1. Include the word Recipe in your TAGS, not just the category.
2. Try to post at least twice a week – this is really hard and I only started doing it the last three months but my “hits” count quadrupled by doing this.
3. I visit other sites and Like and leave comments – this takes a lot of time, which I generally do on Sunday or Saturday mornings. Only give a Like or comment if you really mean it, that’s what takes time as you aren’t just randomly liking a bunch of blogs. But in doing so, you will see what makes other sites successful in addition to increasing your blogging community and of course making new friends with fellow bloggers.
4. Find new blogs you like and then follow them – if they like yours, they will follow you too (am now following yours!)
5. Take really great photos. I am still struggling with this but think my photos have improved since last January. It just takes time, plus I have now read a lot on photography and also “staging” the photos. Also I am taking a couple of online courses this year (starting this month) to increase the quality of my photos. This is a big challenge for me, but I notice that all the really successful blogs (and not just Foodie ones), their photos are top-notch!
6. Post your recipes to your FB page.
7. Pin your posts to your Pinterest board.
8. I review my stats daily and look where my followers came from and also what KEY WORDS got them to my blog.
9. According to several successful food blog sites, they say most important is to TAG your posts really well as majority of their followers come from search engines and NOT fellow WordPress followers.

Hope the above is helpful – as one relatively new food blogger to another, I think it is important for all of us to help each other – so Happy New Year and much, much success with your blog in 2013!

All the best,
Claire