn’t re listen to our episode, but just do it. I really believe in taking action. I feel action is the way to finding answers to all the questions that we have swirling around in our mind. Action is a game changer. Action allows us to grow. So, yeah, just do it.

Megan Porta  38:59

Love it simple and effective, right? We’ll put together another show notes page for you. Kimberly, so if you want to head to eatblogtalk.com/thelittleplantation2, to see those you can and we’ll put the link to your book there as well. Tell everyone where they can find you. Anything you want to mention before we say goodbye. 

Kimberly Espinel  39:18

Yes. So you can find me on Instagram under the little plantation, I also have a blog under the same name. If you head there, you’ll be prompted to join the mailing list where I share personal anecdotes and stories, tips, PDFs and all the things. So yeah, you can also just drop me a DM on Instagram. Always love to hear from listeners. Yeah, that’s it.

Megan Porta  39:41

Awesome. Well, thank you again, so much for being here, Kimberly, and thanks for listening food bloggers. I will see you next time. 

Outro  39:50

If you enjoyed this topic, you’ll also love the episode. I recommend in the show notes, click on the episode description to find the link. Thank you, and I will see you next time.