Diversity is Important in the World of Food Blogging and Content Creation

In the world of food blogging and content creation, we see many creators struggling to be included, to be paid their fair share, and to be given the same opportunities as others. DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) has been something that many brands are starting to pay more attention to. However, there are still many areas of this that are lacking. 

So, Tastemaker Conference has decided to step up and try a few different initiatives to help support DEI in the Food Blogging and Content Creation world. You can read more about our Brand Diversity Narrative here. We still have a lot of work to do to meet our goals, but are trying to think of new and different ways to support where we can.

In this post we are hoping to help brands connect with more diverse content creators. And also allow content creators to put themselves out there for brands to find! You can also read this blog post to learn more about How to Build Diverse Partnerships.

Table of Contents

• Content Creators Who Want Brand Deals
• Brands Looking for Diverse Content Creators
• Creators Who aren’t Marginalized
• Credit
• The Form and List

Diverse Content Creators Who Want Brand Deals

This section is for the content creators who are members of marginalized groups and potentially left off campaigns due to their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, size, gender, abilities, and more. We want to create a form for you to fill out so that potential brands can find and use you in their marketing campaigns. 

This form is 100% voluntary and we ask that no one fill out the form for others, as we don’t want to misidentify or sign anyone up without their permission. This is up to each individual if they would like to participate or not.

Please only fill out the form if you are a member of one of the following groups: 

• PGM/Black, Indigenous, or People of Color
• LGBTQI+
• People with Disabilities 
• Member of a marginalized group

Fill out the form using the button below, it should take no more than 3 minutes.

Brands Looking for Diverse Content Creators

If you are in Marketing, PR, or work for a brand that works with influencers in your marketing campaigns, we wanted to create this resource for you and your brand (or brands you represent) to be able to use to find more diverse content creators. 

Many members of our community are constantly asking for more opportunities, unable to get work with brands or getting offers less than their white, CisHet counterparts. We wanted to give this opportunity for content creators to speak up and say they are ready to create for brands, while also giving brands (like yourself) the opportunity to find amazing creators. 

It’s no secret that many brands can struggle with showing diversity in their marketing. And while looking for people specifically because they “fill a box” isn’t how we should work on DEI. But using a resource like this is a way to expand on your initiatives and open doors for creators you haven’t worked with before. 

Use the Google sheet linked below to find new content creators. Those content creators have filled out the forms themselves linking to their accounts, websites (if applicable), and contact information. This list will also tell you how the creators identify. It’s seriously that easy. Check out their content and see if it fits with your brand and start collaborating today! 

Creators Who aren’t Marginalized

If you are a content creator who isn’t a member of a marginalized group you might be thinking to yourself, “But what can I do to help my fellow bloggers who don’t have as many opportunities as I do?” We get it! We want to help those in our communities. So, if you want to help your fellow content creators, here are some great options!

1. Share this resource with Bloggers: Repost this link in your FB communities, on your IG account, and anywhere your blogger and content creator friends would see it. Give those who might not know about this resource a chance to fill out the form if they wish to use it. 
2. Share with Brands: Whether you get a new brand deal or are working with long-term clients, you can share this resource with them to make sure that they are doing their part to add DEI to their campaigns. You can also just refer to certain people from the list or use your own reference list for those who are within your own niche as well. 
3. Ask Brands What They Are Doing: Not only can you send brands a list of other bloggers for them to contact, but you can also make sure before signing onto new projects to ask brands questions about their values, mission, diversity narratives, and who else is on your particular campaign. That last part is a great transition into this resource and making sure that they have access to a diverse list of bloggers. 

Credit

Our team member, Amanda, who put together this blog post and form wanted to give credit to some amazing food content creator friends who took part in a great conversation around this, coming up with the issues faced and solutions. You can also find some of these creators images above! Those content creators were: 

• Shweta Garg – Masala and Chai 
• LaKita Anderson – Simply LaKita
• Spencer S. Lawson – Small Kitchen Sweets
• Kathleen Higashiyama – The Heirloom Pantry
• Stephanie Redhead – The Social NY
• Stephanie Anita – Slow Living Kitchen
• Sarah Gualtieri – The Boozy Ginger
• Mikyla Meckelson – Flax and Sugar
• Amanda Wilens – Amanda Wilens

The Form and List

If you are a content creator, please fill out the form here. 
If you are a brand looking for diverse content creators, please refer to the Google sheet here.

---

Stay up to Date on all things Food Content Creation!