Final Up to date on March 20, 2025
I’ve been knowledgeable journey blogger for 17 years — as we speak I’m going to share my secrets and techniques on tips on how to change into a profitable journey blogger.
After I first began this weblog in 2008, by no means in one million years may I think about the place it might take me.
It’s introduced me all over the world – throughout 150 nations and 7 continents – and led to some epic adventures and lifelong experiences. From expedition cruising in Antarctica to seeing the Northern Lights in Lapland, gorilla trekking in Uganda to touring North Korea.
Changing into a journey blogger modified my life — in each sense of the phrase.
Not solely do I now lead a lifetime of journey, however I additionally make a snug dwelling doing what I like. I go on task to chill locations for publications like Lonely Planet and I get to work from wherever on the planet. I completely love what I do and I’ve by no means been happier.
In essence, being a journey blogger is a dream job – in spite of everything, I receives a commission to journey the world. For many who have the identical dream as me, here’s a detailed information on tips on how to change into a journey blogger.
The way to Change into a Journey Blogger
Right now I’ll be sharing what I’ve realized about journey running a blog up to now 17 years – what has labored for me and what hasn’t. I’ll spill all my secret ideas and all the things I do know on tips on how to change into a journey blogger like me.
FOR BEGINNERS:
Know Your Function
Earlier than you begin a journey weblog, the primary query it is advisable ask your self is: Why do you wish to be a journey blogger?
For me, it has all the time been about journey and storytelling. I really began this weblog in 2003 (on blogspot then) as a way to maintain my household and mates up to date about my life overseas. It slowly advanced into greater than a journal. Solely in 2008 did I determine to remodel it right into a extra skilled platform to generate some earnings.
If you wish to change into a journey blogger for the cash or free journeys, then don’t even hassle. Save your self a while and discover a extra profitable medium as an alternative. It takes years (could also be much less for some) to construct an viewers and readership earlier than the cash begins coming in. So take into consideration what your motive is earlier than you really make the leap.
Discover a Area of interest
What are YOU all about? What actually calls to you? I do know you like to journey, however what kind of journey do you do? Price range or luxurious? Epic journey journey or seashore holidays? Do you want gradual journey or quick holidays?
Again within the days after I first began journey running a blog, it was sufficient to specialize in a basic area of journey: finances, luxurious, journey, solo and so on. These days, you’ve bought to be extra artistic and discover a promoting level that makes you completely different from the remaining.
Are you an adventurer who leads overland expeditions of your personal? Or do you want volunteering and have volunteered all over the world? Possibly you want to write down about household journey?
It took me a couple of years of journey running a blog to determine my particular pursuits. So be affected person and take your time to seek out out what you’re most enthusiastic about and go from there.
Have Persona
Most individuals learn blogs as a result of they wish to learn tales they will relate to; about people who find themselves regular like everybody else doing unimaginable issues. The one greatest factor that differentiates blogs from magazines or newspapers is that this private aspect.
All the time attempt to inject your private opinions and experiences. Be open and clear – and write to them such as you would write to your greatest pal. Folks learn journey blogs as a result of they wish to know your first-hand experiences and the way it was like touring to a sure vacation spot.
Develop your voice and don’t be afraid to let your persona shine in your weblog.
You Must Like to Journey AND Write
Many individuals appear to suppose that every one it is advisable be a profitable journey blogger is to have a ardour for touring.
Sure you do want to like to journey and have some journey experiences (having backpacked southeast Asia as soon as doesn’t make you a seasoned traveler!). However it’s not sufficient to only have a ardour for journey.
To efficiently change into a journey blogger, it is advisable love BOTH journey and writing.
On the finish of the day, your experience could also be in journey however writing is your craft. If you wish to make a profession in journey running a blog final, it is advisable have a love for phrases and all that comes with running a blog (which requires a complete spectrum of expertise from digital advertising to social media).
Throughout my early years of running a blog, I took a guidebook writing boot camp in Guatemala organised by VIVA Journey Guides — it gave me the muse I wanted to be a author, and most of it, it made me realise how a lot I like writing. Take a journey writing course, do a web-based workshop or learn all the greatest journey books to up your writing expertise.
Make Constructing an Viewers Your Precedence
I can not emphasize this sufficient: constructing an viewers ought to be your prime precedence as a journey blogger, particularly if you’re new to this. Not tips on how to monetise your weblog, not pitching corporations and getting freebies.
I can not depend the variety of occasions I’ve been approached by a brand new journey blogger to share my contacts after they barely have any readers. I’m all the time blissful to share (that is what the neighborhood is about) however I get actually pissed off when individuals don’t get their precedence proper.
