What I’ve Learned in 5 Years of Blogging…Tips for New Travel Bloggers
Blogging take A LOT of time.
It is honestly NEVER ENDING! Just when you think you are done with a piece you start to second guess yourself and change pictures, center comments, change the title, and wonder if you should scrap the whole piece. This does not even count the times you wake up at 3 a.m. and spend an hour or two developing a new piece in your head.
Set a schedule
You wouldn’t walk around blindly at a regular job, so why should blogging be any different? I find I get much more accomplished when I created “days” in my week. For example, here’s a peek at how I run my week:
Monday: “Planning Day” Start planning out next blog post and promote the one that just came out.
Tuesday: “Writing Day” Write my blog, edit, and work on SEO.
Wednesday: “Pinterest Day” I schedule posts on Tailwind, create new pins, etc. It is also “Picture Day” where I take pictures and videos.
Thursday: “Instagram Day” where I schedule pictures, research hashtags, etc.
Friday: “Catch Up Day” Answer all emails, work on fixing/improving things on my blog. I research info for my next blog piece.
Instagram is your best friend
Before blogging I only used Instagram to share pictures with family and friends. To be honest, I never used a hashtag in my life! I never knew how instrumental it would be in promoting my blog. You’d be surprised how important Instagram is to hotels and attractions. It is also a great source of inspiration.
Don’t be afraid to take risks
Whether you’re emailing Arianna Huffington in the middle of the night after a few cocktails to share a blog post (Don’t laugh…it worked!) or reaching out to an expensive hotel asking for a collaboration (Didn’t Kim and Kanye stay in this same room in Iceland?), just do it. What’s the worst that can happen? They say no? Who cares. However, what if they say yes? Taking risks can lead to big adventures.
Instagram Stories let people know the real you
Instagram pictures are beautiful and inspirational, but let’s face it…they can be a bit unrealistic. That’s where Instagram Stories come into play. This is a wonderful place for people to get to know the REAL you. Show them pictures of your dogs covered in mud, videos of you stranded in a train station, your favorite quotes or songs, and yes…even a picture of that frothy cocktail you’re drinking. The more people know you the more invested in your blog they’ll become.
Pinterest is actually useful
I viewed Pinterest as a delicious way of wasting time in my day. I never thought it would be useful for anything other than pining recipes I will never cook and crafts I would never get around to. But again, what a great way to get people over to your blog! It is also my favorite way of looking for other blog articles to read in my niche. Get to know Tailwind…it will save you hours of scheduling.
There’s a whole community of bloggers out there
Before I started blogging I thought it would be a more solitary job. Little did I know that there is a whole community out there that knows exactly what you’re going through and actually wants to help you succeed. I had no idea Facebook groups or collaborative Pinterest boards even existed and now I can’t imagine a day without them! Make sure you’re supporting other bloggers and don’t compare yourself to them…we’re all on our own journey.
Attend conferences
There are some great conferences out there and it will completely reset your way of thinking about blogging. It is always a warm environment because you’re surrounded by people who know how tough it is and are rooting for you to succeed. They are a great way to network, hear informative speeches, and get more writing ideas than you’ll ever use.
There are companies willing to take a chance on you.
As a new blogger, it amazed me to know there were hotels and tourist attractions that were willing to compensate me in return for reviews on my blog. I thought it would be years before that would happen. It’s nice that there are people who believe in young bloggers and want to help them out.
Don’t be intimidated by technology
It took me 3 days to figure out how to embed ads to my page and 4 days to figure out that I had to change the height and width code to make my main picture bigger. However, I can’t tell you how proud I felt after I figured it out. Get the books…yes…including Blogging for Dummies…and teach yourself all about your site. Also, keep up on technology trends…Instagram reels I’m coming for you!!
Always make good on promises
When you are collaborating with companies and hotels, make sure you are professional, dependable, and always give them a little more than you promised. Make videos during stays that you can use later, take quality pictures, send thank you emails when you return home, and post your blog/social media when promised. You may be on an amazing vacation, but always remember that you’re there to work.
Most people won’t understand why you would possibly write a blog.
I’ve had people say, “So what’s the point?” “That’s so cute!” “What a nice way to pass your time.” They also have no idea how much time it takes. Some people assume your site comes all set up and you just have to write something witty, press publish, and voila…people will magically read your blog. I wish! Surround yourself by positive people and don’t lose sight on why you wanted to start this journey.
It’s terrifying to know actual human beings are reading what you write.
I imagine people using a mental red pen to correct my grammar and word choice. The scariest part of my day is when I press publish. That’s also the most liberating and accomplished part of my day! You’ll soon see there are less haters out there than you thought and people are very thankful for all the travel advice you’re dishing out.
Stick with it!
Don’t fall for those Pinterest article that claim you can gain 100K followers in a month. That is never going to happen. Stay consistent and post regularly. Keep up with social media sites and focus on giving your readers what they want…quality content. Reach out to brands, stay professional, and soon they will be reaching out to you.
You’re a travel writer…have fun with it!
Don’t spend every day sitting at your desk. Get out and exploring a local town, head over to that new attraction while your kids are at school, try out a cooking class, grab some girlfriends and recreate cocktails from your favorite destinations. These can all become amazing blog posts. And who needs a desk anyway? Write a blog from your beach chair as you listen to the waves crash.
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