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If you’re traveling or have traveled or plan on traveling, chances are, at some point, you’ve thought, “should I start a travel blog?” I mean, why not? Almost every traveler has one nowadays. But just because you can start a travel blog, should you start a travel blog?
HELL YES! And here’s why…
Ten Reasons to Start a Travel Blog Today:
1. Blogging is a Creative Outlet
Face it: you’ll never be more inspired towards life than when traveling, and travel blogging is a great way to channel all that creative energy. Without a real job to get in the way, you’ll have plenty of downtime to write, photograph, draw, whatever, and a blog is the perfect canvas to get it all down.
2. Travel Blogging is Easy
Face it: travel blogging is the easiest job you’ll ever have. Anyone can start a travel blog. And I mean anyone. You don’t need to know how to travel (most travel bloggers don’t), you don’t have to know how to write (again, most travel bloggers don’t), you just need access to the internet (which you can get almost anywhere). You can even create a free website so you don’t have to pay a cent to get started.
3. Make Your Friends Jealous
Face it: your life on the road is enough to make anyone jealous. You’re seeing amazing new places, staying at incredible hostels, meeting the coolest people, eating the most delicious food, attending the baddest parties, and sleeping with the hottest foreign chicks. But how will your friends know you’re leading this awesome life if you don’t have a way to show them? Sure you may be covered with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but those can only take you so far. Blogs are the next-level of inducing jealousy in all your friends.
4. So your mom knows you’re alive.
Face it: you ignore your mom’s emails when you’re traveling. Who wants to be out there in the world and still reporting to mommy and daddy? No one. Which means you probably haven’t answered a one of her emails, you haven’t called her once a week like you promised, and she has no idea where you are. She probably thinks your dead or locked up in a foreign jail and has already alerted the proper authorities. Having a blog at least gives her a way to check in, see what you’re up to, and know you’re still alive.
5. Look Back in Your Old Age
Face it: some day you’re going to be old. And when you’re old your life is probably going to suck. You’ll be in a nursing home or hospital forced to spend your days watching game shows on TV and eating slime jello. But if you record all your travels in a blog you’ll be able to go back and remember how awesome your life used to be.
6. You Can Get Free Stuff
Face it: travel is expensive. And any little bit you can score for free helps. So become a travel blogger and get free stuff. Free stuff is the only real reason people start travel blogs. So start a blog and start asking for comps. Tours, hostels, hotels, flights — anything and everything. And if you can’t get it for free, don’t do it. Sure, some bloggers might argue that it’s not really free if you have to write about it in exchange. But how long does a blog post take to write? Twenty minutes?
7. You Can Make Money
Face it: you’re probably running out of money. And even if you aren’t you could always use more. In addition to getting free stuff, bloggers can also get paid. Your “hard work” is worth more than just a free night somewhere. So never just take a press trip, demand extra compensation. Because blogs are influential and someday someone might book a trip based on your recommendation. Just make sure you write positive things about whoever is paying you or else they may never pay you again. It doesn’t matter if you had a miserable time, your audience doesn’t need to know.
8. You Can Throw Your Weight Around
Face it: sometimes people just piss you off. Big time. Maybe your flight was late. Maybe your hotel room was dirty. Maybe you didn’t like your lunch. Whatever it is, just find a manager, tell them you’re a blogger, and demand reparations or else you’ll tear them apart on your blog and social media. Don’t let up. It’s your right as a blogger.
9. To Meet Other Bloggers and Make Friends
The best part about blogging is making blogger friends. Travel blogger friends are great because they never want to do anything. They love sitting around hostels on their laptops, they hate anything considered “touristy,” and always get free stuff. So even if you aren’t getting free stuff yet you can probably latch on to their comps.
10. To Help Others
Face it: you know a lot about travel. You might not know more than most people who have a passport, but you probably know more about travel than someone who has never traveled before. So to a non-traveler, you’ll be an expert. Anything you do while traveling can be a blog post and most people will be none-the-wiser if it’s bullshit. Only had one plate of Pad Thai in Thailand? Write about why it’s the best in the whole country. Stay at one hostel in Cambodia? Be sure to write about why it’s better than any other. See? You’re an expert. And you can help people travel just like you.
Have you started your travel blog yet? GET TO IT!
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