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The Future of Blogging: Why Authenticity Beats AI Every Time

ByJillian Leslie

In the most recent episode of the Blogger Genius Podcast, I sit down with Kimberly Espinel, a renowned food photographer and Instagram expert behind the blog The Little Plantation. Together, we explore the evolving landscape of food blogging, the impact of AI, and actionable strategies for leveraging Instagram to build community and engagement.

The Evolution of Food Blogging

The Pandemic Boom

Kimberly reflects on the surge in food blogging during the pandemic. With more people cooking at home, the demand for recipes and food content skyrocketed. However, as the world returns to normal, maintaining this momentum requires a strategic approach.

The Importance of a Blog as a Home Base

While social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are essential for showcasing personality and connecting with your audiences, Kimberly emphasizes the importance of having a blog as a home base. A blog provides a stable platform for your content, unaffected by the ever-changing algorithms of social media.

Show Notes:

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The Role of AI in Content Creation

AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement

Both Kimberly and I discuss the impact of AI on content creation. Tools like ChatGPT can generate recipes and content quickly, but they lack the personal touch that makes your blog unique. Kimberly stresses that while AI can provide information, it cannot replicate the unique voice and personality of a content creator. This personal touch is essential for building a loyal audience.

Building Connections Through Personal Branding

Injecting Personality into Content


Kimberly suggests that bloggers need to inject more of their personality into their content to stand out. This can be achieved through various formats on Instagram, such as reels and stories, where creators can share personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes glimpses of their lives.

Overcoming Introversion

One common concern among content creators: the discomfort of being on camera, especially for introverts. Kimberly acknowledges that while it can be challenging, showing one’s face and personality can significantly enhance engagement. She encourages introverts to start small, perhaps by using voiceovers or sharing behind-the-scenes content, to gradually build their comfort level.

The Importance of Authenticity

Testing Different Content Formats

Kimberly shares her experience of testing different content formats on Instagram. She found that posts featuring her face or personal stories garnered significantly more engagement than text-based posts. This reinforces the idea that audiences crave genuine connections with creators.

The Future of Food Photography

Kimberly addresses the rise of AI-generated images in food photography. While some may see this as a threat, she believes there will always be a demand for authentic, human-created content. Clients often prefer working with photographers who bring a unique perspective and personal touch to their work.

Actionable Strategies for Instagram Success

Creating Engaging Reels

Kimberly emphasizes the importance of creating reels, as they are currently the most effective way to reach new audiences. Reels allow you to showcase your personality and creativity in a short, engaging format.

Sharing Personal Stories

Sharing personal stories and experiences fosters a sense of community and connection. Kimberly suggests using Instagram stories to share behind-the-scenes content, personal anecdotes, and day-in-the-life posts.

Analyzing Performance Metrics

Kimberly emphasizes the importance of reviewing your analytics to understand what content resonates with your audience. For instance, while carousel posts may receive more likes, reels often lead to greater follower growth. By analyzing performance, you can identify trends and replicate successful content strategies.

Engagement Strategies

To drive engagement and move followers off Instagram to your website or email list, Kimberly recommends using prompts in stories and captions. Instead of direct links, she suggests asking followers to DM for links or use specific keywords, which can increase engagement and visibility.

Sustainable Posting Practices

Consistency is crucial, but it should not come at the expense of your well-being. Kimberly advises finding a posting rhythm that feels sustainable and enjoyable. Ideally, posting three times a week can be effective, but it’s essential to adjust based on your personal circumstances and mental health.

Utilizing Different Instagram Features

Each part of Instagram serves a different purpose. The grid is for outward-facing content, stories are for building intimacy, and DMs are for deeper connections. Kimberly suggests creating unique content for each feature rather than simply resharing reels, as this can lead to lower engagement.

Building Your Email List

Offering Freebies and Running Challenges

Kimberly shares her strategies for growing her email list, including offering freebies and running challenges. These initiatives not only provide value to her audience but also encourage sign-ups for her newsletter.

Adapting to Change

Flexibility and Openness

The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and Kimberly stresses the importance of being flexible and open to change. Regularly reviewing analytics and being willing to adjust your strategy is key to long-term success.

Finding Joy in Content Creation

Embracing the Journey

While Kimberly acknowledges the challenges of content creation, she encourages embracing the opportunity to express oneself and connect with others. The emotional rollercoaster of blogging is part of the journey, and finding joy in the process is essential.

Conclusion

Personal branding and authenticity in the evolving landscape of food blogging have become paramount. As AI continues to change the way content is created and consumed, bloggers who embrace their unique voices and connect with their audiences on a personal level will thrive. By following Kimberly’s actionable tips and strategies, you can enhance your Instagram presence, build deeper connections with your audience, and achieve greater success in your blogging endeavors.

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#356 Transcript: The Future of Blogging: Why Authenticity Beats AI Every Time

Jillian Leslie 00:00:07 Hello and welcome back to the Blogger Genius podcast. I am your host, Gillian Leslie. Here’s what I want to start with. Now that it is November, that means Black Friday is just around the corner, and there is still time to put together a quick and effective Black Friday sale for your blog or business. You don’t need a huge plan, just my one page Black Friday guide. It includes an AI prompt to help you come up with a fast product you can make, and seven ready to go sales email templates to start selling. The best part? You can set it all up in MiloTree for free because we offer a 30 day free trial, so don’t miss this opportunity. Download the guide at Milotree/bfguide. That’s Milotree.com/bfguide combo guide for Black Friday guide. Now onto today’s show. I am thrilled to welcome back to the podcast, Kimberly Espinosa. She’s a food photographer, Instagram expert, and the creative force behind the blog The Little Plantation. Kimberly’s food photography is truly stunning, and she’s here to share insights from her new book, How to Make Your Food Famous.

