If you’re thinking about becoming a travel blogger, here are a few things you should keep in mind before diving in. These will help ensure you create an informative yet compelling blog for readers to engage with.
Start writing about your own experiences, even from previous trips. People tend to respond well to blogs that are authentic and relatable.Choose a niche.Before embarking on writing, photographing or video-editing efforts, it’s essential that you identify who your audience is. Once you do so, targeting them on social media and search engines should become much simpler; and will ensure your content satisfies audience searches for specific terms. This will also help get off to a good start and make sure people find relevant results when searching online for what they are searching for.No one-size-fits-all answer exists when it comes to travel blogging niches; the best place to begin is determining your ideal niche. Consider what kind of travel experience you wish to share with your readers: are they adventure travellers seeking off-the-beaten-path adventure, or more extravagant luxury travel. Once your niche has been determined, begin reducing content creation while creating your editorial calendar.Choose a name that will convey what your blog is all about – for example, if your blog specializes in budget travel, consider choosing something like “Frugal Flier.” A short and catchy name will make it easier for readers to remember and search engines; additionally avoiding difficult words will help readers pronounce and spell the name more quickly and efficiently.Once you’ve identified your niche, it’s essential that you create helpful and informative content to stand out from competitors and drive more search traffic to your blog. Doing this also makes working with affiliate partners simpler – an added benefit of success for any blogger!Conduct keyword research.As a travel blogger, your goal should be to produce content that people are searching for online – that way you’ll attract the largest possible readership and eventually monetize your blog. In order to do this, it’s essential that you conduct keyword research. Keyword research allows you to identify popular search terms used by target audiences to locate travel blogs similar to your own; once identified, these can then be included into posts to improve rankings on search engines.One of the biggest mistakes when conducting keyword research is targeting too general of terms. If you write about travel generally, your post could compete with hundreds of similar posts. A more effective approach would be to focus on keywords specific to what kind of travel experience you are providing – for instance if covering backpacking in Nepal your post should use terms like “packing list for travel to Nepal” and “travel tips for backpacking in Nepal.”Bloggers frequently make the mistake of failing to recognize the intent behind specific keywords. For example, someone searching for “best summer destinations” likely is not ready to book their flight yet and instead focus on creating helpful blog posts that bring them one step closer towards booking their trip.Build an email subscriber list: One key component of travel blogging is growing an email subscriber base. Email subscribers are more likely to read your content than those following you on social media; plus it helps spread the word about your new blog! One great way to start growing this subscriber list would be writing guest posts for other travel blogs with larger audiences.Write with your audience in mind.Focusing on writing with your audience in mind is one of the best travel blogging tips you can implement. Doing this will enable you to craft content that resonates with target readers, increasing page views and engagement while opening up more monetization opportunities like advertising and sponsorships.To write with your audience in mind, start by understanding their pain points and goals. This will give you a better idea of the types of content to create that will drive traffic back to your website – for instance if they’re interested in budget travel you could write articles providing tips for affordable destinations; or if they need info about Glacier National Park this could include information and advice for visiting it on a budget.Additionally, when selecting the name for your blog it is essential that your audience is in mind when making this choice. A memorable name will help create an impactful brand and draw interest from readers – pick something creative yet original while avoiding words such as “nomad”. Also make sure that it is easy for readers to spell and pronounce.Reaching your audience can also be done through guest posting on travel blogs with large audiences. Doing this will introduce your content to new readers while building credibility within the travel industry. However, ensure you perform due diligence on any sites before pitching guest posts therein; ensure they accept guest posts as well as that their target audience matches up well with what you offer them.Invest in a high-quality camera.Travel blogs rely heavily on photography; readers want to see all the amazing places you visit through your lens. Investing in a high-quality camera and taking photography lessons online will allow you to produce professional-looking photos for your articles. And if taking original shots is out of reach for now, free image sites such as Getty Images or Unsplash provide ample free images you can use in place until more original pictures arrive to share!Writing quality content is certainly key when starting a travel blog, but you also must consider your website’s design, layout and functionality. A good web design will help create more visually appealing sites while drawing more readers in; using responsive templates ensure that your travel blog will appear nicely across devices such as phones or tablets.An important step to establishing a successful travel blog is networking with fellow bloggers and industry professionals. You can do this at conferences or by taking part in Facebook group discussions; doing so will allow you to form relationships while getting noticed by potential sponsors.Once your network is established, it’s time to build your email list and send regular updates and special offers directly to subscribers. Email also outperforms social media when it comes to driving quality traffic to your blog.Promote your blog.As one way to increase blog exposure to brands and potential monetization sources, guest blogging on popular travel blogs can help your blog reach a wide audience quickly while giving you an opportunity to test different writing styles and formats. Just make sure that it fits with your niche and audience before pitching!Beyond guest posting, there are other effective strategies for promoting your blog. One key tactic is accumulating an email subscriber base; this enables email marketing campaigns that target them directly. Another effective approach is joining travel blogging groups on social media where you can network with other bloggers and potential readers.Published new content regularly will keep your blog relevant and help increase search engine ranking, while encouraging readers to return.Once you’ve established a consistent publishing schedule, try publishing posts during peak travel seasons and holidays in order to take advantage of seasonal search trends.Successful travel blogging requires hard work and dedication; but, if you have an avid interest in travel and possess the necessary skills, it may be possible to turn your hobby into a profitable business venture. Treat your blog like any other enterprise – set realistic goals for yourself – and good luck!
