“How to start a travel blog?” This is always the question that’s being asked. Truth be told, this was my question too back then. I’ve read and watched different resources to learn as much as I can to start a travel blog. So in this blog post, I will share with step-by-step guide on how to start a travel blog.
If you’ve got a love for exploring new destinations, a knack for storytelling, and an eagerness to share your experiences with the world, starting a travel blog might just be your ideal adventure.
Not only can you document your journeys and connect with fellow wanderers, but you can also monetize your blog through affiliate placements, transforming your passion into a profitable endeavor.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take you through the step-by-step process of creating a travel blog that not only inspires but also generates income through affiliate marketing.
Just follow along with me and start our travelogue journey together!
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you purchased using any of our links, we may receive a small commission. Don’t worry, this will not cost you a dime. This will help to grow our blog.
Step 1: Define Your Niche and Audience
Before diving into the world of travel blogging, it’s crucial to identify your niche. I had a lot of ideas on what niche my blog would be and I’ve started those blogs but it didn’t last for long because I wasn’t passionate about it.
- Step 1: Follow your passion!
Many bloggers online – Youtube especially – says you should follow where the money is. But that’s not going to work in a the long run.
So choose what you’re passionate about, think about what get’s your engine running and excited about to share to everyone. In this case, obviously, traveling is your passion.
- Step 2: Narrow it down even more…
So do consider what type of travel you’re most interested about—whether it’s budget travel, luxury getaways, solo adventures, or family trips.
Step 2: Choose a Domain Name and Hosting Provider
Select a memorable and relevant domain name that reflects your blog’s niche. Purchase a hosting plan from a reliable provider like Bluehost, or HostGator. Ensure your hosting plan is compatible with WordPress, the most popular blogging platform.
- Step 1: Select your travel blog name
Come up with a witty name or keyword name related to travel. You even can check out this name generators to kickstart your brainstorming. Also make sure that they’re available on the different social media platforms such as Instragram, Facebook, TikTok and many others.
- Step 2: Select your hosting site
Below are the popular hosting sites, which will be the main foundation of your blog:
Step 3: Set Up Your Travel Blog
Next step is to install WordPress on your hosting platform and choose a theme that suits your blog’s style. There are many themes to choose from to customize your blog’s appearance and functionality. Create something that represents you and your niche that will make it unique and appealing to your audience.
Don’t forget to optimize your site for mobile devices. This is very crucial!
Recommendation:
- Elementor Plugin – Which you can download from the plugin store in WordPress. You can easily design your website with quick drag and drop features. Super easy for beginners and you can build your travel blog very quickly!
Step 4: Create High-Quality Content
Content is king in the blogging world. Start creating valuable, informative, and engaging content related to your travel niche. Share your personal experiences, travel tips, and destination guides. Use high-quality images and write compelling, SEO-friendly articles to attract readers.
Ensure you put in SEO-friendly blog titles that will gain a high click-through rate. For instance, ‘How to spend ‘x’ days in Bali’ or ‘5 Exciting Sightseeing and Activities in Bali‘. Listicles are always good to get people curious about what were you talking about.
Here is a tool to ensure that your keyword is on point:
Free Keyword Search Tool:
- Google Keyword Tool
- Ahrefs Free Keyword Tool
PAID with Free Account/Trial:
- Semrush – This is an all-in-one tool to improve your blog. You can do Keyword Research to bring traffic to your site by finding the best keywords, SEO, Competitor analysis, and many more.
- Yoast (SEO) – This is a very friendly SEO tool plugin that you can install to ensure that you’ve put in the relevant SEO work that helps you rank in Google search.
Step 5: Join Affiliate Programs
Research and join affiliate marketing programs relevant to your niche. Popular travel affiliate programs include Amazon Associates, Booking.com, and Klook. These programs allow you to earn commissions by promoting products and services like hotels, flights, travel gear, and more.
Here are some of the popular travel affiliate programs:
- Amazon Associates- For your travel gear and clothes that you would like to recommend to your readers
- Shopee – A very popular online market platform in Southeast Asia for affordable travel gear and clothes
- Klook – A well-known online platform where you can recommend travel activities, and transportation to many destinations around the world
- Booking.com – Hotels, Flights, car rentals, attractions and many more recommendations
Step 6: Disclose Affiliate Relationships
To maintain trust with your audience and comply with legal regulations, always disclose your affiliate relationships in a transparent and honest manner. Include a clear affiliate disclaimer on your blog. It’s very important to be transparent to your audience and gain their trust and loyalty.
Step 7: Incorporate Affiliate Links Thoughtfully
Integrate affiliate links naturally within your content. Recommend products or services that genuinely align with your readers’ interests and needs. Avoid overloading your posts with affiliate placements; focus on providing value first.
Step 8: Promote Your Blog
Share your blog posts on social media, engage with your audience, and network with other bloggers and travel communities. Consistent promotion will help grow your readership and, consequently, your affiliate earnings.
Here are popular social media platforms to promote your blog:
- Pinterest – This is a very well-known Search Engine website, most especially, with many bloggers. Create a pin relating to your blog post, embed the link and ensure that the title is SEO-friendly
- Tailwind – This comes in together with Pinterest if you want to take your game to the next level. You can schedule your pins and get analytics as well
- Facebook Fan Page – Create a Facebook Fan page and share your blog post on there to get more reach with your audience
- Instagram – Of course, Instagram is a popular platform. Match with your beautiful travel shots, catching descriptions and Call to action to go to your blog link on your IG bio
Step 9: Track and Optimize
Use analytics tools to monitor the performance of your affiliate placements. Identify which products or services resonate most with your audience and optimize your strategy accordingly. Continuously update and refresh your content.
Bottomline
Starting a travel blog with affiliate placements is an exciting journey that combines your love for travel with the potential for earning income. By defining your niche, creating valuable content, and thoughtfully incorporating affiliate links, you can turn your passion into a thriving online business.
Remember, success takes time and dedication.
So stay persistent and as they say, significant growth will be more prominent in 6 months down the road. This could differ for different bloggers. So just keep learning, be patient, and, most importantly, enjoy every moment of your blogging adventure. Happy travels and happy blogging!
Go out and explore!
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED ON...
“How to Spend ‘x’ Days in or What Are The Things To Do in” you can check out our growing list of countries where we share on our day to day activities. Check out the links below for our Blog and Youtube curation!