January 29, 2012
Many people travel to “get away” or pursue adventure, but that doesn’t have to mean that you disappear altogether. Even some of the most remote places on the planet have access to the internet these days, making it possible for you to have the best of both worlds: to be “away,” yet still connected. Travel blogging can be a neat way to stay in touch with family and friends and also keep a record of your trip. For the writers out there, blogging can be a great way of including your readers and fans in your travels and providing them with some words to chew on along the way.
But, it’s not always easy to blog on-the-go. Many people set out with the intentions of blogging, even starting up a travel blog prior to leaving and announcing it to all their friends only to realize that they just don’t have the stamina to keep it up. So, here are some tips to help you create a memorable travel blog, both for yourself and your readers.
10 Tips for Travel Blogging:
Working on a blog post in Tengboche, Nepal, with Ama Dablam looking on. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
1. Wait to be inspired. Forcing yourself to write is painful and pointless. In my experience, I am much more creative and the words flow freely when I am feeling ready to write. The moments to write about will be obvious.
2. Set goals. You don’t need to blog everyday, but without a goal you might drop it like people drop their gym memberships in February. I set the goal of blogging at certain intervals (depending on the trip length), without being too hard on myself if I can’t achieve it. Give yourself a challenging but manageable goal and focus on the small steps you need to take in order to achieve it.
3. Be discerning. Your readers don’t need to know every single detail. Pick a topic and stick to it. Keep things as concise and interesting as possible so that your readers will want to come back and read the next time.
4. Set time aside. If you really want to keep up with your blogging, know that it will take time and it’s best if you actually work that into your travel plans. Plan on taking some time to sip a cappuccino and work on a post at an internet café. Blogging on demand can be stressful, so avoid it as much as possible.
5. Write in advance. Whether you’ve got a paper notebook, a laptop or access at an internet café, work on your blog posts ahead of time and save them as drafts. You don’t always know what your internet connection will be like. It may be 1. expensive 2. slow and 3. inconsistent. Having your blogs ready to post will save you time and potentially money.
6. Have pictures ready. Blog posts are always enhanced with photographs. Remember to take photos along the way and download some of them onto a computer to post with your article. As soon as you have a chance, upload these directly to your blog service media library even if you aren’t using them right away. You’ll be happy you did when you finally get onto a computer to post your latest article.
Many blog programs, such as WordPress.com allow you to apply Categories and Tags to your posts. Use these to keep your posts organized.
7. Proofread. Grammar, punctuation and spelling matter, even to your mom. Sure, the internet café is charging you by the minute, but it’s worth spending an extra two minutes proofreading your blog posts (particularly if you are a professional writer and can’t risk having typos and errors spreading all over the internet). Errors in your text, or a lack of punctuation, make it hard for people to read and they are less likely to come back next time. What’s the point in writing if no one is reading?
8. Use Categories and Tags. Most blog services allow you to apply Categories (general) and Tags (specific keywords) to your posts to help you organize them. This will also help readers to find posts they may have missed or that are written on a specific topic. Establish your Categories ahead of time to help you stay organized right off the bat.
9. Promote. There is a difference between promoting and bombarding, and this part of sharing your articles requires some balance. One of the best ways to get the word out there about your most recent post is to feed it through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, or by asking friends and followers to subscribe through an RSS feed or email update. I use bitly.com to shorten my links for Twitter, and this also provides me with some stats in terms of how many people actually clicked on the link when I posted it. That way I know if I am being effective in my reach and what I could do better next time.
10. Enjoy yourself. There’s no point in blogging if you aren’t enjoying the experience. Use it as an opportunity to reflect on your experiences (sometimes we’re too busy when we get home to do that!). Your posts may vary in length and that’s okay. Sometimes you only have time or energy for a short post. Just stick with it and you’ll be glad you did.
Interested in starting a travel blog? I use WordPress and love it. Some blog services, such as TravelPod, are made specifically for traveling and even allow you to create a book out of our blogs when you’re finished. There are tons of blog services out there, so just find the one that seems right for you.
Do you have any other tips for travel blogging? Please use the Comments below to share your ideas!
Reblogged this on Meghan J. Ward – outdoor, travel and adventure writer and commented:
Blogging is a great way to keep in touch with your fans and bring your readers along your travel journey. Allowing them to be part of the process allows them to connect with you and that may mean more to them than you think! I wrote this piece for my blog, The Campsite, providing tips for travel blogging so you don’t burn out while you’re at it.
I struggle with #1…I have a post frequency schedule I try hard to stick to, and sometimes that means writing when I’m not particularly inspired. What I do to address that is to have a Google calendar with a bunch of headline ideas on different dates. That helps me keep the creative juices flowing, and I can move different topics around as needed. If I’m feeling inspired, I’ll write two posts in a day, for example, and schedule them accordingly. I also look for inspiration from guest posters and from other blogs. Sometimes reading about how much fun others are having outdoors is enough to get me excited to write!
#3 and #7 are also absolute essentials. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comment, Katie. It’s a good idea to use a Google calendar. I do something similar when I’m at home – ie. keep track of topics to write about later (I use the “Things” App for Mac). I think this could be incorporated into travel blogging, too. People can write down the ideas as they come to them because it’s not always convenient to get on a computer and blog about it right away when you’re traveling.
I like travel blogging! This is in fact one of my interests. I used to share my travel experiences through blogging. I treasured my own travel blog.