Traveling is fun for a lot of people, no doubt about that. But, it can prove to be a hassle.
Picking out the next location to visit, what to pack and what not to, routes to take, etc. are decisions every traveler faces. Now, you can take advantage of this dilemma and start a travel blog business.
Starting a travel blog niche is an awesome way to share your travel experiences and help others plan their trips.
What is a travel blog? A travel blog is a blog that shares awesome travel experiences and tips.
If you love traveling and sharing your experiences, then you can make a lot of money from your passion. Starting a travel blog is not as difficult as it sounds. Just a few pictures here and some storytelling there and voila – you got yourself a blogging business!
This article is a step-by-step guide on how to start a successful travel blog. We’ll also answer some of your questions in the FAQs segment.
How to Start a Travel Blog and Make Money
- Choose a niche
- Pick a name
- Set up your blog
- Create content
- Promote your blog
- Monetize your blog
1. Choose a Niche
Carving out a niche for yourself is very important to start a blogging business. Now that you have decided to start a travel blog business, you need to narrow it down.
There is a wide range of audiences out there and you need to streamline your travel blog content to reach the intended audience.
Here are some travel blogging niche ideas to help you along:
- Adventure travel: This part of travel blogging, is for the fun seekers – thrill seekers. It covers anything and everything from hiking to skiing and rock climbing to diving. Your travel blog can give updates on the best locations for these activities, backed up with tips on how to get there, equipment to bring along, etc.
- Family travel: Most families cross out vacationing till the kids are all grown, show them it’s possible by making your travel blog family-oriented. You can share tips on how to travel as a family with children.
- Luxury travel: This aspect is for the crème de la crème of society, the high-end travelers. Your travel blog can feature where the next exclusive event will happen, high-class hotels, restaurants important persons to meet, etc.
Other travel blogging niches to consider are:
- Solo travel
- Budget travel
- Cultural immersion
2. Pick a Name
Giving your travel blog a name is next on how to start a travel blog business itinerary.
Your domain name has to be something that resonates with your audience and embodies what your blog stands for. If you are not sure, you can play around with some free domain names and see which one sticks better.
Tips on How to Select a Travel Blog Name
- Be unique, avoid generic names.
- Go for short and clear names, you do not want to send too many messages, which can be confusing. Short is best.
- Make use of keyword research and take note of the keywords commonly used to describe the niche of travel blogging you have chosen. Include one in your blog name to assist in the SEO.
- Check domain availability, your blog name, and the domain name have to be consistent with each other. Make sure that the desired blog name is available.
Here are some popular travel blog names to help you get started:
- World of Wanderlust, a travel guide for solo female travelers.
- Wandering Earl, by the blogger Derek Earl barons. This travel blog name includes the name of the founding blogger and the Blog features cultural experiences and tips for long-term travel.
- Legal Nomads, this travel blog is famous for sharing tips on how to travel with dietary restrictions.
- The Blonde Abroad, this blog also targets the same audience as the world of wanderlust with the addition of photography and lifestyle content.
When picking out a name for your travel blog, avoid boxing yourself in with a limiting name as you might find the need to extend your reach by combining niches. Take your time and be creative.
3. Set up your Blog
You have your niche, you have the perfect name for your blog. Now is the time for step three on how to start a travel blog website.
For this stage, you will need a blogging platform. There are several blogging platforms you can use for your website such as Medium, WordPress, Blogger, etc. This article will teach you how to set up a travel blog using WordPress.
How to Start a Travel Blog Using the WordPress Platform
WordPress is the preferred platform for this article due to its flexibility and ease of use. These are the highlights of how to use it:
- Sign up for Web Hosting – There are several website hosting providers (Hostinger, DreamHost, SpaceShip). Do your research and pick one that supports WordPress installation. Select the plan that works for you.
- Install WordPress – You can do this from the cPanel of your WordPress hosting provider. Just click install WordPress and that’s it.
