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So you want to become a travel blogger, but you’re sick of wading through unsubstantial, vague and (kinda) BS advice?
Welcome, friend. Let me grab you a virtual cuppa tea.
If you don’t know me yet, my name is Christina and I’m the crazy girl behind the keyboard at Happy to Wander. This month I’m rolling out something pretty epic that I’ve been working on for a while…
Today marks the start of what I’m affectionately dubbing ‘Blogtoberfest’, a free month long series of guides on how to create and market the epic travel blog of your dreams. Throughout October, I’ll be sharing 4 in-depth articles that provide practical and transparent advice on each of the following topics:
Oct 8: How to Create Epic Content as a Travel Blogger
Oct 15: The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Promotion
Oct 22: Traffic Building Strategies to Skyrocket Users & Views
Oct 29: A Travel Blogger’s Guide to Sponsored Travel
Okay soooo I admit yes, this is really meta. I’m blogging about blogging, and I always told myself I’d never do that, but I’ve been so frustrated lately with the resources out there for travel bloggers that I felt it was ample time to step in and address a very real problem.
When you Google ‘how to start a travel blog’, you get dozens of articles that show you just how simple it is to get started. They walk you through the steps of brainstorming a name, picking a host, all that fun stuff… and then the last step usually ends with “create content and go!”
… and then you’re kind of left out there in the dust.
There is so much content out there that encourages you to follow your dreams, start a blog, quit your job, become a digital nomad, etc. etc. After all, what beats getting paid to travel? BUT on the flipside, when it comes to actual advice on how to grow your travel blog, build a following, gain a loyal readership and *gulp* approach sponsors, information tends to be really vague, disorganized or you know… secretive?
Unsurprisingly, when you’re a newbie blogger, broad instructions like “use social media”, “learn SEO” and “promote your content” don’t really mean a whole lot. The question we’re often left with is ‘how?’ which most guides conveniently gloss over. There’s still a lot of secrecy in blogging, which bugs me a lot…
Come on guys, we’re bloggers, not ninjas.
I mean, have you even watched High School Musical?! We’re all in this together.
… and with that idea is how this No BS Guide was born. This isn’t your typical ‘how to start a travel blog’ post, with vague directions like “get on social media” – no, no. This guide is gonna take things miiiiles further and bring you action items and genius tips that will help you create a blog you’re proud of. I’m not going to sugarcoat or give you crazy overnight success stories and stats… What I’m presenting is an honest collection of wisdom I’ve acquired over 2 years of being a pretty mediocre blogger, and what I’ve learned to do recently to turn that all around.
No BS. I promise!
So before we get started, make sure you’ve got a blog already set up (as I mentioned, there’s plenty of resources about this online already), and come back here to supercharge your progress.
Why listen to this doofus?
Okay, I guess this is the part where I have to awkwardly flaunt my credentials. This is especially awkward because honestly, I don’t really think I have any. I’m not a six figure blogger, I’m not a full time travelista who does this for a living, I barely make enough on this site to cover the expenses it takes and you know what? Sometimes even putting on pants in the morning is a struggle.
Chief doofus reporting for Blogtoberfest duty!
I’m not doing this because I think I’m some kind of mega genius blogger guru. I’m giving you guys this info for free because I remember when I was first starting out and how lost I felt. All the big bloggers made it look so easy, and made me believe that if I just worked hard and believed in myself, the readers would come. And eventually so would the sponsorships, then the free trips, the dream life, and before long, the ability to afford extra guac at Chipotle.
Fast forward about two years, that dream life still hadn’t arrived. What. happened?? Sure I didn’t devote as much time to my blog as I should have, but surely I was worth more than 5000 views a month? *whimper* right, mom???
I worked hard, but I didn’t work smart. I didn’t know how. And I feel like there’s so many of us who are in that same boat. If I had known what I know now when I first started, then I would be miles and miles ahead in my progress. Throughout the past two years, I must have devoted hundreds of hours (no joke) to researching blogging tactics, only to find all the important information scattered across the Internet, buried in vague blog posts across different niches. After struggling for years, I finally sat down and created a proper strategy. This happened literally a month ago. It took me two years to find my magic sauce so-to-speak, and in that month? Daily page views have pretty much doubled, I’m getting new subscribers daily (compared to a non-existent email list before) but most importantly, I finally have a blog that I’m genuinely proud of.
Look at that difference between mid-August and now!
I love this feeling. I love feeling like I’ve found my groove and that I’m actually getting somewhere. And I want you to feel the same way.
My goal by the end of this month is that you’ll all have a idea of how to take your blog to the next level, and create a successful baby (that’s what I creepily call my blog) that you’re proud of. My promise to you is that I’ll be completely honest and transparent. No BS, I pinky swear.
So next week is when we’ll dive deep first into specific guides and strategies, but for now here are 7 pieces of advice that would have saved me a lot of time and grief 2 years ago. These are the driving principles now behind this blog, and since implementing them only a month ago, I have seen a dramatic increase in engagement, traffic and all that happy stuff.
The 7 Golden Rules of Epic Blogging
Pinpoint your audience and only write awesome content that they’ll love.
There’s always talk in blogging about finding your niche and establishing yourself as an authority in one specific topic. There’s merit in that, but I think a better strategy is to identify your target audience, and cater your content to them. While this might sound like picking a niche – it’s similar, but not exactly the same.
Finding a niche was always tough for me because I have so many interests and ideas. I love to travel, but that’s not all that I am… I also love to bake epic geek-themed cakes, and create crazy gifts like a backpack made of snacks. How was I supposed to silence those integral parts of my personality?
