Blogging while travelling is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family back home, as well as maybe something that even strangers will read and enjoy. Here are a few basic tips to get you started on the road to blogging.
Everyone’s gotta start somewhere
Anyone can start a blog, whether you’ve been writing since childhood or it’s something you’re only just becoming interested in. Travel blogs can inspire others and give you a place to note down everything special about your trip. One of the best things about the World Wide Web is that you can share your special memories, photos and anecdotes with everyone, and who knows – maybe you’ll inspire someone else to take that big trip they’ve been thinking of taking.
Getting things going
You can create an account with WordPress.com for free. Alternatively, if you’re really serious about developing your blog and having as many people as possible read it, you can get your blog hosted which you’ll have to pay a charge for. Some travel blog hosting sites are:
There are loads of blog hosting sites out there, including general ones that are not specifically for travel blogs. Do your research and find out which is the best hosting site for you.
Get social
Social media is your best friend when it comes to promoting your travel blog. Put out a post and tweet letting all your friends know where they can find it and for those of you that want to promote your blog to the wider world, consider creating a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and whatever else in your blog’s name and building up likes and followers from there.
Short and snappy
Writing for the web means that you’re writing for people who are usually going to be scrolling through Facebook and Twitter as well as other websites at the same time. If you want to hold their attention, write short paragraphs, not essays. Plus, a lot of people are probably going to be reading your blog on a mobile phone, meaning long paragraphs can be tedious to scroll through.
Photos, photos, photos!
Words are great, but photos are just as inspirational and you should make sure you’re snapping pictures wherever you go to show to your readers. Get a good digital camera that you can easily transfer images to your laptop from. Photos will add colour and vibrancy to your blog, making it more appealing to readers, especially those who are more inclined to look at pictures and skim through the words.
These are just a few basic tips to get you started. Once you’re blogging, why not enter the Big Blog Exchange for the chance to swap blogs and locations with a blogger from another part of the world! Find out more and enter the competition here.