Jillian Leslie 00:01:31 In the episode, we discuss how the blogging landscape has evolved with the rise of AI, why a personal touch is now critical to standing out in a crowded space, and actionable Instagram strategies that she has proven work, including leveraging reels and stories to build community and drive engagement. So if you’re looking to make your content shine and create deeper connections with your audience, this episode is packed with value. So let’s dive in. Kimberly, welcome back to the Blogger Genius podcast.

Kimberly Espinel 00:02:14 Thank you so, so much for having me back again. I’m really looking forward to this conversation.

Jillian Leslie 00:02:20 What’s funny is you just reminded me that you were back on my show. I’m like, wow, that was a long time ago. And you said it was 2020. So yes, it was.

Kimberly Espinel 00:02:29 I have to double check. I think it was during a, like a lockdown or other. Oh I’m sure yes. It’s it’s, it’s a while ago because I was connected to when I brought my out my first book, which was great photography and, Yes, I think that’s around the time we connected.

Kimberly Espinel 00:02:46 Oh.

Jillian Leslie 00:02:47 How funny. Okay, so you have a site called The Little Plantation, and it’s dot. Co.Uk because you are in the UK. and I want everybody to look at look at it because your food photography is stunning.

Kimberly Espinel 00:03:04 Thank you so much. That’s really lovely to hear. Thank you. It is.

Jillian Leslie 00:03:08 It truly is. Like it just makes me so happy. It’s just stylish and beautiful. And so you really have leaned into food photography. You become like a serious expert in that space. And so I want to just talk about kind of food bloggers today and what that space is looking like, because I feel like there was a huge explosion for food bloggers during the pandemic when everybody was home. And now I want to know kind of we’ll talk about like what that is. And then you’re also super successful on Instagram. So I want to pick your brain about what’s working now and how not just food bloggers, but all kinds of bloggers and content creators can really leverage Instagram. How does that sound?

Kimberly Espinel 00:03:53 Sounds wonderful.

Kimberly Espinel 00:03:54 It’s perfect. Yeah. So I would say it’s really interesting because I actually started as a food blog. So that’s also why the name, because it was a plant based, food blog. And that’s really still I still share recipes occasionally, and they’re all, plant based. But I think what’s I find so interesting is and I would always recommend to have a blog, to have a website to have your home base. But I do think it’s interesting to see how AI is changing.

Jillian Leslie 00:04:24 the.

Kimberly Espinel 00:04:24 Whole blogging space. And it’s why I would always recommend having a blog and also having something else, ideally a social media presence. Or like you do a podcast somewhere where you really have a chance to give a more, 360 degree perspective on you. Right? Because I cannot replicate the personality, the depth, the tone of voice, you know, like you, and I think sometimes if you just have a blog. It is so much harder to let that personality shine through, because most people nowadays don’t really read blogs.

Kimberly Espinel 00:05:01 They come for the recipes and then they move on. So it’s much harder to to get them to, to connect with you on a more, more, you know, deeper level. And I think that’s where a podcast, but especially platforms like, you know, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, where they really come into their own, I think it’s just an opportunity to show who you are to build your personal brand, beyond just sharing your recipes or anything else that you would share on a blog. So I’m a big advocate for being on having a blog and then having another platform. in addition to.

Jillian Leslie 00:05:38 That, it’s so funny because just before we pressed record, I was recording on somebody else’s blogging podcast and we were saying the exact same thing. We were talking about the we were talking about like, what is blogging look like today? And of course, you can’t talk about blogging today without AI and that eventually you can go. Or you could today go to ChatGPT, get a recipe or something like that.

Jillian Leslie 00:06:03 I shared a story that, which is somebody said to me like, oh, I got this recipe on Pinterest, and I’m thinking, you didn’t get that recipe on Pinterest. You went to Pinterest, ended up on somebody’s blog that you don’t remember, got a recipe. You’re never going to go back to that blog. So it’s how do we say, hey, I’m not just a nameless, faceless food blog, I’m Chilean. I’m, you know, I am Kimberly. I’m somebody, and I have a point of view. I have a way of thinking about whether be food or crafting or wellness or who knows, but come along for the journey. Come along on this journey with me, and I’m going to give you lots of value and I’m going to help you in your life. But I’m a real person.

Kimberly Espinel 00:06:48 And this is so true. And I don’t know how long you have been blogging, but I wrote my first blog post in 2014, so that is a decade ago. And then that’s what blogs did.

Kimberly Espinel 00:07:03 They were like diaries we read, you know, every word that our favorite blogger would write. You know, I could recite some of the poetry written in some of them verbatim, like we were so connected to them, but that that’s just not what we go to blogs for anymore. It’s very information based and, and it’s not so much, you know, with a few exceptions, it’s just not that connection. We look elsewhere to find that that personal, deeper connection, to find community and so on.

Jillian Leslie 00:07:34 And I think if you go to where the money is, it used to be, especially during the pandemic, you could create a food blog, get lots of traffic because you’ve optimized it for Google and Pinterest and you didn’t care. And those people coming to your blog were either visitors or users. They weren’t real people. And I think what you’re saying is it’s now about the real person, especially with AI, which isn’t real. So how do you compete against AI? By being real?

