How to start a travel blog
Getting paid to travel the world seems like a cool job for many people. Moving from country to country, sharing your travel experiences on the Web, and going on paid trips to unique places are just a few of the perks of starting a successful travel blog. It’s not something that happens overnight though, so before you create your first post, follow these steps to learn how to start a travel blog. Here’s how.
Brainstorm your travel blog’s niche
Before you do anything, start brainstorming what you want to achieve from your travel blog. Do you want to focus on food guides in Europe? Backpacking in Southeast Asia? Expat life in Thailand? You get the idea.
Basically, the first thing you should do is think about how you’re going to differentiate yourself from all the other travel blogs out there.
However, it’s not to say if you chose food guides in Europe, you couldn’t write about other topics like travel tips, European weekend guides, etc—you can! Just keep the most of your posts focused on your niche and then there’s always room to create content for other relevant topics.
Pick a name for your travel blog
Another tip on how to start a travel blog—pick a memorable name that you know you’ll stick with. Some general rules to follow:
Short and memorable: You don’t want to pick a name that’s going to be too long to remember. It can get wordy and if people can’t remember your blog name, they’re not going to return to it so easily.
Avoid names that are more than three or four words long. Instead, keep it simple, but make it stick. Make a list of words you like that could go along with your blog.
Avoid overused words: Once you’ve made your initial list, start crossing out overused words like “Nomadic” and “Adventurous.”
Incorporate your niche: Add in words relevant to your niche like “eats”, “train”, “expat”, “Europe,” etc. If you’re a food blog in London, “Juan Eats London” is a potential name or for train travel in Europe “A Train to Anywhere” is a good option.
Avoid hyphens and numbers: Keep hyphens and numbers out of your blog name and URL. It gets confusing.
Think about the big picture: Consider how you want your blog to grow. Maybe right now you want to share about life in Spain. So, a blog name like “Ana in Spain” is great IF you only want to focus on travel in Spain. If you plan to branch out to other countries later on, pick something else.
Start piecing it together: Once you have a list of words and potential names, start piecing them together until you narrow down your options.
Check if your blog name is already taken: Before you get set on a certain name, check if the domain name is available or if the name is already used on Instagram or other social media platforms.
Set up hosting
This part might seem confusing, but don’t worry. Hosting is simply where your blog is maintained on the internet. It’s a place to store your website’s data, files, photos, and videos.
I recommend starting with Bluehost. It’s reliable, affordable, and easy to set up. That’s why it’s perfect for creating your first blog. Plus, they already power over two million websites worldwide, so it’s clear they know what they’re doing when it comes to hosting.
Just how affordable is Bluehost? You can start off with their basic plan for just $3.95 a month.
Plus, Bluehost makes it simple with a one-click WordPress installation process. (WordPress is the website building software that most websites and bloggers use.)
Download a WordPress theme
Themes are how your blog appears to visitors. Picking a theme is totally up to you, and there’s not necessarily a right one to choose. Luckily, there are plenty of free ones to choose that are suitable for travel blogs. Later on, you might want to upgrade to a paid theme, but it’s not necessary in the beginning stages.
Check out these free WordPress travel themes to get the things going.
Learn about running a successful blog
You’ve probably heard of Nomadic Matt. He’s one of the most successful travel bloggers in the industry, and he’s sharing his years of knowledge in his online travel media school. You can learn how to become a travel writer and learn about the business of blogging by taking his courses.
Optimize your blog for SEO
SEO stands for search engine optimization. When you optimize your blog and articles, you’re helping your work get seen by Google. Google will likely be one of your main referrers, so it’s important to consider SEO when writing content. I recommend the WordPress plugin Yoast SEO when you start a travel blog.
Create an About page and embrace social media
From here, it’s time to start building your brand. Find a good travel photo of yourself and include it in your About page. Write a simple, not too detailed, About page so people know what you’re all about.
It’s also a good idea to create social media accounts when you start a travel blog. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and especially Pinterest are highly recommended. However, don’t dive in too deep if you can’t make time for regular posting.
You can start with an Instagram and Pinterest and work your way up. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself or tire out and become less motivated to build a successful travel blog.
Write your first blog posts
Remember your niche and write an engaging post to get your first batch of readers. For destination blogs provide useful information to give people a better understanding of a place, the things to do and see there, where to eat and where to stay. Your first readers may very well be your friends and family, but as you continue to write, use SEO, and promote your blog on social media, your audience will grow.
An important thing to remember when writing blog posts is quality over quantity. It’s better to write less blog posts if the ones that you do post have good content your readers will enjoy.
On your next trip, delve into local cultures and hone your expertise. Become a good source for trip planning by recommending the best travel products and writing about the most interesting attractions in a place. Then get into the travel lifestyle of remote working. Being location independent means you can work anywhere in the world with a good wi-fi connection—a cafe in Paris, a co-working space in Bali.
Turning your travels into a source of income through blogging is an exciting thing to pursue. You can earn money through ad revenue, affiliate marketing, sponsored content and brand deals. Now your on your way to writing about travel. Post regularly, stay interested, and keep working towards building your audience.
