In today's social media-centric world, becoming a Full-Time Travel Influencer is the new American dream for many. It's not just about exploring the world; it's about sharing those experiences in a way that inspires others, offers new perspectives, and allows you to make a decent living.
This blog is your roadmap on how to become a Travel Influencer who thrives, not just survives. We're here to guide you through transforming your passion for travel into a successful and profitable online adventure.
What is a Travel Influencer?
Let's dive into the essentials and ensure we're on the same wavelength:
a Travel Influencer makes a living by sharing content of their travels
The 'how' behind a Travel Influencer's earnings is quite varied, encompassing collaborations with brands and accommodations, sponsored posts, and article sales. The most successful Travel Influencers didn't start with financial success in mind; their journey began with a desire to earn a living while indulging in their greatest passion: traveling the world.
Being a Travel Influencer involves more than just sharing experiences, insights, and tips online. It's not solely about posting stunning photos; it requires storytelling skills, attention to detail, and the ability to connect on a personal level with your audience.
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Travel Influencer or Travel Content Creator?
We prefer to refer to them as Travel Content Creators, rather than Travel Influencers. A Travel Influencer typically sways their audience as per their own needs or for monetary gains.
...However! Most do soooooooo much more than just influencing. They craft their own travel brand, which involves exceptional storytelling, striking visuals, and deep knowledge of their niche and audience.
Indeed... many Travel Influencers promote travel products like VPNs or Visa services, or destinations such as resorts, hotels, or campsites. Yet, the most successful among them are primarily Content Creators, and only secondarily Influencers.
Here is our in-depth guide on How to Become a Travel Influencer.
What makes a Great Travel Influencer?
A myth we encounter daily is that to be a Great Travel Influencer, one must have a massive following on one or more social media platforms. Consider this myth debunked right here and now!
To become a Paid Travel Influencer in real life, it boils down to two factors:
- How Good a Storyteller You Are: The heart of your content is storytelling. You might not have the most extraordinary adventures or discoveries, but what matters is how you narrate them. This storytelling skill is precisely what makes a Great Travel Influencer.
- Quality of Your Audience: Of Of course, you need a following, but it doesn't have to be massive. When we, Nadia & Mitchel, started out with our @TheGreatRideAlong, we secured our first brand deal with just 500 followers. The next one at 800. Now, with over 16K followers and more than 15 international and renowned partnerships, our partners are less concerned with us not having 100K or more followers. They value the quality of our content, our organic influence, and our reliability.
Want to debunk more myths about Becoming a Paid Traveler? Check out our blog Top 4 Myths of Paid Traveling – A Break Down.
Top strategies to Become a Thriving Paid Travel Influencer
The path to becoming a Travel Content Creator is straightforward, encompassing two primary strategies for success and payment. Any other strategy is essentially a variation or combination of these two. To Become a Thriving Travel Influencer, online strategy A is interesting.
P.S. Both strategies have unique advantages and neither is inherently superior; the choice depends on individual goals and preferences.
P.P.S. For those seeking a detailed guide, our Premium eGuide offers a professional 32-page roadmap on becoming a successful and paid Travel Influencer or Travel Content Creator.
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Strategy A - Building Your Own Travel Brand
This strategy involves building a personal brand to become known and generate income. It often features the individual as the face of the brand, but can also include company-based models like travel blogging sites or anonymous YouTube channels.
While popular among Travel Content Creators, this path is challenging due to significant competition.
This is the only strategy to become a Thriving Travel Influencer.
Strategy B - Selling Content to Other Travel Brands
Strategy B is centered on earning income, often anonymously, rather than seeking fame. It focuses on creating and selling content to other brands, such as articles for (e)magazines, videos for YouTube channels, or blogs for travel websites. This approach prioritizes content sales over personal branding.
How to Become a Travel Influencer that Thrives
Embarking on the journey to become a Travel Influencer who thrives rather than merely survives is a venture filled with excitement, challenges, and immense potential. Lets deep dive into the heart of what it takes to stand out in the vibrant world of Travel Influencing.
STEP 1 - Build Your Unique Brand
Creating a brand that stands out in the crowded world of travel influencing is key. To be honest, we see to many fail to create their own unique brand, while it is very straightforward. Here are three key takeaways:
- Identify Your Niche: Whether it's luxury travel, budget backpacking, culinary journeys, or eco-tourism, find a niche that resonates with your personal style. Make sure it is specific enough. Just 'luxury travel' or 'backpacking in Asia' won't cut it. In the Premium eGuide, we conduct an extensive analysis of our own niche and have written a step-by-step plan to identify your own niche.
- Be Consistent: From your visual style to your tone of voice, keep your branding consistent. This helps in building a recognizable and relatable online persona.
- Know Your Audience: When you know your audience, you can build on what resonates with them. Your audience will change over time - as do you - so stay on top of the latest insights into your audience
STEP 2 - Master Social Media Platforms
Choosing and mastering the right social media platforms are crucial steps in your journey to become a successful Travel Influencer.
- Right Platform for Your Content: Whether it's Instagram's visual appeal, YouTube's comprehensive storytelling format, or the quick engagement of Twitter, pick platforms that suit your content and style. In the Free eBook you'll find a list of relevant social media platforms and how to get the perfect equipement for each.
- Appealing Content: Tailor your content to fit each platform while maintaining your unique voice.
- Engagement, engagement, and engagement: No matter which social media platforms you choose, when growing a quality following, engagement is key. Trigger your audience to engage with your content and, in return, engage with your audience.
STEP 3 - Stay Relevant and Adapt
The message is simple: stay on top of the is ever-evolving travel industry, and staying relevant is key:
- Stay Informed: Keep up with travel trends and mostly with content trends. Using latest reel styles and content hacks is important to you relevant to your audience. Carefully adapt your content to reflect these changes.
- Continuous Learning: Invest massively(!) in improving your skills, whether it’s photography, editing, writing, or something else. The better your content, the more engaged your audience. Consider this a universal law!
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Monetizing Your Influence
Lets say that you have build a decent following or quality community and you are ready to monetise your influence. How do you turning your travel brands into a revenue stream? Here's how to start:
- Sponsored Content: Partner with travel brands or tourism boards to create sponsored content, ensuring it aligns with your brand and audience interests. Avoid deals that don't fit your niche or won't interest your audience, as you could lose more in following and credibility than what you gain in income.
- Affiliate Marketing: Use affiliate links for travel gear, accommodations, or tours, earning a commission for each sale made through your link.
- Create Your Own Products: Consider creating your own travel guides, eBooks, or merchandise.
Conclusion: How to Become a Travel Influencer
Becoming a travel influencer is a journey of passion, creativity, and resilience. While it requires hard work and dedication, the rewards of sharing your travel experiences with the world are immeasurable. Remember, every influential Travel Influencer started with a single step - and now it's your turn. Embrace the adventure, stay authentic, and let your unique travel stories inspire others.
As you take these steps, remember to download our Free eBook for more insights and detailed guidance on making your travel influencer dreams a reality.
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