From Jamie Oliver to Gordon Ramsey – we can now encounter well-known chefs as our digital cooking mentors on a daily basis. This is all due to the fact that people are turning to online cooking tutorials more often, especially since the start of the global pandemic.
Chefs on video – a new norm?
Throughout this year, many people around the globe had to stay at home, and many of them also had to do more home-cooking. This trend launched an effect on the video streaming industry almost immediately. Just a month after March 15, 2020, the number of average daily views for “cook-with-me” videos doubled on YouTube.
Those same statistics show that cooking videos have been viewed over 20 billion times in 2020. This represents a huge and alluring audience, but to get viewer’s attention, one should first carefully plan all the details and create unique content that would make their show stand out. We believe that every talented chef should have the ability to share their masterpieces and connect with the world, which is why we’ve created this short guide on launching and promoting your cooking channel.
Top vlogging services for cooking online
The first step to create your cooking channel is to choose an appropriate vlogging service to host it. Luckily, there are many ways to promote and monetize your content for different video streaming devices, each having their own advantages and disadvantages. We’ve analyzed a huge number of opportunities to explore, and here is our list of the top-performing services:
- Apple TV is among the most popular connected TV vendors worldwide. It hosts over 13,000 apps delivered by 8000 publishers on the tvOS App Store. Among these, the Food & Drink category represents one of the smallest numbers of apps, so the competition should be relatively low which can be a significant factor for creators who struggle to stand out. Their tvOS Apple Developer offer includes a vast number of predefined templates and frameworks to quickly create a suitable app for your cooking show.
- Fire TV from Amazon is another good option for video streaming and vlogging. It includes 10,540 apps from over 4,500 publishers that can be accessed via The Amazon Fire TV App Store. The channel can be created with the help of Android Studio and their guidelines for TV app developers. They also provide a number of TV-specific tools and frameworks within Fire App Builder, as well as support via the Developers forum.
The most popular CTV platform in the USA holds one of the greatest US connected TV market shares and offers over 20,000 apps to their viewers. These are provided by around 6,000 vendors from all around the globe and nearly 500 apps are related to Food and Home categories. In order to create a new app, one can make use of their Developer’s guide and a couple of additional tools.
- Other notable CTV platforms include Samsung Tizen, Microsoft Xbox, Google Chromecast, and many more.
Once you’ve chosen the best platform for streaming, it is time to create your cooking channel and start earning
Creating your own channel for cooking
The industry is rapidly growing at the moment, and so are the number of potential viewers. This means that launching a cooking channel can be especially fruitful for people who starting a vlog as it is still relatively easy to get viewers and successfully monetize your content. Here is a short step-by-step guide to help you navigate around this process:
Step 1. Gather ideas. Start with an idea – what is it you want to share? Who are your typical viewers and how do you want to communicate with them? Try to imagine your ideal show – what would it look like and what are its most important elements? Review your favorite shows or check out similar vlogs that are currently popular on the platform you’ve chosen. When you’ve gathered all these ideas together, you can build and develop the initial concept which will grow into your unique cooking show.
Step 2. Start filming and experimenting. Based on this concept, you can now experiment and visualize some of your show’s elements. Look for the perfect angles and lighting, test recipes, and master your performance, as these details can have a great impact on your success. It is also important to have a stable source of video content ideas and some sort of schedule, as regular uploading is essential for further promotion of your channel.
Step 3. Create your vlog. Depending on the platform you’ve chosen, this can be done by manual coding or by using their native frameworks and tools for developers. Ideally, your channel’s design, logo, and other details should correspond to your concept and provide a holistic user experience that will eventually represent your personal brand. You can hire a freelancer to perform some of these services or outsource this step completely to a team of professionals. You can also use app-building services or opt for full channel creation and monetization within a single platform.
Step 4. Develop and advertise. Once you’re all set up, it is time to upload more content and get viewers to your videos. The larger your audience is, the more profits you’ll get from monetization. Start promoting your channel on social media and invite your audiences to take a journey into the world of tastes and spices. Another great source of traffic is CTV advertising itself – as there could be lots of potential viewers, especially since cooking is among the top-performing verticals.
Step 5. Monetize. Finally, it is time to harvest the fruits of your work. Apart from your viewers’ attention and engagement, a cooking video channel can actually provide you with a good income. To achieve this, you should find advertisers interested in placing their ads around your content. You can also include paid promotions into your videos, as well as partner with your video streaming platform if there is such an offer. Some video content distribution companies also provide great monetization options along with access to premium demand that significantly simplifies the whole process.
Tips to consider while creating your own MasterChef
Even if you have no experience, with some effort and dedication it is possible to create your own MasterChef. Perhaps the most important tip here is to consistently put your heart and soul into your work. If you consider this a form of sharing your passion and ideas with fellow cooks, the whole process becomes much more fun and easy. Try applying the following practices to help you along this path:
Communicate with your audience. It won’t come as a surprise that to understand the needs of your viewers, sometimes you can just ask them. Building a relationship with your audiences is something worth keeping in mind, as it can provide you with valuable feedback, lots of new ideas, and positivity.
Monitor trends. It is also important to keep an eye on what’s going on in your industry. This can provide you with additional inspiration, especially when you are running out of ideas. At the same time, global and local trends are a great opportunity to self-express and showcase your unique vision of a topic. Just be sure to maintain the balance between being in trend and staying one-of-a-kind.
Create a good plan. For many video creators, it is vital to have a detailed script, and not without reason. Preparing and rehearsing the best shots and phrases can drastically improve the quality of your content. Of course, it is not obligatory to script each video word-by-word, but a brief storyboard and a content plan certainly won’t hurt.
Never stop learning. One of the best methods to develop your show is to continuously enhance your skills. Think of new recipes and approaches, as well as how to present them to your viewers in the most understandable and convenient way. Learn about filming and editing to make your videos more visually appealing. And, of course, never stop experimenting, as trying new things is often one of the fastest ways to learn and grow.
The takeaway
Despite all the challenges, creating your cooking show nowadays isn’t that hard. The most important things to come up with are a unique vision, a sincere passion for sharing your work with others. If you consistently stick to these principles, then creating a cooking show can be fun, especially since there are so many tools out there to simplify the process.
With the help of video distribution platforms like Vlogbox, you can design your channel easily and start earning from day one.