Shaunda Necole took an uncommon path in direction of success in the case of area of interest websites.
She began out with a small however focused weblog the place she supplied private buying companies for a distinct segment buying occasion. Though that was profitable, she wished to go greater.
A love and fervour for soul meals cooking led her to create her second weblog, The Soul Food Pot, in 2020. Later she launched a podcast to associate with it referred to as The Soul Meals Pod.
Since then, she has gone on to create a journey weblog and she or he additionally has a pet web site within the works. Immediately, Shaunda’s incomes over $100k a yr.
Hold studying to search out out:
- The place her ardour for soul meals comes from
- What her first buying web site was all about
- Why she created her second weblog
- What distinctive spin she placed on her content material
- The place her revenue comes from
- How a lot visitors she’s getting and the place it comes from
- Her major advertising and marketing methods
- Her ideas on search engine optimisation and niching down
- Her strategy to key phrase analysis and hyperlink constructing
- How she creates content material
- Her favourite assets and instruments
- Her greatest problem
- Her biggest accomplishment
- Her major mistake
- Her recommendation for different entrepreneurs
Meet Shaunda Necole
I am Shaunda, your go-to recipe creator for contemporary soul meals delicacies; the founding father of The Soul Food Pot, the #1 Southern soul meals web site on Google; and the host of The Soul Food Pod, Apple’s first present devoted to the historical past and tradition round iconic African American dishes.
I consider in making life simpler and extra soulful, one recipe at a time!
What makes me an skilled on genuine soul meals?
Impressed by my upbringing in coastal Virginia, I’ve shared over 250 recipes throughout my meals weblog, four cookbooks, and two seasoning guides, together with codifying “Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie,” an tailored household recipe that went viral in 2021.
My heritage dates again to my great-grandmother Florence, a extremely esteemed North Carolinian one-woman catering queen. In honor of my Grandma Florence’s legacy, I run the world’s number-one soul meals web site right this moment!
My podcast, The Soul Meals Pod, is the first-ever podcast devoted to the historical past and tradition round soul meals dishes. My experience on the origins of purple velvet cake is even shared on the dessert’s Wikipedia web page!
Why She Created Her Weblog and Podcast
Issues are inclined to unfold and occur organically for me, from a necessity or alternative.
That is how I acquired right here—the place I personal and function a publishing firm constructed on the innovation of shared media.
My enterprise mannequin unites influencer advertising and marketing with customers, advertisers, and types by means of the ability of unique content material creation.
In different phrases, I’ve created my very own on-line community (suppose NBC’s Peacock, ABC’s Hulu, or Netflix) by means of my web sites/blogs.
Advertisers pay for advert placement on my “channels” (my three web sites) to succeed in the numerous viewers, guests, and subscribers that tune into my content material.
And the enjoyable half about creating this? It was actually natural. Virtually unintentional!
Beginning my first weblog channel was an up-level of a easy web site my daughter, an adolescent on the time, made for me to keep up a correspondence with pals and fellow fanatics of a singular model of dishes and kitchenware I acquire. Lovers grew to become shoppers that I’d store for yearly.
It was a singular enterprise the place I offered high-end private buying companies for a distinct segment buying occasion that occurred solely annually. I acquired my prospects by making pals on Instagram with fellow collectors who used area of interest hashtags.
Little did I do know that was my entry into the world of search engine optimisation!
My weblog and an e-commerce site had been created as a technique to keep up a correspondence with my shoppers for over a yr till the subsequent huge annual buying occasion.
I want I may say that after I began that weblog, I noticed the top at first.
As an alternative, it was a bumpy experience of needed pivots to progress and change into worthwhile. As a result of basically, I might created a distinct segment enterprise that was solely worthwhile annually!
I used to be solely earning profits when that annual sale occurred. For the remainder of the yr, there have been no commas and no paychecks from this enterprise mannequin.
