Among the blogs I write regularly is a beef jerky review blog.
As a result, I get lots of beef jerky sent to me for free. Companies send it to me because they know that getting reviewed by me will get them lots of publicity from jerky fans. It’s fun to open up a new package from a new company and see all the fresh jerky waiting to get into my belly. But there are times when it feels like a chore.
I mean, writing a jerky review is a serious matter.
I have to get good photos of the package and the jerky before I eat. I have to research the company for some background info. I also have to research where the jerky is manufactured, because most jerky companies don’t make their own jerky. Often, when I get a new brand to review, it turns out to be made by the same factory that made other brands I’ve already reviewed. I have to know this before I write the review so that it can be consistent with those other brands.
Trust me, I’ve gotten flack for it. I’ve had a company that complained why I gave their jerky a four-star rating, when I gave another brand a five-star rating, and both brands were made by the same factory using the same recipe.
But it’s still a lucrative business to be reviewing jerky. My wife has done a great job of selling advertising placements to a number of jerky brands. It’s making enough money to pay the rent on our Mission Hills condo and then some. And on top of it, I get free jerky.
This past summer, my wife and I visited the offices of several jerky companies. We were on a 6-month road trip across the country on our motorcycles. We visited such corporate offices of Monogram Foods, Crazy Horse Jerky, Fatman’s Jerky, Mike’s Jerky, House of Jerky, Pap’s Beef Jerky, and Magnolia Provisions. The purpose of visiting them was to put faces to names, strengthen relationships, and ultimately do business with them selling advertising on our blog.
I actually wrote an article about writing a food blog. It’ll give you some tips if you want to get into reviewing food products. I’d recommend reviewing processed foods that consumers typically buy online. Things like gourmet coffee, gluten-free foods, or other non-perishables, should do well.
