So you want to be a travel blogger? You love travel, enjoy adventure and having new experiences.  Maybe you follow a few travel blogs and have seen some fab photos by travel bloggers around the world. You have a desire to communicate your passion online and want to earn money from blogging, turning a pleasant hobby into a fulfilling job.

Uluru at sunset

Who can blame you?  It can certainly seem like a dream job and there are definitely a great many perks.  As a professional travel blogger I run my own business and a significant amount of my income comes directly from blogging.  I’ve had training in writing, photography, marketing and other blogging skills and am a member of the Professional Travel Bloggers Association.  I’m also co-founder of Travelator Media; we work on media campaigns for the 40+ Travel Market.

5 reasons to become a travel blogger.

1.   You travel to great places all over the world

The opening of SALT Plage bar on St Kitts

Once you get your blog established and a reasonable number of followers on Social Media (no set figures for that one) you’ll start getting invited on press trips both in your own country and overseas. These can vary from one day to a couple of weeks, but the average is about 3-5 days.  These are classed as press, media, or blog trips.  In the past 6 months these have included a cruise in Arctic Norway, exploring WW1 northern France, staying in luxury on Malta, flying in a 70 year old Dakota DC-3 and fulfilling a lifelong ambition to visit the Caribbean when I stayed on St Kitts.  And yes, I loved them all. You may be on your own or in a group of any number from 2-20+.  Accommodation, food and excursions are usually covered. You also meet lots of really lovely people including fellow travel bloggers, journalists, marketing, PR and tourism people as well as locals.  Make sure you ask lots of questions before you go on a blog trip.

2.   You get free/discounted holidays, flights, cruises, accommodation, products

The Hoxton, Shoreditch in London

As a reputable travel blogger (emphasis on ‘reputable’) you’re in a good position to be able to negotiate deals for holidays, flights etc in return for a review or mention in blog post or social media.  We got a fab self-catering apartment in Gran Canaria one year and in return for a blog post I stayed in luxurious comfort at the Radisson Blu Airport Hotel before a long-haul flight recently.  Best product I ever had to review was the Asus Eepad (which I lost at Luton Airport!) and the weirdest offer was hand-luggage that turned into a scooter. Why??? I said no to that one …

3.   You have variety and excitement

Enjoying poutine in Montreal

As a travel blogger, no day is the same.  A typical 24 hours when you’re not away, might include a proposal to join a foodie trip to Canada, an invite to a champagne reception for a hotel chain, an offer of a quirky bag to review or request for a guest post. You may be off to the other side of the world one month and staying in a lighthouse in Wales the next.  You may be writing up your trip to a beautiful resort or an article for a major tour operator.  Perhaps you’re learning how to make a video with iMovie or updating your website SEO.  Coffee might be spent with a potential client, lunch discussing a product launch and dinner in a funky new restaurant.

4.   You can be your own boss

The Quirky Traveller Pinterest Boards

Because you’re your own boss in many ways, you can choose the hours you want to work. You may be up with the lark writing, tweeting and updating your Pinterest Boards, emailing at 6am but off to meet friends at 11am.  Maybe you’re an owl who prefers to work late into the night. The internet never sleeps, so if you have an audience in USA but are based in UK, you may well find it better to work in the second half of the day.  If you have children you can work round them and hopefully not miss important things like sports days. You can go off on a trip and not have to ask the boss for time off.

5.   You can be creative and innovative

Blog Cloud

Most people get into travel blogging because they love travel but the successful ones also have a passion for the medium ie writing, photography, video, podcasts etc.  Starting Travel Blogging is a great way to indulge your inner creative genius, crafting your blog posts to attract the reader or viewer to armchair travel as well as promote the place, product, experience in an engaging and thought-provoking manner.  Keeping up with latest trends in digital communication means being able to try new stuff and explore different ways of doing things.  Story-telling is the key to engaging blogging and the more creative you are, the greater the chance of having a successful blog.

So, get started now – what you are waiting for?  Maybe you need to check out 5 reasons NOT to become a travel blogger before you start …

Find out how the Blogstock workshop went here: So You Want to Be A Travel Blogger?

Want to learn how to be a successful travel blogger?  I can help – via 1-1 coaching and workshops. More about TQT Training and Coaching here.

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