Quick ahead to 2020 and the unfolding of my second weblog, The Soul Meals Pot.
I used to be introduced with a brand new set of challenges, as was the world. The principle concern was that every one in-person occasions had been canceled, so how may I personally store for any shoppers?
Nonetheless, I stored creating new content material constantly, with out understanding what was coming subsequent.
Fortunately, consistency is my superpower. So, I began my second weblog out of my love for Southern soul meals cooking. I started creating content material by reimagining my household’s beloved soul meals recipes with Immediate Pot and fashionable kitchen home equipment to shorten the cooking instances. That is how The Soul Meals Pot was born!
A few years later, The Soul Meals Pod was created to marry The Soul Meals Pot and amplify the weblog’s recipes with podcast conversations about Southern soul meals and recipes for fulfillment within the kitchen.
How A lot She’s Incomes
“Mediavine Professional” is an invitation-only program constructed particularly for the company’s high-performing, full-time skilled publishers incomes a minimal of $100,000 in annual advert income.
The Soul Meals Pot entered Mediavine’s Professional Writer program in its first yr!
Further income streams for my meals web site embrace product affiliate fee, cookbooks, and culinary guides, which comprise about 5% of the enterprise’s annual income. That is primarily from my Shopify store and LTK affiliate product suggestions.
I additionally supply search engine optimisation programs, like my masterclass SEO Made Easy, and personal teaching hours.
Nonetheless, I do not promote or market these merchandise as a result of they require an excessive amount of time from me to be value it. Consequently, they do not even contribute a full p.c to my complete earnings.
The Soul Meals Pot reaches near 1,000,000 pageviews month-to-month throughout peak instances, with a gentle third of that visitors (about 300k month-to-month) throughout its low season.
As for a way a lot time I work, I spend 6-8 hours day by day on my web sites and at the least 4-6 hours through the weekend, as a result of I really like what I do!
I am an early riser (5 am membership, anybody?), which is the one technique to handle 3 web sites and delegate tasks and duties to my unbelievable assist staff.
Her High Advertising and marketing Technique
All of it sounds difficult, however in reality, my advertising and marketing technique is comparatively easy and comes from my understanding of search engine optimisation and the Southern soul meals neighborhood. My technique is to leverage natural visitors by way of search engine optimisation to succeed in new markets within the Southern meals house.
This technique features a day by day concentrate on updating and optimizing revealed articles and creating new keyword-researched articles based mostly on the efficiency of earlier content material, together with a devoted search engine optimisation strategist centered on implementing these key factors.
As well as, I leverage Pinterest advertising and marketing and now have a devoted Pinterest supervisor. The Soul Meals Pot’s natural visitors from Pinterest brings in about 50k pageviews month-to-month. I clarify and illustrate my signature “Pinterest Pyramid” search engine optimisation technique in nice element in my course Pinterest Magic Marketing.
The Significance of search engine optimisation
My success within the food space has been described as: “The blogger who constructed a soul meals empire with only one pot!”
On The Soul Meals Pot, I reimagine iconic African-American recipes by way of fashionable kitchen home equipment just like the Immediate Pot, usually shortening the time to organize these culturally beloved conventional dishes.
I really like making an attempt new cooking home equipment to see how Southern recipes may be tailored for extra effectivity for busy dwelling cooks.
Many marvel how my web site gained Google’s high rating in simply 2 years. And here is the factor. I’ve wholeheartedly embraced my search engine optimisation rule number one: It’s a must to go small to get huge.
Sure, this sounds counterintuitive. Like many entrepreneurs, after I was beginning out, I wasted a number of time making an attempt to cater my content material to everybody and everyone. However let me clarify.
Folks usually suppose Google is “out to get them” or the algorithm hates them as a result of what they share on-line by no means appears to floor for anybody to see.
My query is: How far down have you ever niched?