Kimberly Espinel 00:08:08 Exactly.

Kimberly Espinel 00:08:09 That’s that’s it. And that actually ties in really nicely with, some of the research I did in terms of, well, how do we maximize Instagram? How do we use this platform so that it’s a beautiful addition to the blog or a beautiful addition to, say, our podcast or maybe a Substack newsletter or something like that? And, you know, one of the things that I noticed that just helps so, so much across all aspects of Instagram is that personal touch. So that could be the fact that you have a voice over, over your real or the fact that you show your face in your real, or the fact that you show up on your Instagram stories or maybe you’re sharing something a little bit more personal beyond, you know, this is the recipe I’m making. These are the steps. It could be something like, you know, come spend the day with me or something like that, or let’s go, come and look at my what’s in my fridge this week. Or, you know, something that feels a little bit more personal, a little bit beyond something that makes you feel like a whole real person that somebody else would want to connect with.

Kimberly Espinel 00:09:16 So it’s one of the the really powerful aspects that we have on Instagram, that we have the opportunity to share ourselves in different formats, different parts of the app that, yeah, that allows for that connection, that community to, to, to reform, so to say.

Jillian Leslie 00:09:33 Now I can hear people who are listening to this episode right now going, Kimberly, that sounds great, but I’m an introvert. And I got into this because I want to create content, put it out there and have a real distance between me and my content. I don’t want this intimate relationship. What do you say?

Kimberly Espinel 00:09:55 I say it’s still possible to be successful. But I will be honest. I think it is so much harder. Oh, I’m so you know, and it’s really hard for me because I’m, as you, you know, I’m very camera shy. I don’t like at all being on camera. And there are certain things I just don’t like to do. But time and again, when I look at my stats, when I look at the, you know, I did some quite a bit of research for my new book, How to Make Your Food Famous.

Kimberly Espinel 00:10:27 And when I looked at really the the food content creators, food bloggers who were just taking things to the next level, they all injected a lot of personality. So I know for my Instagram stories, for example, for the longest time I do a lot of tech space and information based content on my stories. So a lot of the times what I used to do is I used to have one of my brand colors as the background in my stories, and then I would put text over it, like for example, how to earn whatever 10-K a month. Do you want to know how to earn 10-K a month? So it’s a really juicy question. And for years I did that on a brand color background with that kind of, you know, really hook type question and, you know, go down, you know, amazingly well I’d get lots of views, but in the last, I’d say maybe 18 months or so. I’ve just seen those views. yeah. Just decrease. So it’s like, okay means there’s some there’s a change here.

Kimberly Espinel 00:11:27 So what I’ve done is I’ve taken a little behind the scenes clip of me maybe setting up a scene for my food photography, or just tidying my studio, and then put the same text over that little B-roll clip, three x views than I ever had before. So the exact same text. I’ve tested this multiple times. Exact same question. You know the juicy thing about 10-K a month or whatever it is, or how to get more views on your blog or whatever it is that I know my audience cares about if it is on a colored screen. It performs so it performs less well than if it is over me in the frame doing x, y and z. So it just showed to me together with the research I did for my book, that there is something about connection and the person that we are all craving, and it does transfer into dollar bills also. Okay, so so.

Jillian Leslie 00:12:26 So what I what I hear you saying is if you’ve got an issue with putting yourself on camera, there are ways to do it where you don’t feel that exposed.

Jillian Leslie 00:12:37 However, there are trade offs. You want to make money at your business. You learn to get your face out there Like you’d be great.

Kimberly Espinel 00:12:47 That. Yes, I would say that is the best thing is to show your face. That’s the best thing you can do. I think if that feels like a really big undertaking, I would urge you to put some energy into beautiful voice overs. You know, really doing voice overs, showing your personality may be telling a story, something that goes beyond now put in a cup of flour and then a cup of whatever, you know, like it has to go beyond that. because people can Google a simple recipe now with ease, or even go on Instagram and just type in Victoria sponge cake or something like that and get 120 options. What you want is for them to want to receive that information from you. And so that element of personality, be it through a personal story, be it through showing your face, be through a beautiful voice over a combination of all of the above.

Kimberly Espinel 00:13:38 That’s really an essential part of finding success on Instagram right now.

Jillian Leslie 00:13:45 Okay, now for you who makes her money predominantly. I mean, meaning you have a variety of ways that you make money, but it all relates to being a food photographer. And I has come on the scene and I photographs have come on the scene, and I have heard where food bloggers are like, hey, I can do an ingredient shot using AI, AI. And then it becomes, maybe I could use, I to create my pie, my finished pie. Hey, like, I don’t need to be behind my camera anymore and I can just get really good at being a prompt engineer. What do you say to that?

Kimberly Espinel 00:14:29 I think it may be that we’re going to get to that point. We’re not at that point yet. And also, what I have noticed is that there’s been a lot of pushback from clients and also from, say, publishers. So I photograph a lot of cookbooks who specifically put in their contracts that they do not want a I used.

Kimberly Espinel 00:14:54 So that’s something to flag that might change, especially because potentially you’d be able to do the job quicker and therefore more, you know, financially efficient for them. but right now there’s a lot of pushback from clients because, you know, the certain, prompts and things that you use. And then the information that I uses in theory, that will be information, visual information available to a whole host of people. And nobody wants, a brand photo that looks exactly like that of their competitor. So we’re not there yet. but let’s see, let’s see where we go. So I think there’s still a lot of space for, people to actually do real food photography work. But also there’s a lot of times where it goes back to what we were just talking about, where it’s really about clients wanting to work with you because they like the client experience, they like the signature look that you’ve created, you know, all those kind of things. So I think I’ve had that happen a lot that people hire me because they’ve seen my Instagram content where they feel like they can trust me with their brand or whatever the case may be.

