It’s easy to get stuck trying to figure out what kind of content to put in your email newsletters but if you’re a food blogger or YouTuber, you already have loads of content ready and waiting to be used. Just look into your content archives!
One of the biggest challenges most food bloggers and food content creators have when it comes to consistently emailing their newsletter list is figuring out what to put in their emails.
But in reality, you probably already have more email content than you know what to do with!
REPURPOSE OLD BLOG CONTENT VIA EMAIL
If you’re stuck for something to send to your list, it’s time to… go back in time!
Your email marketing is the perfect platform to resurrect old content.
Your new subscribers? They haven’t read that old content.
Your old subscribers? They haven’t seen it in eons, possibly years and potentially not at all! (did you even email them regularly 3 years ago? 5 years ago? 10 years ago?)
While it’s important to update old content on your website regularly for SEO purposes, those rules don’t apply to your emails. If a post is old and doesn’t have the best photos or has a story about your Aunt Betty that the search engines aren’t interested in, it doesn’t matter. You can include it in an email.
Posts that are less popular in search can still get great click throughs in your newsletter (earning you some ad revenue) because it’s a different type of reader.
Think of it this way:
Most of us will never be able to rank on page one for a chocolate chip cookie recipe – the competition is waaaaay too fierce. But that doesn’t mean your recipe isn’t a great recipe!
In fact, your newsletter readers want to know what your chocolate chip recipe is because they trust you and like your content. That’s why they open your emails every week!!!
So share that 6 year old chocolate chip recipe in an email. They want to see it.
HOW CAN YOU REPURPOSE OLDER BLOG CONTENT INTO EMAILS?
Here are some easy ways you can repurpose your old content into emails:
⭐️ THEMED EMAILS: example: a Taco Tuesday theme. Make the email a digest of all your taco recipes. You can make themes as broad (cookies) or as specific (peanut butter cookies) as you like depending on the type of content you create.
⭐️ MENU EMAILS: create a complete menu for a meal. You can theme these as well.
Here are just a few ideas:
mother’s day brunch menu
takeout night at home menu
book club meeting menu
easy kids birthday party
the “soccer practice is at 7pm” menu
Expand this to a meal prep menu for the whole week if that’s your niche.
Expand this to a meal prep menu for the whole week if that’s your niche.
⭐️ SEASONAL EMAILS: Package up seasonal content on your site into individual emails. There are so many opportunities to do this.
For example, Halloween is in October. Package up old Halloween content into a series of October emails:
5 Ghoulish Halloween Treats
5 Fun Halloween Treats to Make with Kids
5 Spooky Halloween party cocktails
⭐️ LEFTOVER EMAILS: what happens after every holiday? We have leftovers. Using Halloween as an example again, send an email out right after Halloween with 5 Recipes That Use up Leftover Halloween Candy or 5 Recipes that Use upPumpkin Carving Leftovers. The recipes themselves don’t have to be Halloween related – they just have to be pumpkin or candy related – search your archives for pumpkin recipes. People always forget about leftovers!
These emails are also a great way to highlight minimizing food waste.
⭐️ TUTORIAL EMAILS: If you specialize in something, package up tutorials on your site into emails. Let’s say you make a lot of pies. Send out an email “Everything you need to know about making pie crust” and simply include 5 links to different pie crust recipes and tutorials on your site (how to make pie crust, how to make a two crust pie, savory pie crusts, how to do a lattice top, etc). You don’t have to write an essay on pie crust – just include the links with a short paragraph tying them all together.
⭐️ GREATEST HITS/POPULAR POSTS: Do recap emails highlighting the most popular recipes or posts on your site. Break it down further and do the most popular soups, desserts, weeknight dinners… you get the idea. Share your personal favourites. Readers like to know.
TIPS TO MAKE REPURPOSING CONTENT INTO NEWSLETTERS EASIER
Here are some simple tips to make repurposing blog or video content into newsletters easier for you or an assistant
✅ PRO TIP:keep a spreadsheet that contains a list of all the emails you send out each year.
Include the date of the email, the topic and the recipe or article names and links that were included. Use a new tab in the sheet for each year. Also make notes of any products or special offers you promote: either your own (recipe ebooks, printables etc) or non-Amazon affiliate links.
This helps ensure you don’t repeat links too frequently. I’ve noticed many of my clients tend to gravitate to the same 20-30 links over and over because they like the recipes or they perform well in search. But by having a record, it’s easy for me to show them we used that link two months ago and it’s too soon to repeat it.
✅ PRO TIP:a spreadsheet is easily searchable making it easy for you, or anyone helping you, to check and see the last time you included a taco recipe.
✅ PRO TIP:Try to wait at least 6 months to repeat a link. I prefer to wait longer but it really depends on your send frequency or the content you want to reuse. Sometimes sooner is better!
