How to Make Money As A Travel Blogger

How to Make Money As A Travel Blogger

Do you want to know how to make money as a travel blogger ?

Some people dream about traveling the world and turning their love for travel into something more. Are you one of these people? I am, which is why I created this blog and I want to help you do the same. 

I remember reading about travel bloggers and thinking- WOW I WISH THAT WAS ME. Ans after a lot of research and hard work… I have been fortunate enough to now earn from my blog.

Blogging has allowed me to share my passion for travel and earn money while helping others. 

Maybe you want to start blogging for fun or maybe you want to generate some passive income by writing about your adventures. 

Either way, today, you will learn how to start a travel blog and get paid for it.

The Best Blogging Platforms to Use

Before we get started learning how to make money as a travel blogger, let’s get our foundation strong.

Let’s talk about blogging platforms. I will be mentioning WordPress specifically because this is the platform I use. 

I won’t be commenting on other platforms as I haven’t used them before and I am more than happy with WordPress. It’s a trusted website and easy to use.

If you want to start a money-making travel blog without breaking the bank, I’ve got a little surprise for you.

 For just a few dollars a month, you can start a blog for cheap -we’re talking $3.95p/m for 36 months cheap. Not only have I included discounted pricing from Bluehost but you’ll also get a free blog domain through my link. 

You know what they say, the early bird catches the worm -I’m not sure how long their discount lasts or when it will end, so if you want this deal, act quickly.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate for Bluehost, and will receive a commission if you sign up through my referral link. This is at no additional cost to you, and you will get great pricing and a free domain name through my link.

How To Start A Travel Blog in 8 Steps:

So, you want to know how to make money as a travel blogger?

Well, that’s great. The first thing you have to do is push away all that negative chatter. I know the first thing on the list is to choose a name but we’re troubleshooting here. 

A lot of people will tell you not to or that you won’t be able to make money but I say, away with the naysayers!

 Now that we’ve got that step covered, here are the 8 steps to start your travel blog:

  1. Choose a name
  2. Set up hosting with Bluehost
  3. Build your blog on WordPress for FREE
  4. Pick a theme
  5. Design a logo 
  6. Install essential plugins
  7. Learn how to get paid
  8. Start driving traffic to your site

Cost

Hosting :                                                 $3.95p/m (for 36 months)

Domain name:                                       FREE with Bluehost

WordPress and theme:                       FREE

———————————————————————-

Total cost:                                            $3.95 per month

1.  Choose A Name For Your Blog

The first step in this simple 8 step guide how to make money as a travel blogger is choosing a name for your blog. Easier said than done, I know. 

Especially when you have so many ideas and you’re not sure which to choose.

Tip: I recommend taking some time to brainstorm or ask the people: open a poll or pose a question to the people of the internet and see what they come back with. 

Whatever works for you. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re choosing a name for your blog.

Keep It Relevant

If you’re starting a travel blog, try picking a name that has some relation to traveling -this is so people associate your blog with that.

Keep It Classy

Imagine this, your blog makes it big and you’ve been invited to a few press trips and conferences. The announcer calls you on stage, “Let’s welcome [insert your name] owner of successful travel blog, ‘F**k Borders’.” 

That will put people off and it doesn’t paint you in a great light either. So, keep it neutral, relevant and above all, keep it classy.

Don’t Limit Yourself

Your blog and it’s contents will change and evolve as you grow. 

You never know what the future may hold. Maybe you want to write about your travel adventures but later on want to move to budget traveling. 

Don’t make the mistake of picking a name that will limit your blog’s potential with a name. 

Keep It Short And Easy To Remember

You want to stand out and be memorable but you’ve also got to keep it short and uncomplicated. 

If you have to spell it out and it’s too long or difficult to catch? People will find it too complicated. 

Rule of thumb -keep it to a maximum of 4-5 words and minimize hyphens (keep them out if you can).

Once you’ve found the perfect name for your travel blog, make sure the .com domain is available. You can check if your domain name is available here. 

It may seem like a small thing but people are used to seeing a .com link, so make it easier for people to find your wonderful travel blog by ensuring you secure a .com domain.

2.  Set Up Hosting With Bluehost

What is hosting, you ask? When you have a website, it needs a place on the internet -like a house. 

Before you build a house, you’ll need land to build it on -hosting is just that. It is the plot of land for your website. 

You are the sole owner and because you paid for it -no can kick you out of it. Hosting also lets you make money through your website with advertisements and a bunch of other ways I will talk about later.