Kimberly Espinel 00:16:07 So, yeah.

Jillian Leslie 00:16:08 So if in, let’s say, five years, you find that eye has gotten so good and that you, Kimberly, become a prompt engineer, what you’re saying to me is that might not be ideal, but because I’m Kimberly, I can switch, you know, my skills. And people will still, though, hire me because of me.

Kimberly Espinel 00:16:35 Absolutely. And that applies to anything food photography that applies Is to writing recipes, cookbooks, all the things. Right? Like, I think there’s something about people wanting to connect to human because let’s be real, there’s enough. There are enough brownie recipes in the world. They’re not chocolate chip cookies in the world. Like in theory, we don’t need another person creating another recipe, but we do want that specific recipe from that particular blogger or that particular food content creator, right? Like that’s what we crave. That’s why we want to make a, I don’t know, Martha Stewart’s cookie recipe or whatever it is. Like there’s why? Like, why do we want to make Martha Stewart’s recipe? Because we trust her.

Kimberly Espinel 00:17:18 Maybe because we like her, because we know it’s going to be good, because she’s so sophisticated. And if we make her cookie, we feel sophisticated. Do you know what I mean? I do, I think there’s just that is that works has always worked is working on steroids right now in Instagram. And I think that is not going away. So it’s definitely one of my top tips for making it on Instagram right now.

Jillian Leslie 00:17:42 Is to be real is to to be show to show what have.

Kimberly Espinel 00:17:47 A personal element.

Jillian Leslie 00:17:48 Yeah, I was I was reading something that we need to see people in real life and we need to like, hug people because weirdly, we’re picking up pheromones without even knowing it. You know, so I cannot hug you right now but I get like the next best thing. And so it’s probably telling my brain like I have a new friend and we’re having this like nice cover and we’re smiling at each other. And so while I might not smell you right now I it will like make me happy in the day because I had a real connection.

Jillian Leslie 00:18:24 And I think we’re wired for this. And what I say to bloggers who get kind of, even food bloggers who’ve seen like, traffic hits and things and they go, why am I doing this? Especially with AI? And I say, you can see it through a different lens. Maybe this is the best time to do this, because we’re getting flooded with so much content that probably most of it isn’t real. It is impersonal. It is. And that we crave that personal. That if you can show up and be personal, you’ve got superpowers. And if you are, say, one of these introverts who’s like, I don’t want to show my face or I don’t want to do that, but you could. But if you do it because most people are probably introverts not wanting to show themselves.

Kimberly Espinel 00:19:10 For sure, if.

Jillian Leslie 00:19:11 You do it, think of what an advantage that is for you.

Kimberly Espinel 00:19:15 Yes, exactly. And I think the beauty really of Instagram, you know, since 2020 is their introduction of reels, of course, because that gives you the opportunity to really to add that personal touch on a whole other new dimension.

Kimberly Espinel 00:19:32 Like for example, let’s use the real as an example. You get to pick the song that is the background music or, or the, the audio really of the of the reel. And so, you know, I always choose songs that mean something to me that I like, that I want to dance to or whatever, you know, whatever makes me feel something that is always what I use as music. Whereas if you go to one of my friends say, Betsy from Stems and Forks, she loves classical music. You will never hear classical music on my reels because that’s not my jam. But so I always inject something. I like putting Latin music because, you know, I’m of that background, so, you know, those kind of things. My voice. I have a very particular voice.

Jillian Leslie 00:20:13 You do. It’s a way of, I want you to talk to me before I go to bed. I feel like you would soothe me into sleep.

Kimberly Espinel 00:20:20 But do you know what I mean? Like, that gives it again.

Kimberly Espinel 00:20:22 So we have this whole audio experience, and then we have the visual experience as well, you know, of me sharing a recipe or a tip or whatever it is that I’m sharing. And then we also get the chance to actually go further and write a caption to and maybe explain things more thoroughly that we can’t say 1015 22nd reel. Like there’s so many different ways of you to to use the platform that is Instagram to express, yeah, to express yourself. And I think it is just phenomenal. It’s just phenomenal. And also, you know, if there’s anybody tuning in who’s much more into photography now on Instagram, you can do carousels. So it’s like a multitude of, you know, photos and those kind of things. You can put text overlay. There’s so much opportunity to be creative and to and through that grow on Instagram and in a way that we haven’t been able to grow for the last, I don’t know, six, seven years. Like there’s phenomenal growth and viral virality that is possible on Instagram now through reels, through all these different mediums.

Kimberly Espinel 00:21:30 It’s it’s so exciting.

Jillian Leslie 00:21:36 I want to give you a little teaser for what’s coming up in the second half of the episode. Kimberly and I talk about the importance of moving your audience off of Instagram and onto your email list. Kimberly shares how she offers her followers irresistible freebies to make it happen. Big surprise if you’re ready to create your own irresistible freebie like a cheat sheet, which is my personal favorite, grab my three eye prompts and Canva template to make designing your freebie a breeze. Head to MiloTree.com/freebieprompts. That’s Milotree.com/freebieprompts and download yours today, so don’t miss this chance to grow your list and connect with your audience on a deeper level. And remember, your email list is one of your most valuable assets, because these are the people who will buy your products and services. And now back to the show. Let’s get into the strategies. So let’s say I listen to this. I’m inspired. I hear your voice and it’s so soothing. And I go, okay, Kimberly, lead me, lead me down the path.

