Your travel blog doesn’t have to stop when your travels do. Most travel bloggers aren’t traveling full time but there is plenty of relevant travel content to post in between trips. Passionate travelers are always in some stage of traveling, whether it’s couch surfing in Italy or trying to figure out where to go next.
I haven’t traveled much in much in the past three months and many of you haven’t for longer but the content for your travel blog comes from the process of traveling, not just the travels themselves.
Plans and Dreams
Whether you’re saving up for your next trip or just dreaming about another one share your plans with your readers. Many writers, especially travel bloggers, tend to focus on the tangible. Writing about your plans to South Africa is interesting but your reasons for going make the process come to life. Writing about your dreams also frees up your writing and can inspire you as well.
A Single Picture
Pictures are like words, when people see too many of them at once they begin to glance over them (are you still reading this post?) Posting a single decent travel photo from the countless ones you took on your last trip brings more attention to one aspect of your travels.
Reminisces
I’ve been traveling since I was a baby but the history of foXnoMad is only 2 1/2 years old. There are plenty of fond travel memories I have from before I began writing and you probably do too. These short stories are one of 6 ways to keep your travel blog interesting and don’t require you to go further than your own skull.
Beat Yourself Up
Write about the mistakes you made during any part of the travel process as you reminisce about the past. What shouldn’t you have done when making your arrangements or the regrets you have. It might seem negative but other travelers will learn from and relate to your experiences, keeping your travel blog going. Write the converse (should have vs. shouldn’t have) to double the number of potential posts at your disposal.
Make Up An Imaginary Trip
Make up a series of travel posts about a place that you haven’t visited as if you had. Using your imagination this way might sound silly but consider comparing these ‘imaginary’ posts to the ‘real’ ones you’ll have when you finally get to go. You are also free to try things you might not in real life like the top 10 most bizarre travel foods. Just let your readers know what real and isn’t.
Make A List
A technique that I’ve used in the past when I’ve been low on ideas or looking for inspiration is to give myself 15 minutes to write down anything that comes to mind about travel. I don’t censor myself or think too hard but let the topics roll. Do the same and you’ll have at least 20 things to write about.
It’s All About The Process
As I mentioned above, the content for your travel blog comes from the process of traveling, not just the travels themselves. There are endless thoughts, regrets, triumphs that come with planning new trips and remembering past travels that can all be turned into posts. It’s important to keep a weekly posting goal to keep your travel blog going and build a successful travel blog especially if you want to make money with your travel blog whether you’re actively traveling or not.
[photos by: re_birf, sicoactiva, rachellake]
Hi Anil, very useful tips, especially for me since I don’t plan any major vacation in 2009. But you know I am very slow with posting my older travelogs and its keeping me going for now! But soon I’ll have to use these ideas!
I think you’ve done a good job on planning and spreading your posts from past trips out and made the most out of your previous travels. I’d be interested to read an ‘imaginary’ post about a place you haven’t been…
…actually this gets me thinking. I’ll cultivate the thought and send you an email later 🙂 Some content for us both!
I want to print this post and hang it up next to my computer.
Thanks Susan, I couldn’t ask for a better compliment on a post!
Great post! We’ve travelled a bit, but still I’m in a bit of a slump for new angles.
Thanks!
Thank you – and nice to meet you!
One trick I use is to set up a calendar (Google in my case) and schedule out a list of ideas for the next two weeks. It’s easier to develop a flow and split up potentially longer posts. It’s also a great way to generate new ideas and make writing time less stressful.
Great post and ideas, it really opens up things to write when you have a travel bloggers block. I’ve saved this post. I have been trying to collect all the ways to be a better travel blogger since I am new to the Travel Blog world and constructing my new self hosted travel site. I have been writing down ideas on the format of how my writing should be what will be posted weekly of biweekly and can be posted in between some thing like short posts. Still working on it. Now I have more ideas thanks to your post.
Let me know if you have any questions and will do my best to help with the experience I’ve got. I’ve also written a number of posts on travel blogging that you might find useful as well.
Good luck!
Good post that takes us back to the basics!!! Like you, I’ve been travelling since I was young. This also means lots of pre-digital photos!!! hahaha…
What did we ever do before the digital age?? I don’t go back and look at my old pictures often enough but have such a blast when I do. I’ve been telling myself to scan a bunch of them and get them up here…but easier said than done!
These are all good ideas. I am the master of this, I’ve taken maybe a week’s worth of vacation since I started my blog- yet I’ve never once run out of things to talk about. I talk a lot about my past travels, my future travel plans and I do a lot of ruminations on the nature of travel. I totally agree when you say travel is “all about the process.”
It’s such a broad topic and there are an infinite number ways to approach it. You can get so much out of a single trip.
Great post! Most of us can’t travel nearly as much as we’d like.
One thing I do a lot is write about my own town from a traveller’s perspective. What would I recommend to people if they were to come visit San Antonio? Or other places I’ve lived? Sometimes “travel” can be just 30 minutes down the highway!
…and that’s where most people miss, right by home!
Such a helpful post, thanks!!! I think sometimes travelers forget that they can actually travel within their own city. There are always adventures around us!
Thanks Andi 🙂 The ideas are endless, I think most people just get caught up about the topic and not so much how to approach it, which is just as, if not more important.
Such is the life of a travel blogger. There must be content even when there is no “THERE” there. It’s a testament to your commitment to write about the subject you love most when you write….even when there is essentially nothing to write about….at least from the standpoint of telling where you’ve just been. Traveling is a broad subject and it needn’t be limited to only trip reports.
There is so much experience that you gain from the simple act of traveling that a newbie would appreciate learning from you no matter how elementary YOU think the subject matter may be…..to someone….that information is brand new. So don’t be afraid to share any and all aspects of your travel experience. It could be just the thing that someone needs to know as they make their own travel plans.
Well said, thanks for sharing Renee!