Do you love to travel? Adore adventure? Can’t stand monotony? Love to write? Sound like someone you know? If so, travel writing might be for you.
When the coronavirus is no longer a global threat, the world will slowly open for exploration. And when it does, you can be ready!
So, travel writing is all about — well — travel & writing, right?
Is Travel Writing More Than a Well-crafted Article Submission?
Actually, it’s more. Sure, you can learn to write stellar articles about places you’ve visited, but half the challenge is finding a home for them. And with all the competition, that could be difficult. According to Kristi Dosh, a travel writer with a sports focus, travel writers must navigate the social media world to attract attention.
I had never considered that! But Kristi’s course, offered after taking Great Escape Publishing’s Travel Writing Course, made it easy to pull the pieces together and make it happen.
Connecting on Social Media is Paramount
Here are some tips Kristi gives:
1. Be connected on social media
- Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are the accounts that are noticed by hotels, tour companies, and CVBs (city visitor’s bureaus), with Instagram being top due to being “visual-heavy”.
- Use Pinterest if you are a travel blogger.
- Use LinkedIn if you are interested in connecting with editors of travel magazines.
2. Learn to take great photos, whether on an SLR camera or your phone.
3. Discover travel-related hashtags and use them liberally on Instagram (up to 30), and only 2-3 on Twitter. Facebook does not generally use hashtags.
Here are a few to get you started:
- #travelwriter #travelphoto #writetotravel #traveltheworld #tourism #wanderlust #travelblogger #ilovetravel #instatravel #travelgram #travelpics #travelblog #traveltheworld
- Each day, there are hashtags centered around a theme: #mondayfunday #tuesdaythoughts #Wednesdaywisdom #tbt (throwbackthursday) #fridayfeeling #saturdaynight #sundaymood
- Then, there are Twitter chats like #FunTravelChat on Mondays all day, hosted by @CharlesMcCool and @TravThroughLife
4. If you are savvy on social media, consider scheduling your posts using one of these third-party schedulers:
- Hootsuite
- Tailwind
- Buffer
- MeetEdgar
So, fine. I know what you are thinking. “You’ve given me all this detailed information. Now, what do I do with it?”
Glad you asked!
So How Do You Attract Attention to Travel-related Sites?
Before you go on a trip, find the social media accounts for all the places you will be visiting. Whether it’s a restaurant, a City Visitor’s Center, a museum, or tour agency, follow them all. You can find their social media connections on their website, or search for them within your SM app.
Then, create one post with a photo (royalty-free or given credit) using the appropriate hashtags above along with the particular place you will be visiting, and share how excited you are for your next adventure. You can even mention their names within the post (i.e. @JarmWanders2Wonder – not a real account, in case you are wander -uh – I meant wondering. ;-})
They might answer back, follow you, or at best, offer you a free meal, ticket, or tour. That hasn’t happened to me yet, but it could, now that I know how to attract their attention.
Well, hopefully, I’ve given you enough to ponder for now. Are you still thinking of travel writing? Let me know! Consider this course with Great Escape Publishing if you are serious about it and want more. And here are two of my past travel blog posts for you to enjoy in Charleston, SC and Bath, England