Imagine being able to travel over the world, and getting paid while you're doing it. Sounds pretty sweet, doesn't it? Well, you can do that by running a successful travel blog.
If you don't have any experience in travel writing, you should be warned that you won't get paid right off the bat. You've got to get some travel and writing under your belt.
But once your writing takes off, you'll have places like hotels and restaurants paying you to visit them. So how does all that work? Let's dive into the tips and tricks of creating a successful travel blog.
Find Your Niche
Start by choosing a niche to help distinguish you from the pack because there a lot of writers trying to do what you want to do.
Your niche can be camping destinations, train trips or the best restaurants in the world. Whatever you choose should have a target market, for example, camping enthusiasts would love your camping travel blog.
Once you find a niche, it'll be easier to figure out where to travel and what to write about on your blog. Yes, you are doing this because it's fun, but you can only be successful if you provide valuable information to a travel market.
Branding
Most bloggers market themselves as a brand. What you're known for and known as is your brand. Blog branding aspects include your blog's name and niche as well as the overall look of your blog - your color palette is important.
The photos you use and the voice you write in are also important. you're using, and the voice of your writing.
Over time, you will be able to change several things about your blog. Your name is something you should stick to. Before settling on it, give it a reasonable amount of consideration.
Create Content
Your content is the most significant aspect of a blog. Content should not be restricted to text, you should have graphics, video, audio, and anything else you think would be interesting for visitors.
Of course, you shouldn't start all at once with all these various kinds of content; it can be daunting. Instead, start with photos and writing and then expand as you grow your audience.
SEO
You need to know about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) if you want to run a successful blog. SEO essentially means that you should be including keywords in your content.
These are the words that people would look up in search engines to find content like yours. So if you write about European cities, then your keywords could include - the best European destinations.
There are online web tools that can help you figure out which keywords you should be using. Remember that SEO is key if you want to be found on the internet.
Look for Hosting
Find a place to get your blog hosted. There are many great sites where you can create a website free of charge that looks good. WordPress, LiveJournal, and Weebly are some of the places you can use.
These sites give you templates for your blog so you don't have to create everything yourself. You can host your travel blog for free, but free packages don't come with a lot of options like adding video and audio.
Free versions also don't give you your own URL so it looks less professional than if you bought your own domain.
It is acceptable for smaller blogs to have a website URL like www.mytravels.wordpress.com. However, this looks less professional than www.mytravels.com.
Design Your Blog
Build a blog design that represents your brand. Make-sure every aspect of the overall design of your blog is compatible with the image of your blog, from your font to your color choices.
Consider, at least for your header and logo, employing a talented designer. There is only one opportunity you get to make a first impression.
The majority of blog posts have "themes" that you can add, like on Blogger and WordPress. Often these can be personalized and give a nice "feel" to your blog.
Convenience and Consistency
Make it simple for your blog followers to subscribe. Many blog readers subscribe to blogs via RSS feeds that provide them with automatic updates when you make a new post. Post a link or icon to let visitors know how to subscribe.
Write strong content and be consistent. You will continue improving and learning more once you have the basics down. Building a broad readership will take you a long time, so stay patient and keep writing.
Post specific comments for exposure on related blogs. Use "yourblogname.com" as your username and post comments about the information they've posted. This will drive traffic to your own site.
Conclusion
If you've ever wondered how to create a successful travel blog, then above is your answer. Travel blogging is a job like any other. It takes dedication, patience, and consistency.
If you're serious about making traveling and blogging your life's work, you'll be able to do it.
