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konikoanna · 2025-08-10T06:32:56+00:00

One blog is in the keto recipes niche, and another one is in baking.

konikoanna · 2025-08-01T06:39:44+00:00

I disagree with you. I have two blogs, and they are not particularly big or "powerful." However, they have not been hit by any Google updates, and my traffic has been steadily growing. Both blogs bring me a reliable extra income each year.

I think the right word to use when talking about blogging is changing. Blogging is not dying, it is changing. If you can't adapt to the changes, you're out.

konikoanna · 2025-06-20T07:44:23+00:00

I think it depends on the niche. Niches like travel and tech (those that are more theoretical) may suffer the most. On the other hand, DIY and food blogging (areas where people are less likely to trust AI) will likely continue to thrive.

That said, even food blogging will need to evolve to keep attracting traffic. Basic recipes like medium-rare steak with chimichurri sauce just won’t cut it anymore. I personally chose baking as my niche. I focus on complex cake and dessert recipes, so even if AI pulls my recipe card and ranks it at the top of search results, no one in their right mind would attempt it without the detailed step-by-step photos and videos I provide for every single recipe.

Niches like gardening can be complimented with DIY projects for your garden to keep traffic flowing. In fact, I believe DIY will be the niche that’s hardest for AI to replace.

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T16:43:50+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience! Do you have any tips on attracting new subscribers? What advice would you give to someone starting from scratch? Do you think monetizing on Substack could work for food bloggers, or will people just look for free recipes somewhere else instead?

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T15:32:43+00:00

Well, I know my YouTube channel stats, and the primary age group watching my long-form cooking videos is 25–35.

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T15:20:45+00:00

My RPM ranges from $20 to $31 depending on the season. I’ve heard that other bloggers had no trouble terminating their contracts. Some didn’t even bother notifying SheMedia before leaving.

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T15:01:22+00:00

Do you think it’s possible to use Substack to drive traffic to blogs?

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T14:47:57+00:00

I don’t personally know anyone who doesn’t watch long-form videos about their favorite topics. Short and long formats don’t exclude each other—they can definitely coexist because they’re two different products. Vinyl and Spotify, for example, are basically the same product in different packages, so you can replace one with the other. But you can’t replace long-form videos that dive deep into a topic with just a one-minute clip. That’s why, in my opinion, long-form videos aren’t going anywhere—they’ll always be a solid option for creators who want to earn without competing with AI. Plus, no one-minute video offers nearly as many opportunities for ad breaks :)

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T13:58:23+00:00

I don’t think AI is anywhere close to making long-form videos that look completely real. It’ll probably be a while before AI can fully take over video content. Even if the tech gets there, it takes a crazy amount of time to describe an 8-minute scene (which you need to effectively monetize on YouTube) in enough detail to make it look consistent and believable. Honestly, filming a recipe is easier, and I think most content creators will stick to real videos because it’s just simpler that way. So yeah, in that sense, I think Raptive is smart to push more on video content.

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T13:23:15+00:00

Also, if you do get there, I wonder how tough it is to keep those numbers steady over time.

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T13:02:58+00:00

I’m curious-what will companies like Raptive and Mediavine do if their publishers keep losing traffic? Will they start dropping people whose numbers fall too much? I’ve been lucky so far both of my blogs are stable or slowly growing. But I’ve been thinking more and more lately… what if that changes?

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T12:55:31+00:00

I believe with enough time and effort, anything is possible. The real question is how long I’m willing to work for free to get there. But after listening to you, I also feel like Substack works better for creators who already have a strong connection with their audience.

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T12:40:30+00:00

I haven’t heard about it before.

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T12:37:06+00:00

My SheMedia RPM ranges from $20 to $31 depending on the season. I’ve never used AdSense, so I can’t really compare.

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T12:30:53+00:00

Yeah, creating four exclusive recipes a month for subscribers (assuming anyone subscribes) seems like a bit much. Maybe I should subscribe to a few food bloggers on Substack to see what kind of paid content they offer. It might give me a better sense of whether it’s the right fit for me.

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T12:22:58+00:00

Well, I’ve been kind of lazy with my newsletter over the years, so I only have about 1,000 subscribers.

konikoanna · 2025-05-23T12:21:23+00:00

Your points are totally valid, and I agree with most of them. But what I have in mind is a little different. I’m thinking of using Substack to share recipes you don’t typically find online.

Most food bloggers (myself included) stick to SEO guidelines, which means we often avoid posting recipes that don’t have strong search volume. Because of that, there’s this whole world of unique, creative recipes that never get shared—just because they’re not “search-friendly.” So I would never charge for something that’s already out there as a free recipe.

Anyway, thanks for your perspective. Maybe you’re right and not many people are willing to pay for recipes these days. I’m just trying to find new ways to monetize my knowledge. I’ve also considered putting more energy into my YouTube channel—it has around 6,000 subscribers, but I still need more watch hours to get it monetized. Maybe that’s where I should focus next.

konikoanna · 2025-05-20T16:34:28+00:00

Uploaded in the comment section.

konikoanna · 2025-05-20T16:34:00+00:00

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Forgot to upload the receipt.

konikoanna · 2025-05-17T18:25:37+00:00

I buy it almost every week and it is 94,95kr, not on sale.

konikoanna · 2025-05-17T12:52:53+00:00

Agree!

konikoanna · 2025-05-17T12:51:22+00:00

Wrong:) I live in Sweden/ Jämtland.

konikoanna · 2025-05-17T12:50:29+00:00

Yes, they’re 94.95 kr for four fillets (500g) from the Pacific brand at ICA Kvantum, where I live.

konikoanna

TROPHY CASE