Being a travel blogger can be a great lifestyle. However, it’s important to treat it like a business and understand how much work is required.
Here are some ways that travel bloggers earn money: 1. Affiliate Marketing. 2. Sponsorships. 3. Digital products like ebooks and online courses. 4. Networking at events.
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways for travel bloggers to earn money. This is when they promote products or services through their blog posts and social media channels. Travel bloggers often earn a percentage of the sale when their readers click through to the product or service, which is usually done through a link in the post.
Some travel blogs also create their own digital products, such as ebooks and online courses. This is a more long-term income stream, but it does require some upfront work.
To make this type of monetization work, travel bloggers need to focus on creating unique content that will stand out from the competition. They need to master their writing style to create entertaining and informative blog posts, share raw video updates on their Instagram stories and go out of their way to take part in experiences that are off the beaten path. A key to success in this area is learning SEO, which will help them get their content found by their audience. This can be a slow process, but it is an essential part of making money as a travel blogger.
2. Sponsorship
Sponsorship is one of the most popular ways travel bloggers earn money. Sponsors pay a travel blogger to promote their product or service on their blog and social media channels in exchange for a fee. This can be a great way to make money travel blogging and grow your audience at the same time.
This type of sponsorship typically includes free products or services like tour company packages, hotel stays or airline tickets. It also can include sponsored posts that are written in a brand’s voice, but still with your unique perspective that resonates with your audience.
This can be a difficult way to make money travel blogging, as it takes a lot of time and energy to create and produce content that will attract the attention of a sponsor. However, if you have a good following and engagement on your blog, it’s likely that you will be able to find some sponsored opportunities that are relevant to your audience.
3. Sponsorship Opportunities
Travel bloggers can earn money by promoting and selling physical products (like luggage, cameras or travel gear) through their blogs. To make this work, the blogger must have a good amount of traffic (tens of thousands of readers) to generate significant ad revenue.
Sponsorship opportunities are another way for travel bloggers to earn money. Brands will often pay to work with a travel blogger if the blog has high engagement and traffic. This can include paid trips, creating content for the brand or a combination of both.
It takes a lot of hard work to land sponsored trips and it isn’t for everyone. Some travel bloggers find that they can’t stand working with brands or are unable to fit the criteria of the company. It is important for travel bloggers to disclose any sponsorships and be honest with their audience. People on the internet can sniff out BS from a mile away and it is easy to lose reader trust. This is why it’s important to take the time to do your research and build quality content before pitching to a brand.
4. Sponsored Posts
Brands will pay you to post about their products, services or destinations on your social media and blog channels in exchange for exposure. You will need to have a large following and high engagement for brands to take notice and start working with you.
It takes a lot of time and effort to build a solid travel blog. You will need to research your niche and write a content calendar for your posts so you know what you will be publishing in the weeks and months ahead. This will help you make sure you are writing content your readers want to read.
A successful travel blogger will also need to entertain their readers and share authentic experiences that their audience can relate to. This will be done through writing funny travel stories, sharing raw video updates on Instagram and highlighting their personality in their content. These factors are what will keep your reader coming back for more.
5. Sponsorship Opportunities
Often, travel bloggers are asked to review products and services. This is where they earn a commission from the sale of that product or service via an affiliate link that they include in their content (for example, their blog post).
A lot of travel bloggers will pitch brands directly to do this work as it is one of the best ways to make money. They will highlight their social media following, quality of previous content and why they are the ideal person to create this content for them.
This can also include a paid trip where the brand will pay the travel blogger to go and use their product. They will then share this content with their audience which will help generate interest and sales for the brand.
Other digital products that can be sold by travel bloggers are e-courses or in-person masterclasses. These are more time consuming to produce but can offer some of the best returns. This is a great way for travel bloggers to make money if they are an expert in their subject matter and can attract a dedicated audience.