Instead of picking a niche like ‘affordable luxury travel’ for instance, I’ve concentrated now more on picking an audience, hence why this site is slowly becoming more lifestyle-oriented.
In marketing, one tool of the trade is to create an ‘avatar’ of your ideal audience, and tailor your strategy around the needs and wants of this person. For me, I imagine my ideal reader to be a 24 year old sass-machine named Cass, who is a typical ‘lost millennial’ plagued by the woes of adulting. She loves to travel, but doesn’t see herself quitting her job and backpacking for the rest of her life. She’s a bit awkward, lazy and clumsy, but has a good sense of humour about it (and self-deprecating humour is probably her specialty). She’s pretty loud about loving food and alcohol though, and is probably more likely a fan of ‘cool girls’ like Jennifer Lawrence and Mindy Kaling rather than the Kardashians. She would prefer to travel cheaply, but is willing to splash out on awesome and luxurious experiences when the occasion arises.
If you’re identifying any bits of yourself in Cass, then I’m doing my job right. Now when I create content, I think “is this something Cass would enjoy?” which is why you’ll now find more destination spotlights and cool crafts on this site (along with brutally honest titles like The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Packing Light and Not Looking Like a Slob).
The key is this: if you want to build a big audience that loves everything you produce, you need to continuously create content that they’ll gobble up. If one day you’re talking about a hotel review in Dubai, then the next talking about 10 photos from your trip in Peru, the inconsistency is less likely to create a loyal fan. Sure, that mix of posts might appeal to someone who really loves travel generally, but you want to create content where your audience will go “ooooh – click -” for every single new post. That’s how you get the audience loyalty that creates a stable readership.
Let ‘value’ drive everything that you do.
Okay I’m gonna put on my ‘bad cop’ honesty hat for a second: people will not read your content unless it offers them something in return. That’s why blogs based solely around storytelling are much more difficult to get off the ground. I love ‘travel diary’ type blogs, but the writing and photos need to be really, really good for me to want more.
And that’s the reality. If the value you’re creating is solely “entertainment or inspiration” then success is tremendously difficult because you’re competing with not just other bloggers, but also entertainment/inspiration vessels like movies, TV, big news sites, etc. If this is the kind of value you want to provide, success is possible, but I also need to tell you that it’s a hard route to take. Think: why should people be visiting your blog rather than binging on Netflix?
Another option is providing value through tips and information. This is what many travel blogs do. The problem is, there’s thousands and thousands of blogs doing this, which means most topics have probably been covered. Creating unique value in this category is difficult. That’s why I’ve stopped writing very general and unsatisfying travel posts like “4 places to see in ___”. You’ll still see some of those on the blog (from before), which is because some people have found them useful, but I don’t like producing those anymore… Why? Because I feel like they don’t provide that much value to my readers. For the most part, you can find those recommendations in any guidebook, and there’s probably 133124135 articles about it online already. For me now, these destination-specific guides only appear on my site if they’re epic, packed with value, and more thorough than any other resource I’m able to find. Take my 99 awesome things to do in Munich post as an example.
Here’s my tip: make sure that your blog offers a type of value that no other blog can offer, whether that’s through your hilarious personality/storytelling skills, through your practical advice and tips or better yet, both. Your goal is to create value that your readers can’t get anywhere else.
Define your voice from the beginning, and make it authentic.
When I read my old blog posts, even from a few months ago, I cringe. No, more accurately, my whole body cringes. And then I want to burn it… all of it.
Hence why a lot of my old posts have been re-written or straight up deleted.
The reason for this ruthlessness is because throughout the past two years, I’ve experimented a lot with different voices and strategies. I’ve tried writing for SEO, I’ve tried being disgustingly cheery/positive, I’ve even (honestly) mimicked the tone of some of the Internet’s most famous bloggers. And it sucked. The writing was uninspired and inauthentic. While I’m my own harshest critic, reading back on those posts made me question why any brands would have wanted to work with me at the time. It was all so boring and samey.
That’s why now all my posts are injected with a fair amount of sass, honesty and most importantly, me. I’ve learned to write the way I talk, even if it’s different from how most bloggers talk, and I have honestly never been more pleased with my own content. Not to sound like a narcissistic psychopath, but now I actually smile and laugh when I read my own writing, and that’s a pretty dope feeling. Learn from my mistake: pick a voice, a voice that’s true to you, and stick with it.
Stop resenting other bloggers as competition – embrace them as a community of allies.
I’m guilty of this (as I’m sure we all are): scrolling through the deepest depths of the Blogosphere, mouths full of Häagen-Dazs, bitterly wondering how some bloggers became so popular, how they’re scoring cool deals left and right. Petty thoughts may or may not include: “ugh but her Instagram doesn’t even have a cohesive theme” or “have you seen her follower/following ratio?” Yeah, admit it, we’ve all been there.
It goes without saying that constant comparison is incredibly toxic. If you’re always comparing your milestones with others, you will never be happy because it doesn’t matter who you are, someone out there will always be doing better than you… and even when you become the very best at something, you’ll start to measure success by different means. This is why I urge you to never compare yourself to other bloggers, ever.. or worse, view them as your competition, because they’re not.
There’s over 7 billion people on this Earth. That’s a massive audience. And it’s not like there’s some law out there that says you can only follow one blog. That’s why you shouldn’t view your fellow bloggers as competitors. Do you think glazed donuts and chocolate donuts fight over who is more beloved? No, because they’re both effing delicious! So, be glazed, be chocolate, heck – even be pink icing with rainbow sprinkles. There’s an audience out there for you, no matter who you are.