If you how to make money as a travel blogger, Bluehost are your best option for a hosting provider. Let’s back that up with some facts:

  1. Affordable Pricing

Bluehost has plans that are inexpensive and affordable. Couple that with my my special link, you can start a travel blog for as low as $3.95 per month.

  1. You Get A FREE Domain

With Bluehost, you receive a free domain when you sign up using my special link. Not all web hosting providers offer free domains and right off the bat you’re saving $15. #Ifitsfreeitsforme

  1. You’ll Have 24/7 Support

There’s a learning curve whenever you’re starting out with anything and the smallest problem can throw you off which is why I was so stoked when I learned that Bluehost offers 24/7 live support via their online chat.

  1. Automatic WordPress Installation

WordPress is a website builder -it’s reputable, one of the most popular and the top website builders on the web and it’s completely free.

It’s always a great idea to start out your travel blog by minimizing stress and avoid any confusion with tech or IT-related matters. 

When you opt for Bluehost, you don’t have to do a thing -WordPress is automatically installed after you sign in.

If you’re just starting out, then I suggest going for the $3.95 per month deal. It’s still early on in your journey and can always choose to upgrade later on when you start generating money from your blog.

So head on over to Bluehost’s homepage:

Hit that green button that says “get started” and you’ll be redirected to a page outlining their different hosting plans:

Since you are just starting, I recommend the cheapest plan, for $3.95 per month.

You can always upgrade later on when you start making money on your blog.

Press select on the basic plan and you’ll be sent to the following page where we will set up your domain.

How to get paid for blogging on WordPress

Here is where you input your blog name. Keep it simple and professional. Make sure you check for spelling errors!

Note- Sometimes the name has been taken, so the domain name won’t be available.

Don’t worry, pick a variation of your domain name. For example, ‘Women Traveling Beyond‘ was taken so I used ‘Women Wandering Beyond.’

The next step is to fill in your account information:

Now it’s time to pick your package. Here’s what I always choose when I’m starting a new blog:

You save the most money when you choose the 36-month plan and you don’t have to worry about paying for hosting for the next three years.

I recommend starting with the 36-month plan. The reason for this is, it works out to be $3.95 per month instead of $5.95 a month for the 12-month plan.

Also, when you starting your journey on how to make money as a travel blogger, success won’t come overnight, you need to be committed and aim to succeed from the beginning.

A positive mindset is everything.

So, if you know your site blog till be running in 3 years, you’re giving yourself a realistic time frame to succeed. Life is difficult enough as it is without putting unnecessary pressure on yourself.

NOTE- Untick everything else except Domain privacy, Code Guard Basic and Sitelock Essential Security as they protect spammers from getting your contact information, back up your site so you don’t lose everything and protect you from malware. I think it is worth the money.

Finally, fill in your payment information and you are ready to move on to the next stage.

Voila! You’ve now set up your hosting and domain name! You champ!

3. Build Your Blog On WordPress

Now that you’ve set up hosting with Bluehost, the next thing you have to do is install WordPress. If you purchased your hosting with Bluehost, they will automatically link it to your WordPress.

You will be asked to choose your password for WordPress.

The next thing you’ll need to do is choose a theme. Have a look around the web and see what themes other bloggers are using and how user-friendly they are if you’re not sure where to start.

The Theme Detector is a great tool to figure out which themes bloggers are using.

Bluehost will then direct you to the backend of your WordPress website and you’ll see a button that will prompt you to start building your blog. 

After that, you will be asked to choose if your site is for business or personal use -if you’re planning on starting a money-making blog, then click on business.

And voila, you are now the proud owner of a blog but how do you log into it?

It’s easy peasy lemon squeezy: head on over to http://yourdomainname.com/wp-admin and you will see this screen to log in.

4. Pick A Theme

The theme of your blog can be changed numerous times and any time you please.

If you want to focus how to make money as a travel blogger and not faff about with themes, then I suggest sticking with a free theme and upgrading to a paid one or user-friendly one later on.

If you want to purchase themes right off the bat, I’ve noticed bloggers use and recommend the user-friendliness of themes like DIVI, Astra, or Genesis Pro.

There are also cool ones on Elegant Themes. I bought my first theme there, cost me USD50, lasted me 3 years! 

Once you’ve purchased a theme, your next step is to install it on your website. Themes usually come with an installation guide that walks you through set up.

Creating your blog and customizing it will take a lot of time, so don’t get too frustrated if it’s taking longer than you expected. 

