We have received a lot of valuable feedback from members regarding the recent launch of videos. The Kitchen Crew values the opinions of members! We love that members feel strongly and are as committed to the site as much as we are.
In the past year or so, Just A Pinch has become more and more popular. Did you know that we crossed the 1 million registered members mark with many more visiting every day as guests?
But, with the growing popularity comes more and more costs. And frankly, the costs to provide and maintain a free site this dynamic are steep. Just A Pinch is not like any of the other recipe sites… it is engineered with functionality none else have and is programmed to be a vertical-social-network.
The expenses to build and run this platform are significant. Our Premium Perks memberships do not offset these costs enough because only a small percentage of members have a Premium Perks membership. And the revenue we capture from site advertising is also not enough to recoup our costs. In contrast to any articles that may have been written or any conversation about Just A Pinch, we are not wildly profitable.
We could eliminate all advertising if we experienced a 50 fold increase in Premium Perks memberships, but that’s not realistic. Many members have also requested we open the premium functionality to everyone and we are considering that, but will always offer a paid ad-free component.
Our video strategy is much different than what is being discussed in various chat strings.
Yes, we started with a premium video provider, but only to get this function up and running.
We are building, right now, a library of “Pinch Tip” short-form cooking tip videos that will be featured (i.e., how to easily dice onions, the best way to slice cherry tomatoes, how to separate egg yoke from the white, etc). AND, we envision allowing members to post their own video tips (imagine a video of you preparing a step of YOUR recipe, posted to that exact recipe!).
We are also developing our own Just A Pinch video module to load and play more smoothly. Most members visit from a mobile phone or tablet and the current player is not working well in this environment. So, effective immediately, video is only being shown to those visiting from a desktop computer which is the smallest segment of our traffic.
As we build our own library of “cooking tips,” the Kitchen Crew wanted to assure you of something else… our data proves our concept: home cook recipes are superior to chef-cook recipes.
Yes, people love to watch the chefs, but women and men TRUST the home cook more when looking for a recipe. Our “pinch” counters prove it and our data shows that while folks are watching the video, they do not leave the site… actually the opposite. They spend even more time on your recipe!
This was the genesis of the Just A Pinch concept that we discovered over a decade ago, and something that all other digital, broadcast and analog publishers still do not understand.
When someone is looking for recipes, they love to view chef recipes but do not trust or believe they can make it or that it will come out right. But those same people completely trust and believe in home cook recipes because they know that a “real home cook really made that recipe in their very own kitchen!”
If you’re a Premium Perks member, we have included a check box in the Account Settings that allows you to turn off the video player on all recipe pages. You can update your settings now at https://www.justapinch.com/user/account.
Our mission will always be to champion the home cook and your time-honored recipes. Please hang in there – Just A Pinch “Pinch Tip” videos are on the way!!!!