How to Start a Travel Blog: a Step by Step Guide

This guide will walk you through the process of kickstarting a travel blog in five easy steps so you can get started with creating engaging content for your new travel blog right away.

Step 1: Choose the platform

Before you start blogging you’ll need to choose a platform to host your blog. While there are heaps of platforms to choose from it’s crucial to pick one that aligns with your needs, is user friendly and offers the necessary tools for building and maintaining your blog as you go.

Why opt for Travel Diaries?

An excellent option for aspiring travel bloggers is Travel Diaries. It makes turning a regular travel journal into a blog absolutely seamless. Tailored with features that cater to the demands of documenting and sharing travel experiences, this platform was designed specifically with travelers like you in mind.

Some of the things I like most about it are:

• How easy it is to document your travel experiences by adding photos and maps
• You can share your Travel Diaries as blog posts
• It helps connect you with a community of travelers which is great for inspiration and motivation
• You can share some chapters whilst keeping others private
• There’s an option to turn your travel diary into a beautiful printed book
• It’s easy to work on your diary on any device and you can switch between iOS and android
• Everything is stored safely in the cloud so you don’t have to worry about losing precious memories

If you are a newbie in the world of blogging, you’ll love how easy Travel Diaries makes it to create something beautiful and memorable. There are more common options like Wordpress and Tumblr you can try, however both these platforms take some getting used to. There’s definitely a learning curve with these older sites and the navigation just isn’t as user friendly in experience.

^{Photo: Alex Jumper/Unsplash}

Step 2: Opt for a title for your travel blog

You’ll want to pick a captivating name for your new travel blog. It’s the first thing visitors will encounter and it should reflect your interests, personality and the type of content you plan to share.

Choosing a name isn’t always easy, so here’s some tips to help you find the perfect fit:

1. Keep it short and snappy so people remember it. Short names are easier to remember.

2. Stay aligned with your niche and incorporate words that relate to the focus of your travels like, luxury, adventure or budget travel for example.

3. Make sure the name is available and not already in use on social media or as a domain name.

4. Don’t use numbers or hyphens or any strange characters in your blog name, they are challenging to type and difficult to remember.

^{Photo: Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash}

Step 3: Choosing exciting topics for your travel blog

When it comes to creating engaging content for your travel blog, focus on sharing experiences, advice and stories with your readers. Here are some ideas to get you started;

1. Destination guides. Provide insights into the places you've visited. Include your personal recommendations on must see attractions, hidden gems and local secrets.

2. Travel plans. Create itineraries for types of trips like road journeys, extended adventures and short escapes.

3. Personal anecdotes. People love to hear personal stories so share something captivating from your travels, highlighting special encounters and memorable moments.

4. Travel advice. Offer tips on planning, budgeting, organizing trips and engaging with different cultures.

5. Culinary delights. Share your culinary adventures by discussing dishes, street food finds and restaurant recommendations.

Here’s a few more ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

1. Share your thoughts on places you've stayed at from hotels to budget friendly hostels and unique Airbnb accommodations.

2. Discuss the different aspects of the places you've experienced, such as festivals, customs and traditions.

3. Capture moments of adventure through photos and videos during activities like trekking, scuba diving or skiing.

Keeping things fresh for your readers is important. Nobody wants to read the same thing over and over again, so here are a few prompts to spark your creative mind into action:

• Share a story of navigating your way after getting lost in a city
• Write about the most surprising discovery you made while traveling
• Narrate an encounter with a resident and how it influenced your journey
• Reflect on a trip that changed your perspective on life
• Outline the itinerary for a day of travel

^{Photo: Andrew Neel/Unsplash}

Step 4: Opt for an attractive design for your travel blog

The way your blog looks is so important  if you want to keep your readers engaged and coming back for more. You’ll want to create a page that’s visually enticing, easy to navigate, and make your audience feel like they are getting some high-value content. 

Thankfully, you don’t need a design degree to make your pages look and feel great, especially with apps like Travel Diaries which take the pain out of trying to design it all for yourself. Having a platform which takes care of the layout makes a huge difference, especially when you are just starting out with a travel blog. You can concentrate on the quality of the images and written content rather than arranging everything on the page for hours, or fiddling with complicated back-end web pages.

Consider the tips below before you start adding in your content, they’ll help you create something that captures your personal tastes and traveling style.

1. Less is more: Simplicity is better than fussy designs that are hard to read and navigate. Choose a platform that gives you a few layout options to help you highlight your content in a way that feels streamlined and easy to enjoy.

