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5 Questions with a blogger- Foodology’s Diana Chan

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[vc_row][vc_column][us_page_title align=”center”][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”30″][vc_column_text]Foodology’s Diana Chan certainly knows how to keep  busy.  When she’s not attending classes at Simon Fraser University or working full time ,she’s doing freelance marketing work or volunteering for a number of student clubs, including the SFU Social Media Network.

Diana ChanShe’s also busy managing a hugely successful blog. Foodology consistently ranks high on UrbanSpoon’s Vancouver blog leaderboard and attracts thousands of viewers every month.

Diana’s passion for food certainly doesn’t go unnoticed  – 24 Hours Vancouver recently included her in their Top 24 Under 24 list.  We recently caught up with Diana to talk about blogging, food, and about working with PR professionals in Vancouver.

What inspired you to start blogging about food?

A year and a half ago, my friend got accepted into medical school and we wanted a way to stay in touch, so we created Foodology to share our food adventures about West and East Coast restaurants. We both love eating food and eat out quite frequently, so we thought it was the perfect topic. Plus, Vancouver is home to a lot of unique and diverse cuisines.

Since then, the direction of the blog has changed and mainly focuses on local restaurant reviews and fast food. I actually didn’t know how many other food blogs were out there when I started the blog, but I was pleasantly surprised! Vancouverites really love their food!

Foodology is a clever name for a food blog. How did you come up with this name?

We both love food and biology, so we combined the two to become Foodology. Since we thought it was a crazy good name, we looked up the domain and it was available. Ever since then, it stuck!

From your experience, what is the best part about blogging?

I really love meeting other food enthusiasts in the community! Food brings strangers together no matter what background they have. Through the blog, I was able to connect with some amazing people in the community that I otherwise wouldn’t have met . I am quite shy, so the blog has helped me have a voice to share dining experience with others.

You have a full-time job, and you’re also a student – how do you take the time to blog? Any tips for new bloggers trying to find the time to write?

Honestly, I have a bad habit of writing reviews in lecture rather than paying attention. I also write at night when I have a bit more time after catching up on homework and other side projects.

Blogging daily can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours, but as long as you have the passion and the dedication to build and develop your blog, you should have no problems. If you need help in starting a blog, don’t be afraid to ask for advice! People are usually open to helping others, so send off an email or tweet them!

Given the popularity of your blog, you must get pitched by many Vancouver Public Relations professionals on regular basis. What tips do you have for PR professionals working with food bloggers?

Personalization is Key: I find that a majority of the emails I receive from PR professionals to be very generic and sent to a large mailing list. Sometimes I really wonder if they have ever glanced at what I write.

 The best email pitches I’ve received use the bloggers name, the blog name, and showing them you have read their content. I am more inclined to send a response back rather than deleting the email. It’s also good to do the research to see if the content that you want to promote fits the blog or not.

Connect on other mediums: Instead of just sending emails and press releases when something comes up, it’s always nice to have a connection away from just email. Twitter works too. It’s good to put a face to a name rather than just that company that just sends press releases all the time. Creating that relationship does go a long way!

For more information, please visit the Foodology website or follow Diana’s food adventures on Twitter.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]