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If you like backpacking and sharing your thoughts and experiences, you have surely thought about starting your travel blog soon. However, almost all travelers nowadays are labeling themselves as ‘travel bloggers’, making the industry more crowded over the years.

Basics of creating travel blogs include high-quality photos and exciting and engaging writeups. However, with the number of self-proclaimed travel bloggers sprouting every day, starting a kickass travel blog may not be as easy as it looks. 

If you want to jumpstart your career in this industry, here are some tips on how to start a travel blog and stand out among the rest:

1. Come up with a unique travel blog name

Your blog name serves as your brand. It defines what your entire blog is all about. 

For travel bloggers, using common terms on your name such as ‘adventure/adventurous,’ ‘nomad,’ ‘backpacker,’ ‘travel/traveler,’ and ‘wander/journey,’ may not be appealing and trendy today. 

Changing your travel blog name is hard, so pick an interesting one that suits your goals and objectives, as well as something memorable to your followers. Remember, your blog must stand out.

2. Invest in your blog

Travel blogging is already costly by its term and yes, you will not only spend money on adventures but also on other aspects of blogging for business. 

Investing in your blog’s hosting package may seem costly and complicated but it can bring you a long way. Availing hosting services will not only let you own your domain name but will also power up and keep your blog’s space on the web. Basic package for some of the most recommended hosting companies, such as Bluehost, includes your whole blog space, storage space, unmetered bandwidth, SSL certificate, and domains. 

3. Maximize the use of social media 

If you traveled far to create content for your blog, then you need to share it with the public. And by sharing, social media is the obvious way. Link your blog site to your social media sites such as your Facebook Page, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Tumblr, to easily share your posts across different platforms. 

4. Write a kickass ‘About Me’ page

Your ‘About Me’ page is likely to be one of the first things your audience would like to see on your blog site. It will create an impression about you and your verity as a travel blogger. Make sure you write about interesting and authentic things about yourself.

5. Build a network

Building your network in and outside the travel industry could further boost your brand. Creating good relationships with people outside the industry widens your audience. 

To do this, be more organized in identifying the people you want to meet and attend meet-ups and events for bloggers. 

Since you are still a beginner in the travel blogging industry, avoid selling yourself too early. Try to introduce and engage yourself with meaningful conversations with the people that you could have good connections with. 

6. Create and share amazing content

The most important thing for every blog site is, of course, the content. It is the heart and soul of every blog. Explore different ways of creating and sharing your journeys. Each story can be presented in different mediums such as through writing, photography, video blogging (vlog). Or podcasts. Do whatever would best show the message you would like to convey on your blog entries. 

Creating content may be frustrating for beginners in the travel blogging industry, but don’t give up and don’t stop sharing your awesome escapades. Consistent content is one of the keys to making your blog stand out among the rest.

7. Blog about the place, not about you

Just because you are a frequent traveler and a good writer does not mean you can be an effective travel blogger. 

Typical travel bloggers usually make their blogs more about themselves – their flights, the roads they walked around, their accommodation, the food they ate, the locals they met – but less about the place, itself. 

Similar to the writing mantra “write to express, not to impress,” travel blogging should be about the place, not about the traveler. Your audience must be able to imagine and feel the city through your blog. Tell the story about the place, the things that make it special, the cultural differences, and tips for people who would like to go to that place, too. Be aware of how you structure your article, how many words do you include, how is the flow. And don’t be scared to use online tools like this wordcounttool.com that could help you optimize your content.

Nobody becomes a successful travel blogger with just one or two high-quality entries. Just like other careers, being a travel blogger takes time, passion, and investment to grow. If you enjoy both traveling and writing, the above tips would be easier for you to follow. With the right amount of continuous hard work and desire to succeed, you sure would be at the front row of this industry in the future. 

Make sure to have fun in every journey that you will share!