Having spent a great deal of time wandering around the internet reading travel blogs, I come to the conclusion that there are five essential ingredients to creating a good travel blog.
1. Make it Interesting - nobody, possibly not even your mother, is interesting in reading an itinerary. Create a living, breathing blog. After all, you’re writing about travel here and there is nothing more alive than travel. Share antidotes. Explain why a place is worth visiting. Be descriptive - focus on colors, the smells, the sounds, the music.
2. Be Informative - people read travel blogs to discover new places to visit or learn more about places they’ve been or want to go. So share the knowledge. Tell them how to get there, inform them about festivals, costs, accommodation and transportation. Give them the true scoop on a place, warts and all.
3. Use Dynamic Visuals - photographs talk. Post photographs that will make reader’s mouth water, stimulate their senses, and make feel that they are there with you.
4. Entertain your readers - share your travel antidotes. Got blisters walking the trails of the Grand Canyon, ate grubs at a wild food festival, drove a Cadillac along Route 66. Share the experience. Make the readers laugh out loud. Help them hear the music.
5. Post consistently - let your readers know when and how often you are going to post. The more you blog, the more likely the readers will stick around. If you’re only going to blog once or twice a week, tell the readers. If you’re taking a break from blogging while your on the road, let them know when you’ll be back.
To help you out, here’s some key words to focus on when writing your travel blog …
T - Tantalizing Tempting Thrilling Timely Tremendous Truthful
R - Reliable Regular Radiant Real Refreshing Remarkable Responsible
A - Appealing Absorbing Adventureous Amusing Astmospheric Authentic
V - Visual Vibrant Vocal Valuable Valid
E - Enthralling Entertaining Eloquent Energetic Enjoyable Enticing
L - Lively Leading Liberating Limitless Loaded
Further Reading:
5 Ways To Craft Brilliant Travel Blog Headlines
How to Make Me Read Your Travel Blog. Or Not.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Five Essential Ingredients Of A Good Travel Blog...
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8 comments:
Hi, Liz!
Thought I'd mention ... you can also incorporate video and slideshows (have a look at www.slide.com)into your blog. I'm also working on a way to incorporate audio files.
However, unless the site is to be purely visual, it's possible to over-egg the pudding by putting too many 'bells and whistles' in. I suppose only practice will achieve the right balance.
Best
Keith (Travelrat)
Audio files: Keith, wordpress has an audio file upload option. Blogger at one time also had the option, and you could call a phone number to add audio while on the road.
I use libsyn.com for hosting my audio files for podtrippin. The cost is $5 per month.
Visual definitely add an extra element to a blog. I highly enjoy Keith's video on youtube.
Love this blog. You are so right. I started a travel blog last month and friends first thought it was too personal. At least it shows personality and a point of view.
Hi Keith and Shannon,
I've noticed more and more bloggers are moving into video and podcasts...think I'll stick to what I find on you tube at the moment as am not ready for even more technology.
cheers,
liz
hi Brenda, thanks for stopping by...loved your post on Saudi Arabia. As someone who choose to live there for a year, I know what you're talking about...truth was I couldn't wait to leave - as a women, the freedom you lose by being there is eye opening...
personality in blogs is important and often makes the difference between a good and a great blog.
cheers,
liz
These are all great tips! Like you, I read a lot of travel blogs (when I can, i.e. when I'm not travelling) and the things that keep me engaged are: originality (an angle; as you said, not just your usual itineraries, etc); insight and vision (a unique way of seeing the world and sharing that with readers); quality of writing (so important!); and strong and appealing images.
Hi Lara, glad you liked the tips. There are so many travel blogs out there, we don't have time to waste on the ones that don't offer, as you say, originality, insight, and vision...which yours does in aces.
BTW, you interested in being interviewed for Write to Travel. Send me an email at kiwiwriter@xtra.co.nz if you are.
Cheers,
Liz
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