So you want to learn how to start a travel blog? Well, look no further, as you’ve stumbled upon the right place! Uncover a handful of tips, information and the pros and cons of travel blogging for beginners.
Moreover, this post will give you an insight into the steps you need to take to create a successful travel blog that makes money.
Not to mention, making money online with blogging is one of the best ways to start up a travel influencer (or blogger) career. You will learn how to grow an audience, how to interact with people and most importantly, learn how to write well.
Finally, use this post to learn how to become a travel blogger so you can live the life you’ve always wanted!
Tip: Write down notes from this post or save it for later to look back on.
Things No One Tells You about Starting a Travel Blog
Okay, so there are many pros and cons to starting a travel blog, if not, a blog in general. It’s up to you to decide if the good outweighs the bad.
I’m going to let you in on some things that no one tells you before starting a travel blog since these are some of the issues I’ve come upon.
I’ll start with one of the most obvious. Blogging takes time. And lots of it too! I couldn’t believe when I first started my blog, how much time it took to customise a few areas of my site, let alone writing a post. However, if you have a large budget, you may wish to hire a web designer to build your blog. But not many have the luxury of that option.
Next up, travel blogging isn’t always about travelling. Yep, you heard that right! The last time I ‘travelled’ somewhere was over two months ago. And while that may not seem like a lot of time to some people, considering the number of posts and Instagram reels and posts I’ve been putting out, it’s actually quite a while!
Thirdly, you are going to spend a lot of time at your desk. I hope you’ve got a comfy chair and decent workspace since you will need to spend a lot of time in these spaces writing, planning, researching and creating.
However, there are plenty of upsides to blogging. There’s nothing more exciting than working extremely hard on a blog post for multiple hours to see it on page 1 of Google. Take the small wins when you can and use them for future motivation.
The Pros and Cons of Starting a Travel Blog
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Travelling to new places is fun! | Blog posts take a lot of time to write |
| Doing research on locations and history is interesting | Monetisation can take years |
| Creating the content is enjoyable | It takes a long time to learn how to write in according to Google SEO |
| It’s great to share your website with other travellers so that they can use this information | Many people won’t understand exactly what you do |
| You’ll learn lots of new skills and increase your knowledge | Travel will become work. It won’t always be about enjoying a beautiful location, but creating the perfect content for that place. |
| You can work anywhere in the world | Finding a place with decent wifi and a good place to work may become tough |
6 Steps on How to Start a Travel Blog in 2021
- Pick a Niche
There is a broad and varying range of niches to choose from, not to mention, this is one of the most crucial tasks of starting up your blog. Therefore, take a step back and think about what it is that you genuinely want your travel blog to include.
Do you enjoy budget travel, or are you more interested in the luxurious side of life? Also, maybe you could write about a style of travel, such as RV life, van life or backpack life.
Finally, the options are endless, be sure to pick a particular one that suits you and your style of travel. With that being said, it’s vital to stick out from the crowd and show everyone why your blog is superior to the rest.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when selecting your niche:
-Who are you aiming your posts at?
-What does your audience want to see from you?
-What is the age range of your preferred viewers?
-Does this niche spark joy in you; Is it something you can effortlessly write about?
- Create Your Branding
The next step is to choose your branding. Essentially, this involves choosing your websites domain name and social media handle. Do you want it to be your name, or would you prefer to create a new brand for yourself?
For example, an idea could be ‘The Sightseeing Traveller’. Therefore, you would go ahead and check Instagram, Facebook and other social media platform you wish to use to see if that handle is available. Also, be sure to check it isn’t already in use in a URL!
Another thing to ask yourself is the purpose of this name. Does it spark interest in readers? And is it related to your niche?
Thus, make sure everything is cohesive. It doesn’t make sense if your blog is about budget travel, yet your social media usernames are ‘deluxetravelgirl’.
Tip: Do some research on other travel bloggers to gather inspiration for your own name!
My Instagram handle is @ashadvantures – You can follow my journey and keep up to date with my travels
- Find a Web Hosting Platform
Next up is another vital step in creating your travel blog. Not only is finding a reputable hosting platform crucial, but this choice can have a considerable impact on the future monetisation of your site if that’s what you want to contemplate.
