So you want to travel the world and get paid for it? You’ve come to the right place!
There are millions of pounds to be made while travelling to some of the world’s best places, and here are some tips on how to go about it.
Read more: I didn’t know what to do with my life – now I travel the world for a living
Choose your niche
The first thing you need to do before anything else is hone in on your personal niche.
What can you offer the social media world that is currently being under-serviced that you can add real value to?
It’s the only way to set yourself apart from other influencers and ensures that you stand out online.
Do you travel based on the local food delicacies, public transport or even the architecture that cities offer?
Whatever it is, stick to it and do it well. Pick something that reflects your true interest and not a niche you know nothing about.
Find a gap in the market
While there are a lot of book and travel bloggers around, I was quick to spot a gap in the market and establish myself as a go-to platform for anyone interested in stylish travel with a literary twist.
My blog features hotels that have been appeared in novels such as The Shelbourne in Dublin, which was mentioned in James Joyce’s Ulysses, to The Bloomsbury Hotel in London, which was influenced by literature’s famous Bloomsbury set.
It has everything from novel-inspired cocktails, to a restaurant named after one of Virginia Woolf’s heroines.
Establish your online presence
Now you’ve got your niche sorted, it’s time to turn that idea into a real thing.
The biggest step is creating an online personal brand.
The easiest way to do this is by making your own website by using free online tools such as Wix.com where you can build your own website from scratch. Your site, your rules.
Ensure your site is consistent across all social media channels and easy to navigate. Plus, consistent, good quality content and aesthetically-pleasing images make the user experience more enjoyable.
Think about what you would like to both see and enjoy online and always work with that in mind.
Create a style and tone of voice
Your personal brand isn’t just about imagery and where you travel, it’s the language you use too.
A great way to ensure consistent style and tone of voice across all of your social channels is to create a bit of a ‘brand strategy’ for your new personal brand.
Identify what tone of voice you want to write in. Is it: witty, uplifting, inspirational, aspirational or holistic? Choose which one works for your personality and remain true to it across all channels.
Likewise, for the style of your social – are there specific colours or fonts you like? Pinpoint these early on in your online journey and be consistent when it comes to the colour palettes of your social accounts and the images you share.
Make money blogging
There are loads of ways to monetise your travels depending on where your talent lies.
They range from selling pictures to tourist boards to collaborating with hotels on promotional content. You could be creating downloadable travel guides for a small fee or freelance travel writing for print and online publications. These are all great ways to make money blogging.
Build an authentic following
While it may seem like the easy option, buying followers is a total no-no.
Instagram is catching on to this and is deleting bot accounts, so you can go from thousands of ‘followers’ to very little overnight. Not a good look.
Nothing beats being authentic, real and engaging on social media when it comes to building a loyal legion of fans.
To find out more about Lucy, and to read her blog The Literary Edit, visit: thelitedit.com