{"id":4391,"date":"2018-05-17T04:23:17","date_gmt":"2018-05-17T04:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nohurrytogethome.com\/?page_id=4391"},"modified":"2024-04-26T04:53:58","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T04:53:58","slug":"how-to-start-a-travel-blog","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nohurrytogethome.com\/how-to-start-a-travel-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"HOW TO START A TRAVEL BLOG"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HOW TO START A TRAVEL BLOG<\/h1>\n\n\n
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If someone had told me that I’d be able to sustain my full-time travel lifestyle through blogging and photography a few years back, I would have probably laughed at their face. How could that even be possible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had wanted to start a travel blog for so long but I never had the time to do so. I was traveling full-time while juggling a remote position.  After spending hours on the computer, all I really wanted to do was get out and explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then I got fired. The company’s management changed and they didn’t think my work was useful enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of crying myself to sleep, I decided there was no better time to start what I actually wanted to do. I loved my previous job because they actually paid me to travel and create videos and photos for their marketing, but things always felt a bit “off”. Despite being a lot of people’s dream, I have never really enjoyed working to make somebody else rich and I stopped enjoying my travels because I was stressed all the time thinking of all the sh*t I had to get done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting fired taught me an important lesson:<\/strong> Putting your bank statement into the hands of ONE person is not the smartest thing to do. From one day to the next, I was suddenly left without an income, and that sucked. I decided that was never going to happen to me again, and the next paycheck I got would be paid by me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I began writing and writing, and after two months of preparation, I launched my blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company that had fired me contacted me to re-hire me and I initially accepted only to quit a month later because I was getting so much more satisfaction working for myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting this travel blog has been the best decision of my life. Not only have I started earning an income from it, but it has also given me the freedom to work from wherever I want. And let’s face it… it’s also kinda cool being able to justify spending money on trips because you start seeing your travels as an investment for your business (blog).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But more than all of the above, it has given me an outlet and the ability to inspire others to follow their dreams like I did. The joy you get from getting this type of messages from your readers is absolutely priceless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A QUICK INTRODUCTION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I wrote this tutorial on how to start a travel blog by putting myself in the shoes of someone who might have no idea where to even start. I spent hours reading other bloggers’ tutorials and I always felt there was something missing. Most of the content I scrolled through teaches you how to sort of get a blog online, but then what? How do you even create a blog post or make your blog look the way you want it to? What the hell is WordPress, anyway?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tutorial is going to be LONG… way longer than I originally intended it to be because every new step I added opened itself to new questions I felt you guys might have. I really tried to put myself in the shoes of someone who might not even know what WordPress is or how to use it, because most bloggers are just so used to that word that they might not even realize that some people might not be familiar with the blogging terms they use every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[toc]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So without further ado, here is my step-to-step guide on how to start a blog that ROCKS!<\/h3>\n\n\n
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MYTHS ABOUT TRAVEL BLOGGING<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let’s start by kicking out a few myths about travel blogging. I feel that being a blogger is usually mocked by people who don’t really understand the amount of work it actually entails, so I feel a bit of a responsibility to speak up for all my fellow (and future) bloggers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Only bloggers with a huge social media following are successful<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is a huge myth that I am guilty of believing in the past. I have just a little over one thousand followers on Instagram, but that doesn’t mean my blog is not successful. Most of my traffic comes from Google searches and Pinterest, where I have just over 300 followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, a large following on social media helps with scoring sponsored trips, sponsored posts, and free hotel stays, but that is not the only way bloggers can make money. Focus on building great content and learning the ins and outs of driving traffic to your blog and the followers will come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what are other ways to make money blogging? Affiliate marketing, advertising, and selling products or services through their blogs are just a few examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Blogging is easy, it’s just writing!