It took me two years to get my first press journey invite and earn a gentle stream of earnings from this weblog. For some, it’s occurred a lot quicker, and for others it’s taken much more time. The essential factor is to know that success doesn’t come in a single day — work exhausting at constructing your readership earlier than anticipating to reap any rewards.
Preserve Writing and Don’t Give Up
To be knowledgeable journey blogger requires years of exhausting work and dedication. Don’t anticipate to earn a living instantly after beginning a journey weblog; if you’re not able to dedicate all of your effort and time to it, then it’s greatest to only deal with it as a pastime.
Many bloggers I do know hand over after a yr or so as a result of they’d no thought how a lot dedication was required. In addition to placing in lengthy hours, it is advisable hold at it for a very long time (speaking years, not weeks!) earlier than you see any form of return.
I keep in mind the times after I first determined to take a shot at journey running a blog in 2008: I might rush residence after a day of labor at my full-time job and get all excited to work on my weblog. On weekends, I used to be blissful to remain residence and write for hours on finish. That’s the form of dedication you want.
Being a journey blogger is like working a marathon — it is advisable have stamina, go slowly however steadily and preserve your vitality to final via the race.
TAKING IT A STEP FURTHER:
Take a Running a blog Course
Each job requires you to know some expertise — so does being a journey blogger. In addition to realizing tips on how to write, it is advisable know search engine marketing, internet growing, social media administration, graphic design and so forth. It took me years to select up all that alone and I really feel that I STILL have a lot extra to be taught.
For those who’re severe about getting cash from journey running a blog, I like to recommend investing in a running a blog course to be taught all the abilities you want. Nomadic Matt’s Celebrity Running a blog Academy is properly value testing should you’re all for studying each main facet of running a blog.
Their in-depth course covers all the things it is advisable know in regards to the enterprise of running a blog: from the technicalities of constructing a weblog to what to cost for promoting and tips on how to strategy corporations.
The on-line course will be taken at your personal tempo and you’ll learn the detailed tutorials as many occasions as you need. In addition to the tutorials, you’ll even have entry to audio interviews and webinars. There are additionally job alternatives on their job boards and discussion board.
Learn Extra in regards to the Running a blog Course
Be taught Pictures
Pictures is a giant a part of any weblog and nice photographs are a should for any profitable weblog. You’ll want some fundamental pictures expertise even when your curiosity lies in writing. Transferring ahead, videography is the subsequent greatest factor so I like to recommend trying into that.
Firstly, get digital camera. Belief me, it’ll be funding. I used to have a DSLR, particularly a Canon 60D, nevertheless it was exhausting to lug round such a heavy tools. I not too long ago upgraded to a light-weight mirrorless Olympus E-M10 Mark II and I’ve by no means been happier.
Subsequent, streamline your enhancing and group course of. It takes some time to determine the method that fits you, however after getting it, it’ll be fast and straightforward to add your photographs every time. Learn my article on how I manage my journey photographs.
I exploit the Lightroom software program program to edit all my photographs in bulk and add my watermark. I have already got a Lightroom preset in place (you simply want to do that as soon as while you begin) so enhancing simply entails making use of my preset to all my photographs in a folder without delay.
Lastly, use a cloud service to retailer and backup your photographs. Dropbox for instance is the most well-liked file storage service. Simply pay a price every month for the superior plan and also you’ll get in depth cupboard space. Plus they’re all routinely backed up and embody file restoration and historical past.
Rock Social Media
For bloggers, social media will be an immensely highly effective instrument that will help you attain an excellent greater viewers.
I spend an enormous chunk of my time on social media. This isn’t simply because it helps me construct my model however just because I get pleasure from it. Social media lets me join with my viewers extra instantly and permits me to interact with them extra commonly than on my weblog.
For me, my main channel is Fb, adopted by Twitter after which Instagram. Once more, it is advisable experiment and observe to see which platform works greatest for you. Every channel requires a special kind of posting and content material curation. You’ll want to verify the analytics for every platform to seek out out the perfect time to publish and when to publish.
Right here’s my private strategy to every channel:
1 publish a day, normally extra after I’m on the highway. Tag the placement for people who find themselves close by to seek out my photographs. I additionally embody as much as 10 hashtags for my photograph to pop up in searches. I like to recommend taking the time to analysis which hashtags are hottest for a specific vacation spot or exercise. Add me on Instagram!
