Flying to exotic places, staying in romantic cities, could that actually be a job? Yes! But it isn’t as easy or glamorous as one may think. There are so many ways to get work traveling but it takes time, determination and flexibility. Read on to learn how to research and start making your way to traveling the world, writing about it and getting Paid for it.
Resources
Travel blogging is still relatively new. Those who really made a name for themselves have started boot camps. It could be worth the expense of taking a course to see what it entails and if it really is something you can do.
These professional travelers did it on their own for several years until they found that if managed correctly, and if they were willing to take a chance, they can quit their full-time jobs and focus on traveling. Now they give back to their readers and others interested in breaking into this new industry. One of these sessions is called the Travel BootCamp, usually held in Australia where three travel bloggers and photographers teach and guide their attendees into this industry.
With the rise of Air BnB and other sources of places to stay, hotels are starting to use websites that help them bring in more customers. Arrivedo is a website where their writers reach out to hotels all over the world, settling on a one-time payment and then the writer stays at that hotel and composes a guide for future guests.
I have done some work with Arrivedo and the support system is great, with a Slack channel for their writers to consult and ask questions. The downside is that for every hotel that agreed, there were dozens who said no. Then there is the price negotiation which is under the writer’s discretion. This is tricky in terms of figuring out how much to charge to pay off expenses and still make a profit, but it can be done, it just takes some experimentation.
Get started
First, start your own blog. There are plenty of ways to have a website for free or for a low price. Then, start traveling or use past travel experiences to write about. Use all the social media platforms to share your blog. You also have to be aware of safety and security. Where and when you post can lead you into danger but when you educate yourself, it can help bring awareness to your adventures and get your name and brand out there.
Follow other travel bloggers to observe the community as a follower. Eventually, reach out to them, it could be a long shot or you might have to wait for a response but you have nothing to lose! Make sure that when you reach out to them, you have a more direct approach. Asking for any advice on how to get paid as a travel Blogger is too broad and they don’t have time to answer such a wide variety of things. However, you can say something like: “I want to explore and write about Southeast Asia, what do you recommend in terms of the most cost-effective ways to get around?”
Check out websites that look for writers. Some travel sites pay for new or guest writers, but you need to show that you really do like traveling and give them a glimpse of your style as a writer and traveler.
Now that you have a few tips and resources, get to traveling and writing!