Nowadays, it’s not sufficient to market your self as the perfect bakery or cupcake maker, even when it is particular to your zip code or metropolis. It’s a must to area of interest down a lot that Google (and the algorithm) will perceive precisely who your particular area of interest buyer is.
And consider it or not, that tiny “area of interest” is probably going a whole lot and even hundreds of people who find themselves looking for precisely what you do or share. You’ve made your self small, however you at the moment are huge in your area of interest’s eyes!
Key phrase Analysis
I’ve discovered my most profitable writing voice by prioritizing what my viewers is looking for and de-prioritizing what I consider to share.
It is my search engine optimisation rule quantity 2: It doesn’t matter how YOU say it. It issues how THEY say it.
When individuals wish to discover you, they do not go to the Yellow Pages like our grandparents as soon as did. They usually do not Google your title. Not but, initially, as a result of they do not know you.
So, it is vital to examine in and ensure your content material is what your viewers is looking for.
This may occasionally sound like a no brainer, however it’s very straightforward to by accident create content material that nobody will ever discover or see. Do not take into consideration what you wish to say. Take into consideration what your viewers is typing into the search bar.
That is what you may write about.
Hyperlink Constructing
This yr, I’ve additionally added a publicist to my staff to extend model attain, visibility, and consciousness, particularly by garnering backlinks from article options in high-authority media retailers.
My publicist pitches me to the media for visibility alternatives for my recipe creations or my model story, together with TV, podcasts, and journal publications.
I additionally use Link Whisper to shortly hyperlink to inside key phrases and textual content between posts.
Her Content material Creation Course of
My content material creation technique may be very old-school search engine optimisation easy.
It begins with in-depth keyword research to uncover “how THEY say it” to make sure I am writing about one thing individuals really seek for.
Then, the article is written and optimized to talk to Google with questions and key phrase phrases, the identical manner individuals use Google’s search bar.
Her Electronic mail Record
Electronic mail lists are basically nuggets of gold and one of the vital invaluable belongings to a enterprise! I have interaction readers who land on my web site by providing them an instantaneous free and tangible profit after they subscribe, like a collection of recipes or culinary guides to assist them with the core motive why they’re visiting my web site: to create scrumptious consolation meals utilizing probably the most environment friendly time-saving kitchen home equipment and instruments!
Though a bit costly, I exploit ConvertKit for my subscribers. It is one of the vital elevated e mail subscription instruments for publishers like myself, with a number of websites, varied e mail varieties, and quite a few e mail sequences.
I additionally make use of Mediavine’s Develop and Highlight Subscribe widgets, which I’ve discovered to be the perfect instruments for changing readers to subscribers! These instruments additionally seamlessly combine with ConvertKit. So, as readers subscribe, the automated e mail nurturing magically begins to move!
Shaunda’s High Sources
My household enterprise is steeped in actual property investments. So, I take a look at my web sites with the identical core actual property ideas of location, buying, sustaining, and reinvesting.
I view every of my web sites as actual property I personal. So, I usually borrow brilliance from the property investor neighborhood when making selections for my on-line property, together with investing in studying assets.
Continued schooling is required to maintain my license energetic as an actual property agent. I consider this the identical for my on-line enterprise, so I at all times join programs, webinars, and video tutorials to maintain abreast of adjustments within the on-line creator trade.
I make it my enterprise to hunt and buy these assets as a result of there’s somebody on-line within the creator neighborhood who is aware of what I must be taught and has created the content material or course to assist me perceive it.
A number of progressive thinkers’ podcasts I take pleasure in and sometimes advocate are The Secret To Success with Eric Thomas, Success with Soul by Kate Kordsmeier, and the podcast Larger Pockets.
Her Go-To Instruments
The instruments I exploit constantly in my enterprise are:
Grammarly – As a author and writer, Grammarly is my go-to editor software for correct checks of grammar, punctuation, and general message tone and readability. I might hate to jot down with out it!
