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Tips from the Indaba Travel Blogger Conference

Travel Blogger. It’s a dream job. Especially for those of us with wanderlust feet and destination-daydreaming obsessions.

There’s a heap more that goes into successful travel blogging though and masses of behind the scenes work and strategy too. This is true for full-time freelance travel bloggers and those blogging on behalf of a brand or property.

Recently, I attended the upbeat and really effective Indaba Travel Blogging Conference 2015. It was a gathering of South Africa’s travel trade and travel-lovers who are involved in the world of blogging in their different capacities. There were even a few international faces in the crowd too showing the massive allure our fair land holds to travel influencers all over the globe.

The day was a fun and informative blast of speaker sessions all lead by successful bloggers with different specialities and knowledge to share. We were rewarded for our attention too in the best way; through spot prizes and show-stopping craft beers, GnT’s on tap, local coffees and amazing SA food.

blogger conference

[highlight]Traveller24 published a blog[/highlight] after the conference, sharing a collection of the top tips shared at the event. I think it sums up a lot of what was learnt:

1. Put together a Media Kit for your blog

Here’s a big secret to bagging clients and keep them returning: make things as easy as possible for them. Natalie Roos from [highlight]Tails of a Mermaid[/highlight] suggests that you should have an informative and accessible Media Kit at the ready to send to possible brands you want to work with.

“If you are a blogger and you plan on working with Tourism Boards or Destination Marketing Organisations, make sure that you have a Media Kit to send them which lists your readership stats, information on who reads your blog and an overview of the kind of content you produce,” she says.

2. Communication is key

Since working with bloggers is relatively new territory for many brands, there are a lot of grey areas… and the only way to get clarity is to communicate effectively.

[highlight]Meruschka Govender aka Mzansi Girl[/highlight] says that brands should have clear, well-defined and measurable objectives. If you find yourself confused by a brand or a publication’s objectives, don’t be shy to ask for a more detailed brief. Communication is beneficial to everyone involved.

3. Don’t try to pander to all tastes

While the temptation is always there to try and cover as much ground as possible in your posts, reaching as many people as possible, concentrating your blog on a niche market can end up being a unique selling point.

“Don’t always chase the big numbers. Niche bloggers with a smaller, more concentrated blog can offer just as much potential as a person with a large social media following and can offer more targeted objectives in most cases,” says Kate Els from [highlight]Indikate[/highlight].

4. Share and share alike

Sure, you want to get paid for your hard work, but when you’re just starting out, be generous with your content and photographs – especially when you have already posted them on your blog or Instagram account. If a brand or a publication approaches you, asking permission to use some of your existing content, say yes on condition of proper attribution.

5. Payment – decide what works for you

Once you do start charging for original content, it is up to you to decide how you will go about this. It’s important to remember that every situation is different – sometimes it will be as simple as sending an invoice for an article, however, other times agreeing on a trade exchange – an article in return for a trip or a meal or an experience – may make more sense.

“Travel blogging is not a ‘one size fits all’. In some scenarios, trade exchanges are acceptable, while other work calls for payment – it’s up to the blogger to quote accordingly,” says Thaya Bedford, an old hand at running blogger campaigns for destinations and the mastermind behind the recent [highlight]#GrootbosMagic trip[/highlight].

6. Finally, remember what it’s all about

Telling stories… and telling them from your own perspective! Stay true to your own voice, because this essentially what brands really want, as Thaya pointed out, destinations talking about themselves just can’t move people in the ways that storytellers can, because their stories are personal.

Check out this short and sweet video from #ITBC15

[youtube youtubeurl=”d00BqzqB3do” ]

 

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