It’s very easy to learn how to start a travel blog. We also liked the idea of becoming a travel blogger and making a living from writing while traveling the world. That is fantastic and it is more than achievable if you follow the right strategy. There are thousands of travel bloggers out there at the moment who enjoy exciting adventures in various countries every single year.
How to Start a Travel Blog
However, if you’re just starting out, there is a reasonable chance you will need some ideas and advice to point you in the right direction. With that in mind, spend the next few minutes reading through this post before adopting some of the suggestions and using them to create your plan of action. Hopefully, you will become a famous travel blogger in less than twelve months.
1. Launch Your Website
Before you do anything else, you must launch a website for your blog. It is sensible to come up with a catchy name that represents the type of content you intend to publish. So, maybe you will consider calling the site something like “Around the World with Joanne?” You get the idea, right? If you can come up with a name that uses a pun or any play on words, it will work well.
Make sure your site looks as professional as possible. If you don’t have enough money to pay for a professional designer, spend some cash on a decent WordPress theme. There are thousands of them available, and you shouldn’t have to spend more than around $20. Update the website as often as possible to grow your audience.
2. Review Destinations
Now it’s time to think about the type of content you’re going to publish on your blog. As a travel blogger, it makes sense that you will want to review some of the most popular vacation destinations around the world. That is a fantastic move because lots of people will search the internet for articles giving information about those places before they book their flights.
If you publish quality content that contains lots of related keywords, you can appear at the top of Google’s search results. This strategy improves your chances of receiving a lot of traffic to your website. While you can select the destinations that appeal to you most, you might consider writing about places like:
- Spain
- France
- Germany
- The Caribbean
- North Africa
- Thailand
- India
3. Consider Vlogging
Lots of people who create online travel content decide to add a video to their blogs. That is called vlogging and it is something you should consider when building your website and audience. Vloggers tend to get a lot of attention on video streaming websites like YouTube too. The idea is to create a blog that has a visual representation. It will help to turn you into somewhat of a celebrity because you will put your face into everything you produce.
Take a look at some of the most popular travel bloggers on YouTube right now for inspiration if you get stuck. You will need to talk to your audience and present your vlog like a TV presenter for the best outcomes. You are also free to share your vlogs anywhere and videos always get more attention than written blog posts.
4. Review Accommodations
You could go a step further than just reviewing destinations by getting in touch with companies that own popular holiday accommodation. Maybe you find a firm that provides private beachfront apartments in the Cayman Islands or somewhere similar?
Lots of those companies spend a fortune on marketing and advertising every year. Quite a few of those firms now understand that allowing bloggers free entry to their accommodation in return for reviews and online publicity is a cheap way to promote their businesses. So, do yourself a favor and try to identify the accommodation owners most likely to play ball. You can then contact them with an offer and wait to see what they say.
Reviewing accommodation can lead to bigger and better things. Indeed, get it right, and you might find that mainstream newspapers get in touch about publishing your work.
5. Write Tips and Trips Articles
As a travel blogger, you’ll need to make sure you can publish new and fresh content every single week. Of course, most people do not travel that often, and so you might run out of things to write about. That is where tips and tricks articles will become essential. Let’s presume you publish lots of “how to plan for your next vacation” posts and you feel like you’re scraping the barrel.
Remember, all you need to do is think about your experiences abroad. You could publish hundreds of different posts about staying safe in the destinations you visit. There are lots of opportunities to write about cuisine, sightseeing opportunities, and more. You should never run out of article ideas if you’re savvy. Each trip you take could easily spawn twenty different posts.
6. Strike Deals With Travel Firms
When you begin to become established as a travel blogger you should gain some fame and attention. Your next step is to get in touch with mainstream travel agencies like Virgin and Thompson. Point them in the direction of your website, so that the marketing teams can take a look at your work. If those travel firms like the way you write they might offer you the chance of traveling for free.
Thompson currently uses around 300 bloggers for that purpose according to the company. Therefore, you stand a reasonable chance of making a decent impression if your content makes the grade. If you succeed in that task, you may get to travel the world and have lots of exciting experiences without ever dipping into your pocket for funds.
7. Network With Cruise Companies
Cruise companies have taken a bit of a hit in recent years. While taking a cruise around the world seemed like a luxury and desirable experience during the 1980s, the same is not true today. However, cruise holidays are perfect for many families, and there is always lots of entertainment available to everyone.
Industry leaders now realize they need to change their approach when it comes to marketing and promoting their trips. You need to strike while the iron is hot. Get in touch with some of the most prominent brands as soon as possible. Let them know about your blog, offer your services, and wait to hear their reply. With a bit of luck, you will get to cruise the world for free in return for the articles or video blogs you produce. For a list of the top cruise companies at the moment, simply do a Google search.
Link up With Other Bloggers
There are conventions and conferences for bloggers in a variety of different industries every single year. Perhaps you should educate yourself about the most popular events. Attending those gatherings is an excellent move if you want to network with other travel bloggers and learn about their experiences. You never know when someone might highlight an idea you’ve overlooked.
Also, speaking to other bloggers will help you determine whether or not you’re making all the right moves when it comes to the income you create. At the very least you will want to use Google Adsense to place relevant adverts on your blog. However, other people in the industry might draw your attention towards new income streams that could help you to create a fortune in revenue.
If you want to find a list of suitable blogging events search Google. Travel and blogging conferences tend to spend a lot of money on promotion, so you won’t have to work too hard to identify them.
Try to Get Your Articles in the Mainstream Media
Lastly, all bloggers need to aim for the stars. That means you should never feel content when you publish a fantastic travel article on your blog. You should want to make sure your writing gets as much attention as possible, so you should always try to get the material reproduced in a mainstream newspaper.
All the most famous papers in the world have travel sections where they publish reviews and articles for people who enjoy commuting around the world. If you manage to secure a position with a mainstream outlet, there is a reasonable chance you will get to travel in style and see some of the planet’s most exotic and luxurious destinations. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even get to spend time on Richard Branson’s $30,000 per night private island?
Now you know how to create a winning strategy when it comes to becoming a travel blogger and nothing should stand in your way. There is always an element of luck involved in any career move, so you shouldn’t expect to develop your new business overnight. However, if you create a watertight plan, stick to your principles, and create first-class travel content that people want to read or watch, you stand as much chance of success as anyone else in the industry. The first step is to create your website, and that is what you should go and do right now. Good luck!
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