Introduction
On the surface, it may seem like travel bloggers only visit exotic locations and click pictures., stay in luxurious places, post content on social media, get sponsored trips, and make a boatload of money.
If only life was that easy! The life of a traveler is certainly not as easy as it seems. Being a jack of all trades is what it takes to be a successful travel blogger. Making a consistent income as a travel blogger is hard work.
You will need good business sense, long-term strategic planning, determination to continue through thick and thin, and a great storytelling ability to grow your audience.
Is this something that’s right up your alley? Read on to know what points you need to keep in mind to be able to travel full-time and scale this business into a sustainable, long-term career.
Be Passionate About Travel Blogging
“Duh! Of course, I love traveling.” If you think you love traveling, think again.
Occasional weekend trips don’t make great travel bloggers. You must be willing to fund your own trips regularly for at least a few years. You will also have to spend a lot of time researching the places to visit and creating content for your blog and social media platforms.
In the initial stages, these activities will barely make you any money. You’ll need to be really passionate about traveling so that you can continue putting in effort even when there are no significant rewards.
You will also have to be persistent and have the patience to build your online presence.
Establish a Niche
Travel blogging has many different niches – budget travel, luxury, adventure activities, culture & cuisine, family-friendly, and many more.
You don’t need to pick one immediately. In the beginning, you can experiment and play around with a bunch of niches. Research and write about different topics and find out which topic you enjoy the most.
As you progress in your career, picking a specific niche will prove to be more profitable. Every successful traveler has a niche. You can focus on becoming an expert and be the person that people turn to for advice on a particular topic.
Invest in Blog Design
In this virtual business, your website will make your first impression. So creating a strong and attractive design is in your best interest. A website that is easy to understand and navigate will hook the readers who visit.
You could hire a professional to design your website; it would be a worthwhile investment that will be profitable in the long run.
Or, if you want to cut down costs, you can use a video editor tool in the beginning. These tools are easy to understand, and you will be able to use them like an expert in less than a week.
Always Keep Learning
No matter how knowledgeable you already are, there will be something to learn about. As a travel blogger, becoming a voracious reader and writer will lead you to success. Improve your storytelling abilities to connect better with the audience.
Adding different skill sets to your resume is an important goal. Thanks to the internet, everyone has access to free, cost-effective resources that help with upskilling.
Learn how to edit your travel photos and videos. Use an online video editor to help make better quality videos. Learn how to improve your website design. All of this will help you establish complete creative control over your content.
Make Relatable Content
Everyone likes reading about something that they can relate to. The first step to being relatable is identifying your audience – What age are your readers? Which countries are they from? What kind of content do they like?
Knowing who you are writing for will act as an important guiding force for creating powerful content.
Figure out what social media platforms your readers prefer. Create your ideal reader profile and structure your blogs, social media posts, stories, and business strategy centered around this information. This will help you create engaging, reader-centric content that your audience will appreciate.
Network with Industry-Specific People
Attending travel events and conferences is a great option to get your foot in the door. They are organized specifically for full-time travel bloggers and provide excellent opportunities to network and learn from people who are experts in their fields.
You’ll be surprised to know how many people are willing to help newcomers.
Take a few training workshops. These will help you identify your strengths and develop industry-relevant skills – social media management, content creation, and how to approach and work with brands. Try to find such networking events in your city.
Have Multiple Income Sources
Unless you are independently rich and can afford to travel full time (congratulations, if that’s the case), you need remote income sources that provide flexible work timings. Find out if you can work remotely on some projects at your current job.
Another option is working as a freelance writer. In addition to writing your own blogs, you can become a contributing writer for publishing agencies and websites and collaborate with other bloggers.
You’ll be able to charge higher rates as you become experienced. As you gain an audience, you can also earn money through brand partnerships.
Monetize Your Blog
As a full-time traveler, you’ll spend a lot of time creating content and keeping your website up to date. As your audience grows, the next logical step is to find ways to earn money from your blog posts.
There are several ideas that you can incorporate to monetize your blog.
Once you have covered the basics of creating content that provides value, look for generating ad revenue. Learn about affiliate marketing and email marketing.
Over time, as you gain sufficient experience, you can sell courses, digital products, and coaching services to generate additional passive income.
Conclusion
Rome was not built in a day, and neither will your traveling career. Building a brand and acquiring a positive reputation for yourself will take considerable time and effort. So be in this game for the long haul.
It may take a few years before you start seeing yourself making substantial progress. Like most skills, the longer you spend your time and effort improving yourself, the more success you’ll achieve in your journey.
Persistence will take you places. This is what’s going to set you apart from the crowd. Think about what’s common between successful travel bloggers. For one, they have great content; and that’s mostly because they have been consistently doing this for quite some time now.
Lastly, have a positive mindset. Ignore the naysayers. Keep your eyes on the prize, but also make sure to have fun along the way. You’ll have many great experiences if you choose to embark on this journey.
Somebody’s going to be the next famous traveler. Why shouldn’t it be you?
