Have you ever struggled with the issue of being a consistent travel blogger? Maybe it has even prevented you from taking the leap and starting your own travel blog. Whatever the case, there are ways to stay consistent when you are blogging, even if that blog is a travel blog. And even if you are NOT traveling!
We have all been there. Trust me. There comes a time in the life of every blogger that you think you have NOTHING to write about. It’s human nature. The good news is – it simply isn’t true.
There are ways to stay consistent. Most people will tell you to make a schedule. Have a calendar. Police your time and avoid distractions. These are all great tips, and I encourage you to take note of them all. That is not what this post is about, though.
The fact is, you can’t post consistently if you have nothing to post about. Simple as that.
Today, I want to tell you how to find ideas for blog posts. These are methods that I use, and they work for me. Even when I think I have nothing to post about, I employ these methods, and voila! I find something to post about. This enables me to remain a consistent Travel Blogger, and get fresh posts onto my website with regularity.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED in learning more about what it takes to be a Travel Blogger, then have a read of THIS ARTICLE. Here, I tackle a few myths about what life truly is like for a Travel Blogger, and what you can expect when you decide to become one.
Table of Contents
Why is Consistency Important?
Before I get into it, let’s tackle the big question. Why IS consistency important?
Being a consistent Travel Blogger is very important. For two really good reasons.
First, Google.
Google loves consistency. If you post consistently, then the search engine will know that it has to come back regularly to crawl your website. If you don’t, then Google will have no idea when it should be crawling, and when it shouldn’t bother.
For example, let’s take a look at my blogging history. Now, a few years ago I started my site when I was still working Full Time in Australia. As a result, I only posted every now and then. I’m talking maybe once a month. Even THEN, it wasn’t exactly regular, and I would sometimes go a couple of months with no posts.
Google hates this.
Simply because it doesn’t have any idea when to expect new posts. My website was put on low priority, and Google only came knocking a couple times a year. As a result, I nearly gave up and almost packed the entire site up. That was until I began to post regularly.
As soon as I began to post every week, Google came by more and more. Now, Google crawls my site every other day, and new posts get indexed right away! THIS is why posting consistently is key for you to grow.
The second reason, and this is no less important, if for your readers and subscribers. They subscribe to your blog because they love your content. They want to see more. So GIVE it to them! A good blog should be sending out emails consistently, whether that be weekly, or monthly. Just make it consistent, and keep those subscribers happy!
A quick note about scheduling. Every single article you read about being a consistent travel blogger will tell you to schedule. This is fine, if you don’t actually travel, or are between trips. Here is the truth though.
You CAN’T schedule if you are traveling. In fact, I will go so far as to say that the majority of Travel Bloggers struggle to even GET to the laptop whilst on the road. This is a harsh reality, and is actually one of the main reasons that I love slow travel. I actually get time to stop and blog along the way.
Scheduling is great, and works well for mummy blogs. For a good Travel Blog, however, you have to be a little more creative with your time, especially whilst on the road!
How to be a consistent Travel Blogger
Ok, so let’s get started on how you can be a consistent Travel Blogger.
Here, I have put together my tips on how to do just that. I use all of these to great effect, and along the way I will explain how and why I use these techniques. I am certain that some of them, and hopefully all, will help you out as well.
#1 Just WRITE!
Being a consistent travel blogger is not easy, and this is the number one reason that more people don’t take the leap and create their own blog. This is totally understandable.
I was there once too.
When I first decided to start a Travel Blog, I sat down and took stock of how much material I had to put INTO a blog. I had traveled all around the world, yet in my own head I could only see a handful of articles that I could possibly write.
How wrong was I?
If you travel at all, even if only for a few weeks a year, then you can run a travel blog. There is SO MUCH MORE that you can blog about than you think. Remember this – your vacation is unique. Your views and experiences were different to anyone elses. Even if it was to a very popular destination where millions have been before you.
My number one tip for anyone that wants to be a travel blogger is this.
JUST WRITE!
So many potential bloggers get too caught up in research, doing courses, and procrastinating. And while things such as research are important, the main key to blogging is WRITING!
So just write. Sit down at your computer, and begin telling your story. People want to hear it.
#2 Make Notes
My second tip on how to become a consistent travel blogger, is also one of my favorites.
Make notes!
That’s it. Pretty simple, right?
Now, you could take this a couple of ways. Firstly, you could decide to carry a notebook everywhere you go and take notes whilst on tours. Jot down little details that you KNOW you will forget otherwise. This is very smart. The last thing you want is to be sitting at your keyboard weeks later trying to remember some intricate detail that will make or break your article.
The other option is to take the notes on your smartphone. This is what I do. I have the Google Keep application on my phone that I use nearly every day. I have SO many writing notes in there, that sometimes I lay in bed at night organizing them, adding to them, and expanding on them.
Basically, Google Keep is my best friend!
There are plenty of apps out there that you can use, depending upon your own personal preference, and what phone OS you use. Evernote is another good one. The reason I liked Google Keep though, was because I can also use it on desktop, and that is important for me.
There is one more reason I love making notes on my phone, and this one is KEY to remaining a consistent Travel Blogger.
Every time I get an idea for an article, I record it in my app. Right now, I have over a dozen ideas for articles in my Google Keep app. It is the main reason that I am now able to post consistently.
Before I began using this method, the only thing I did consistently was FORGET the potential article ideas I had come up with. Now, I never forget.
Full disclosure here – Sometimes I make notes and later, I cannot for the life of me decipher what I meant when I wrote them! This just comes with the territory, I’m afraid. On the flip side, sometimes I read the notes, and I get another idea for an article I hadn’t even thought of previously. Then, other times, I will combine a few of my ideas for one SUPER article.