… and when you work together with those other donuts bloggers, that’s when the magic really happens. More on that later this month.
Always be learning and taking notes.
Hands down, the best way to improve your blog is to open yourself up to new learning opportunities every day. Devour posts about social media and trends, read the crap out of other bloggers in your niche, and most importantly, obsessively take notes and reflect. Do you notice a certain blogger absolutely killin’ it on Pinterest or Instagram? Write down why you find their posts appealing, or think about why they’re so popular and then use this knowledge to improve your own blog. Remember, take others’ success as inspiration, not as competition.
Accept that content creation is only 20% of your work.
Many new bloggers think that their work is done after they hit that ‘Publish’ button. Unfortunately, when you’re trying to get more eyeballs on your content, promotion is genuinely 80% of what you do. It goes beyond just pushing out content on your social media channels… That’s only the start. There’s also email marketing, reaching out to strategic partners, etc. We’ll go through that during this series’ Traffic Building Week, but just know that there’s a lot more involved in blogging than just writing. Bloggers wear many hats, and must learn many skills, so be prepared for that.
Understand that your blog is an investment, and you will need to put money into it.
I avoided for the longest time putting any money into this site. Honestly. I felt like if I wasn’t making money from it yet that I couldn’t justify putting any of my own dollars into running this blog. In hindsight, that wasn’t smart at all.
If you’re serious about creating a ‘professional’ and slick-looking blog that will appeal to readers, sponsors and brands, there is no overstating the value of a good host, an attractive theme, functional plugins and more. I used to Google for hours on end trying to find ‘free solutions’ to problems that a $20 plugin could easily fix. Sometimes, you just need to bite the bullet and spend the money. There are other times when it’s a matter of necessity. Last month I started getting more traffic. But, shortly after my celebratory dance moves and gross inflation of self worth, my site started crashing. A lot. All the time. Turns out, my basic hosting plan wasn’t enough to cover the database requests coming from these new volumes of traffic. Upgrading set me back almost $200.
Just as beauty is pain, blogging is… money. But if you view it as an investment into your own success, then it makes the financial burden a lot easier to take on. Plus, there are actually a lot of websites out there where you can get things like logo design, virtual assistants, etc. for dirt cheap, like at Fiverr for instance, where a new logo will cost the same as a Starbucks latte. Click here to see all the crazy services you can get for only $5!
Own what you do with confidence and put your best foot forward.
I suffer from Shy Blogger Syndrome. One day, I was meeting my boyfriend’s family for the first time ever and his aunt told me she followed my blog. I almost projectile vomited. Isn’t it so weird that we bloggers put our lives out there on the Internet to scrutinize, yet as soon as someone from your real life mentions it, you feel super uncomfortable? I’ve never been one of those people that liked to talk about herself (lol worst blogger ever), so anytime someone asked me about my blogging, I preferred to downplay it. I’d dismiss it as just a hobby, as nothing special, never talked about it on my personal social media channels, etc. etc.
Why?!
I can’t really explain it, but part of me thought that if I downplayed how serious I wanted to take blogging, then it would make things easier if I didn’t succeed. If you feel that same way, cut it out! If you’re not a fan of yourself, why would you expect others to be? Be confident about your blog, what you do and always put your best foot forward, especially when approaching sponsors. As a blogger, your work is valuable, not just to readers, but potentially for brands too, so own it. This attitude shift works wonders. Believe me.
So what next?
Stay tuned for next week’s post all about creating epic blog content. New posts will be published every Saturday.
Let’s have some fun this month! I think I’ve already established that I’m not your typical ‘blogging guru’… (or even a guru at all). I just want this series to be fun, relatable, no-BS and most importantly, I want to inspire those discouraged souls who feel stuck in a blogging rut and don’t know where to go next. If a dummy like me can get things off the ground and score free travel and perks, so can you. Of course, let me know in the comments what you want to learn this month too.
Let’s get this Blogtoberfest party started! Post!
Watch my most popular YouTube video this week:
Soraya says
This is fantastic! Packed full of amazing information that is so helpful for every aspiring travel blogger. I agree about what you said about putting money into it. There are many great plugins that are free, but there are numerous even better plugins that does require a small investment. A small investment for a big return!
Christina Guan says
Yesss exactly! I think looking at your blog as a business rather than a hobby is a really critical mind shift that makes a HUGE difference. I mean, you’d never expect to open up an ice cream shop without spending a dime, right? Thanks for reading, Soraya <3
Culture Passport says
Such an inspiring post! Keep going with what you are doing. Loving the work! xVictoria
Christina Guan says
Thank you, Victoria! <3
Tamason Gamble says
It’s true, there are many posts out there about dropping everything to travel the world and blog about your adventure which means that there is now an impression that anyone can start a blog and get paid. I work with someone who believes if they create a blog they will automatically get ‘free’ stuff and yet trying to tell them it is not easy is difficult because they read on line how easy it is. I have had my blog for a couple of years now and whilst, like you I make some money from it, I still have a full-time job. To work as well. I think more guides like this would help to deter some of those thoughts. – they will soon realise nothing in blogging is free!!! Looking forward to the next article on social media.
Christina Guan says
Oh gosh yes. My pet peeve is when someone hears about any comped hotels or trips that I receive and their automatic response is, “huh. I should start a blog!” which I feel totally undermines the amount of work that we put in, like “anybody can just do it”. I feel ya! And yes social media will be coming in Week 3, so stay tuned!
Hannah Ison says
I’m so excited for this! I’ve been looking for something exactly like you’re doing! Thanks for putting this content out there!!
