So, you want to become a professional travel blogger, do you? If so, more power to you, but there’s a thing or two you need to know before getting started. In fact, by our count, there are five things every travel blogger should be mindful of before embarking on the adventure of all adventures.
Here are five useful tips for aspiring travel bloggers:
Plan ahead
Chances are you won’t be making money right away. That part comes after you’ve developed quality content with a faithful following. So how will you pay the bills in the meantime? Travel bloggers must have a source of income in addition to whatever they can generate from their content. It’s also a good idea to build working relationships with financial services like Western Shamrock, which provide emergency cash with minimal requirements.
Have a business mindset
To become a professional travel blogger, there needs to be an emphasis on the professional. While the end product makes it appear as if you’re having fun the entire time, hours of hard work go into creating popular online content. What’s more, since your livelihood ultimately depends on whether or not the blog is successful, it’s crucial to wear your business owner hat when getting to work. Is the blog generating enough income to justify the expenses required? Are your taxes in order? Is insurance necessary? Answers to these and similar questions are essential.
Provide a better or unique product
The internet doesn’t need another airports guide. For yours to become successful, it needs to be different in some way. It should either provide a better product or provide something that hasn’t been done before. For instance, you could specialize in exploring hole-in-the-wall museums and tourist traps across the world rather than feature more generalized content.
Protect your brand
Over time, you’ll develop a distinct brand when compared to other travel bloggers. While many aspects of brand development are beyond our control, that doesn’t mean we don’t have a duty to protect our brand as much as possible. This is important because the alternative is often a reversion to the mean in terms of blog identity. In other words, if you aren’t actively taking steps to distinguish your brand, it will eventually become a generic concept that’s difficult to separate from the countless other travel blogs out there.
Remember the focus
People go to travel blogs to read about exotic places and unique experiences. It shouldn’t be about you and your personality. While you undoubtedly play a personal role in your writing and effort to help others learn about locations around the world, it should be a small part of a larger story. Focus on local traditions, fun facts, interesting things to see and do, and other factors that go beyond your personality and opinions. Doing so will make your content more relatable and more in line with what the average reader wants.
Becoming a successful travel blogger doesn’t happen overnight. At the same time, it’s far from an unattainable goal. As long as you’re willing to work hard and smart, you’ll be set on the road to travel blog success.