All because of a simple app.
#3 Use Previous Inspiration
My next tip on how to be a consistent travel blogger, is to always tap into your previous trips and experiences.
You may have been on a trip away, and already blogged about it. You may have done a review of the hotel, and a list of the best things to do at the location. Perhaps you even did a full guide to the town or resort you visited.
But that’s not ALL that happened on your trip, was it?
Think hard about your trip, and really delve into the experience. Even on a weekend away, a good blogger could write a dozen articles if they really thought about it.
Then, go further. How long have you been traveling? How many places have you visited? Think of similar experiences you have had, and begin writing comparisons. Bali v Thailand. Fiji v Hawaii.
Go even deeper! Try writing about Indonesian food v Thai Food. Snorkeling in Fiji v Snorkeling in Hawaii. The sky is the limit really.
Did you visit the same location more than once, over a period of time? Why not write an article about how much it has changed? Or perhaps how much it has remained the same?
The point is, that even if you are not traveling, there are definitely articles that can still be written, JUST from your own personal experiences. You just have to put your mind to it.
#4 Repurpose old posts and Social Media
If you have been blogging for a while, then why not go back and look at some of your older posts? I did this recently, and ended up creating a few weeks of extra work for myself.
One key way to remain a consistent travel blogger is to repurpose these old posts. Take them, and put a new spin on them. Update them. Rework them and publish them again. They were good posts once, so why can’t they be good once again?
One of the key reasons to do this is SEO. You might have created these posts some time ago, and now you are a lot more accomplished blogger. Your SEO skills are a lot better, and the posts you are turning out now are a lot better quality.
So take these old posts that aren’t ranking, and turn them into posts that DO rank.
A couple of the posts that I recently reworked went from not figuring AT ALL in the rankings on Google, to becoming first page hits. All because of some simple added content, and better SEO.
Another idea along the same lines, is to repurpose old Social Media posts. Take a look at your Instagram and Facebook posts of your last holiday. Are there any that could be turned into a post? Maybe you forgot about those great photos you took on that daytrip with friends. Why not use them as the basis for a new guide post?
Running your eye over old posts and content can be a great way to not only fix and polish that content, but also to create new content. It’s a perfect way to remain a consistent travel blogger, especially when you are NOT traveling!
#5 Study other blogs
Studying other blogs is an age-old way of brainstorming new content.
Firstly, it is a great way to keep up to date with what is currently popular, and what your peers are blogging about. Trends tend to come and go, but we will never notice them if we don’t keep an eye on the market.
I am always reading, perusing, and googling other travel blogs. Especially when I am struggling to be a consistent Travel Blogger.
Many times, I will read an article, and it will give me an idea for an article in a totally different place, doing a totally different thing. Nothing at all to do with the post I was reading. Because reading about travel gives inspiration!
Other times, I might read a great review about something on another travel blog, and it will give me an idea for a similar review for a similar product I use, or place I have been.
For example. If you are an outdoors enthusiast, you might find a brilliant review on another blog about their favorite backpack, and how it stood up to 6 months backpacking through South America. That could give you the idea to review your favorite boots, and how they handled 3 months trekking in Nepal.
Many bloggers do not like to read other blogs. I don’t understand this at all. Reading, in general, makes us better writers. So why not read travel content? It only makes sense.
Reading other blogs also helps us to learn. Following other bloggers on social media does the same. I once got a tip from the Instagram account of a big Travel Blogger, just from a simple photo he posted in stories. That tip went on to become the cornerstone of my SEO strategy to this day!
#6 Google is your friend
My final tip on how to be a consistent travel blogger is a simple one. And that is Google.
Google is your best friend when it comes to travel blogging. Simply do some searches for places you have been. Check out reviews. See how many guides there are. Many times, you will see a gap in the articles, and realise that there is an opportunity for you to hone in on.
Google questions being asked on Google about travel. Every year, Google releases statistics about most asked questions on its platform. Study these, and search for a slight twist to create your own unique response.
Check out Google Trends. This is a big one. Here, you will find all the latest information from Google about what is popular and trending in any location across the world. Jump on a trend early, and see your readership explode!
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Summary
Being a consistent Travel Blogger is not easy. Especially when you are not traveling. There are ways to ensure you continue posting regularly though, and some of the tips provided here should help you to find the material needed to do so.
Good luck!
If you found this interesting, then please don’t forget to drop me a comment below and let me know!
Good job Jason. Taking notes can help you create content when you are home because you have due diligence to call upon for publishing content at any time. I published a high volume of travel-themed content based on international locations over the past few years even though I only did a 5 month trip to Panama. Having my travel notes and vivid memory working for me spurred me on to publish content. Smart post here.
Thank You Ryan. I am the same, and continue to look back at previous travel to source ideas.
Jason this is so important. I learned this lesson over the prior few years and kept blogging even if I did not travel abroad. Most other bloggers stopped blogging and missed opportunities for growing. Powerful point.
Ryan
Exactly. I have noticed that Ryan. Even with some of the big bloggers. The blogs just stop in early 2020, or some even earlier. Such a waste, when I am sure they still have material they could be posting.
Trave is one of my blog niches besides lifestyle, pop-culture, edutainment & beauty. But I also lost track on travel topics. I just feel demotivated to write posts on travel. Thank you for sharing your tips. I’ll try to keep on track again.
Thank you for the comment. I hope it helps you!
Good advice. Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you. I just have to keep reminding myself!
I completely understand the issue with consistency! Finding inspiration can be challenging, but this piece highlights some original strategies. Great reading!
Thanks James. Yes it can be a struggle, but there ARE ways around it.
An excellent way to encourage reading and share important information, excellent article, thank you for creating it