Christina Guan says
You’re so welcome, Hannah! Excited to have you join along this month 🙂
Ferna says
I loved the geniune advices you shared. Not all aspiring bloggers know all about this. We must know how does travel.blog works before jumping into getting one. Bravo to this. I admire you.
Christina Guan says
Thank you, Ferna! I hope new and aspiring bloggers will get tons of value out of this series. 🙂 Hope to have you following along!
Nadine says
This was brilliant! Thank you so much for putting this together. You are right, a lot of blogging resources skip over a lot of this key info!
I particularly struggle with ‘shy blogger syndrome’ so I’m glad I’m not alone in cringing whenever someone brings up the subject of my blog in real life! I keep thinking once I make it a success I will be able to talk about it with more confidence, but you’ve reminded me that I need to have confidence before I can make it a success!
Christina Guan says
Oh gosh that cringey feeling is the worst, so I feel ya! And thank you so much for the kind words. Hope to have you following along this month, Nadine 🙂
Marie says
A lot of good information in here! I just signed up and can’t wait to read your other posts later this month. I think I myself really need to get over the “Shy Blogger Syndrome.” I’ve only shared my blog with two people – my boyfriend and an acquaintance (while I was drunk at a party once, oops) – and then three friends somehow randomly found me on Instagram and started following me. (Not sure how – I didn’t even tell them I had a travel blog!) But I haven’t even shared it with my MOM yet… I’ve got problems!
I would love to read a little more about how to get sponsored trips, posts, etc. At what point is acceptable to start pitching (in terms of numbers, traffic, etc.)?
Again, looking forward to it!
Christina Guan says
Haha oh “Drunk Blogger Confidence” goes hand in hand with “Shy Blogger Syndrome” lol. We’ll definitely discuss the sponsorship bit in the last week, so stay tuned!
Nisha says
Wonderful post! You are right about opening yourself and brace it with confidence when talking about the blog.
To me identifying your target audience looks more difficult. We have all kinds of readers on our blog. How do we identify which one will continue or to continue with?
Christina Guan says
Thank you, Nisha!! And yes that’s definitely a tough one. I’ve noted your question and I’ll try to address it in the coming weeks!
Jaimee says
This is what I’ve been looking for for so long, I love your writing style and this is SO helpful. As for something I’d like to learn in Blogtoberfest 😉 I’m really struggling with monetizing. I have no idea where to start. I am currently with Google Adsense but they’ve temporarily suspended my account for a reason that makes no sense to me (and I’ve heard they do this a lot!) so I am looking for other ways to monetize as a blogger who averages like 2k page hits a month at most.
Thanks girl, keep doing you and we’ll keep reading! xx
Christina Guan says
Aw thank you so much, Jaimee! While I didn’t intend to touch on monetization in this series, I think it IS a super important topic and I’ll try to fit it in somewhere, or at least make a post about it in the future. I’ve noted your questions though and I’ll keep them in mind!
Caroline @ The Travelling Sloth says
Wicked! I’m relatively new to the travel blogging world (just started a couple of months ago) and have kinda been winging it with no real idea of what I’m really doing hahah. I’m looking forward to this series! Hopefully it’ll help me grow and develop more 🙂
Thanks so much for doing this series! Really love how you’re not sugar coating anything. I’ll definitely be back..
Christina Guan says
For sure! This series is perfect for newbies, and yes I pride myself on a no BS approach (clearly) haha 😉 Excited to have you following along this month!
Scarlett says
Blogtobergest! I love it. I’ll be coming back to check out your articles! Thanks for the tips 🙂
Christina Guan says
You’re so welcome, Scarlett! and thank you for indulging my lame sense of humour haha.
Sabrina Barbante says
Ok, you Are my new blogging rock star! I’ll subscribe And can’t wait for your next posts❤️
Christina Guan says
That is the best comment ever. Thank you so much, Sabrina! Excited to have you following along this month!
Lia @ Practical Wanderlust says
This is great! I’m excited to read the rest of the series. Right now I think my biggest challenge is finding a reliable traffic source. I have 1 post on pinterest that took off and is now a good 50% of my daily traffic, which terrifies me because it means that if for some reason that post stops being popular, 50% of my traffic is gone! How do I get reliable traffic through multiple channels? How do I make, say, stumbleupon work for me? And how do I get my email subscription list running? I’m barely scratching the surface of offering free stuff for email subscribers and I’m struggling to find a service that will meet my needs (and is free – maybe this is worth it to pay for? But which service??) Thank you so much for your advice 🙂
Christina Guan says
Thanks Lia!! Mmm yeah traffic is a tricky one. Luckily I’m devoting an entire post to it in two weeks! I’ve jotted down your concerns though and I’ll make sure to address them.
Allison says
Great resource! I too struggle with the idea of picking a “niche” and I think your idea about envisioning your audience is a better way to do it. I’ll be staying tuned!
Christina Guan says
Thank you, Allison!! Stoked to hear you’re getting practical value out of the series already. I look forward to having you join along this month!
Cathy Joei says
Thank you so much for this. I feel like I’ve been in emotional turmoil since starting my blog. I literally just said to my fiancé today, “I just wish I had someone to talk to with experience but no ones going to give me the time of day.” I just ended up feeling more devastated. You are the answers to my prayers!!
In terms of what I’d like to learn, I’d love to actually get your advice on how you would manage multiple accounts on social media. Often times people have both their own personal account and their business. Am I spreading myself too thin? How do I proritize the work?? How do I clarify different approaches when I’m the same person? Is this a dumb question?? Ugh struggles.
