How to Start a Travel Blog
Find a place to host your blog., Think of your unique angle while traveling., Think about your blog's angle when designing your page., Choose a short, memorable name., Plan when and how you can post while abroad, and let your reader know.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find a place to host your blog.
There are a number of great platforms where you can build a good looking website free of charge.
You can use Tumblr, Wordpress, LiveJournal, Weebly, and many others.
To get an idea of which one to use, visit the site and search for "Travel." You can then peer through other travel blogs hosted on the same site and see what styles you enjoy.
While almost all blogging sites offer a free version, the also offer paid packages that allow you to upload videos and music, host more pictures, and gain access to a wide variety of customization options.
If you plan on blogging after more than one trip, you will likely need professional options If you're looking to be a professional travel writer, you should consider buying your own domain name.
Having a site URL like www.myadventures.wordpress.com is fine for smaller blogs, but it looks a lot less professional than www.myadventures.com. -
Step 2: Think of your unique angle while traveling.
What makes your blog stand out amongst the thousands of other travel blogs out there? Establish a style and stick to it.
Try to pick up on a new trend or become an authoritative guide on something people really want to know about.
Think about your reasons for writing a blog
-- what do you want the world to know? Whatever makes you and your trip unique needs to be in your blog to be successful.
Is your blog just meant to keep friends and family in the loop about your travels, or do you hope to reach a wider audience? What kind of perspective do you bring to a new place or country? Are you a foodie looking to compare different recipes.
A tourist out of her element in a new culture? A photographer looking to capture something new? What can you teach people from your trip? Are you an inventive budgeter, a student of music or poetry, or a camping guru?, All blogging sites come with "Templates," which are pre-made websites that allow you to focus on the content, not coding.
That said, you need to choose a design that best showcases your talents and travels.
Remember, you can always change this later, too, if your blog changes focus.
Pictures:
If you plan on using a lot of photos, choose a layout that offers lots of pictures on the screen at once.
Many of them have a homepage or top bar with slideshows or a collage of your pictures, making them front and center for your viewers.
Often, these templates show off big, high quality photos.
Essays:
Look for a very minimal design, something that is easy to read and doesn't distract viewers from the words on the page.
Mixtures:
If you plan on posting a bit of everything, consider a simple, scrolling design.
These usually give small clips of pictures or text in chronological order, with the latest post up top, allowing your viewer to scroll through and get an idea of what each post is about., Usually, the name includes your location, but if you plan on multiple trips you should get a more general name.
Puns, plays on words, and alliteration (using the same letter twice, such as "Timmy's Travels") are generally safe bets, but choose a name that speaks to you.
Keep it short so that it is easily memorized and people know how to look you up.Try to avoid hyphens, numbers, and odd symbols or spellings whenever possible.
For ease of memory make sure your URL and name are the same. , Before you leave, check out your accommodations and determine when you'll be able to post something.
Blogging shouldn't be the end all be all of the trip.
If you're not able to post frequently or need to cut your experiences short to run to an internet cafe, you may not get the most out of your trip.
However, a bit of pre-planning can save yourself the hassle:
Know when you will have time to write, and let people know your "posting days." When out of service, write multiple posts.
You can then schedule them all when you're back in internet range.
Learning how to use your site's "Schedule Post" allows you to write many posts at once, then put them up every few days.
This is perfect if you'll be leaving service again. -
Step 3: Think about your blog's angle when designing your page.
-
Step 4: Choose a short
-
Step 5: memorable name.
-
Step 6: Plan when and how you can post while abroad
-
Step 7: and let your reader know.
Detailed Guide
There are a number of great platforms where you can build a good looking website free of charge.
You can use Tumblr, Wordpress, LiveJournal, Weebly, and many others.
To get an idea of which one to use, visit the site and search for "Travel." You can then peer through other travel blogs hosted on the same site and see what styles you enjoy.
While almost all blogging sites offer a free version, the also offer paid packages that allow you to upload videos and music, host more pictures, and gain access to a wide variety of customization options.
If you plan on blogging after more than one trip, you will likely need professional options If you're looking to be a professional travel writer, you should consider buying your own domain name.
Having a site URL like www.myadventures.wordpress.com is fine for smaller blogs, but it looks a lot less professional than www.myadventures.com.
What makes your blog stand out amongst the thousands of other travel blogs out there? Establish a style and stick to it.
Try to pick up on a new trend or become an authoritative guide on something people really want to know about.
Think about your reasons for writing a blog
-- what do you want the world to know? Whatever makes you and your trip unique needs to be in your blog to be successful.
Is your blog just meant to keep friends and family in the loop about your travels, or do you hope to reach a wider audience? What kind of perspective do you bring to a new place or country? Are you a foodie looking to compare different recipes.
A tourist out of her element in a new culture? A photographer looking to capture something new? What can you teach people from your trip? Are you an inventive budgeter, a student of music or poetry, or a camping guru?, All blogging sites come with "Templates," which are pre-made websites that allow you to focus on the content, not coding.
That said, you need to choose a design that best showcases your talents and travels.
Remember, you can always change this later, too, if your blog changes focus.
Pictures:
If you plan on using a lot of photos, choose a layout that offers lots of pictures on the screen at once.
Many of them have a homepage or top bar with slideshows or a collage of your pictures, making them front and center for your viewers.
Often, these templates show off big, high quality photos.
Essays:
Look for a very minimal design, something that is easy to read and doesn't distract viewers from the words on the page.
Mixtures:
If you plan on posting a bit of everything, consider a simple, scrolling design.
These usually give small clips of pictures or text in chronological order, with the latest post up top, allowing your viewer to scroll through and get an idea of what each post is about., Usually, the name includes your location, but if you plan on multiple trips you should get a more general name.
Puns, plays on words, and alliteration (using the same letter twice, such as "Timmy's Travels") are generally safe bets, but choose a name that speaks to you.
Keep it short so that it is easily memorized and people know how to look you up.Try to avoid hyphens, numbers, and odd symbols or spellings whenever possible.
For ease of memory make sure your URL and name are the same. , Before you leave, check out your accommodations and determine when you'll be able to post something.
Blogging shouldn't be the end all be all of the trip.
If you're not able to post frequently or need to cut your experiences short to run to an internet cafe, you may not get the most out of your trip.
However, a bit of pre-planning can save yourself the hassle:
Know when you will have time to write, and let people know your "posting days." When out of service, write multiple posts.
You can then schedule them all when you're back in internet range.
Learning how to use your site's "Schedule Post" allows you to write many posts at once, then put them up every few days.
This is perfect if you'll be leaving service again.
About the Author
Lori Harris
With a background in lifestyle and practical guides, Lori Harris brings 1 years of hands-on experience to every article. Lori believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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