Jillian Leslie 00:22:58 Where do I start?

Kimberly Espinel 00:23:00 So I would say the maybe 5 or 6, maybe 5 or 6 tips or so that I’ve really found works super well. So two we already discussed you definitely need to have a real strategy. I would say to post at least half of your content in reals format, because it’s the best way to have reach, to have engagement, to go viral, to attract new followers and so on and so forth. And a great way to which is my second tip to get more personal. So those are those are the personal.

Jillian Leslie 00:23:31 In the reels, not in your story? Not, as I usually think of it, as. Reals are kind of like the doorway. Get somebody to follow. You want to consume your content and then get more personal in your stories.

Kimberly Espinel 00:23:45 It doesn’t have to be. I think, it can be. You can do that. If that’s a strategy that works for you, I’d say go for it, do that. But I as I was mentioning before, I would really invite you to explore doing voice overs where there’s a little bit more of a story, an anecdote, perhaps, maybe, get ready with me, or spend the day with me.

Kimberly Espinel 00:24:03 Or a day in the life for what? You know, any kind of more personal content. And I actually think it’s helpful because, you know, those that kind of content gives you a little bit of a break from recipe development and creation, like doing a little fridge tour. It’s actually much less work than developing a whole recipe and filming that and and all sorts. That gives you a little bit of a break, yet still is engaging content. So what about like, teaching?

Jillian Leslie 00:24:29 Oh, sorry, but like teaching. Do you feel like reals is where you teach? Like, okay, based on what you were saying, what percent of your reals should be like, I’m going to teach like a recipe or this photography strategy or those things versus, hey, here’s my refrigerator, spend a day with me. Or I can tell you kind of happened to me.

Kimberly Espinel 00:24:48 It depends a little bit what your goal is, and it depends a little bit on your brand. So I like to do the majority of my content teachable moments.

Kimberly Espinel 00:24:57 So I do a lot of how to create a beautiful reel or how to improve your food photography, because that’s my brand and that’s connected to what I want to sell, which is my courses, my books, and so on and so forth. But if I’m looking to do more influencer work, aka working with brands, I want to do a little bit more of that personal stuff so that people feel connected to me and they’re going to end up, you know, taking my word for the fact that that’s the best stand mixer or that is the blender they need, they’re going to click through there, you know. So is it kind of depends a little bit on what your end goal is, but what I would say is half of your content at least needs to be reals. And I think depending on what you want, what you’re comfortable with, what works for you, what gels with you, there has to be a nice personal touch to your content, and that you can interpret that in whatever way that works and resonates with you.

Kimberly Espinel 00:25:55 Okay, so we were.

Jillian Leslie 00:25:56 Saying I think, yeah, go ahead, share your your tips because I interrupted.

Kimberly Espinel 00:25:59 Yes. The third, the third thing I think is so important that I feel so many people miss is to actually look at your stats. So what content is resonating because sometimes we think we know. But so and also how does that link to your goals? I’ll give you an example. A lot of the times my carousel posts get a lot of likes. So a lot of hearts sometimes more than some of my reels. But when I actually look at the analytics nine out of ten times. Even reels that get fewer likes than, say, my carousel posts bring in many more followers, so if I want to, and many more shares. So if my goal for the quarter or the year or whatever is to grow my followers, then I actually need to do more reels. Even though, you know, on the surface of it, my carousels might be looking like they do better.

Kimberly Espinel 00:26:53 And on that note, if I want to again grow my my audience that I need to look at for this quarter, this month, this week, what however it is that you do your analytics to actually see like out of all the content I posted, what was the common denominator of the 3 or 4 best performing reels? Was it the hook? Was it because I use trending music? Was it because I was teaching something? Was it because of the voiceover and so on and so forth, like really dissecting so that you can replicate it and almost create like a blueprint. So, yeah. So that’s another thing really is so important to look at your stats not just for your grade content, but also for your stories.

Jillian Leslie 00:27:35 Okay. And then make.

Kimberly Espinel 00:27:36 Sense so far.

Jillian Leslie 00:27:37 Yes totally. Any more tips.

Kimberly Espinel 00:27:40 Yes. Loads. Let me just look at my yes. So another big thing that I have seen work wonders on Instagram. And this I think is important for anybody who has a blog or newsletter or anywhere that you want to guide people to, aka you want to move them off Instagram to click through.

Kimberly Espinel 00:28:02 Historically, it has been so difficult to do that. But and also which I think is really sneaky of Instagram is if you put a link sticker saying your Instagram stories and you lead people off the platform to your blog, then Instagram tends to, I guess, downgrade your story so fewer people see it. So it’s a catch 22 because if you don’t include the link, they’re not going to click through. If you do, then your views are stunted. And so, so a really great way around that in your stories rather than include a link. What I have been doing is I include a question box or a prompt just to say, if you’d like the link to this recipe, just drop me a DM. Or if you use many chat, which a lot of people do, just drop the word. Victoria sponge cake or cake or whatever it is that the prompt word is. And that again, I’ve seen my stories five x through that because of course every time people comment or they use the question box and I play around with it, I find comments work better than the question box for me, but that’s something you’d have to explore.