Christina Guan says
Cathy! SO happy to hear all this. I’m more excited than ever to get all this content out there. Comments like this motivate me like no other 😉 I’ve noted your concerns and I’ll be sure to address them at some point in the series!
Cathy Joei says
One more thing….I have a tendency to get obsessive about the work to the point where I don’t sleep anymore. Where do you draw the line? I know you get what you put in but I feel like I’m doing too much and it’s not showing. Would love to learn more ways on how to work smarter!!
Jeanna says
Fantastic post! I stumbled across your blog at the right time. Having just started my own travel blog, I am looking forward to the posts in the coming weeks. Thank you for such great advice!
Christina Guan says
Yay, a newbie! So excited to have you join along, Jeanna. I hope you get tons of value from me this month.
Ally at Go Seek Explore says
This is SO well done and I’m excited for your Blogtoberfest series! You have already touched on a lot of points that even a lot of “big name” bloggers rarely mention, if at all, like coming up with an avatar or having an email list. 🙂
-Ally
Christina Guan says
Thank you so much, Ally!! That makes me SO happy to hear. This series is really all about unearthing those “secrets” and to help everyone along, so it means the world that you’re recognizing that already!
Lulu says
THIS SERIES MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME.
Christina Guan says
HONESTLY LULU YOUR ENTHUSIASTIC COMMENTS ON HERE AND ON IG MAKE MY LIFE. <3
Courtney says
I’m excited to follow along & read all of your posts for Blogtoberfest! Keeping up with everything required to create, maintain, and promote a blog is exhausting sometimes. I could always use a little extra boost of inspiration & motivation. xo
Christina Guan says
Excited to have you follow along, Courtney 🙂 I agree that blogging is exhausting, but hopefully it helps to know that we’re all in this together and that you’re not struggling on your own!
Diana - MVMT Blog says
Great tips, Christina! I am like you in that I am so uncomfortable with self promotion, so I really need to break out of that and be proud to show people the hard work and progress I’ve made with my blog. Look forward to reading the rest of your posts in this series, especially the part about working with brands!
Christina Guan says
Thanks, Diana!! You have loads to be proud of, so don’t ever sell yourself short!
tapir tales says
Thank you so much for the no BS list. Somebody once described travel blogging as one big circle jerk. I think it’s not completely untrue. Everybody always seems so desperate, almost begging to click, like or comment. Most FB groups are borderline pathetic. Like everybody and they’ll like you back. Maybe everybody needs to go back to basics. Just write for the fun. You don’t need to make money and thousands of followers on Instagram won’t change your life. Just travel, blog and enjoy.
keep rocking,
tapir tales
Christina Guan says
Haha that’s definitely one way to describe it! I think that the share groups aren’t necessarily a bad thing, because I see value in using them to initially promote your content/build yourself up a little bit on different social media channels. That said, I do think that relying on other bloggers to help share your stuff isn’t a sustainable strategy, and it’s important to write for fun like you said, and for regular readers (and not just other bloggers). Thanks for your input! <3
Rebecca Huxley says
Really enjoyed this and am excited to read your posts! I am the definition of a shy blogger! I thought it was just me, everyone is always promoting themselves all over social media and I get embarrassed when people from my ‘real life’ find out I have a blog! Weird isn’t it!
Christina Guan says
Noo you’re definitely not alone hahah I genuinely freeze a bit every time someone asks me about my blog in real life. It’s super strange and I’m not used to it at all (even after so long haha)
Jillian Michelle says
This is one of the most enjoyable, informative reads I’ve had in a while. <3 I love your self-deprecating humor and playfulness! I think I have a bit of the same type of writing style (kinda happens when your boss is a Dragon), so maybe that's why I love you so much lol…but either way, I'm glad you finally found your voice! It suits you well! I read so many other bloggers who all sound the same, so it's easy to get lost in the mix. People whose personalities come out when they write or who I could picture myself having fun with in real life are the ones who I tend to remember. Good job on this article, and I'll definitely be bookmarking your blog to come back later for rest of the series and to check out some of your other adventures. <3
Christina Guan says
Jillian! That is so sweet. Thank you for making my day!!! <3 <3 <3
Gina says
All of these golden rules just made me say, “Yes! Yes! Yes! 1000 times yes!” I wish that I had known what I’m now learning. I bought a book about travel blogging and it was the best $18 I ever spent. It doesn’t cover everything like how to properly promote so I would love to know more about it! I also completely agree that we as travel bloggers should embrace ourselves as a community instead of trying to tear each other down! I had someone do that to me and it was no bueno! I totally subscribed! Can’t wait to see everything in Blogtober Fest!
Christina Guan says
Yay thanks Gina!! I’ll definitely be covering promotion strategies this month, so stay tuned!
Soumya Nambiar says
I wish I had read something like this when I started out a year back. But it was so frustrating initially when we used to get less than 20-30 views every day. But if you keep doing it with all your passion, you definitely can create a successful travel blog. Yes 20 % of your work is only content creation. I love this travel blogger community so much.
Christina Guan says
Having a great community definitely makes all the difference. Thanks for reading, Soumya!
Marissa says
I woke up this morning to this post in my inbox via Bloglovin’ and immediately clicked! It was like you were speaking directly to me (it also had me LOLing in bed) – I devour any kind of blogging advice, and often I find a couple of helpful tidbits, but there isn’t much out there that’s concrete. For instance, should bloggers hire a web developer to do a couple of things to smooth out the rough edges on blog sites, or are you just as well off using WordPress (or other) WYSIWYG blogging tools? How can a blogger successfully convert visitors into email subscribers? And more generally, how can someone consistently get eyes on their posts through social media/other means? My blog is only a couple of months old, so admittedly, I’m very new to the game and am eager to do things right from the ground up. I am so looking forward to reading all of your tips this month! THANK YOU for playing it forward to help the rest of the blog community.
