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Travel blogging made easy? Not quite, but it is fairly simple. A commercially successful travel blogger must know how to write, how to travel, have some marketing savvy. Following are several points and observations that may help writers to write a better blog or create a website with genuine appeal.
Travel
- Basics - There are some constants to widely divergent modes of travel. Mountain climbers and cruise passengers alike are concerned with matters of food, clothing and shelter. An informative blog will reference the commonalities.
- Timing – Some destinations are year-round attractions while others may have more time-sensitive appeal. Rates for lodging can fluctuate greatly from “high” season to “shoulder” season to “low” season.
- Hidden Gems – Big Ben, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and Olde Mitre Tavern? Anyone could direct a tourist to the first three; a diligent blogger will will spend quality time off-the-beaten-track in order to find places like the Olde Mitre.
- Food Snob or Slob? - With gustatory delights adventurous moderation is called for. A good blogger needn't possess a gourmet palate, but should be able to write coherently about local cuisine. It isn't hard to find someone to “talk food” in grocery stores and eateries.
- Invoke the Senses – To captivate readers all the senses must be engaged. The aromas of bakeries, breweries and pizzerias. The sounds of trains and buses. The feel of a handrail or a moving sidewalk. The colors of fall foliage. All this, and more, must be fed to the audience in easy-to-digest form.
- Finding a Voice – This one is actually a little bit easier than it might seem. Usually, the best approach is for writers to simply be themselves. Funny people will tend to write funny blogs and those of more scholarly mien will set a heavier tone. The key is for comic personalities to include enough necessary serious material, while Mr. Sobersides must learn when to lighten the approach.
- The Facts – Part of a bloggers responsibility involves accuracy in reporting. Corroboration of phone numbers, e-mail addresses, directions and internet links is imperative if a correspondent is to achieve any level of credibility. Many writers keep detailed journals to help keep information accessible.
- Less is More – The idea is to be both informative and entertaining. Don't bog down the blog with excessive and/or repetitive data and refrain from pummeling readers with mirth.
- Discipline – Often the most difficult part of writing is the essentially simple step of “getting started”. Some writers work best in the morning, while other scribes thrive late at night. Writing within the framework of schedules and deadlines means that the aspiring blogger must devote enough time, consistently, to produce some good paragraphs.
- Play to Strengths – If a writer is also a good photographer and/or illustrator these talents can be used to enhance an article or a website.
- Involve Readership – When readers comment, the act warrants a response. If a follow-up is needed it should dealt with it a timely manner.
- Gimmicks – Sometimes a gimmicky approach can attract publicity, along the lines of “Europe on $2-A-Week.”, but the strategy can backfire because it seriously limits a writer's scope, and it will almost certainly limit the pool of potential readers and clients.
- Connectivity – Some bloggers write and market articles for the use of others and some write for their own websites. It's useful to know how to use web connections and social networking sites to increase readership.
- Technology – Bloggers don't need to be certified “geeks” to build their website, but a minimal degree of computer literacy and competency is called for. There are a lot of tools that help you to create a website.
- People – Ultimately, people are the common denominator for any blog, and that includes the authorship, readership, sponsorship and the folks who meet on a ship.
(This post was written by Phil Johnson)
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