One of the most frequently asked questions by fans of travelling is how to do it on either a shoe string budget or to make money along the way. Following the advent of the internet, there has been an upsurge in blogging, and more so in travel blogging. Many people now take the opportunity to get paid to travel by becoming travel bloggers. If you cant write, then consider travel photography
If you think about travel blogging as a way of funding your expeditions, you need to make sure that you keep in mind a few facts on making money by this method:
Set up a good blog
Setting up the right blog is important, you need readers and traffic in order to monetise it. You get a range of free blogs, or set up a dedicated one fairly cheaply. The two most common platforms for blogging are WordPress, and blogger, however we normally recommend wordpress, because you can set it up on your own domain, and becomes your asset.
Actually spend time writing.
It is a good idea to consider this task as a real job and dedicate the necessary time so that you can earn enough for your needs. It is normally a good idea to stick to a writing theme, and make your posts useful, the more entertaining or useful your content is, the better its chances of being shared, thus increasing your readership.
Get Social
The more involved you are in social media, the higher your potential readership reach. Get involved in the different social media elements, and use every resource available, including travel photos you may have taken to make your content more appealing.
How Much Can I Earn?
The first question most people want answered is how much money they will be able to make by blogging as they travel. An experienced blogger who is at the top of their game can make a lot of money. However, these people are actually making their living by writing and an amateur would make much less. The amount of money depends on the time and effort you put into the project, and what traffic your blog gets. . The more interesting you can make your writing, the higher the chance of gaining regular followers. This, in turn, can make your earnings better.
How can Travel Blogging Make money?
In order to make the idea work it is worthwhile noting how blogs make money and what kind of ideas will be successful. Travel affiliates do really well too. Most people make money through their blog by allowing adverts to appear on their website.
Every time someone reads the blog and then clicks on an advert, you will be paid a sum of money for each click. The adverts will usually be related to the blog e.g. you may attract adverts for travel companies or airlines and this is a cheap way for them to advertise as well as being a simple way for you to make money.
Of course, if you wrote your blog posts on Steemit, and they did well, you would earn money by people voting up your content. Take a look at the Steemit Travel Category for ideas https://steemit.com/trending/travel .
Consider taking paid placements
Setting up a blog isn’t hard; the hard part is to get readers. It may be easier for you to get paid placements on established travel blogs, or holiday sites looking for good travel content. This is a more guaranteed way to earn regular income, than building a travel blog that survives on ad revenue alone.
Before you set out you could approach a business or company to see if you could blog on their behalf.
Companies that are associated with travel like camping and outdoor equipment retailers may be interested in sponsoring your trip as you will be using their equipment and promoting it in your writing.
There are also directories on the Internet where you can apply for blogging jobs and if you are lucky you may find a sponsor by searching through these posted writing jobs.
What kind of content should I write?
If you are planning to write a travel blog, you will have a head start as you will be writing about your experiences in real time which can make your script more attractive than a conventional travel book or guide.
Many people will read travel blogs as a way of finding out about the country they want to visit or purely because they want to learn about faraway places and new cultures. Find a unique theme, an interesting one if you can.
Keeping continuity is also important and you could consider leaving the reader in suspense (a cliff hanger) about an event and then updating them in the next blog. This can help to ensure they return for the next instalment.
The most successful blogs are updated regularly and once you gain readers who are enjoying your adventures they will often return so it is vital to keep up with fresh content.
What else do I need to Know?
One of the most frequently asked questions about travel blogging is about how to get online in developing countries. While it is a simple matter to access Wi-Fi in Europe, the USA and other western countries, it may be more difficult in countries that are developing.
In days gone by it was necessary to find an Internet Cafe or hotel but with the advent of smart phones it is much easier to find a Wi-Fi hot spot and update your readers from the hostel or b & b where you are staying. If you are thinking about buying or travelling with a smart phone it is important to make sure it is unlocked so that you can use it worldwide.
Make sure you set up a payment system that lets you receive and use funds internationally and online! Paypal is a good way to receive cash and to transfer it to your bank account, but make sure you allow for their transfer time.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anniemole/91639343/sizes/m/in/photostream/