Christina Guan says
Aww thank you for the kind words, Marissa! Tons of good questions! I’ve noted them down and I’ll be sure to address them at some point this month 🙂
Maggie says
Great post! I totally agree with the investment part. You get back what you put into it! I’m looking forward to reading the next series.
Christina Guan says
Excited to have you follow along, Maggie!
Natalie says
Love it! I was so lost when I started, too, and I continue to learn a little bit at a time. LOVE the whole we are not ninja thing seriously! Sometimes it feels like people are afraid of sharing the KFC secret recipe! Thanks for sharing. Question: How do you do clever titles and still do the whole SEO thing?
Christina Guan says
Hahah exactly. Sometimes it’s like “just give me your 11 herbs and spices dammit!” And ooh okay good question – I’ve noted it down and I’ll discuss it at some point this month!
Arnav @ Eat, Travel, Live and REPEAT says
Wow such a insight full post.Bang On.Eagerly waiting for the Blogtoberfest to learn something new and try with my own blog.
Christina Guan says
Thanks Arnav! Excited to have you follow along.
Jamie says
I like your note about having an authentic voice – you’ve got a great one! I read a lot of blog posts that really just get more of a passing nod from me, but look at you! You made me smile! I can’t wait to see what you offer; I’ve been blogging (well, trying to) for a couple years now and I’ve only recently been making actual progress!
Christina Guan says
Thank you, Jamie!! SO happy I could make you smile through my writing. I find I’m constantly straddling the line between clever and cringey, so good to know at least SOMEONE appreciates me haha 😉
Nicki says
This is spot on! I think you really hit home with not resenting other bloggers. Its really bad between some of the people I meet and how they resent others or their success. I wish everyone realized that there is enough to go around.
Christina Guan says
Thank you, Nicki! So glad you could relate to my advice. And yes I’ve noticed that attitude for sure… but oh well, I prefer to focus on the other supportive bloggers who celebrate each other’s successes 🙂 It’s so much nicer that way.
Allison says
What a great read Christina! I hate the ‘writing for SEO’ thing and refuse to comply lol. I’m two years in and still need to find my groove but I am closer
Christina Guan says
Thank you, Allison! Yesss writing for SEO almost always guarantees a “robot voice” where there’s no personality at all. I’m still trying to find my happy balance too though.
Erin says
Bless you for existing! I can’t wait to get started. This sounds like exactly what I’ve spent 8 months searching for!
After following the advice and instruction of others about creating a blog I have just been “left in the dust!”
I’m sooo serious about creating a website for traveling artists such as myself but feel like I’m lost in a jungle of irrelevant info.
This was like finding a mini oasis ^_^
Thank you!
Christina Guan says
Erin! Your comment warms my heart <3 So stoked to be your oasis haha. I can't wait to share more helpful content with you this month!
Papiya says
Thank you thank you thank you. I cant tell you how much i appreciate your honesty here. Beng a first time blogger and a full time struggler, i have not found anything more useful than your blog for beginners. I mean common, why the big secret of how to make your blog sell? those words like “learn SEO” “Get Social” common man why cant people tell exactly how it is to be done.
You are a rockstar. I am your fan forever now.
I blog at http://www.curiousfoots.com visit sometimes.
Christina Guan says
Ahhh Papiya your comment makes me SOO happy. Glad you found this helpful. Stay tuned for more!
Laura says
OMG! Just discovered your blog today when you popped up on Bloglovin and I am SO EXCITED about Blogtoberfest (and reading more from you generally). I have serious Shy Blogger Syndrome – I finally told my mum about my blog recently! Baby steps…
Christina Guan says
Ahh that IS a huge step! For me personally, my parents don’t know much about the Internet and stuff so even explaining what blogging means is a huge struggle haha. They vaguely know that I do Internet things… and that’s about it. 🙂 Happy you found me, and I can’t wait to share more with you this month!
Meg Cale says
That bit about “creation is only 20% of the work” couldn’t be more spot on.
Christina Guan says
Yesss so much of our work is promo, hey? Not enough bloggers realize that! We have to wear so many hats it’s crazy. Glad you agree 🙂
Stacey says
Wow. That’s what I thought when I read this post. This woman has put some serious thought, effort, and work into this and I really can’t wait until the next installment. Let’s rock this travel blogging biz! You’ve got me pumped. 🙂
Christina Guan says
Aw thank you so much Stacey! Yes I definitely did put a lot of work into this but it’s because I’m so passionate about the topic. I’m glad that shines through! I’m pumped that you’re pumped. I look forward to your comments this month!
Vlad says
I love this, it’s like you read my mind! (That panic when someone says ‘I’ve read your blog’, ugh!) I’m excited to read your future posts, I subscribed and shared this with my blogger friends 😀
Christina Guan says
Aww thank you so much for sharing this with your friends, Vlad! Excited to share more with you this month 🙂
Brendan Coen says
Hi Christina,
Thanks for caring about us newbies and writing this series. I truly just started 4 days ago and love the feedback folks are providing, might even say it is a bit addictive. I look forward to learning about your processes and taking my blog to the next level. Ciao!
