The travel industry is enormous and continues to boom as travel options become more affordable and more accessible. Current leisure travel expenditure is estimated to be over $2.92 trillion globally, an astonishing figure that perfectly illustrates just how lucrative the sector is.
Travel blogs, where travellers document their trips and write tips and guides for other tourists, are one of the most popular forms of blog content online. For creators, they can be extremely profitable, whether that be through including affiliate links for travel companies or partnering with companies for sponsored posts. However, if you want to see the best results, you need to know how to approach travel blogging in the right way. Let’s find out more.
Pick a niche
While there’s certainly nothing wrong with running a general travel blog, if you want to see true success the best approach is to identify and target a particular niche. There are several ways to go about this; you could write a blog for budget travellers, luxury vacations, or adventure holidays.
By identifying a niche, you’ll be targeting a gap in the market and will appeal to a specific subset of travellers. This will give you access to a potentially untapped demographic who will come to rely on your blog and trust your opinion and advice. This is key to profiting from travel blogging, becoming a reliable industry voice will make future partnerships with brands much easier.
Write about unique destinations
The power of modern air travel means we can now visit just about anywhere in the world. When holidaymakers are reading travel blogs, they are unlikely to be looking for advice on visiting popular destinations like Paris or Rome. There’s a vast amount of information about these places out there already, so you’ll be facing an uphill struggle trying to get traction for your Paris travel blog.
Instead, focus on less well-known destinations. Regions like Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia see fewer tourists than the major European hotspots but are becoming increasingly popular among more adventurous travellers and could soon become more mainstream holiday options. By writing about these locations in your travel blog, you’ll be able to establish yourself as an authoritative voice on these regions as they become more popular.
Advertise your travel blog
To get your blog out there and start generating a following, you’re going to need to advertise and market your blog.
One of the best ways to do this is through social media. Look for travel groups and communities and engage with members, become a trusted figure in these communities and then direct people towards your blog content, particularly if they have specific questions or queries that your blog can answer.
To maximise your reach, consider paid advertising options. These can give your social media posts a boost and see them reach far larger audiences. This will involve financial expenditure, but you will see returns as your blog attracts more readers.
Partnering with other blog writers and content creators can also be an effective way of marketing your blog. They can include links to your platform within their own content, allowing you to benefit from their existing reader base.
Use images
When people are reading your travel blogs, they want to feel like they are experiencing the journey with you. They want to feel the sun on their face and the sand between their toes; your blogs should transport them to far-flung beaches and resorts around the world.
This can be hard to achieve through text alone. Adding pictures to your blog can really elevate it and can make it far more appealing and engaging for readers. Pictures can be informative as well as decorative, include snaps of the best local restaurants or an idyllic hidden beach, your readers will appreciate the tips.
Videos can be an excellent addition too. These can be embedded directly into your blogs and can give your readers a new perspective and extra information that will encourage them to return to your platform in the future.
Conclusion
Travel blogging can be a fantastic way of expressing your love of getting out there and exploring the world. Once you have built a following, including affiliate links and partnering with brands can be an effective way of monetizing your travel blogging business. Use the tips in this guide to do travel blogging right.
If you’re looking for more affiliate and social media marketing insights, take a look at our blog for all the latest news and advice. Or for a more personalised approach, book a free call with a member of our team.
For the very best advice from industry peers, register to join our ELEVATE Summit in July. Elevate aims to bring you the latest affiliate, performance, and partner marketing insights from across the globe and it’s all available to stream from our website.