Kimberly Espinel 00:29:15 Instagram will see that as engagement, right? So that’s really what they want. And the same strategy I’ve just found work wonders in, in your caption. So I will say if you’d like a link to my new book, or if you want the link to my new course or whatever it is that I’m promoting or I want to link people to, I ask them to leave a prompt word book house, whatever it is that I whatever the prompt word is. Again, engagement is phenomenal and I can then have the permission to then go into their DM and send them the link or use many chat. I don’t know, you know what what people prefer, but these really simple prompts have just completely transformed, especially my views and engagement and so on and stories, but also just link through to my website. It’s just been so much easier this way. So than the traditional link. Here’s the link in my bio right now.

Jillian Leslie 00:30:13 Here’s here’s a question though, because then I had read, and I don’t know if this is true, that Instagram is onto you when you say, you know, use this word or use many chat those in many charters, a service where you put the word and then you hook it to many chat and many chat will deliver it is do you know about like have you found that that Instagram is downgrading those kinds of posts?

Kimberly Espinel 00:30:37 What I notice is on stories.

Kimberly Espinel 00:30:41 That’s why I think it is better to that’s why I’m I’m still playing around with it, but that’s why I prefer the prompt. Just DM me. So what I do usually is I say DM me if you want the link. And so what happens is some people will will DM me the word link because they think that’s the word, or they’ll say yes, please. Or if you can send it to me, please. I’d love that. So there is a lot of variety there. And obviously Instagram is not you know, they don’t have an clocked that yet. So they read that 100% as you know, as, as proper engagement with, they have I don’t use many chat myself, so I do everything manually because I kind of wanted to test the waters first and I think it is allowed. I still get really good, engagement with it, but I think it, it just needs the real itself, needs to deliver what it needs to deliver on the platform ideally. So it could be that you share a recipe, for example, and you share the recipe in the caption and you say, but if you’d like to have the gluten free version or you know there has to be something else so that you deliver as much value as you can there, and anybody who wants to go the next step, right? Or they want the print out tables or whatever it is, then I think that is the secret sauce, because you’ll still get regular engagement and you also get people wanting to click through.

Kimberly Espinel 00:32:21 So does that make sense?

Jillian Leslie 00:32:22 Extent. Yeah, totally. Tell me then what you recommend. How many reels a week, how many stories a day, how many? You know. And I know it’s not a one size fits all solution. I’m sure you get it.

Kimberly Espinel 00:32:35 Love this. I love this question because it kind of goes to my next tip. And again, this is something I address in my new book, How to Make Your Food Famous. Because, you know, it was very interesting. So for for the new book, just to explain, I did a lot of research and look at a variety of creators who are just crushing it. Some of them have 2 million, a million, you know, some of them just started a year ago and have over 250,000 followers. I really wanted to get a sense of how they got there. And in the process, of course, I also had the opportunity to speak to all of them, to get to know them, their businesses and so on.

Kimberly Espinel 00:33:14 And what was interesting for me was that, some of them were loving it and enjoying the entire process, but there were also quite a few of them who had gone through periods of real burnout and, you know, just had lost the love for what they did. And so it made me. There’s a bit in the book about consistency, you know, how can we be consistent, you know, in this fast paced world without losing the love for what we do, without losing time with our families, without burning out and so on. And so for me, there’s a balance to be struck between consistency and also honoring your own limitations. So I could say to you, post three times a week, come hell or high water, it’s so important you’re going to grow. And it is true. But if it comes at the cost of your wellbeing, of your mental health and those kind of things, then it’s not sustainable. And so my advice would be to post in a way that is sustainable for you, that brings you joy, that keeps that creative spark going.

Kimberly Espinel 00:34:27 I have found that if you have a real connection with your audience because you’re sharing something personal, you’re showing up. You’re sharing value, sharing tips, you’re creating beautiful recipes. I take the whole summer off. I take the whole summer off for six weeks. You know, I’m with my child. We like we traveled through the the Andes in South America this summer, you know, like it was. I didn’t even have proper internet. And when I came back, my business was still standing. Would have been advantageous to still post and do this and but yes, but I wouldn’t have. I wanted to be present. I wanted to switch off. I wanted to come back with renewed passion and energy. And so I wonder, you know, what the consistency and that balance between consistency and living life that is for everyone to be, you know, to strike their own balance. In an ideal world, I think three times a week is beautiful. But if you’re in a phase, if you’ve just had a baby or something like that, that might not be the phase of life that you’re in.

Kimberly Espinel 00:35:29 And so finding a rhythm that you can maintain and that you continuously review is much more powerful than posting consistently grow grow, grow. Burnout burnout burnout. so that is another I think tip that I have for a long term sustainable, beautiful growth strategy on Instagram.

Jillian Leslie 00:35:51 Do you feel like you should take all of your reels and share them to your stories? Share them on threads? Tell me.

Kimberly Espinel 00:35:59 So I have to say, I’m not on threads anymore. There I was in the beginning, but then I was like, I can’t do everything and be, you know, I’d rather be on a set number of platforms and do those well and enjoy them and show up, you know, fully they’re There, then spread myself too thinly so I, I can’t, I can’t comment on, threads. I almost feel like it’s a whole separate. It’s a whole separate app. Almost. Okay. I don’t I really look at, And that’s why I think it’s so important to look at your stats. For most people, resharing their reels on their Instagram is not a very useful strategy, right? Like, I’m sure that if most people are going to look at their stats, those are probably going to be some of your worst performing stories is just a reshare.