If you have a budget and you’re not concerned with this step then alternatively, you could hire a freelancer on Fiverr,  or Upwork for a cheap price. (Like less than USD50 kind of cheap)

5.  Design A Logo

When I first started blogging, people told me logos were an integral part of a brands image and having your own logo will help you stand out and it’s something the reader will remember -think Apple, McDonalds, BMW. 

I am here to be a bit controversial and tell you this is all codswallop, especially for a new blogger. 

A good logo is nice to have, but not essential for your success.

My logo was created for FREE and some months I make over 4-figures (USD) from my blogs but no one has ever told me that they won’t buy anything I recommend because of my logo!

SO, bottom line don’t stress yourself out about your logo. 

There are three ways you can create your logo easily:

With Canva you can create free logos. For more convenience, you can also choose premade logo designs and use them free of charge.

Even if you have a $5 budget, you can hire someone to create a logo for you. Websites like Fiverr are great for that because it saves you time and it’s one less thing on your plate.

Watch this video by WordPress if you want to learn how to install your logo on your blog.

6.  Install Essential Plugins

A large part of learning how to make money as a travel blogger is utilising tools that will help your travel blog and make your life easier.

You can improve the functionality of your blog, have access to free features that will enhance the look for your website, and protect it by installing some WordPress plugins.

To start, go to Plugins > Add New and search for these terms:

  • Akismet

This plugin is a spam protection plugin. It catches and automatically deletes spam comments.

  • Comments Not Replied To

This plugin shows you the comments you haven’t replied to yet. Engagement is important -it’s crucial that you respond to your readers since they’ve taken the time to read through and comment on your blog. 

  • Contact Form 7

This one will allow you to add a contact form so people can get in touch with you.

  • Ultimate Social Media Icon

The ultimate social media icon plugin lets you connect all your social media profiles to your site.

  • Yoast SEO

Don’t question me on this one. Just install it because it’s extremely important. Yoast SEO is a must-have plugin. Why, you ask? It helps improve your rankings on Google (SEO).

7.  How to Make Money As A Travel Blogger

Now that you’ve got your travel blog all set up, let’s talk about money. How much money can you make blogging and how exactly do bloggers get paid?

You can make anywhere from $0 to over $100,000 per month blogging. 

Don’t believe me? 

Google ‘blogging income reports’ and you’ll see it’s more than possible to earn decent money blogging. 

But how do bloggers get paid? There are plenty of ways but I’m going to walk you through 5 of the easiest and quickest ones:

  • Display Advertising
  • Blog sponsorships
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Digital courses
  • Writing

Display Advertising 

Every time someone views a page on your blog or clicks on an ad on your blog, you can get paid. 

All you have to do is sign up, get approved, and that’s it. Watch the money roll in as your blog continues to grow. You don’t even have to worry about the ads, the company will place the ads for you. 

Note: A lot of advertising networks have a minimum number of page views per month they require before you’re accepted. 

Here is a list of advertising networks you can sign up to for FREE:

No minimum page views:

Minimum pageviews:

This is the first thing you need to learn if you want to know how to get paid for blogging about your travels is how many page views you have per month 

An easy and FREE way to know what the number of your page views are is through Google Analytics

All you have to do is sign up and link it to your blog, and presto; you’ll see how many page views you have, which source, from where and when.

Sponsorships

Another way to generate income through your travel blog is sponsorships. 

This is when you write a review or advertise a product for a price. 

Tip: You may be tempted to take on any sponsorships that come your way but don’t promote things you don’t believe. For one, you’re underselling yourself and most importantly, your readers won’t trust you. 

Trust is the basis of the foundation that will keep your readers coming back for truthful and meaningful content. Without this, you’ll find them wandering off elsewhere. 

If you’re thinking of looking for sponsorships, here is a list of networks that offer sponsored posts:

Something to keep in mind with sponsored posts is just like display advertising, most will have a minimum traffic requirement.

 So, the best thing you can do is focus on getting significant traffic to your site before you apply. If you don’t meet the traffic requirements and you apply for these sites, you will get rejected -this will make it hard for you to apply again. 

So, sit tight and wait for your numbers to rise. Something you can do to speed up your progress is to learn from the best. 

I bought a course on how to make money with sponsored posts and it was an amazing investment. 

The course Making Sense of Sponsored Posts  is taught by Michelle and Alexis, who have earned over $7,000 from sponsored posts. 

