While travel blogs are a great way to keep friends and family in the loop about your travels, and keep a running journal of your experiences, they can also be a great way to generate some extra income. Oftentimes, the more effort and focus you can put on monetizing your blog, the more it can pay off in the long run.
Produce Quality Content
The first step to starting a successful travel blog for income may seem obvious, but it’s probably the most important. Create content that shines a light on you and your unique experience. Consistency and keeping your blog active while you travel are key; setting a schedule or a blogging calendar can help with that, and even writing a few posts beforehand can work. Producing quality content on a consistent basis will draw more people to your blog and eventually bring in people who may want to potentially collaborate with your blog and bring in revenue.
Become an Expert
Like with producing quality blog content, becoming a go-to resource on a topic or place can help build your blog’s credibility. Becoming the go-to blog on a certain place or activity, for example, will mean that there will be more eyes on your blog and the expertise you provide. This is a big draw-in for companies or advertisers focusing on the same things. Remember, while success can be defined many different ways, a successful travel blog connects a wide audience of travelers who can relate to each other and form a sense of community.
Sponsored Reviews
Once you beef up the content of your site and show versatility and expertise, sponsored reviews can be a great way to bring in money and expand your reach. Many travel bloggers have success in writing paid reviews of products or services they probably would have used anyway.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate links are a form of passive income, meaning once they are set up, you don’t have to spend any time making them generate income (as opposed to writing a review, for example). Affiliate links are a popular way for companies to market their products or services, and an easy way for you to earn a commission off the links placed in your blog. The amount you can earn varies, as do the affiliate link payment structures, but these are usually discussed or predetermined by companies.
Those are only a few ways to start your travel blog for income, or to turn your current blog into a revenue stream. Remember, it takes some extra effort to combine writing and travel, and to move on to monetizing your blog. It can be slow-moving and can sometimes be tedious, but if you are consistent you can work towards generating enough extra income to spend toward more travels. Good luck!
