Travel blogging has been all the rage, especially within the last 5-10 years. You’ve probably thought about becoming a successful travel blogger, but you may talk yourself out of it with questions such as:
- How can I afford it?
- Is it safe?
- What if it doesn’t make me happy?
If you are truly passionate, knowledgeable, and curious enough to explore, then travel blogging is for you!
Don’t talk yourself out of it, instead learn how to do it right so that you’ll succeed!
1. Be passionate
One tip Emma Higgins of Wanderlust offers for new travel bloggers is to
“Consider what you enjoy about traveling—people, food, wildlife, history—and make that the central theme of your blog,” but always be sure to add your personal twist.
There are lots of other bloggers out there who are passionate about the same topics, so finding your niche is essential for the success of your blog.
Not only is a niche important to your success, but also the way you write about your travels.
If writing about traveling seems tedious, then your blog will never work, but if you truly enjoy writing and sharing your experience with others, then your blog posts will inspire your readers to travel, and keep you motivated as well!
Your passion and storytelling abilities will make your readers come back to your blog for suggestions for years to come.
2. Start saving up
When you are first starting to travel, you need to have some money saved, because you will be funding your own travel at first.
Brands will not start to reach out to you unless you have an already built blog and loyal audience. So, be sure to save and start budgeting. Planning is key!
3. Find your audience
When you start your travel blog, if you are only writing for yourself, your new career will never take off. You must identify your audience.
Once you discover what your niche is, it gets easier to see who your audience is! The struggle from that point on is catering to their needs. You do not need to write about every single thing about your travel experience in order to capture your audience’s attention.
For example, if you are in a big city and walked around most of the time, don’t talk about the public transportation system. Write about what you love, and the readers who love it too will be the ones to stick around.
4. Have a business plan
I know it sounds hard, boring, and repetitive, but a business plan is necessary for the long-term goals of your blogging career.
No, your business plan does not have to be as traditional as the ones you may see for large corporations or marketing companies, but it does need some basic information such as design layout for your website and basic target market statistics.
If you are still unsure as to what to include, here are some fleshed-out examples:
In your target market analysis, you should include information such as the majority gender of your audience, their age range, and what other travel blogs they read.
In your website design layout, you should create some graphic mockups of how you want your website to look.
Keep in mind, it should be easy to navigate, so don’t get too visually creative. Also include some high-resolution pictures, what you want your logo to look like, and an About Me page.
5. Be social media savvy
If you have a travel blog, you have to have an Instagram to complement it (at least). Why? Social media is the way to advertise the content on your blog.
A key to having a successful social media account is to stay consistent and authentic to your blog. Do not try to gain new followers, instead engage with the ones you currently have.
Not only this but be sure to understand the basics of SEO and social media applications like Facebook and Instagram analytics.
These technicalities will give you deeper, meaningful insights as to who your followers are and what posts they enjoy most.
6. Find the right brands for you
Higgins from Wanderlust says the best ways to make money while you are traveling is through, “Affiliates, brand partnerships, freelance writing work, consultancy, and creating your own products”
However, the most successful monetization techniques will keep your audience interested and curious.
Be sure, however, that the brands you are working for play to your strengths and are suitable for your blog and lifestyle. Both companies should benefit from one another because they share the same audience.
Money won’t come quickly, in large sums, or without doing any of what’s mentioned above, but it will come if you’ve taken the steps to create an engaged, loyal following. Have fun and safe travels!
Additional Articles You May Be Interested In:
- How To Find Your Niche In Blogging
- 12 Most Profitable Niches For Making Money Online
- 7 Idealistic Ways Your Business Can Start Saving Money Today
- How To Start A Profitable Blog In 7 Steps
- How To Engage Your Target Audience
- How To Discover And Engage Your Target Audience
- How To Write An Effective E-Commerce Business Plan
- How To Take Great Photos On Your Phone
- How To Build A Credible Instagram Account
- 5 Things You Need To Know About SEO
- How To Monetize Your Influence
Claire Erickson is currently a blogging intern at LadyBossBlogger.com. Claire has just returned from studying abroad at the London College of Fashion and will finish her senior year studying retail merchandising back at her home university – University of Minnesota (Twin Cities). She is looking forward to having a future in buying, trend research, or planning.
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