✅ PRO TIP:Repurposing content makes it very easy to write and schedule your seasonal emails well in advance. By repurposing your older Halloween or Christmas content you can probably have 10 seasonal emails written and scheduled by late September.
Leave space in your schedule to write an email for new holiday content or leave space in each email where you can add a new recipe that fits with the theme. But seriously… how nice would it be to have all those emails written before the busy holiday season even starts?
These are all really simple ways you can repurpose old content and make it earn its keep, while never running out of emails to send!
WANT MORE TIPS?
Want more email tips? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter! Each month I write an exclusive newsletter full of tips, tricks and ideas for food content creators and their email lists!
For food bloggers and food content creators, August email newsletters can be a little challenging. Not because of a lack of content but because we’re bridgingtwo very different seasons.
August is an awkward month for food content emails. We’re in the heart of summer vacation and the hottest weather of the year but at the same time, back-to-school is right around the corner. In many parts of the US and eastern Canada, kids go back to school as early as mid August.
So… some people are looking for back to school content and others aren’t even opening their emails as they soak up their last few days of freedom.
Much of July’s content suggestions, particularly canning and preserving, outdoor entertaining and cool kitchen ideas are still relevant for August (get the full July list here)
SEASONAL HOLIDAYS:
Labour Day (the first Monday in September), other civic holiday long weekends
one last kick at the can for summer – this is a popular weekend for having friends over and entertaining outdoors. For many people this is their second New Year’s Eve as school and regular work routines resume after the weekend and summer unofficially comes to a close
SEASONAL FOOD & CONTENT:
It’s stone fruit season!
blackberries with raspberries and blueberries at the tail end of production
stone fruits: apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums
pears and grapes in some areas (September for others)
while many fruits are at the tail end of their summer production, most are still available in August with cranberries, apples and rhubarb being the exceptions.
almost all vegetables. Squash is just coming in, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, corn and carrots are all flourishing. It’s actually easier to list the veggies that aren’t available yet! Asparagus has long since finished and pumpkins, red and yellow onions and Brussels sprouts are still a month away.
Depending on where you live, kids go back to school in late August or after Labour day weekend in September. University and college kids mostly go back after Labour day. Start dripping out content in late August but keep this list handy as you plan September as well. Here are a few to get you started:
lunch box ideas
allergy friendly (peanut-free in particular!)
eco-friendly packaging ideas
budget friendly (10 lunchbox ideas that cost less than $X)
hot lunch ideas (and how to keep them hot)
lunch box sweets and homemade treats
making lunch box veggies exciting
after school snacks
quick and easy
fuel for sports or activities
quell the pre-dinner munchies
grab-n-go breakfasts
easy breakfasts ready in 10 minutes or less
budget friendly cooking tips for college kids
dorm friendly meal ideas or dorm friendly foods
cooking basics for kids on their own for the first time
weeknight dinners
30-45 minutes or less
one pot meals
10 ingredients or less
meal prep and batch cooking
foods that fuel study sessions or help with mental focus
how to avoid the morning breakfast/lunchbox prep crunch
tips on getting your kitchen and pantry organized for meal prep and back to school.
As always, these are suggestions – adapt them to fit your niche and your audience.
WANT MORE TIPS?
Want more email tips? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter! Each month I write an exclusive newsletter full of tips, tricks and ideas for food content creators and their email lists!
There are so many delicious options to write about in your July email newsletters! If you’re a food bloggers or food content creator, the hard part will be narrowing down those options. So let’s get writing!
July is another bumper month for content. Many of the ideas I shared in June cross over into July (and I’ll recap a few here but for the full list check out June Newsletter Ideas for Food Bloggers)
SEASONAL HOLIDAYS:
Canada Day (July 1) and Independence Day (US – July 4)
grilling recipes, potlucks, BBQs, picnics
red and white food (Canada Day) or red, white and blue food (July 4): make the most of seasonal strawberries, cherries and blueberries
Canada Day or July 4 menu ideas for a grilling night, potlucks, appetizers etc
stone fruits: cherries and apricots with peaches arriving in late July in some areas
melons
veggies: peas, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, salad greens zucchini, radishes, swiss chard, corn, new potatoes
canning, preserving and freezing – don’t forget jams and jellies!
pie
summer cocktails, mocktails and other iced drinks
grilling recipes
seafood
frozen desserts (popsicles, ice cream, gelato)
no-bake desserts
potluck and picnic dishes
homemade BBQ sauces, spice rubs and marinades
air fryers and instant pots as ways to cook and keep the kitchen cool
dishes best served cold
KEEP THE KITCHEN COOL:
Nobody wants to turn on an oven in July or August – unless it’s an outdoor pizza oven! Think make ahead meals, dishes best served cold or household appliances that don’t generate much heat:
potato and pasta salads
cold proteins (cook in the morning and serve in the evening): cold chicken, ham
fresh fruit and veggies with light, bright dressings
no-bake desserts
Instant Pot, Air Fryer and BBQ or propane grill recipes
** Note that in many areas as wildfire season is in full swing, any kind of outdoor flame may be banned
CANNING AND PRESERVING:
Gardens, farmer’s markets and farm gate sales are now in full on production mode with entire flats of fresh fruit and produce available for sale. And that means it’s canning, preserving and freezing season!