Kimberly Espinel 00:36:52 I really think you need to look at all the different parts of Instagram as many apps. So the grid is one mini app, stories is one mini app, DMs is a whole separate mini app, and then you’ve got subscriptions, which is its own thing. And I think what you’ll notice if you dig deeper, if you communicate, ask your audience. Everybody comes to those different parts looking for different things. Right. So I think people who come to my stories, they want to get a sense that their part to they’re getting a glimpse behind the scenes or a little preview, or they’re connecting with me more deeply. So I try to really create content specifically for stories like I, I plan it out for the week. These are the bits I’m going to share a hint here a behind the scenes there, a poll, a question, a special tip that nobody else is going to see. So people want to come to stories, and stories are there to for you to build that really strong connection with your audience.

Kimberly Espinel 00:37:55 The grid is there. Is your outward facing content, right?

Jillian Leslie 00:37:59 It’s like I always go, I always go to any restaurant, go look at their Instagram and I just want to see a waterfall of photos. This is what the food looks like.

Kimberly Espinel 00:38:09 Exactly right. So you post, you have your highlights, your your bio, your your reels, your carousels and so on and so forth. And then DM is a really great way for you to connect deeper. But also, I think it’s a great place to explain on a 1 to 1 basis what your program is about or why your digital course is so amazing. Or maybe, like in our cases, why it’s worth listening to the podcast. Like what is there to find in the podcast? They can’t find an Instagram. So it’s it’s about answering customer questions. It’s about going that, you know, I think it’s okay to sell, especially if people ask about it. so it’s a whole other thing and it requires a whole other strategy.

Jillian Leslie 00:38:50 Wow.

Jillian Leslie 00:38:51 Okay. So how often then are you creating stories?

Kimberly Espinel 00:38:56 I try to create stories about five times a week, so I might even show up on stories and not show up on my grade. Because for me, I, I want to have that deep connection with my audience that’s super important to me. And I wouldn’t even call them my audience. It’s my community, ultimately.

Jillian Leslie 00:39:17 And how are you? How are you moving people from your community onto your email list if you are?

Kimberly Espinel 00:39:25 Yes, I am, so I share. Thank you. This is another great leading into how I move people through. So I have two ways that I do that. One is I have a number of freebies opt ins that I promote on stories, and it depends the I usually promote things that connect to whatever it is we’re selling that quarter. So for example, this quarter is all about my book, all about my reels course. So Instagram related. So the freebie I have for that is the ten best tools for it to use on Instagram.

Kimberly Espinel 00:40:04 So that’s the freebie I promote during this quarter. And so I I’ll say if you want this, just DM me and I’m happy to send you the link To grab this freebie, that kind of thing. So, you know, that’s a one way. And then the second and I think I mentioned this last time I was on the podcast is through challenges, which is in effect, which is in effect, a freebie, essentially. So those are the two ways.

Jillian Leslie 00:40:30 What kind of challenge are you?

Kimberly Espinel 00:40:32 It’s a it used to be a food photography challenge. Now it’s a food photography and recipe reels challenge. So people have to sign up to the newsletter and then they get a mood board and a challenge. So it could be something like pumpkin or something. You have to create either a food photo or a recipe reel using that ingredient, and then you get judged and there’s prizes and and all the rest of it. So those are the two ways it’s through opt ins that I promote in my stories, or the challenge which I promote both in my stories but also on my grid.

Kimberly Espinel 00:41:06 And the click through for that is always, yeah, it’s my biggest, mailing list. Builders.

Jillian Leslie 00:41:13 And how often are you running a challenge?

Kimberly Espinel 00:41:16 Twice a.

Jillian Leslie 00:41:17 Year. Nice. Okay. Wow. Well, you are like. Okay, so what? Let me kind of summarize what you’re saying. Go for it. You are saying that Instagram as we all know, is a very powerful platform. And it’s a great way to give people a 360 degree view of you. That’s it. And that each part of Instagram you should treat as a separate app place goal those kinds of things. And that reels are really powerful and that 50% of your time should be on reels. However, then explore kind of what is your grid looking like or what you know, what like are you doing carousels, things like that and stories is the way to build more intimacy.

Kimberly Espinel 00:42:05 That’s correct. Yes.

Jillian Leslie 00:42:07 And you do. I like that you say, dig into your analytics like don’t be afraid of them because they will tell you a story that might be different than what you think your story is.

Kimberly Espinel 00:42:19 100% I think it’s always a surprise when I usually look at my analytics at the end of the month. As I plan content for the next month, I’m always surprised. I’m always surprised to see what actually performed well. And to be honest, you know how at the very start I know I’m talking a lot today, so do so, Julien. But, but you know, how did this start? I was saying how I had that that color, my brand color with a text on it. I was doing this and I was like, why is this not performing? Why is this not performing? I don’t understand, it’s always worked for me. And then when I looked at the end of the month and I could see those, those stories were. But when I looked at what was at the top, every single frame was me. In the frame was me in my studio. I was like, okay, wait a second, what if I take this and the juicy questions and put them together? Let’s see what happens.

Kimberly Espinel 00:43:15 I would not, I was just getting frustrated. Like this is always worked for me. Why does it not work for me anymore? You know.

Jillian Leslie 00:43:23 Instagram hates me now.

