Confessions of a travel blogger and travel blogging as a career

Travel blogging is one of the fastest growing blog verticals after technology, fashion and lifestyle, it has gained lot of momentum in the last couple of years. Tourism marketing is no more a one way mode of communication, it is a conversation where people spend hours in research and finding genuine testimonials. The tourism and hospitality industry is turning to social influencers and bloggers to create content that is engaging and personal.

“People have started investing in experiences and not things”, this is a great sign for our industry. Whenever I am asked what would you do if you were not afraid, I only think of a huge globe and exciting experiences. I have been a full time travel blogger for almost 2 years and it has taught me the greatest lessons in life.

You get to shape a new world with every travel story, your unique perspective is being followed and becomes a reference point for innumerable travel enthusiasts. Allow yourself to be surprised and rejoice every new discovery. As a travel blogger you know your readers well, create content that is engaging, passionate and mentally transports them to your world.

Travel Blogging requires a more focused approach as a full time career, you need to blend your passion for travelling with professionalism. Here a few tips that will help you get started.

Create unique content

• The entry point for travel bloggers is very simple, anyone can start a blog but sustaining and growing requires lot of persistence and unique content. A good travel blogger will always sync with the culture of the place they visit and build a strong bond. Create human connections and work on details and layers to give depth to your narrative.

Have a professional approach

• Try not glamourising the life of a travel blogger in your head, you are a professional and have to be very sharp and particular about your work ethics. Posting photographs, LIVE updates on social media, working on your blog/article, absorbing their culture is all a part of modern story telling. It takes effort and fine tuning with the new destination to write distinctive travel stories.

Find your audience

• You will take time to find your audience, be patient and keep writing. They will connect with your vibe once they empathise with your travel story. Making mistakes is a part of the learning curve, do not hesitate to create a niche. A well defined audience will enable you to create content that is focused and has a stronger framework. E.g. I write about solo girl travel stories, some blogs focus on travelling with kids.

Combine your social reach

• Activate your social media channels, have the same story being plugged in different formats, this will help you connect with a wider audience base. Adjust to the pros and cons of every channel, e.g. Instagram is great for publishing photographs and exciting captions, Facebook is more beneficial in terms of community building.

Maintain Integrity

• Finding sponsorships for your travel blog is very important from a business point of view, no matter who is paying for you, do not compromise on your personal principles. Integrity is an asset for a travel story, don’t promote something you don’t believe in.

You are an entrepreneur

• Set clear business goals and targets, be ready to work insane hours trying to connect with travel companies and tourist boards. Generate new opportunities, think beyond the obvious and work on a strong mindset. The best part about being an entrepreneur is that there are no rules, do it your way.

Replacing my MBA with a Master in bag-pack travel liberated me beyond words, it is a spiritual journey. I like the charm of disappearing to a new destination and exploring the most amazing attributes of my own personality.

By Pooja Kochar