It seems that in this day and age everyone wants to be a travel blogger, and it’s hard not to see why. Traveling the world, getting paid to share your story, and building a community around your shared passion. Of course this sounds like the dream! If you are like me, travel blogging has been an idea on your mind for a long time. Or at the very least, you feel somewhat curious about how one gets a foot into the travel blogging world. Well, I’ve got you covered! I started my blog a few months into the pandemic, despite the fact that we still can’t do the, you know, traveling part of travel blogging. Many may question why I chose to start one now, but I’d argue that it’s the best decision I could have made. Here is the honest truth about what it’s like starting a travel blog in 2021.
This is a guest post by our Travel Blogging Masterclass student, Jacqueline Le.
Jacqueline has completed our masterclass to create a successful blog of her own. After you’ve read her honest review, please be sure to visit her blog!
You Need Time
What you may or may not realize beforehand, is how much time and work actually goes into creating a travel blog. I had no formal experience with web design, writing, digital marketing, or basically any skill required to carry out the tasks needed to run a travel website. The only thing I had was a deep love for travel, and my travel photos to tell my stories.
Unless you already have skills in all these areas, you’ll have to dedicate ample time to learning them. Luckily, during the pandemic we have plenty of that, right? Honestly, even with the downtime I still felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day to tend to the mountain of information and tasks involved in starting a blog.
A huge way I made the learning process as efficient as possible, was by signing up for the World of Wanderlust Travel Blogging Masterclass. This course laid out everything I needed to know in a straightforward and actionable format, making it easy for my newbie brain to implement. Instead of paying for dozens of individual online courses and hoping the information would be relevant, this course offered travel blogging specific skills and knowledge that I could apply immediately towards creating the website I wanted.
There is Always Room for More Bloggers
A big reason I waited so long to start a blog, was due to my fear that the industry was already oversaturated. But seriously, could you blame me? These days you can hardly open any social app without discovering a perfectly framed photo in a beautiful destination, taken by an already super successful blogger. It’s easy to assume there’s no room for newcomers, but that simply is not true. Saying there are too many travel bloggers, is like saying there are too many restaurants in the world (said no one ever) or that there are too many musical artists.
It’s not really about how many others are doing what you do, but rather how well you do what you do. There is always room for great content.
Aim to Work Smarter, Not Harder
When you first start a blog, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the tasks you feel like you need to be learning or doing. Truth be told, I’d say it’s better to keep it simple and do what comes easy when you can. For example, before I created a blog, I thought for months about how I’d like my website to look, with no real understanding of how to ever create one without paying a large sum to a web designer. In the Travel Blogging Masterclass, Brooke discloses the easiest way to create a beautiful website, with no coding knowledge needed. I was shocked by how easy it was. I literally bought my domain, set up my website, and had it looking the way I’d always imagined within the first couple hours.
Taking smart shortcuts makes your life easier, and your blog better. It’s a total win-win!
The Best Time to Start is Now
Probably the best advice I can give is that the best time to start a blog is now. You will never be fully ready or perfect, but the only way you can learn and grow is by doing. Plus, you will learn shortly after blogging that timing really matters, especially for SEO. In summary, this means the longer your website simply exists, the more it gains authority in the eyes of Google. This means that if I had the exact same website I do now, but had started it earlier, I’d likely rank higher in search engine results by now (more on SEO in the Travel Blogging Masterclass). So when you hear that the best time to start a blog is now, it literally means RIGHT NOW. Don’t wait another day.
You Must Invest in Your Success
The greatest thing about starting a travel blog, is that it’s a very inexpensive way to build your potential online business. You can start your blog by spending close to no money, but if I’ve learned anything in business school, it’s that you can’t make money without spending some. I’m not saying you have to spend a lot, but knowing when to invest in yourself and your blog will save you valuable time, and make it easier for you to succeed. For me personally, I chose to spend a little on my theme, enroll in the Travel Blogging Masterclass, and although I already had my camera beforehand, that’s where I’d choose to invest again if I had to. Besides the camera, these costs are minimal in the grand scheme, but they will put you miles ahead of those who try to get by as cheaply as possible.
You Have Nothing to Lose
In reality, you truly have nothing to lose by starting a travel blog. Creating my blog was just the creative outlet I needed during this pandemic. I can honestly say, I wholeheartedly love the process and enjoy working on it everyday. There is no downside to having a travel blog, and the worst outcome I can think of is that I won’t be “successful”. If that were the case, I’ll still have an amazing online documentation of my travels for my own enjoyment. Not to mention, all the connections I’ve made with amazing people since creating my blog, who share my passions. And if it is successful, well, the possibilities are truly endless aren’t they?
Brooke Saward founded World of Wanderlust as a place to share inspiration from her travels and to inspire others to see our world. She now divides her time between adventures abroad and adventures in the kitchen, with a particular weakness for French pastries.