Advice from Travel Writers
Recently I asked a few of my favorite travel writers for advice on how to grow a travel blog or website. Here is the question which I asked; “What is your BEST advice for new bloggers on how to get more readers, and work toward blogging success?”
The little nuggets of wisdom which follow are from good people who are out there doing the hard work. They are kind enough to offer encouragement for those of us who are coming along behind them.They genuinely wish us well even while knowing that someday we may end up pitching the same story ideas.
Anna Cook
Anna Cook is an active adventurer from North Carolina, in https://www.stuckonthego.com/ she proves that travel is good for the soul. Her biggest piece of advice for new bloggers who want to grow their blog is to invest in an SEO course from the beginning.
“SEO takes time to work but it is the best way to drive consistent traffic to your website. For a long time, I thought I knew what I was doing when it came to SEO, but it wasn’t until I took a course on it that I found so many things I was doing incorrectly or could have been doing better.”
Apryl Chapman Thomas
Apryl Chapman Thomas is a feature writer at https://www.southernhospitalitymagazine.com/ who offers this down-to-earth thought, “I wish I had a formula, but all I can say is keep on plugging, creating a brand and building numbers and then reach out to potential advertisers.”
Bill Clevlen
Bill Clevlen shares positive stories at https://billontheroad.com/ in a most exciting and entertaining way.
He says, “Best advice? Be authentic and grateful. Don’t be afraid to admit when things don’t go as planned or afraid to show a less than perfect side of you.”
Chere Dastugue Coen
Chere Dastugue Coen has been there and done that on so many levels as an award-winning author, editor, travel and food writer. Her delightfully wacky and wild travel blog is https://www.weirdsouth.com/ and a must-read!
Her advice, “I would suggest building SEO so that readers will find you and make sure to use keywords for every story. Post links on social media but make it all conversational since social media is, well social. Bottom line, however, is always write the best blog posts and showcase both your talents and your passion. The readers will follow.”
Kathleen Walls
Kathleen Walls is the owner and publisher of AmericanRoadsandGlobalHighways which is best found here https://americanroads.net/ . She is also a prolific author and, like me, a proud Floridian. Here is just some of her sage advice.
“Getting new readers is persistence. I post on social media and join in several retweet and re-instagram posts we do on my favorite travel writer group. Part of the success factor lies in getting good press trips. I put together a media sheet with my stats, social media links, and several of my recent published stories. Yes, for your own blog to succeed, I strongly advise freelancing along with it. To get invited on press trips, be courteous, not demanding on trips. Always let the hosts and PR people know when you publish or a story you sold goes online that’s related to the trip.”
Kristi Valentini
Kristi Valentini helps folks make their travel adventure more fun and joyful and can be found at https://readymadetravelplans.com/ . Here are her thoughts and ideas.
“Showing up in search engines can really make a big difference in your traffic levels. Prioritize learning about SEO – it’s actually pretty simple – and then apply what you learn to your content. Also, if you have some bloggy friends, see if they want to form a group to help promote each other’s content. Each person in the group shares the other person’s latest blog post with their audience on social media or via email.”
Melody Pittman
Melody Pittman of https://www.whereverimayroamblog.com/ is one of the sweetest and busiest travel writers I’ve ever met. Her thoughtful advice below is priceless.
“My advice is to really know HOW to blog starting out. What you put into an article is only part of knowing the correct sizing of pictures, spacing, keywords, link backs, etc. Even when I started 8 years ago, it was way more than just a good story. If Google and the rest don’t like you or you don’t hit their marks, success is doubtful. And lastly, be authentic. Don’t try to be someone or somebody you aren’t. There is an audience for you somewhere, just as you are.”
Roy Stevenson
Roy Stevenson at https://www.pitchtravelwrite.com/ is dedicated to writing great travel articles and helping others do the same. He and his wife, Linda Popovich, travel the world and offer fabulous workshops. I am thrilled to count them amount my writer friends.
Per Roy, “Make sure your content is unique & riveting to capture the reader’s attention. There is so much online competition these days, that your posts must be interesting. Use quality photographs with every blog post. Create a captivating headline & lead sentence to draw your readers in. Write print articles & place a link to your blog in your byline. Attract & create your audience. This means you must find people who would be interested in your blog. You won’t create an audience by just starting up a blog. Make sure you have a niche for your blog; general blogs won’t work anymore.”
Reading, Writing, and Research
Let me highly encourage you to read all of the great sites mentioned above. And, yes, also my own https://embracesouthernstates.com/ where I highlight the fabulous folks, food, and fun in the Southeastern USA.
Good travel writers become even better by reading the works of others. This is followed by tons of research, travel, and writing.
Please take a moment to leave a kind COMMENT. I wish you much success as you follow your own travel dreams, whatever they may be.
