Blogging has become essential to the travel industry. Becoming a full time travel blogger, getting paid to travel the world, is after all a dream job for most people. Therefore, travel blogging has become a crowded field. It takes time if you want to become successful, but there are some tips that you can utilize to help you stand out. Below are a list of tips for creating a successful blog, whether that be related to travel, or another topic altogether.
- Think differently. In an overly saturated industry, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to have a lack of creativity. You will not stand out and you will not be memorable, even if people happen to stumble across your blog. Try to present the subject in a way that hasn’t been done before. Try adding humor to your blog; do a video if everyone else is writing their posts; or write a series of posts about a specific topic (or location) rather than doing a one-off blog post. In terms of travel, adding your own personal stories can create a unique viewpoint in and of itself, as no two people have the same experiences while on the road, even if they are on the same trip.
- Provide useful content. When it comes to travel blogging, strangers will not be interested in your personal stories and memories alone. Providing tips, recommendations, inspiration or sample itineraries will get you a wider range of followers. You have to understand what people are looking for, and you can do this by researching the industry and staying up to date on what other bloggers are saying. If you already have followers, it might merit asking them what they want to hear about next either in the comment section or via email.
- Networking. Growing yourself as a successful blogger requires networking in your industry. This might include attending retreats or conferences for bloggers, working together with companies in your industry for free giveaways or promotions, being active in blogging groups and industry forums, and enlisting the help of guest bloggers to post on your site. Collaborations can grow the fan base of both bloggers, since followers are clearly interested in the industry already.
- Promoting your blog on social media. If you want to actively earn a living from blogging, it is essential to promote yourself on social media. You can start by being social and responding to comments and also sharing other people’s content that might be relevant to your industry. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat are some of the top social media platforms used by travel bloggers. Using a site like Hootsuite to manage and schedule posts in advance can be useful to bloggers.
- Adding images. Images are not just visually appearing, but also tend to generate more social media shares. When it comes to travel blogging, images are invaluable to a post. You can describe an experience or a location all you want, but pictures are what will draw people in and inspire their wanderlust. It helps if you include yourself in travel photos to show your readers who you are, so they can better relate to you.
Sources:
Agrawal, H. (2016, July 01). 5 Powerful Reasons To Add Images To Your Blog Posts. Retrieved June 04, 2017, from https://www.shoutmeloud.com/4-ways-how-images-enhance-your-blog.html
Carlson, L. (2015, April 02). 5 Blogging Practices that Make Me Want to Scream. Retrieved June 04, 2017, from https://youngadventuress.com/2015/04/annoying-travel-bloggers.html
Karsten, M. (2017, April 01). 11 Secrets To Becoming A Professional Travel Blogger. Retrieved June 04, 2017, from https://expertvagabond.com/professional-travel-blogger/
Nomadic Matt. (2017, April 06). 9 Ways to Become a Successful Blogger. Retrieved June 04, 2017, from http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/become-successful-travel-blogger/
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