So you want to be a travel blogger. But how do you get started? And how do you keep it from fizzling out when the initial excitement dies down and you’re a bit less jazzed about yet another overnight bus trip?
We spoke to those who have been there before — authors, editors, writing coaches — to get their best tips for starting a successful travel blog.
1. Set your intention.
In his poem “So You Want to Be A Writer,” Charles Bukowski says you shouldn’t be a writer “If it doesn’t come bursting out of you in spite of everything.” In other words, be honest with yourself about why you want to be a travel blogger. How driven are you to be a bard?
“Those I know who’ve ‘made it’ as writers had the soulful compulsiveness of an artist to begin with,” says Luke Armstrong, an experienced travel writer in his own right and leader of the Nomad’s Nomad Writers’ Workshops. “They had to do it because, to paraphrase Mr. Bukowski, ‘The sun inside was burning to do it.’”
Yes, you can become a travel blogger or vlogger to earn money, but quite honestly, there are easier ways. Many travel bloggers spend years at it before achieving commercial success, and many never succeed in the way they hoped. But, as Luke says, “If it’s personally fulfilling, that’s success enough.”
2. Don’t worry about what you haven’t done.
Don’t let what you haven’t done prevent you from pursuing what you want to do. The best place to start anything is at the beginning, so if you dream of being a travel blogger, it doesn’t matter if what you write today is your first page or your thousandth. Just. Get. Started.
3. Find the best travel blogging platform.
Now it’s time to start figuring out some of the technical stuff. Start by choosing a platform to host your blog.
Popular blog sites to consider include:
- WordPress
- Wix
- Squarespace
- Blogger
- Weebly
- Medium
Read the reviews, check out the FAQs, and watch any online tutorials you can find to get an idea of the pros and cons of each platform.
“Thankfully, it’s nearly impossible to make a wrong decision,” says travel writer Grace Lower. “It’s all a matter of preference. Unless you’re serious about trying to blog professionally, I wouldn’t recommend paying for a premium blog platform."
This is a good time to identify some other helpful writing tools, too. ViaWriting, State of Writing, and Grammarly can give your craft a boost when you need it.
4. Add some flair.
Once you’ve picked a platform, you’re ready to put your personal stamp on your blog. Pick a blog title that’s brief, unique, and memorable. “Christine’s Semester Exploring Central America” just doesn’t pack the same punch as “The Savvy Backpacker.” This is your first chance to really show your personality.
Choose a design theme for your blog, too. Most platforms offer a range of templates that you can tweak and customize with different background colors, fonts, and page formats.
“Designing your blog is a lot like decorating a room,” says Grace. “You’re making a blank space feel like your home. Don’t be afraid to get creative."
5. Begin before you leave.
Travel blogging can start before you leave home. Grace Carter is a travel editor who also creates courses on journaling. Her recommendation is to use your journal or blog to brainstorm the activities you want to do, hotels you want to stay at, or restaurants you want to try.
“Don’t forget to write what you’re expecting for your trip and how you’re feeling before you leave,” she says. “Having these thoughts down will help you remember as well as keep you excited for the journey.”
6. Get onto a schedule.
You just spent an amazing weekend traveling throughout your host city, meeting inspiring people, and having the most incredible experiences. But now it’s time to write about your experience, and the task suddenly feels impossibly daunting.
Beat procrastination by building blogging into your daily routine. “Whether you set aside 20 minutes per day or designate one day per week, find a schedule and stick to it,” says Grace Lower. “Not only will it help you make a habit of writing, but your readers will appreciate your consistency.”
7. Record ruthlessly.
To set a vibrant scene in your story, you need to be observant.
- Notice the people around you. How did they act? Were they kind or rude? How did they make you feel?
- Is there anything remarkable about the buildings? Is the architecture grand and elaborate, or minimalist? Are buildings close together or is there green space in between? Are they houses or businesses? Do restaurants have big, inviting windows that open onto a street-side cafe, or are they dark and secluded? Even a building that’s particularly unremarkable is remarkable for its plainness.
- What do you smell? Food? Wood smoke from a family’s fireplace? Sewage?
- Are there animals around? Are they pets or feral? Cute or scary? How do the locals interact with or treat them?
- Note the sounds you hear. If it’s safe, sit and close your eyes, honing in on even the most subtle sounds.
- How do people get around? Are there lots of cars? What about bikes or motorcycles? Do people walk everywhere. Are there sidewalks with shade trees that make being a pedestrian easy, or are people stuck walking along busy roads?
Grace Lower likes to carry pocket-sized journals with her when she travels. She jots down her observations as she goes so that when she’s working on her blog later, her notes can jog her memory.
If you’re someone who feels self-conscious about eating at restaurants alone, carrying a notebook is a great travel hack to help you get over that. It gives you something to occupy your mind instead of fretting over dining by yourself.
8. Create a story, not a list.
Reading what essentially boils down to a bulleted list of everywhere someone ate, played, and slept isn’t nearly as interesting as diving into a story about what a location smells like or how the traveler got goosebumps when they heard the haunting music of a street performer they just stumbled across.
“Instead of writing a list of places and things you experienced, tell a story. Create a narrative that includes how you were feeling, what your senses were picking up, and be as descriptive as you can,” suggests travel writer Sarah McDowell.
“Try to put the reader in your shoes. They should feel as if they were right there with you. Pick the most interesting things that happened to you in a day and write about them instead of focusing on mundane details. Describe how different your life is from before you left home.”
9. Write about what went wrong.
Yes, we want to read about the best places and can’t-miss restaurants. But we also like to hear about things that didn’t go so well. Get real with your readers.
Grace Carter reminds us that some of the best stories are about when something went wrong.
“Talk about the strange and the unpleasant experiences you had,” she suggests. “They might feel unfortunate at the time, but they can make for amazing travel stories. Maybe you got lost and had an adventure finding your way back to your hostel. Perhaps you ate something unfamiliar and it didn’t agree with you later. Try and find the humor in these little disasters and turn them into fun entries.”
10. Treat it like a business.
You can disregard this if the intention behind your blog is to simply have a personal record of your experiences and keep your family up to date with your travels. But if you’re hoping to make money as a travel writer, you have to treat your blog like a business.
This is something Candice Walsh, Canadian blogger of Free Candie, wishes she’d done from the start. She also advises lots of patience.
“Competition is fierce, and you truly have to love doing it. This is by no means a quick ‘get rich’ scheme! Be diligent and consistent in your articles, attend networking events,” she says.
“Find your niche and make yourself the authority figure on that topic. I've lived in Newfoundland and Labrador my whole life, and so I became a sort of go-to person for travel content within my province. It's a lot of fun!”
11. Be brave.
With all the prep work behind you, the last thing you’ll need to do is get ready to share your ideas with the world. Be thoughtful about how you share your perspective, but don’t be afraid to be bold, too.
“Even in our digital age, there’s something genuinely nerve-wracking about voicing your opinions in writing,” says Grace Lower. “No matter how many times you proofread, reword, and tweak your blog posts, there’s a good chance you won’t be 100% satisfied with the results. Fortunately, it’s not perfection you’re striving for, its authenticity.”
12. Be inspired.
Get inspired for your next trip — or writing assignment — at the Seven Corners blog. You can also sign up for The Wayfinder to get regular travel tips and ideas from the experts delivered straight to your inbox.