Firstly, do some research on the best web hosting platforms. I use Bluehost as it’s an affordable option but gives me plenty of freedom and room to grow. However, there is a vast range of platforms to use, some of which include: Weebly, Hostinger, Siteground, CloudWays etc.
While it may cost a few dollars a month, paying for web hosting may come with significant results in the long run. Furthermore, free hosting is extremely limited since there aren’t many ways to improve your site, earning money is impossible, and the domain isn’t actually a domain.
Here are a few pricing options from BlueHost. They use WordPress, which I’ve found to be the best for writing posts and creating a website. Not to mention, over 64 million websites currently use WordPress, which shows how reputable the program is.
- Choose a Theme and Set Up Your Travel Blog
Next on the list is to choose a theme and set it up. However, avoid making the mistake I did as I spent lots of time messing around with my site setting it up. Just get the basics going and start writing!
I used the Envato market website to find my theme, and I adore it! I’m currently using the ‘Salient’ theme since it has a wide array of options for customising, but is user-friendly and is an affordable option.
I strongly believe that travel blogging requires a good theme centred around images since travelling is all about places and fantastic views!
- Do Your Research
Now comes the fun part, researching! Let it be known that this process is going to take you many hours, weeks and months. It takes a while to understand the ins and outs of creating a successful travel blog. Although, the outcome is worth the work!
Not to mention, you will need to do lots of research on how to start a travel blog. Even though you’ve got it up and running, you will always learn something new. Therefore, stay open minded to learning on the job and always be prepared to make changes to your site and writing methods.
Firstly, one of the most important things to study is Google search engine optimisation. There are many resources including ebooks, websites, youtube videos and influencers, to help you understand how this process works.
Secondly, do your research on the Pinterest and Instagram algorithms if you wish to direct traffic to your blog via those platforms.
Finally, research your topics. What comes to mind when you think about your niche? Have you got some ideas for your first blog posts?
Be sure to jot these ideas down and then jump straight into SEO research.
- Begin Writing!
The last step of creating a successful blog is to get straight into writing. However, be prepared that writing up a single blog post takes many hours. On average, my blog posts take 4-9 hours to write.
Therefore, find the way you want to layout your posts. You will need to write an introduction, the topics you wish to talk about, and then finish up everything with a conclusion. It’s always helpful to look at other travel bloggers websites for inspiration.
Furthermore, practice writing by sitting down with your laptop and producing informative posts on your topics. Then, get a family member or a friend to proofread it for a second opinion!
Finally, the best way to start a travel blog is to read numerous travel related booked and also other travel blog posts. These will give you information and inspiration to creating your own posts.
Read more: 60 Travel Blog Post Ideas
How to Monetise Your Blog
There are several ways in which you can monetise your blog. But, this doesn’t come easy, and it will likely take many months, if not years before you start to receive a constant paycheque.
However, a few ways that you may monetise your blog include:
-Affiliate marketing
-Sponsorships
-Selling of ebooks, courses, programs
-Selling your products, services, merchandise
-Advertising
-Email marketing
Typically, companies have strict policies, and they’ll likely ask for your analytics. Since their product or service is promoted on your site, they’ll want to know that your blog is reputable and trusted. Usually, they’ll be after 10,000 unique visitors a month. Therefore, get stuck into driving traffic to your blog to monetise it as quickly as possible!
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, understanding how to start a travel blog is one of the biggest hurdles. However, once you have a grasp on it, nothing will be able to hold you back!
Also, if you’re ready for all the hard work and feel like travel blogging is your purpose, you will find that it comes easy to you. Therefore, it will be an incredible experience and is a journey waiting to happen!
Moreover, don’t be too hard on yourself within your first six months. At the current time of writing, it’s my fourth month of blogging, and I’m loving it! Although, I’ve spent many long and frustrating hours in front of my computer.
Since the start of my travel blog I’ve taken lots of care with my work and done plenty of research to ensure my work is produced to the best of my ability. Be sure to focus on your end goal and take time with your work.
Finally, take the steps outlined above and apply them to become a travel blogger. With a little bit of patience and determination, you can achieve anything!
What is it that makes you want to become a travel blogger?
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