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What people actually see on a blog is just the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve been using a tracker lately to time how long I spend on my blog. It takes me anywhere from 2-7 hours to “finish” a blog post. <\/strong>First, there’s the writing, researching, and editing. I like my posts to have value for my readers, so even when I write a story, I tend to include how my readers can get that experience too (how to get there, costs, where to stay, etc.) which takes some researching. Then there are the images, which involves a lot of selection and editing and writing alt tags to (descriptions within the images). I also have to create graphics so people can share them on Pinterest, optimize my posts for search engines to find it, and so many more things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I bet you are probably wondering why I wrote finish between air quotes. This is because a post is never really finished. For example, I once wrote an article on how to get from Nairobi to Mombasa using public transportation. On that post, I talked about a train that was later discontinued and replaced. I had to go back to the post to update the information because the original train station was shut down and the new train started from a completely different place in Nairobi. Imagine if I hadn’t updated my post and a reader of mine would have trusted my advice and had planned their trip, packed their luggage, and spent money on a taxi only to arrive and find a train station that has been shut down?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can’t afford to have outdated information on your blog, because that is unfair to your readers and it will make you lose credibility. I always allow myself some time every month to go over and update my information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blogging IS work, and it’s not always easy, but the freedom it gives you is kinda priceless and worth every second of hard work you’ll put in.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Stressed in Marseille, France. Travel blogging isn’t always as glamorous as it sounds!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

3. If your blog is good, people will read it<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is a total lie and one that makes most bloggers quit. Many people believe that blogging is building a website, writing some words, and eventually, the money will magically fall into their bank accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it could happen. Your post could go viral overnight, but by doing just that, you are relying on luck, and waiting for luck to strike is a terrible business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A more realistic way of thinking is: If you don’t promote your posts, nobody will find them. Don’t worry, I’ll give you links to useful resources that will teach you how to build an audience for your travel blog in this post, too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. It takes years to build a successful travel blog<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is something I often hear bloggers writing and, at least from my experience, isn’t true. Blogging isn’t a get-rich-quickly-scheme, but you can start making money off your blog quite quickly. The most important thing a blog needs are readers, so I would advise you to start learning how to get traffic to your blog as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I began earning money from my blog on the second month that I got serious about it (not just writing content, but also promoting it). It wasn’t much, but it showed me that my efforts weren’t fruitless!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IS STARTING A TRAVEL BLOG RIGHT FOR YOU?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There’s no simple answer to this question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My advice? Before doing anything else, open a Word Document and write two posts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. A guide to a place you love (if you haven’t traveled, you can also write about your hometown!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. A personal story about your travel experience somewhere<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    After you are done writing, ask yourself this question: Did you enjoy writing them? If so, blogging might be right for you. On the other hand, if you dreaded every second of it, you might want to look into other alternatives for earning money online, but you should also keep in mind that most travel blogging courses try to sell you the idea that being a digital nomad is the ultimate dream. And while it’s certainly better than working in an office for someone else, it also requires hard work and doing stuff you might not necessarily love doing to make your blog successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For instance, aside from this blog, I also run an online shop. I love scouting for products, writing meaningful descriptions, and working on the website, but I HATE other aspects of my business like taking pictures of the items and marketing them. Still, I have to suck it up and do the things I don’t necessarily love because no matter how cool my products might be, if I don’t market them, nobody will know about them. Travel blogging is no different than running any other business, in fact, your blog should be treated as one (because it IS a business).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the end, this should be a decision you should make for yourself. The good thing about starting a travel blog is that it doesn’t cost as much as starting, say, a restaurant. If you find that you don’t like doing it as much as you thought, the loss is minimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    THE FIRST STEPS TO START A TRAVEL BLOG<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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    1. PICK A NAME FOR YOUR BLOG<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The first step to start a travel blog is to choose a name for your blog. Think this thoroughly as changing your blog’s name will be a complicated and frustrating process (take it from me, this blog had a different name when I started out!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Steer clear of using clich\u00e9 words like wanderer<\/em>, nomad,<\/em> or adventurer.<\/em> They are overused and will make it hard for your blog to stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Also, make sure your name will be suitable for the future. For example, maybe you plan on backpacking now, so you might consider calling your blog “Susie the Backpacker”. But what if, a few years down the road, you decide to switch your travel-style? The word “backpacker” won’t fit your content anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Take some time to write down a few ideas. Don’t be afraid to share them with your friends and ask them what they like best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Important things to keep in mind when choosing your blog’s name:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n