basic equipment
different types of preserving
basic safety precautions and preserving techniques
jams and jellies (unique flavour ideas are big right now!)
salsas, pickles, pasta sauces
ROAD TRIPS & ENTERTAINING:
There are still opportunities to focus on outdoor cooking and entertaining. But don’t just focus on grilling! This time of year people are cooking on portable camp stoves, charcoal BBQs, over campfires, in RVs, on the beach or at their Air BnB. And they’re eating while moving!
Also think about pool parties, outdoor movie nights, picnics, impromptu neighbourhood get togethers, sports tournaments – anywhere people are gathering, they’ll want food and cold drinks.
BACK TO SCHOOL:
This one is a little wild for me as back to school here is always after labour day in September but, a lot of areas go back as early as August. I’ll have more ideas for this next month but have it on your radar and start planning your BTS content for all your platforms.
This is just a smattering of ideas – take them and run with them. Shape them to fit your niche and content. The hardest part about June and July is narrowing it down to a few topics.
Now’s the time to get started. Plan out your June newsletter calendar and batch write your emails. Schedule them and you’re good to go!
Want More Tips?
Want more email tips? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter! Each month I write an exclusive newsletter full of tips, tricks and ideas for food content creators and their email lists!
There is SO much food content you can write about in your June email newsletters! If you’re a food bloggers or food content creator, this is when we’re spoiled for choice. So let’s get writing!
After struggling to make root vegetables interesting for almost 6 months, June is like a breath of fresh air for food bloggers and food content creators. This is when writing your email newsletters gets a lot easier and I’ve got loads of ideas to help you out this month. A lot of these ideas also carry over into July and, to a certain extent, August – so you can plan even further ahead!
SEASONAL HOLIDAYS:
June brings us Father’s Day, as well as school graduations which run through the entire month. And, while Canada Day (July 1) and Independence Day (US July 4) are the first week of July, you’ll want to start dripping content out for these in mid to late June. Here are some ideas:
grilling recipes or Father’s day menu ideas
Father’s Day gift guide for the dad who cooks (grilling tools and accessories, cookbooks, specialty condiments, cool kitchen gadgets etc) – don’t forget affiliate links where allowed!
red and white food (Canada Day) or red, white and blue food (July 4)
Canada Day or July 4 menu ideas for a grilling night, potlucks, appetizers etc
grad party and menu ideas: outdoor movie night, dry grad, morning after breakfast buffet
SEASONAL FOOD:
We’re gearing up for berry season but there’s loads of other ideas
strawberries (raspberries and blueberries may be on the way in warmer regions)
rhubarb (tail end)
peas
leafy greens
cherries (late June through July)
summer cocktails, mocktails and other iced drinks
grilling recipes
seafood
frozen desserts (popsicles, ice cream)
no-bake desserts
potluck and picnic dishes
homemade BBQ sauces, spice rubs and marinades
air fryers and instant pots as ways to cook and keep the kitchen cool
COOKING ON THE ROAD:
Just like in May (and continuing through July and August, there are lots of opportunities to focus on outdoor cooking and entertaining. But don’t just focus on grilling! This time of year people are cooking on portable camp stoves, charcoal BBQs, over campfires, in RVs, on the beach or at their Air BnB. And they’re eating while moving!
grilling, smoker, BBQ recipes
shopping meal prep for travel (don’t forget airplane snacks too!)
tips on hot weather food safety and how to pack a cooler
recipes you can cook on camp stoves, campfires or in tiny kitchens
camp kitchen hygiene and animal safety
road trip or airplane snacks
how to grocery shop while on vacation
kid snacks for day camps
how to do any of the above suggestions on a budget!
CANNING AND PRESERVING:
Canning and preserving don’t get into full swing until later in the summer but now is a great time to talk about how to prep for the season: tools, tips, books and blog posts!
ENTERTAINING:
People entertain a lot during the summer. Casual get togethers, out of town family, weddings, wedding showers, engagement parties, sports team windups… it’s a long list!
emails that focus on menu ideas for any of these events – especially easy food that isn’t labour intensive
no cook dinner ideas
make ahead dishes that can be eaten cold
This is just a smattering of ideas – take them and run with them. Shape them to fit your niche and content. The hardest part about June and July is narrowing it down to a few topics.
Now’s the time to get started. Plan out your June newsletter calendar and batch write your emails. Schedule them and you’re good to go!
Want More Tips?
Want more email tips? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter! Each month I write an exclusive newsletter full of tips, tricks and ideas for food content creators and their email lists!
