Common Mistakes Travel Bloggers Make

The life of a travel blogger can be both exciting and challenging. It affords one the freedom to travel and explore exotic destinations. And if done correctly, it can also be financially rewarding. 

But it’s not all glamorous. There are potential pitfalls, and you need to be aware of what they are to make the most of your chosen path.  So today, we look at some of these common mistakes that travel bloggers make. 

Not Enough Marketing

As an independent travel blogger, you work for yourself. You are your boss. And that means that you have to make all the tough decisions. One of these is how to market yourself and become known online.

There are various ways of approaching this, but one of the easiest and most effective ways is to pitch your ideas to others in the travel and tourism industry. An example would be to approach a yacht charter company, and offer to link back to them in an article.

Depending on your expertise and interests, this could be anything from yacht parties in Miami to Lake Havasu boat rentals. This type of partnership is beneficial for both of you and can help you to get your site noticed.

Lack Of Research

Another area where many travel bloggers fall short is research. To use the above example again, if you are writing about yacht parties in Miami, you need to do some research. 

Is it a topic that people are interested in? What questions do readers ask about this topic? What are the statistics for yacht parties in Miami? Just because you once saw a yacht party in the distance while passing through Miami doesn’t make you an expert. Do some research and add some meat to your article.

Google searches are helpful but go beyond the scope of search engines. Readers can do that for themselves. Talk to travel agents and tour guides. Read travel resort reviews. Above all, speak from personal experience. Find ways to add personal anecdotes to your blog content, to give it a truly authentic flavor.

Ignored Emails

We know that you would probably never deliberately ignore emails from interested parties. But it can be easy to get caught up in the vibe of traveling for your career. Too much carefree jet setting and you lose sight of the bigger picture.

As your blog grows, you may be approached by others to write travel pieces for them. Not all of these will be a good fit for your writing style, but some will be. So take the time to respond, and discuss the details. Many blog writer has fallen short in this particular area, to their detriment. Don’t let it happen to you.

Also, check your social media accounts for prospective work offers there too. And that brings us to our last mistake.

Too General

This is one of the most common issues a travel blogger faces. Do you need a niche? The short answer is, yes, a niche can be helpful. This is especially true when starting out as a travel blogger. 

It is far easier to focus on a niche market and create rich content for it than to write about every aspect of travel under the sun. Establishing a niche will also make your blog more valuable to readers who cannot find such focused content elsewhere.

Examples of travel niches are ecotourism, corporate yacht charters, island wedding destinations, or game safaris. There are more travel niches than you can imagine. Find one that you are comfortable writing about. 

Inadequate SEO And Media Tools

Use technology to improve your status as a travel blogger. Don’t ignore the amazing potential of SEO optimization or social media accounts. These are of use to travel and tour companies, and they can be of use to you too. 

You too should also be making the most of these platforms and prioritizing your social media growth. Tie your travel blog to your YouTube channel and Pinterest or Instagram accounts. Refer people to your blog from there, and vice versa. Remember to regularly update all content to keep it fresh and current. 

Optimize your blog site for SEO. This will make the world of difference to your visibility online and essential metrics. And that means more offers of work as your teaming with your blog site will be seen as a viable partnership. Take a course to learn the basics of SEO, and you will take your blog to new heights.