2. Make it easy to use on different devices: So many of us read web pages from our phones these days so your blog has to be user friendly on all devices. If you’ve chosen a more complicated platform to host your blog, it’s a good idea to test your design on desktop, tablet, and mobile screens to make sure everything is in the right place on all devices.

3. Add a personal touch: Don’t be afraid to add your own unique flavor and flair to your layout. If you love bold colors then add photos and imagery that are bursting with vibrancy. If you are a lover of all things monochrome then simply choose strong black and white photographs and images to go alongside your written content.

You can take a lot of the stress out of designing your site by using journaling apps like Travel Diaries. I love the ease of having a range of layouts to choose from that have already been carefully designed, making it much simpler to create something that reflects who you really are, your personal style and what you want to express with your blogging.

^{Photo: Brooke Lark/Unsplash}

Step 5: Incorporate captivating images

For anyone starting a new travel blog, images are an absolute must. You might be the greatest writer but it’s hard to keep people on the page when all they see is a wall of text in front of them. Photos and illustrations can breathe life into your stories and they help people to picture the place you are describing. But, you don’t want to add random photos without putting careful thought into it. Before you drop your latest shots into place in your blog layout, consider the following tips:

1. Opt for high quality photos that will look good on all devices. .

2. Choose images that help tell the visual story of your travels and complement the written element of your blog.

3. Consider the topics you want to write about and choose images that make sense and align nicely with the themes of your writing.

^{Photo: Jakob Owens/Unsplash}

Ways to maintain and grow a successful travel blog

So many people start a new travel blog with so much enthusiasm, only to stop the creative journey after a few weeks. It’s something you need to keep working on and refining as you go along. I think the following tips are some of the most important to consider if you want to have a successful travel blog that stands the test of time.

Engage with your audience

Building a loyal readership involves more than just posting any old content. Interact with your audience by commenting, asking for suggestions, and encouraging them to share their travel experiences. People love to feel like they are part of a community and you can create a sense of belonging on your blog, which will lead to repeat visits and connections with like-minded travelers.

^{Photo: Brooke Cagle/Unsplash}

Maintain consistency

Consistency is key to growing and maintaining your blog and you have to keep at it, even when you don’t feel the flashes of inspiration you think you need to create content. Make a realistic posting schedule that you know you can stick to come rain or shine. And stick to it. Being consistent will help build a sense of trust with your readership and they’ll know when to check your page for exciting updates and adventures.

Utilize social media

We live in an age where everything happens on social media so make the most of platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest to promote your blog. You can share snippets of your blog, travel experiences, quick candid snapshots of new destinations, and gorgeous pics of exotic cuisine. Include the link to your blog so that people have somewhere to go after you’ve enticed them with your posts and captions.

Engage with other bloggers

Collaboration is a great way to expand your reach and connect with other travel enthusiasts who are doing what you’re doing. A simple search on social media or on the web will throw up lots of opportunities like blogging challenges, guest posting to other blogs, organizing promotions, or even meeting up with other bloggers in wild places to document your experiences together.

One of my favorite things about the Travel Diaries app is that you have access to a community of other travellers and can read and engage with other journals. It’s wonderful for building a sense of shared adventure and a great way to get inspiration for places to visit and activities in new destinations. You can be a really active part of the community and get featured on the Travel Diaries site which can help spread the reach of your blog further.

^{Photo: Brooke Cagle/Unsplash}

Enhance search engine visibility

Boosting your blogs visibility in search results means you need to get comfortable, or at least familiar with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Ensure that your content, titles and meta descriptions include keywords like "tips for starting a travel blog" and "how to run a travel blog." You can also help boost your SEO by including internal and external links to other pages in your blogs. 

Continuous learning and growth

Blogging is a learning journey that can help you grow in so many ways. Even though your first post isn’t likely to be seen by thousands of people, don’t be discouraged. Keeping yourself  updated on the latest social media strategies, SEO techniques, and blogging trends will help keep things fresh in your mind as you build your blog. Always be on the lookout for ways to make your site look and feel even more incredible than it did before.

Enjoy the process!

Travel blogging is supposed to be an enjoyable experience that enriches your travels and creates value for your readers. It’s your passion and enthusiasm for travel, writing, and photography that will shine through and keep people’s eyes on the page. All you need to do is focus on the things that have inspired you on your trips. Share them as honestly and authentically as you can and you’ll grow a dedicated readership that feels connected to you. Take your time, enjoy the process, and happy blogging!

^{Photo: averie woodard/Unsplash}