Want to start a travel blog and make money? Read on to discover a step-by-step guide on how to start a successful travel blog here.
Want to get paid to travel the world? Sounds impossible, right?
Well, it doesn’t need to be. The global tourism industry is worth over $2 trillion, and there are plenty of opportunities.
How can you get involved? Start a travel blog! It can open so many doors for both travel and earning money. Yes, it’s possible to earn thousands per month from your blog, if you’re willing to put the work in.
If you’re ready to start a profitable travel blog, read on learn, step by step, how to get going.
Select a Niche
In the early days of blogging, it was easy to find success with a general travel blog. But, in the current climate, travel blogging is a very saturated market.
That’s not to say you can’t be successful, just that you need to have a specific focus, or a niche.
For example, instead of blogging all about your travels in Europe, why not create a blog specifically on Berlin? It’s easier to become an expert on a smaller topic and you’ll have better chances of ranking highly on Google.
Pick a topic you know well, but also one you’re passionate about!
Purchase Your Domain Name
To create a travel blog, come up with a name that’s catchy, short, and suits your blog well. Going with the above example, this could be ‘Berlin Travel Guide’.
Check to see if the domain name is available, along with relevant social media handles, so your branding will be consistent.
Purchasing your domain looks much more professional than using a free site. Which blog would you trust more, berlintravelguide.com or berlintravelguide.webserverhost.com?
Have a look at this WordPress hosting comparison and see that you need a good hosting service provider.
You want your domain to be short, accurate, and free of any other words other than your name.
You may want to also purchase hosting, which is the space where your blog will ‘live’ on the internet. WordPress is one of the most popular blog management platforms, and it easily integrates with just about any host.
Set Up Social Media Accounts
Social media, especially Instagram, is massive in the travel blogging world. If you want to work with brands and hotels, they will be looking for a beautiful Instagram grid, with a large number of engaged followers.
Once you start your blog, start growing your Instagram and social media accounts as well.
Personalize Your Blog
You should select a theme for your blog, so your articles and photos stand out and look impressive. Once you’ve found a theme you like, you’ll want to set up your blog with an ‘About Me’ page, so your new followers can get to know you.
Want to record a personalized message to give some insight into your travels? Why not use your Mac screen recorder to record a message or video that you can share on your new blog.
Include a photo of yourself, and don’t forget to include a contact page, so readers and businesses can get in touch with you. If you truly want to make a real business that is a moneymaker, this is the point where you should hire a company to help with strategic brand positioning.
Write Quality Content Using SEO
One of the most important ways to get blog traffic is SEO. SEO, or search engine optimization, is a series of best practice activities, including targeting keywords, writing compelling content, using H2 and H3 headers correctly, and adding descriptions to photos.
While your content needs to be written with SEO in mind, it also needs to be well-written, proofread, and it should answer questions that your readers want to know.
Your readers will become regular followers if you now only write well, but are genuine, honest, and fun. No one wants to read articles only written for SEO!
Add some pop to your blogs by using gorgeous photos. If you aren’t a photographer, there are plenty of stock photo sites where you can find free or low-cost travel costs.
How To Make Money From Your Blog
Now that you know how to start a travel blog, how can you make money from it? Luckily, there are quite ways to earn income from your blog.
While even small blogs can earn money, it’s important to be patient, as it may take a while to build up a regular income source.
Here are a few ways to get started.
Advertising
Setting up an advertising network is a good way to earn money. The networks will display ads on your blog, and you’ll receive a small amount (a few cents) per click.
Over time, this can become a great source of passive income. Google AdSense works well for new bloggers as there are no minimum traffic requirements to join. As your blog grows, you can switch to higher-paying ad sites.
Affiliate Sales
Using affiliate links, you receive a commission from readers who pick on your links. You can join affiliate programs to sell flights, hotels, travel gear, and even insurance.
For example, if you write a blog on ‘best hostels in Berlin’, and include a link to each hostel, you can start earning money by referring readers to products or services.
Brand Partnerships
You can earn money from your blog by partnering with travel brands. This may be through an Instagram post, letting your followers know about their product, a review of a hotel or destination, or a paid link in one of your blog posts to a product.
For ethics and transparency, it’s always a good idea to let your readers know when you’ve included an affiliate or sponsored link.
Partnering with brands or tourism destinations can often open up the doors for sponsored travel, every blogger’s dream!
Start a Travel Blog Today
Ready to start a travel blog now? Although it can require a lot of work and certainly some patience, travel blogs can be a lot of fun. No matter what you’re planning on seeing on your next trip, you’ll want to document it! Take a look at the best cameras for travel blogging .
They can also open doors to new income streams, media attention, and paid travel opportunities!
Get started today creating an amazing travel blog and you’ll be on your way to success!
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