How to Start a Travel Blog and Make Money: A Complete Guide
It’s a dream to get off the desk and start a journey, isn’t it? But is it even possible to earn money from a travel blog? Is travel blogging relevant in the video-centric era? Can you monetize a travel blog and quit your job? Well, eventually, you can do it all. So, it’s a big big yes.
The world of travel blogging might seem like all unicorns and fairies but is just as tough. Yes, the autonomy, independence of work, and passion make up for it. But you must be ready to invest your time for the long haul. Only then it’s going to be beneficial.
If you’re up for the challenge and have the power to soar at your own will, read on. This blog will help you explore sustainable revenue streams from your travel content. The best part, it will help you from the beginner to an advanced level. So, don’t worry if you are just thinking of entering or have just entered the world of travel blogging.
Comprehensive Guide to Travel Blog Monetization
First Things First, Pick a Travel Blog Niche
👉 Adventurous Kate: Solo Female Travel Blog
Monetization can’t happen without a blog. On the other hand, there are multiple travel bloggers out there. To stand out, you must carve out a niche for yourself. There are multiple options based on your expertise and passion like budget traveling, luxury lifestyle, touch the roots of each destination, pet-friendly travel, kid-friendly travel, and so on.
To communicate among your niche and build authority,
- Find our related blogs to guest post on and reach a wider audience.
- Check out dedicated forums, social media groups, and private groups to be a part of niche communities. This will help you in learning and communicating your thoughts well.
- Write to help your readers, not for your fame. Create content that helps them and solves their problems. This would eventually increase your loyal readers.
How to Monetize When You Just Begin Your Blog?
Your traffic is going to be super low in the beginning. You might just get a few courtesy visits from your friends and family. Even then, you can start using some of the monetization tactics for your travel blog.
- Affiliate Marketing: Many business owners have their affiliate programs to promote their sales. You can check related business owners like travel gear providers, booking platforms, motels, or travel outfit curators. Being their affiliate is a win-win for both of you.
- Freelance Writing and Photography: Check out platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, or Freelancer to look for writing and photography gigs. Start writing for someone else to understand the nuances of the field and get some additional cash. You can even submit your photos to stock photo websites and generate passive income.
- Sell Travel Photography as NFTs: Selling NFTs (Non-fungible Tokens) is a coming-of-age option to monetize your content. Take unique travel images and convert them into NFTs to sell on platforms like OpenSea.
Monetization Strategies for an Intermediate-Level Travel Blog
This is the level where you would get a specific average number of visitors and traffic on your site. At this point, the monetization possibilities for your travel blog increase.
- Sponsored Posts and Brand Collaborations: With steady traffic, start approaching brands to promote their products on a dedicated sponsored post. If any specific blog ranks, like Best Hoodies to Fight Chilly Winter, you can pitch Hoodie Makers to mention their product description or link in the blog for a fee.
- Create Digital Travel Guides: Digital products and downloads are a big hit. A checklist before packing for a two-month long trip, what to do before moving out to a different state/country, or anything that is your expertise can be your digital guide to sell. Create once, and sell for longer.
- Start a Podcast or YouTube Channel: Utilize the growth of the audio and video industry. Diversify your content from text to YouTube videos or a podcast. Leverage other Video-based social channels to reach the maximum audience.
Monetization Techniques for Advanced Travel Bloggers
To maximize your income as an established travel blogger, these tips will help you.
- Host Travel-Themed Virtual Workshops or Classes: Create virtual live events for taking workshops on a topic of your expertise. Topics like travel photography, getting country permissions, currency exchange tips, etc. can be touched upon in your dedicated classes.
- Offer Personalized Travel Planning Services: Use your adventures and expertise to help others plan their travels. Provide personal travel planning consultancy for individuals, groups, family, by considering all the aspects of worry. This tailored solution would make valued readers pay for your expertise and services.
- Run Travel Tours or Expeditions: Lead small-group tours at places where you have great connections. It can be special guided tours to offbeat places and exclusive experiences.
Leverage Social Media for Additional Income
Social Media is a visual platform. People pay their time to view your content. Build your active presence on these platforms from Day 1.
- Live Streaming with Donations: Many platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram offer options to your audience to send donations or purchase badges to support your work.
- Exclusive Content Subscriptions: Create tiered membership levels or subscription services for providing exclusive member-only access to certain downloads and content. Having a membership website has its separate benefits.
- Sponsored Giveaways or Influencer Marketing: Host social media giveaways by partnering with a brand. This would bring in new followers for you and the brand. Leverage the power of other influencers or travel vloggers. Collaborate with them for content or a trip for more exclusive content.
Collaborate with Tourism Boards and Hotels
Once you establish a good blog value, you can get sponsored trips and press tours. All you have to do is approach them with the right information.
- Pitch with Data: Provide various hotels and tourism boards with details like website traffic, monthly blog visits, content reach, engagement, audience demographics, etc.
- Create Unique Content Packages: Offer them a full content package including social media coverage, blogs, mentioning sponsored links, blog reviews, and more.
- Start Locally: Do not directly go out of your zone. Initially, start by working with local hotels, resorts, and tourism boards. This will strengthen your knowledge and portfolio. It would lead to more positive responses in the future.
Setting Up a Sustainable Revenue Stream
Well, with travel blogging monetization, you cannot just rely on a single source of income. With good traffic, set up an ad revenue model. Use this to keep your site up to date with premium WordPress Plugins or SEO services to get the best out of your blog. Create a travel enthusiasts community using a membership plugin like ARMember and offer value in everyday conversations.
Final Take on Travel Blog Monetization
A travel blog would ask for a lot of patience and creativity from your end. You must jump into the field only if you’re truly passionate about it. Yes, it’s not impossible to monetize your travel blog and with time, you will be earning six figures easily like other travel bloggers in the industry. Make sure that you are,
- Being as niche as possible
- Coordinating with other travel enthusiasts and bloggers in the field
- Starting with the monetization tips right from the beginning
- Approaching the right brands, companies, and people
- Finding out the best travel groups and communities or creating one
- Leverage Ad revenue to earn while you focus on other tasks
- Create valuable digital downloads
- Welcoming sponsored posts and links
With these tips and your dedication to blogging, you will be able to set a stable revenue stream for yourself.
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Brian Denim
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