The passion for traveling has been something that people have been doing for centuries now, but being able to document and blog your traveling adventures is just awesome.
More people are traveling and blogging everyday. The “travel blogger” niche is just exploding and not only can it be a lucrative niche to get into, but it’s extremely fun and a great way to expand on your life experiences as well.
Carol Cain is a great example of a travel blogger who is documenting her journeys and having fun along the way. Get inspired and discover what it’s like to be a travel blogger with our excellent interview below.
Contents
- 1.) Please tell us about yourself and how you got into blogging?
- 2.) What is the focus of your blog and why did you choose that niche?
- 3.) How are you currently monetizing your blog traffic?
- 4.) What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started blogging?
- 5.) What are three blogs that you visit almost daily?
- 6.) Can you give us three recommended tools/services that you use with your blogging?
- 7.) What advice would you have for someone who is just starting with their first blog?
- 8.) What’s the best advice or tip you’ve discovered about blogging since getting started?
- 9.) If you only had $100 to start a new blog, how would you use it?
- 10.) How can readers of the blog get in touch with you?
1.) Please tell us about yourself and how you got into blogging?
I started a career in public relations and started blogging after I left my job to be more with my kids.
I traveled around NYC, my hometown, with my kids and found inspiration in how they took in the city and the things I saw we could do together. It quickly grew from there.
2.) What is the focus of your blog and why did you choose that niche?
My blog is about food and travel, with some lessons on blogging and life sprinkled in between. My goal is to inspire others to get out there and live life to the fullest as I try to do each day.
I chose this niche because it is one I most connect with and enjoy writing about. It’s work, but rarely feels like it, I love it so much.
3.) How are you currently monetizing your blog traffic?
I have few ads on my site – I don’t do Adsense, their alternatives or any of that. I freelance write for other publications who pay me and take part in paid spokesperson or ambassadorships campaign programs.
4.) What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started blogging?
When I started really paying attention to blogging as “work” I got caught up a lot in what others told me was the best way to do things, and in what I should do to make money or increase readership.
I am a true believe in authenticity and letting things happen naturally. It’s not the fastest way to grow an audience, nor is it the most profitable. But, it’s the most authentic and most enjoyable approach for me.
“Slow and steady” works lovely for me and I’ve learned to embrace it and ignore the noise encouraging me to do otherwise.
5.) What are three blogs that you visit almost daily?
I write for Expedia Viewfinder, but I actually also read it because I love the writers on there and then that takes me to their blogs, which I also love.
It’s one of the projects I am most proud of being a part of because I admire the writers of it so much. Huge fan girl. I also enjoy National Geographic Travel, and Beers and Bean.
6.) Can you give us three recommended tools/services that you use with your blogging?
I am a big Social Media user. I don’t tweak keywords as much. I do use SEO tools for my site, but I focus a lot of networking, so Instagram is a favorite to share photography, Twitter to chat about everything, and Facebook to have more elaborate conversations.
I am not a huge fan of manipulating my blog to get people. It may sound naïve, but I just believe people will come eventually without me fixing things to get them there. I just write.
7.) What advice would you have for someone who is just starting with their first blog?
Figure out what it is you are most passionate about, not what you see I trending or you think will make you money.
Blogging, or at least the blogging worth reading, takes a lot of time and focus. If your heart isn’t in it and you are only doing it to get rich quick, you will quickly burn out and be discouraged.
8.) What’s the best advice or tip you’ve discovered about blogging since getting started?
Disconnect when writing. It’s so easy to get distracted by social media or critics, or whatever else. Just disconnect and write. It’s more time efficient and allows you to just focus on your message.
9.) If you only had $100 to start a new blog, how would you use it?
I would invest on a good platform and host. I would also invest on a good brand designer, but $100 is hardly what they are worth.
10.) How can readers of the blog get in touch with you?
Via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and of course, my blog, GirlGoneTravel.com.