Christina Guan says
Ahhh a total newbie then! Welcome to the blogging world, and to Blogtoberfest! I look forward to having you follow along 🙂
oppia says
how fantastic you are ! I just found your blog with this article and it taught me a lot !
Actually, I want to increase the traffic of my blog and as you know it’s not simple, but I will figure it out ! I am French and I am wondering if translate my blog in English could be a good idea ? I mean it could bring more people on it doesn’t it ?
Christina Guan says
Yay luckily for you, I’ll be devoting a whole week to traffic, so stay tuned! And that’s an interesting question. I’m not very familiar with how many French travel bloggers there are out there, so I’m not sure what it looks like in terms of competition. BUT that said, translating to English might not be the best move. Here’s why: even though there’s a lot more English speakers out there, there’s also a lot of English blogs. If you’re able to create a very very thorough blog that’s in French, then you could also become very successful simply due to the fact that you’re creating content catered to the French market (in which there’s less travel blog competition). Does that make sense? Since there’s a lot of French speakers who aren’t fluent in English, you writing a French blog might actually work in your favour.
The Sweet Spotter says
Great post. I especially like the distinction between your audience and your niche, which I’ve definitely struggled with due to too many interests. Looking forward to reading your series of posts on this topic!
Christina Guan says
Thanks so much! Yes that’s a distinction that I feel most bloggers don’t learn at the very beginning, so hopefully you find it helpful in practice. Stay tuned for more posts and tips!
Becky Schulze says
Thank you so much. I am just getting started, and personally, so confused. I actually wrote a post today, that was just me, my voice. I liked it, and decided that is who I wanted to be. So far, I have no followers, really, but I am taking your advice and studying. This was truly an informative post, and I look forward to reading the next ones each Saturday.
Christina Guan says
Aw Becky I’m so happy to hear you’ve already found a voice that you’re proud of and comfortable with. That’s a HUGE milestone in itself. I can’t wait to share more tips with you this month. Stay tuned for lots more!
Lisa says
This is an awesome article, I can tell I’m going to love the rest of the series! I’d love to know how you go about planning/scheduling everything. I’ve got a huge list of things I know I’m meant to do to improve my blog/social media, but when I sit down to do it I get a bit overwhelmed and don’t know where to start because I can’t seem to hash out a workable plan. Also, email lists. I keep reading more and more about how important they are…but not even my mom subscribes to me lol. Loving how refreshing your style is, and can’t wait to learn more!
Christina Guan says
Thanks for reading, Lisa! Yes scheduling and planning are sooo important. I’ll be sure to touch on that at some point, along with email lists 🙂
Laura says
This is by far the best ‘how to make a travel blog’ I have read. I’ve literally just started my blog and have since been reading so much about where to start that’s just made it trickier. Thanks to your blog series i think I’m gonna be able to get my head around it and have a good go with things. It’s going to be a big learning curve for me but I’m excited!
Daniela says
I think I found something here, and for sure I want to keep reading all through the Blogtoberfest. I felt (almost painfully) related to a lot of things you said, like the ‘keep the blog hidden from real people’ part. I read many many posts that promised wisdom, but then I had nothing… nothing concrete to drop on my own blog. Thanks for sharing this, for making others feel like they’re not the only ones! That goes straight to fill my confident bar.
I’ve already learnt that this was harder that I thought. Or I don’t know if ‘harder’, but it takes work, and you have to try many things and learn, and that’s not always easy to do.
I think reading about how to be able to be found out there will be super interesting. Read you soon!
Christina Guan says
thanks for reading, Daniela!! Hopefully this post reminded you that you’re not alone in the struggle!
Abigail says
OMG! Thank you so much for being as weird as me! Finally a blogger I can really relate to!
I’ve been searching months for a blog that would provide more than vague advice.
The biggest thing I want to learn is SEO. I dunno what the f- is going on with that.
Christina Guan says
Hahaha I love that you think I’m a weirdo and I’m glad that comes across 😉 And yeah seriously SEO is the biggest mystery to me too. I think I get the basics but at the moment I’m still kinda like “I have no idea what I’m doing”. That’s why I don’t feel comfortable writing a comprehensive SEO post yet because I can’t honestly pretend to be an authority in that turf! Maybe sometime in the future though.
Tatum Skipper says
I feel like I found you and this blog at the perfect time. Literally everything you said in this post is true. I have recently been unintentionally comparing myself to so many other bloggers out there who are indeed “killin it” and that puts a damper on me and my writing. So funny that the girl you described, Cass, seems to be me in a nut shell! You truly have found your voice and are projecting that very well. Plus, it seems like you and I would get along pretty well 🙂 Thank you for that extra boost of confidence this wonderful Wednesday morning! We should totally become friends in the blogging world, I would love to have you as an ally!
Christina Guan says
This comment makes me so happy!! Of course I’d love to be your friend. I actually came across your blog a few weeks ago and lol’d at your subscription pop up. You’re like a brilliantly unfiltered version of me. I love it.
Steph says
Really enjoying the level of detail and honesty in these posts! And the resource lists. Perfect timing for me too.
At the moment I’m stuck on theme shopping. There are bunch of plugins I definitely want to use (mainly around monetization and maps) but I haven’t yet found a theme I like which definitely supports them. Should I just purchase and pray, and be prepared to cough up for some customization further down the line?
My other struggle is nailing a really quick and efficient image workflow. Any advice on this would be amazeballs.
John says
Having discovered your blog half way through October, I can’t thank you enough for all the ideas and insights. I’m still in the early stages of evolving from telling stories about people in a fairly scattergun way to trying to be a lot more focused. Your advice on focusing on what people might want to read versus what I might think is interesting is really helping. I’m looking forward to reading all the other posts.