Kimberly Espinel 00:43:24 Instagram hates me. I was like, hold on, the the devil’s in the detail or the devil’s in the data. I should say. There it is. The answer is staring me in my face. But if I had not gone into my analytics with a clear mind, I would have completely missed that. And that’s actually my last tip, because I know we need to probably bring it to a close, but be ready to adjust, adapt and change. Nothing stays the same. Everything is always evolving and you can, you know, dig your heels in the sand and be my guest. Or you can go with a flow and be open minded, explorative, curious, creative. Live and all the things. I’m sure there are bits here that are timeless that I’ve shared, but there may be other tips that if I come back and for you this time they will be different.

Jillian Leslie 00:44:18 Totally different.

Kimberly Espinel 00:44:19 Things.

Speaker 3 00:44:20 Right? But I and.

Kimberly Espinel 00:44:20 That’s the that’s the fun and that’s the intrigue and that’s what keeps us on our toes. So be prepared to adjust, adapt and change.

Jillian Leslie 00:44:30 I love that it’s every if you want to have a business today, especially online, it is all about being, being flexible, seeing what works, digging into your analytics, noticing what and that things will change 100%. Okay, like get used to that or you’re in the wrong business.

Kimberly Espinel 00:44:50 That’s it.

Speaker 3 00:44:51 Well, what I love about what.

Jillian Leslie 00:44:53 You shared is it seems like you are, inspired by Instagram. It, like it really resonates with you. You do not see this as a as a chore, as something. Oh, I’ve got a post on Instagram. I feel like you see it as a creative adventure.

Kimberly Espinel 00:45:15 I’ll be honest, I go through phases. So I will say as a food photographer, through and through, that’s my first love. It always will be my first love. When reels were introduced, I was not happy.

Kimberly Espinel 00:45:27 I was not happy. I wanted, you know, things were, you know why? Why fix it if it ain’t broken? It was perfect. And so it did take me a little while to get my head around it. And then also I took, as I mentioned, we’re recording this now in September. I took the whole summer off and I was itching to come back. So I think I go through moments of resentment and then reignited passion and like it’s it’s a it’s an emotional roller coaster. So I don’t want to paint it as rainbows and unicorns all the time. I get frustrated too, sometimes. But then I think we have this unique opportunity to express ourselves to market our business, to reach new customers, to make a difference, to tell our food story. All these things that say our parents would have never dreamt possible. It’s all here. And then I think, dang, you have got it good.

Speaker 3 00:46:19 You know, like, stop complaining.

Kimberly Espinel 00:46:21 We got it good.

Speaker 3 00:46:22 We got it good, I love that.

Jillian Leslie 00:46:24 Okay, Kimberly, if people want to connect, reach out. I have a feeling I know where you’re going to send them. Look at.

Speaker 3 00:46:31 That.

Jillian Leslie 00:46:32 Book. Where should they go?

Kimberly Espinel 00:46:35 I would say the very best. So if there’s anything here that resonated with you, if you’d love more Instagram tips, I would start with my new book, How to Make Your Food Famous. That’s probably your best place to start. The second place would be, of course, Instagram and come and say hi in my DM. I always love to hear from new people, new community members. And then finally I have a podcast, eat, capture, share which you will be on very soon. So definitely come and listen to Jillian’s episode two. And, yeah. Be lovely to connect with you there. I share mostly tips around food photography, Instagram strategy, very similar to what we chat about today. So those are.

Speaker 3 00:47:16 Probably what is your.

Jillian Leslie 00:47:16 Instagram handle?

Speaker 3 00:47:18 Share it. the little plantation.

Kimberly Espinel 00:47:20 I’m the little plantation everywhere.

Kimberly Espinel 00:47:22 And Instagram, that’s also the name of my blog. And then eat capture share for the podcast.

Speaker 3 00:47:26 I love it!

Jillian Leslie 00:47:27 Well, I’m so glad that we have reconnected after a bunch of years and I love your honesty. Just even that for you too. It’s not like again, I say puppies and rainbows that it is like that. It is. It can be, at times a grind and at times beautiful. And it’s like life. So I really appreciate that because I think so many people in my audience go, how does she do it all the time?

Kimberly Espinel 00:47:57 Oh no, I’ve cried about a real gone, gone awry. So I’ve been there. I know what it’s like. but tomorrow is another day, right? And we, we live and learn.

Jillian Leslie 00:48:07 So I just want to say, Kimberly, thank you so much for coming back on the show.

Kimberly Espinel 00:48:13 Thank you for having me. It’s been a joy.

Jillian Leslie 00:48:15 I hope you guys like this episode. My biggest takeaway from my conversation with Kimberly is that the key to standing out in today’s crowded digital world is to inject you into everything you do.

Jillian Leslie 00:48:30 So whether it’s through your Instagram reels, your stories, your blog, your unique perspective and personality are your superpowers. I feel like this is such a theme, so if you are inspired, don’t forget to grab the two freebies I mentioned earlier, my Black Friday guide to help you set up a Down and Dirty Black Friday sale. You can grab that at Milotree.com/bfguide, and my download to help you create your cheat sheet freebie. You can grab that at Mylo tree.com/freebie prompts. And if you’re not already using MiloTree, let me tell you it is a game changer at MiloTree. We offer a set of tools specifically for bloggers. We help you sell digital products to your audience. Grow your email list with freebies and increase your social media followers 24 over seven and you can’t beat our price. Your first 30 days are totally free. Plus, we’re real people here to help you every step of the way. So stop building your business like it’s 2022 and start building your business like it’s 2025.

Jillian Leslie 00:49:50 And I will see you here again next week.