Foward by Kesi

I am very excited to start a new series – “The Long-Term Travel Chronicles” – where adventurous souls share how they are able to travel long-term.

Welcome to the first post of this series! I am delighted that Kyle from Via Travels has shared his insights on turning his passion for travel into a successful online business – travel blogging!

Travel Blogging – Quick Facts

Pros vs Cons

Rankings

I asked Kyle to rank from 0 to 5 how much stress, fun, and value he gets from blogging. 5 represents the highest/best

How To Be a Travel Blogger and Make Money

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information.

This post was written by Kyle Kroeger of ViaTravelers

How To Be a Travel Blogger and Make Money

You don’t need to be a travel expert to start a successful travel blog or make money from blogging.

There are many ways that you can make money from blogging, including:

• affiliate marketing partnerships with hotels and airlines, 
• sponsored posts or reviews, or 
• even selling your own branded items through an online store.

The key is to think outside the box and engage your readers with interesting posts to keep them coming back for more.

How did I learn to monetize a blog?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to monetize a blog will vary depending on the type of blog and the audience it attracts. However, some practical methods on how to be a travel blogger and make money include affiliate marketing, advertising, and sponsored posts.

You can also sell products or services directly through your blog or create a membership program that provides exclusive content or discounts to subscribers. Whatever route you choose, research the options and experiment with different methods to find what works best for your blog.

There are also different methods for monetization that are suited better for various niches. 

For example, if you are a DIY gardener, you could easily sell your own DIY kits for gardening in addition to writing blog posts. On the other hand, a software blogger might have trouble selling physical goods.

Just think about the most significant pain point for your audience and solve that problem. That’s your end goal, not monetization.

How much money do you make per month, and how long did it take to reach this level?

Currently, my site makes in the multiple five-figures per month. Despite COVID, which severely impacted travel publishers, our reader base has grown consistently month over month.

We have been working on our site for about two years now but really only working on the site seriously for the past 18 months.

How were you supporting your travels before blogging?

I’m a massive fan of travel hacking. I’ve been using travel rewards credit cards to build significant rewards points balances to finance my travel experiences. I found this to be a great way to maximize your travel experience without it breaking the bank.

I did this with travel photography and videography to finance and justify my travel. I still do most of this now. Travel blogging was just a complementary thing that I could do.

I figured that since I was traveling so often and loved it, hey, I might as well write about it too? A travel blog is great because it’s like your own personal journal of your travel experiences, and you can make some money along the way. What’s not to love about that?

What’s your experience in blogging? How about buying and selling websites?

I’ve had several years in the blogging and digital publishing business for several years now. I’ve successfully scaled 3 different websites and sold them.

Previously, I did this as a side hustle, but now I currently own 4+ websites, and across the portfolio of websites, we generate approximately 700,000 monthly pageviews.

Tips to Make Money From Blogging

Blogging is not easy. In particular, I’ve found that travel blogging has been very challenging since it’s super competitive, and travelers are often thrifty shoppers. So with affiliate offers, you won’t have as lucrative of conversion rates and earnings as software or personal finance. But travel blogging is wayyyy more fun. You can literally do anything you want. It’s hard not to have fun running a travel blog.

Here are some practical tips on how to make money from blogging:

1) Find a niche

It’s essential for any blogger to have their own niche so they can stand out in the crowd. For example, if you’re passionate about hiking, then focus on writing about hikes all over the world.

If you’re into art, then write about famous paintings or different art exhibitions from around the world. Find a niche that suits your blog, and just go with it! If you can’t think of one right away, take some time to brainstorm and focus on becoming an expert in your chosen topic.

2) Share original content

It’s important to share original content on your blog. If you’re going to write about something that someone else has already written about, then make sure you add your own personal spin to the story and keep it fresh.

3) Collaborate with other bloggers

There are many successful travel blogs out there that have garnered millions of loyal readers who read every post that is published. It might seem like an impossible task to get in touch with these bloggers, but it’s actually very easy. Simply leave a comment on their blog, let them know who you are, and ask if they would consider working together or having you write a guest post for them. You never know where this could lead, so don’t be afraid to reach out and make a connection!

4) Engage your audience

One way to ensure you have a loyal following is to engage with them through comments, social media, and guest blogging.

If you’re going to be successful at making money from blogging, then it’s vital to produce high-quality content that helps other writers and bloggers.

5) Sell your own products

This might seem obvious, but it’s important to make sure you have a product, such as an e-book, course, or online store. The easiest way to make money from blogging is through affiliate marketing with hotels and airline companies. But if you want to start making real money, the only way to do this is by leveraging your blog and building your personal brand.

If you’re struggling to make the big bucks from blogging, then it might be time to consider a new approach. There are many other ways you can take advantage of a travel blog that will help you build a loyal following and increase your chances of making money from blogging.

If you are determined on being a travel blogger, here are some specific things to consider:

• Tip #1 – Figure out what kind of content will work for you by understanding the different types of blogs available in the world today.
• Tip #2 – Determine if this is something you want to do full time or just have as a hobby.
• Tip #3 – Build up your audience and create relationships with those who will be interested in following along with your journey.
• Tip #4 – Make sure that you document your journey in an exciting way that will keep your readers engaged.
• Tip #5 – Utilize paid ads to help you gain more attention for your blog, whether it’s through search engine marketing, social media ad campaigns, or pay-per-click advertising.
• Tip #6 – Sell your own products, whether they be eBooks, online courses, or other digital items that you create.
• Tip #7 – Take advantage of affiliate marketing relationships with hotels, airlines, and other tourism-related businesses.

Affiliate Highlight – Travelpayouts

Travelpayouts is the perfect affiliate platform for travel bloggers, providing access to leading travel brands like GetYourGuide, Booking.com, and others in one place. This makes earning affiliate income much simpler.

Why use Travelpayouts?

• 100+ trusted travel brands
• 10+ years in travel industry
• High commissions
• Easy withdrawal via PayPal, Webmoney, or your bank account
• Great Referral Program! Earn 7% of the income of travel bloggers you referred

How to use Travelpayouts

1. Share your project with Travelpayouts
2. Join a Program, like GetYourGuide
3. Generate your first affiliate tool – from my experience links yield the highest conversions
4. Embed the affiliate tool in your content!

Join Travelpayouts Here

• Tip #8 – Get involved in the blogging community and collaborate with others who are doing the same thing.
• Tip #9 – Make sure you are constantly producing high-quality content that is interesting and helpful to your readers.
• Tip #10 – Stay motivated and passionate about what you are doing, as this will be evident in your writing.

Blogging is a big and competitive world. In order to make it as a travel blogger, you need to have a great blog that stands out from the rest. The key is to think outside of the box and engage your readers with interesting posts that will keep them coming back for more.

Final Thoughts

Blogging can be a great way to make money, but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. In order to be successful, you need to have a blog that stands out from the rest and engages your readers with interesting content.

If you’re willing to put in the effort, these tips will help you make money from blogging.

Drop a comment below to let me know your questions or thoughts on making money with a blog.

Thanks for reading!

Author Bio: Kyle Kroeger is the owner of ViaTraveler.com. ViaTravelers is a destination travel blog providing the best tips, hacks, and itineraries to help you explore the world. Follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.