How to become a travel blogger
There's nothing quite like touching down in a foreign country and knowing you have time to explore new landscapes, foods, and cultures. What trip would be complete without sharing all your adventures with your friends and followers online?
Travel blogging has been a popular niche for years, and it shows no signs of slowing. Not only does it provide others with an insight into new worlds, but it also serves as a guide to others looking to replicate those travels.
Finding Your Niche and Passion
If you want to succeed as a travel blogger, you have to find your niche. So, what are you passionate about? Will you be the travel blogger who becomes known for their food reviews? Or, would you rather focus on budget travel? Other niches include solo travel, luxury travel, and adrenaline-junkie travel, and as long as you're passionate about the niche you select, it will show in the work you do.
It's much easier to sustain a blog when it aligns with your interests and expertise, whether you're earning directly from ads on your platforms or maximising your reach with affiliate links. If you enjoy travel and food, food travel is the way forward. If you're passionate about travel and outdoor adventures, there's your niche. Maybe you travel to the world's theme park and record every ride from your POV! There are so many ways to travel blog.
Setting Up Your Travel Blog
You need a domain name and a host. The domain name should directly reflect the purpose of your travel blog, whether you're tying in food, architecture, or thrill-seeking. Ensure it's quick, catchy, and memorable! Now, it's time to find a host like WordPress or Substack. There are different plans available, whether you want to operate freely or pay a small fee. The key to choosing the right platform is reliability. You can check your website downtime to make sure you're choosing the right one.
The benefit of a platform like WordPress is the sheer number of layouts you can choose from if you don't have the skills to build your own visually appealing page. In addition to looking good, your page should be easy to navigate and on theme.
If you're serious about travel blogging and would love some detailed guidance, consider enrolling in a travel blogging course to learn all the details to ensure your success.
Creating Compelling Content
It doesn't matter how good your blog looks; if you're not writing high-quality content and weaving mesmerising stories, you won't build an audience. There are different tactics you can take when writing a travel blog, but it's good to limit paragraphs to 150 words, break up the content with subheadings, and incorporate photos and videos. You can't be everything to everyone, but some people will immediately click away from a website if it's only visual, and some will run a mile if it's a wall of text. Strike the right balance to win both audiences.
Another key factor is consistency. Not only do you need to post consistently, but you need a posting schedule so your readers know when to expect an update. Whether you post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or prefer two-day weeks. You can do yourself a favour by building a backlog of posts, photos, and videos so you're never scrambling for content the day before you're due to post. For example, if you travelled to Hayman Island and stayed at the InterContinental, then you could take beautiful photos of the hotel and write about your vacation in the Whitsundays with recommendations on places to stay, things to do, and great places to eat.
If you're not sure whether you have the writing skills to spin enchanting tales, you can improve yours by enrolling in a travel writing course.
Building an Audience
Most blogging platforms provide space for you to link your social media platforms and vice versa, so you want to create a profile on every social platform to ensure you're easy to find. TikTok can be a great way to capture the attention of a younger audience, and it's ideal for showcasing short videos and snippets. You can post up to 10 photos on Instagram posts, which allows you to provide a more detailed look at your travel adventures, plus it's a great place to engage with your readers and other bloggers.
You can attract organic traffic by implementing SEO strategies where possible. It isn't as simple as it used to be, but using keywords, meta tags, and titles that are heavily searched will help you boost your ranking on web searches.
Monetising Your Travel Blog
There are different avenues available for monetisation, and you'll probably want to strike a balance between all of them to earn your income. In addition to affiliate marketing and advertising, there is also sponsored content.
Once you have a following, brands will reach out to work with you, so that one might be in the near or distant future. If you want to reach that point, you need to establish a strong brand – your name should be recognisable, and your logo or design should instantly conjure up the name of your blog. Create a seamless transition from platform to platform so there's no question about who your audience is looking at.
The Business Side of Travel Blogging
Travel blogging isn't something anyone who travels can do, and it requires a level of entrepreneurial spirit that many people simply don't have. If you have the spirit, the next step is to nurture the skills you need to make it happen. Then, you're free to go big on the digital nomad life!
Final Thoughts
With well-crafted storytelling, consistent content creation, and the right website design, there's nothing to hold you back from becoming a travel influencer. Whether you're posting travel photography, travel tips, or destination guides, social media marketing and audience engagement are key to establishing a strong online business, and it's only a blog post away. All you have to do is create an account!