Travel blogging tips from the experts: Travel yourself

In today’s travel blogging tips interview I’ve been able to grab hold of Cailin O’Neil, the writing and video talent behind no less than three travel blogs covering her life, her travel stories and food. There was me thinking one site was hard enough to run!

Cailin is the first person I’ve interviewed in this series to focus heavily on video as part of her work, and her dream is to have and host her own travel series. A dream that is quickly becoming a reality! Read on to find out more about what motivates Cailin to do what she does, and how she finds time to fit everything in.

Why did you first start writing a travel blog?

After finishing University with a major in Film I started traveling a fair bit and the blog just came naturally, originally as a way to keep friends and family updated back home.

After a few trips I thought to myself why not start making travel videos and my first time filming was in Spain in 2009 with my own camera man who followed me around for a week making the first episode of my own travel TV show and from there Travel Yourself was born.

At last count you were running at least three separate sites. What's that all about?

Sometimes I ask myself that same question :) Travel Yourself was originally meant to be a travel video specific niche site to create a following for my own travel TV show / webseries.

Cailin Travels was set up to be a more personal blog about my travels outside of Travel Yourself and the newly launched The Taste Of Travel was an idea I had over a year ago and finally just put in motion this January.

Food is such a big part of the way I travel and who doesn't like food? I thought it would be great way to put two of my favourite things together food and travel just like Travel Yourself put two of my favourite things together film and travel.

One of your passions is video. What tips do you have for travel bloggers looking to include video on their blogs?

My number one tip is don't force it. Video isn't for everyone, if you don't feel comfortable in front of the camera or can't afford the proper equipment then maybe it isn't for you.

My other tips are, 1. Use a tripod as often as possible. 2. Get a good microphone to record your audio. 3. Have good copyright free background music. 4. Have fun with it and make sure your personality shines, don't be dull and don't forget to smile.

How do you define success in terms of your blogs?

I think the success that I have had for my sites is far from what others might think success is but honestly as long as you are doing something that makes you happy and you can stick with it and sometimes other people read it too then you are pretty successful in my books.

What are your dreams for your blogs?

I think this might be an obvious answer from some of my previous answers but of course my long term goal is to hopefully (fingers crossed) get my own travel TV series out of this and to essentially get paid to travel the world for the rest of my life.

(Since sending this interview over, Cailin has announced a partnership with Ocean Entertainment to bring a new travel series to life. Way to go Cailin!)

Do you follow any metrics in terms of traffic analysis / site ranking, and how important do you think these are?

I check Google Analytics from time to time but I try to not get my head wrapped up in it all. I think they are important if you are wanting to make a business out of this but if you spend too much time worrying about it or putting yourself up against other people you are most likely going to make yourself crazy.

Everything is important for its own reason but try to not make it something you are going to lose sleep over.

Which social networks are you active on, and what tips would you give for success on these?

I use Twitter and Facebook the most and my only tips might be are stay consistent, be yourself, share other peoples posts/links just as much as your share your own and don't post too much.

What other techniques have you used to improve your traffic, and how successful have these been?

I link to my sites on my videos on YouTube and I use StumbleUpon. Also commenting on various other blogs gets your name out there as well.

What sort of time commitment do you put in to your travel blogs on a weekly basis, and how do you manage your time between your various ventures?

This isn't anything that I have actually thought about to measure. I put as much time into it as it requires to post about 7-8 posts a week amongst the 3 sites combined with more time being put into it when I have a new video being put out.

What have you found to be the hardest thing about running a travel blog, and how do you overcome this?

Often finding time to maintain the sites while traveling. I would much rather want to be out exploring a new place rather then sitting indoors hunched over a computer and sometimes it’s hard to find a nice balance between the two.

As I sit here and write this I am actually in Sydney, Australia but thankfully the weather hasn't been the greatest so I don't mind being inside instead of exploring.

If you started your blogs today, what would you differently?

I probably would have kept Travel Yourself and Cailin Travels as the same site. I also would have started making videos earlier than I have, aside from that I'm not sure what else I might of done differently.

Do your blogs generate any form of income, and if so, how did you achieve this?

I have made a small amount of money from links on one of them but aside from that they are not currently generating income. I am working towards changing that in various different ways through partnerships, sponsorships and more.

If you have questions or problems with your sites, where do you go to find answers?

Two words, Chris Richardson. I'm sure this is the answer many people give to this question. (It is!) Chris runs the site The Aussie Nomad and is a long time friend of mine that I have travelled with a couple times, once in Copenhagen and more recently to Cardiff, Wales. He actually just recently quit his job and created a website called RTWLabs to give technical support to travel blogs.

Travel blogging is becoming more and more popular. How do you differentiate yourself in such a crowded market?

I think I have the benefit that I have been doing this a lot longer than others and would like to think that I have a "known" name in the biz. Aside from that I just keep making videos and doing what I'm doing and try not to worry about things like that. Just being myself will hopefully be enough to keep me different from the others.

