As a travel blogger, you’re passionate about exploring the world around you. Fortunately, starting a travel blog is easier than ever today (check out this DreamHost guide on how to start a blog). Choose a domain and host, pick a pretty travel-inspired template, and start writing.
However, although launching a blog is fairly straightforward, using your blog as a foundation to travel the world isn’t easy.
Take a look at some of the best travel bloggers and you’ll notice a few commonalities; namely, it takes consistency and dedication before you can enjoy some of the more fruitful “freebies” associated with travel influencers.
It takes work, and results don’t happen overnight. But as you grow your blog, there are several ways you can leverage it to continue traveling and expanding your brand.
Here’s how:
Press Trips
For many bloggers, press trips are the bread and butter of their travel businesses—at least to start. During press trips, travel bloggers and influencers are invited to join an event to a destination or specific hotel to gain a firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to be there.
Though the majority of press trips are invite-only, there are ways you can put your blog in a favorable position. For example, Sidewalker Daily offer a press trip program and encourages travel bloggers to sign up for the chance to learn about new, open press trips and how they can get involved.
It’s important to understand that press trips aren’t just free excursions. Press trips are actually work—you’ve been commissioned to join on the basis that you’ll offer some type of benefit to the hotel or tourism board in question.
You’ll be asked to sign an agreement that binds you to submit a certain amount of content during the trip, and you’ll need to stick to your word if you hope to score free press trips in the future.
Manual Hotel Outreach
When you’re still in the early stages of your blog, you’ll find yourself doing plenty of manual outreach to hotels and organizations to help curb those travel costs. This is completely normal, and it’s a tactic plenty of travel bloggers engage in. Remember: you have nothing to lose by reaching out, and rejection is normal—even for well-known bloggers.
For example, if you were planning a trip to Bangkok, you’d reach out to several hotels in Bangkok to introduce yourself. The newer the hotel, the more likely you are to get a “yes.” During your initial pitch, be sure to convey what your blog is about, what you can do for them, and mention any notable accolades or stats.
If your readership is still on the lower end, focus on growth. Perhaps in the last year, your readership has grown by 100% for instance. To find the appropriate contact, search for a “public relationships” page at the footer of the company website. Otherwise, you can reach out to a general contact.
Affiliate Marketing
You can use affiliate marketing to make money off of products you suggest. This is achieved by inserting trackable links into your content. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t simply overload your blog with links to affiliate products.
Not only does this look visually unappealing, but it will diminish credibility among your readers. Instead, focus on showcasing products and brands that you already know, love, and trust. Got a backpack you love? Go ahead and link it.
Contact Local Tourism Boards
Local tourism boards can prove beneficial to bloggers who need an initial introduction to a city or town. Even without a blog, there are often several freebies you can score from a local tourism office. But by reaching out and showcasing your blog, you can get a little more.
Let them know why you’re interested in their city, and how you plan to promote your experience on your website. For example, you might be able to get acquire free tourist passes that get you into local attractions and sightseeing setups. Even though these things might seem small, they can offset the costs you’d normally encounter.
Become a Social Influencer
Social media and blog content go hand in hand in today’s digitally-driven world. In addition to launching a blog, you should set up social channels across multiple platforms. Because Instagram and Pinterest are visually, focus on those to start. The good thing about Instagram is that you don’t have to travel to the corners of the globe to take beautiful photos that others will appreciate.
Often, you’d be surprised by the myriad of local photographic opportunities there are. You might offer to shoot local hotels for free to get some shareable content going (and build relationships with management in the process). Everywhere you travel, take your camera with you. Additionally, the photo editing process should be important to you.
If you’re not tech-savvy, you can hire a freelancer on a site like Upwork or Fiverr to handle your editing for you for just a few dollars.
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Really helpful in understanding financial management.
Helpful tips for all the travel bloggers. Traveling refreshes our mind and also boost the confidence in us but the expense is very costly. Thanks for sharing these helpful tips with the readers.
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