- Choose a Theme – WordPress has a variety of themes, both free and premium (paid). Check out the themes available and pick the one that suits your travel blog.
- Add Character – Customize your travel blog. Use friendly colors, upload your logo, and configure your blog into what it should be and the way you want it to look.
- Set up special pages – “About me”,” Home”, and” contact” pages are where you can entice visitors with content about yourself and your page.
4. Create Content
A travel blog is not successful without content. You have to create enticing content to engage your blog’s audience.
Most people love to read about the travel experiences of other people, so you can write about your latest travel escapades. Include essential tips, from the most overlooked details to the obvious ones.
Research topics, and make use of catchy headlines. Ensure the use of keywords in both the title and body of your write-up.
You can make content through photography and videography too. Visual content has proven to be effective in engaging the audience.
Post pictures of beautiful places significant to your travel blog niche. Try to carry along your audience with videos for those who would love to live through your blog.
5. Promote your Blog
What do you stand to gain by promoting your travel blog? More reach! The wider your reach is, the more you establish your blog as an authority in its niche.
Let’s see how to grow your blog traffic:
- Share via Social Media
This is the most important of all. You want more readers to open your website, but, how do you get them to do so?
You can share your content across social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc. You shouldn’t post the same content on all the platforms, so your followers do not lose interest.
- Guest Posting
This is one way to get visitors to your blog who are not a part of your target audience. Guest posting works by sharing a piece of content on another website – it can be another travel blog or something similar.
As payment for sharing your content on their website, you might also allow them to share guest content on your blog (think of it as a trade-by-barter system). You can secure such opportunities by reaching out to established blogs which will improve your brand image.
- Grant Interviews
Collaborating with relevant travel publications on interviews is a great way to Garner more publicity. This is sure to shower your travel blog with all the positivity possible.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
When creating content for your blog, put SEO strategies in place, both on-page SEO and off-page SEO. Start by researching related keywords and incorporating them into your content.
Keywords are words/phrases entered into the internet by users to find information concerning topics of interest. Find out what your target audience is researching and create content to answer their queries.
6. Monetize your Travel Blog
Starting a travel blog is one thing, earning money from the blog is another. These are some of the ways you can make money from your blogging business.
- Affiliate Marketing: You can promote products or services related to travel on your blog by posting a link to the product. Now, you get a commission each time a visitor from your page buys the product/service. It is a win-win situation.
- Advertising & Sponsored Content: You can offer to display Ads for brands on your blog. A large base will be your strength here as payment is usually per click or based on ad impression.
- Creating and Selling Digital Products: This is one way to ensure that your blog is not entirely dependent on other brands when it comes to generating income. Create your digital products such as an online class, and sell information such as premium tips on travel. You can also try dropshipping physical products like traveling gear etc.
Monetizing your travel blog can happen the minute you set it up, but it usually takes time and effort before it rakes in substantial amounts. Your earnings will depend greatly on your niche, your traffic, and your website monetization strategies.
FAQs About How to Start a Travel Blog
Starting a travel blog can be stressful. However, to help your journey, here is a compilation of frequently asked questions and their answers.
Can I Start a Travel Blog Without Traveling?
Absolutely! You do not need to travel to start a travel blog. It is all a mix of proper research and experience, most big blogs do not create all the content themselves – It is simply outsourced.
How Much Does it Cost to Start a Travel Blog?
To start with, the major cost incurred will be payment for the web hosting and domain name. This can be anything between $16 – $50, depending on the hosting provider. You can even start with a free blogging website and move your content to a paid host once you grow your traffic. All other expenses can wait till later.
Do I Need a Laptop and Camera to Start a Travel Blog?
Yes, a laptop is needed but a good phone camera is sufficient.
Ready to Begin?
There you go, the full guide on how to start a travel blog and make money.
Set up your blog, pick out that name, get writing and promote your blog with mind-blowing content. Remember, proper research, experience, and consistency are what it takes to make a successful travel blog.