Fb
2-3 posts a day following the rule of thirds. Usually, I all the time attempt to share a wide range of updates — one-third of them could be private updates that give readers a peek into my life on the highway; one-third are questions directed to my followers to create some engagement; and one-third are some fascinating and viral content material from others. Take a look at my Fb web page.
4-5 posts a day with hyperlinks to my weblog posts. Photos create extra engagement, so I all the time attempt to embody photographs in my posts. Tag related profiles and embody hashtags every time attainable. Click on to see my Twitter profile.
Be part of a Running a blog Neighborhood
In all honesty, I owe a lot of my success as a journey blogger to my mates within the running a blog neighborhood.
Again after I first began journey running a blog, the neighborhood was a comparatively small and tight-knit group. I made shut mates proper from the beginning and we regularly helped one another out, providing assist and recommendation every time wanted.
Lately, the journey running a blog neighborhood is a quite sizable one, and it may be fairly overwhelming to make real connections within the crowd. Fortunately, there are many Fb teams created to debate particular points of journey running a blog.
Listed here are some nice Fb teams:
Earlier than becoming a member of every group, please learn the foundations or tips first. Be happy to ask questions and reply when somebody gives you recommendation. All the time take the recommendation with a pinch of salt, as one thing that has labored for others may not be just right for you.
Attend Conferences and Workshops
Conferences and workshops will be an especially helpful technique to join with different journey bloggers, in addition to potential purchasers and companions. These academic workshops normally cater extra to these new to the running a blog world, however the superior blogger can nonetheless discover inspiration in such a setting.
Whereas it’s simple to make contact with individuals on-line, nothing beats assembly in particular person. These conferences present a possibility so that you can community with manufacturers and firms, creating the primary bridge to future partnerships.
I’ve personally attended a number of conferences and even spoken at a couple of (TBEX and WTM) and undoubtedly suggest attending particularly if you’re a brand new journey blogger. Listed here are a few of them:
Be Inventive and Versatile
A profitable journey blogger is one who is aware of tips on how to diversify his/her earnings stream. They should be consistently arising with new methods to generate new earnings.
Within the first two years, I made most of my earnings from online advertising within the type of banner adverts and sponsored advertorials. I attempted various things to see what would work for me. Alberto even stop his job to work on this weblog with me and we launched a digital journal as one other earnings stream. Whereas it didn’t work out for us, we did be taught rather a lot from this expertise.
Finally, I branched out to additionally do sponsored campaigns for corporations, model ambassadorship, and social media consulting work for corporations. I additionally generate a small passive earnings from my e-book, The Journey Traveler’s Handbook. I began working WildJunket Excursions in 2017 they usually’ve been a wonderful technique to generate additional earnings and join intently with my readers.
Freelance writing has all the time been my greatest love. Although it isn’t fairly a worthwhile stream I nonetheless do it due to my love for journal writing. I at present write for Lonely Planet, BBC Journey, Right now and plenty of extra.
Right here’s an in depth take a look at how I receives a commission to journey, together with my varied earnings streams and their sources.
Among the methods we journey bloggers generate earnings:
- Promoting: placement of show adverts on web site
- Sponsored Advertorials: publishing sponsored posts written both by your self or the advertiser
- Affiliate Advertising: incomes fee from recommending merchandise in your website
- Model Ambassadorship: representing a model and changing into their spokesperson of types
- Freelance Writing: contributing to journey magazines or web sites
- Creating Merchandise: promoting your personal merchandise (ebooks, programs, art work and so on)
- Consultancy Work: providing recommendation to corporations on tips on how to handle their weblog or social media
- Designing Journeys: planning journeys for different vacationers based mostly in your experience on particular locations
- Main Excursions or Workshops: working excursions utilizing your data on sure places
Set Objectives and Work In direction of Them
After I first began to change into a journey blogger, I might set month-to-month objectives for myself and all the time attempt to work in the direction of them. My objectives had been something from rising my distinctive month-to-month guests to growing my Fb followers to getting an article printed in a well-liked journal.
Having objectives saved me motivated and pushed me to work more durable than ever.
I keep in mind how blissful I used to be to fulfill the milestone of reaching 20,000 distinctive month-to-month views. And after I bought my article printed in an area newspaper. Oh and that point I signed my first contract as a model ambassador.
A weblog is a enterprise — it is advisable be severe and deal with it as a enterprise if you wish to carve a profession out of it. On the finish of the day, the important thing to change into a journey blogger is writing compelling tales and capturing locations with good pictures. Focus all of your efforts on writing properly and also you’ll be on the highway to success.
Good luck!
Any questions for me on tips on how to change into a journey blogger? Be happy to depart a remark beneath!
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