You will learn where to find sponsored posts, how much to charge, tips to set yourself apart from the competition and how to negotiate a higher rate. 

And you even get a FREE Media Kit.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is when you promote a product or service and get paid a commission if someone buys something through your link.

This is through no cost of your own. The buyer pays the same amount for the product as they would through any other link but you get paid for the commission by the seller.

Here is a list of affiliate marketing programs for beginners:

Want to master the art of affiliate marketing? 

Michelle has made over $100,000 per month with affiliate marketing and guess what? She has a course that teaches you how to make money through affiliate marketing. 

I can highly recommend this course since I’ve taken it myself. Before I took the course, I was making nada, zero, I mean zilch with affiliate marketing on my blog. 

But after? I was making up to $300 within 3 months of taking the course. 

Digital Products

Another great way to make money through your travel blog is by selling digital courses. 

For instance, I mentioned a few courses that I had paid for. They’re digital products that those bloggers created and are selling as e-course. 

I think this is a great way to make money because it’s a win-win. They get to earn money by sharing their expertise and knowledge. 

And me? I learned something valuable that I can utilise to earn more and all from the comfort of my home.

Freelance Writing

How does writing make you money?

Well, if you think about it, your blog is essentially like a portfolio of your writing. 

A potential client could stumble across your content and like it so much that they hire you for a writing gig. 

This is why it’s imperative you show who you are and showcase that dazzling personality on your blog -but remember to keep it classy. 

Take it from me, I’ve gotten heaps of job offers from my blog and you can too.

8.  Start Driving Traffic To Your Site

And the final step on our ‘how to start a travel blog’ guide is all about traffic. 

I touched on traffic when we covered making money through your travel blog but if you want to get paid for blogging, then pay close attention to this section because it is the most important step in this guide.

 Website traffic is key to your success and the MOST IMPORTANT thing you need to focus on right now.

If you want to make money through blogging, you’re going to need to have a decent amount of traffic and pageviews on your blog.

Looking for a way to drive visitors to your blog and increase traffic? Here are some helpful tips to get you started:

  • Write 1 blog post a week (this is the minimum requirement)
  • Share that content across ALL of your social media channels
  • Become a pro at Pinterest
  • Master the art of Search Engine Optimisation ‘SEO’

Write 1 Blog Post A Week

Quality posts are important but you know what else is just as important? Consistency; consistency is key if you want to gain traffic. 

The internet is fast paced, you have to keep posting content to stay on top. Carve out the time to create content once a week.

Or batch your time and write them all in one go, and then schedule them out once a week.

Share Your Content 

You also have to maximize reach -you can do this by sharing your post across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and any other social media platforms you have. 

It’s free advertising, why not make full use of it? 

Pinterest

The power of Pinterest is simply mind blowing. You can get so much out of this platform if you master it. 

In the beginning I ignored the recommendations but learn from my mistakes and take it from me, Pinterest is a powerful tool.

When I started working out how Pinterest worked, my website traffic and pageviews skyrocketed. It’s a great way to divert traffic to your blog and it’s absolutely FREE.

If you want to succeed on Pinterest, save yourself some time and have a look at this book by Carly called Pinteresting Strategies

Carly gets at least 300,000 page views on her blog through the power of Pinterest. I’ve tried my hand at expensive and cheap Pinterest courses and let me tell you, her book is one of the cheapest and most valuable one you can purchase. 

Search Engine Optimisation ‘SEO’

What’s a great and FREE way to increase website traffic and rank high on Google? 

Three words.  Search Engine Optimisation or SEO. 

SEO takes a little longer to kick in but it lasts a lot longer and is more valuable than Pinterest. 

I like to think that good things take time, this is true with SEO. It may take anywhere from 6 to 12 months until you see results but don’t get demotivated.

 Building something like a travel blog requires time and patience. 

A little tip: When I first started out, I chose to begin by learning SEO first and then working my way through Pinterest but if I could do things differently, I would have started with Pinterest and then worked on SEO. 

If you want to learn more about SEO, here are some good SEO books to consider reading.

Conclusion

There you have it folks, a step by step guide on how to make money as a travel blogger.

Earning passive income from your blog allows you to make extra money without lifting a finger but you need to be committed and start with the right mindset from the very beginning. 

There are a lot of travel blogs out there but only a handful of them are successful. 

Success doesn’t happen overnight, so take your time and learn some new skills but don’t give up and stick with your blog -you’ll reap the benefits in no time at all.

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