Christina Guan says
Aw thanks for joining in, John!! I hope you get onto the other posts soon. Let me know what you think!
Jen Godfrey says
Oh my gosh I’ve just discovered you and this ultimate guide, this is so exciting! Thank you sooo much for your hardwork and effort to put this together! I can’t wait to get started and see where this leads me 😀
Christina Guan says
Better late than never!! I look forward to hearing your feedback 😀 😀
Danielle says
Loved Blogtoberfest! 🙂 Slowly implementing a lot of the strategies (thank you thank you thank you!). Quick question for you – How do you create a mailing list that isn’t just a list of emails that receive notifications of new posts? I use sumome now, but can’t find a way to send custom emails to my subscriber list. Any tips?
Christina Guan says
Hi Danielle! Thanks so much for the kind words about Blogtoberfest 🙂 I use Mailchimp right now because it’s free up until 3000 subscribers. It’s awesome for building newsletters! You can import your .csv files from SumoMe into your Mailchimp lists as well. I highly recommend it.
Leigh Raval says
Hi Christina! I came from the The Travel Blogger Success newsletter. I have given up on travel blogging after reading how overwhelming it can be. Your post has inspired me a bit to review what I wanted to do with my blog – enough to even open up my laptop and look at your site outside of the mobile version. Thank you for finding your voice and I’m looking forward to looking at your blogs and posts. I hope you hear from me soon as a fellow blogger! <3
Christina Guan says
Hi Leigh, wow this is the best comment ever! I had no idea I was even featured in any newsletter, so that’s such nice news. I know how overwhelming it can be at the beginning, so I don’t blame you for almost giving up, but I promise you it’s a journey that’s well worth all the hard work! I hope this guide inspired you to keep at it, and do keep me posted on your blogging journey!! <3 <3
Lauren says
Oh my gosh I 100% can relate to not wanting to share my content on my personal social profiles! I created a separate Instagram account and freaked out when it somehow got connected to Facebook and everyone was trying to follow it. I don’t normally share my posts on Twitter and I don’t tell many people that I’m blogging. I’m so there with you with feeling nervous for people to see my work. I know I just need to get over it and feel confident in my work. But I love this post and I’m looking forward to reading more of your blog!!
Kristine says
That niche part really got me stuck for a long time to the point I dread thinking about target audience at all. But the way you switched things around suddenly gave me new light and I’m inspired all over again! Slowly soaking up your information in this series. Thank you so much!
Christina Guan says
Ahh this makes me so happy to hear. I hope you find your ideal audience soon! It takes a lot of work but makes a huge difference.
Owen says
Your reasons are why I have started a blog but not launched it yet, or published any posts (even though I journal about my trip). I totally agree with the point on ‘value’ and how everything is pretty much on the internet and it makes it so hard to come out with a valuable post.
Thanks for this massive series. I think I haven been on this site for over an hour, just reading and soaking up your posts. (Your bounce rate must have gone way down =p) You’re truly an inspiration!
Christina Guan says
Aw Owen you are too nice. Thank you so much! Really happy you’re getting lots of value out of this series <3
Stezypuff says
honestly loved the post so awesome to see good advice without ulterior motives.
Christina Guan says
<3 <3 Aw thank you so much!!! Really happy you enjoyed it.
Sim says
I’m currently in the process of setting up my own blog after years of delay, your posts about blogging have proven to be of tremendous useful for me. Hope to read more on this topic.
Christina Guan says
Awesome. glad this gave you the boost you needed 😉 best of luck and I hope you find the rest of my resources helpful too 🙂
Sim says
Thoroughly enjoyed all the posts written on this topic. Bookmarking them for future reference as I’m in the process of setting up my own blog.
Christina Guan says
awesome. best of luck with your blog, sim!
Jem says
Hello from your newest follower (stalker), I have just found your site in the last week and have been catching up on your posts. I love the way you write, it feels like we are having a chat over a coffee (wine). I like to think I am Cass but really I am much older and not quite as cool. Your tips are clear and actionable not vague and pretentious which is fab for noobs like myself. Thanks for being Cheif Doofus.
Christina Guan says
<3 <3 <3 I LOVE having stalkers, Jem! I'm so happy you're liking these posts. I'll be your Chief Doofus for as long as you'll have me ;) haha
Tarryn says
Hi!
I’ve just come across this blog post and for starters, I need to say thank-you for the opportunity to turn us all into ninja’s 😉 but I really felt the need to leave you a comment when I read the last paragraph explaining why you had shy blog syndrome and I don’t think I’ve related to anything or anyone more in my life, and I had never been able to describe it or put it in to words – I really very much appreciate that as I don’t feel alone, also thank-you for your honesty and for having the confidence to blog as yourself that some of us (especially me) don’t have but now feel that we have the ability to be able too.
I apologise for the long message I have a bad habit of using as many words to say something that doesn’t require a lot of words.
Loise says
Hi! I’m a new blogger, probably a 3 month old blogger. And I just saw your pin in pinterest and boom I click it and I was so drawn to this article of yours, why? I totally relate! And I really hope I’m not too late for this, saw that this post was way back 2016 but I’m sure a lot of new bloggers need this.
I totally agree that you really can’t find some blogging related post that actually make sense! they are all the same, they make it easier just like magic and that’s it, it doesn’t help.
Then I saw this article of yours, which I think, finally I found what I possibly need. Going to continue reading this Guide till the end.
I just wanted to drop a comment because I feel like I need to. lol.
Thank you for this eye opener post!