Market Muse – A really dynamic and sturdy search engine optimisation and key phrase analysis question software. As a self-professed search engine optimisation geek, Market Muse is my favourite for dialed-in topical analysis. I hardly ever publish with out it!
Fiverr – I consider Fiverr is without doubt one of the most unbelievable locations for locating reasonably priced, skillful creators to shortly execute one-off tasks, from minor to main. As a result of keep in mind: “Innovation is rewarded, however execution is worshiped.” It’s not what you consider doing or creating; it’s seeing the method by means of and really doing the factor.
Her Greatest Problem
Initially, funding a staff to assist my enterprise appeared like a giant, costly endeavor that was years out of attain.
Quite the opposite, every time I confronted my worry and did it anyway – introduced on a brand new staff member.
The time they freed up created house for me to pay attention absolutely on new thought developments and creating extra content material. Finally, this elevated my enterprise backside line!
I began with my graphic designer and Pinterest advertising and marketing supervisor.
Immediately, The Soul Meals Pot’s staff consists of my graphic designer and Pinterest supervisor, author, search engine optimisation strategist, photographer, social media supervisor, podcast producer, Fb neighborhood supervisor, model supervisor and agent, media coach, and publicist.
And we’re nonetheless rising!
Her Biggest Accomplishment
I’ve constructed a 6-figure enterprise inclusive of freedom, flexibility, and, most significantly, doing what I really like.
What I nonetheless discover magical about that (nonetheless pinching myself!) is that every one I’ve to do is deliver my concepts to life in writing (with a little bit of search engine optimisation technique), and types are keen to put adverts on something I write about – and pay me!
With the assistance of this improbable creator enterprise mannequin, in 2022, my husband and I bought our dream dwelling in our dream neighborhood in our dream metropolis – Viva Las Vegas!
I even began a 3rd weblog channel about issues to do in my fabulous dwelling metropolis, Vegas Right Now.
Immediately, I cut up my time between my properties in coastal Virginia Seaside and the saucy desert of Las Vegas.
Once I’m not creating content material, you may discover me strolling the fabulous Las Vegas Strip or on the seashore, dipping my toes within the sand alongside my husband, our “kidults” (grownup children), or our grandkids.
Or, you may possible catch me within the airport, able to take flight with my laptop computer and two fur infants in tow!
What She Needs She Knew When She Began
I want I might understood the significance of search engine optimisation after I began my first weblog. Beginning with my now search engine optimisation rule number one: It’s a must to go small to get huge.
My first weblog, Shaunda Necole, is a life-style web site that covers all kinds of content material genres, from magnificence to wellness and residential decor.
But when I might recognized again then that by niching down, Google would perceive that it is a very specific and area of interest viewers I aimed to succeed in, I may have discovered these just-right, on-target prospects and readers years earlier!
Shaunda’s Primary Mistake
My greatest mistake is a standard one: creating content material that nobody will ever discover or see.
True story: Earlier than I may transfer ahead and create new weblog channels, with a whole lot of posts already on my first web site, I spent days unpublishing and correcting content material that wasn’t useful as a result of it wasn’t created to be searchable.
So, I started working. I corrected my previous errors. I invested money and time into understanding the ins and outs of search engine optimisation content material creation.
Immediately, I personal and function a masterclass web site, an e-commerce web site, a podcast, and three on-line channels within the meals, journey, and way of life verticals (with a web site devoted to pets on the horizon).
I do not publish something until key phrase analysis has confirmed its search intent and is quantifiably search-relevant.
Her Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs
I’ve discovered nice success in operating my enterprise deliberately, working at the least 6 months forward. Then, the mandatory instruments are already in place every time it is time to get artistic or pivot.
One among my favourite quotes is, “Begin earlier than you are prepared,” as a result of I’ve discovered that proactive and preemptive work is without doubt one of the biggest items you may give your self.
It is a type of “Thank me later” items, this time to your future self, out of your present-day self.