And finally, what advice would you give to people running, or thinking about setting up, their own travel or video blog?

Good luck. Hahaha :)

Tremendous thanks to Cailin for taking the time to answer my questions! You can find Cailin at her above linked blogs, as well as on Twitter as @TravelYourself, @Cailinoneil and @tasteoftravel or over on facebook at The Taste of Travel and Travel Yourself! Get following!

Travel blogging tips from the experts: Travel Rinse Repeat

Today I’m interviewing a relative newcomer to the travel blogging scene – John of Travel Rinse Repeat.

Unlike many of the folk I have interviewed in this series, John’s travels come about as a result of his work as a management consultant – a world I am more than familiar with from my past life! This means he has less control over his destinations, and gives his site an interesting twist.

Today John talks about the challenges he has faced starting up a travel blog, the direction he hopes to go in, and what he might have done differently with hind sight. Lets get going with the interview!

Tell us a little bit about John!
I travel for work every week – I’m a management consultant who criss-crosses the country as part of my job. This comes with a lot of benefits (free flights, hotel rooms, and rental cars and the elite perks that come along with these) but also has some drawbacks (I have to spend the majority of my time at work when I travel and I have no control of what destinations I’m sent to).

I’ve logged way too many frequent flyer miles and spend more nights in hotels than in my own bed. In addition to business trips, I try to take at least two personal weekend trips a month, which leaves very little time back at home.

Why did you first start writing a travel blog?
Over time, I started to become a bit jaded by all the travel. I had one-too-many ‘where am I right now?’ moments and that scared me a bit – I didn’t want travel to lose its sense of adventure.

Starting my Travel Rinse Repeat Travel Blog was not only a way for me to keep a record of my travels, but also a way to bring the excitement back to it. Now, producing content based on my travels is an incredible motivator for me and it has added another element of excitement to my daily routine.

How do you define success in terms of your blog?
I would define success as the amount of positive impact I can have on others traveling. My travel motto (and the philosophy of my blog) is ‘make the most of every travel opportunity.’ Most of my travel comes in the form of business trips. I don’t necessarily get to choose the destinations, but I try and make sure I make the most of the opportunity wherever I am.

To me, success would be inspiring others to make the most out of their travel experiences, whether they’re traveling for work, leisure, or any other reason.

What are your dreams for your blog? 
I’d love to take it international at some point. Of course, that means scheduling some personal vacation since there is almost zero chance of that happening with work. I have some plans in the works for international trips this summer, but the details aren't finalized just yet. I expect to be announcing it really soon though!

Do you follow any metrics in terms of traffic analysis / site ranking, and how important do you think these are?
I use both Google Analytics and Alexa frequently. Knowing where my traffic is coming from is extremely important in determining future traffic generating strategies. Alexa isn’t as tactically useful for me, but it’s a fun way to track my progress as Travel Rinse Repeat grows.

Which social networks are you active on, and what tips would you give for success on these?
I am active on twitter, facebook, Stumble Upon, Flickr, and YouTube, though it depends what your definition of ‘active’ is. To be honest, I kind of detested the whole social media side of this when I started and saw it as much more of a chore than anything else.

Over the months, I have (slowly) come to embrace it. I really love Stumble Upon and use it all the time. I feel like I’m starting to get into a twitter routine (thanks to Hootsuite!), but I’m still having trouble turning the corner on Facebook.

I have used facebook personally for almost eight years now but using it for a website is a whole different animal. I’ve been learning a lot but still have a long way to go. I currently have a whopping 10 fans, so if you feel like showing me some facebook love, make sure you stop by and ‘like’ my page!



My best tip for social media? Don't waste too much time on it. I think making real connections through emails, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings has yielded much greater results for me. It can't be ignored, but I don't think spending hours on twitter or facebook yields a healthy ROI.

What other techniques have you used to improve your traffic, and how successful have these been?
Interestingly enough, Reddit has been extremely helpful in improving my traffic. I never even considered using it until someone else submitted one of my posts without me knowing it. My traffic skyrocketed that day and I’ve been using it since.

Many of your travels come about as a result of your job. How do you balance the time between work, life and blogging?
On the road, it is easy to maintain a balance. I generally have a quiet hour or two back at the hotel each night where I can respond to emails, edit photos, and write new content.

When I’m back at home, it’s a little more difficult. With all the distractions present in my house, I tend to hunker down in my neighbourhood coffee shops on the weekends. I spend a lot of my time on Saturdays working on the blog but as a rule I always keep my weekend evenings free.


You are fairly new to travel blogging. What have been your biggest challenges to date?
The biggest challenge for me was learning how to build a website in the first place. I knew I wanted a customized website that didn’t look like anything else, but I didn’t really have any web design skills and I didn’t want to pay someone else to do it.

I spent over a month figuring it all out; I read a lot, experimented even more, turned out some truly atrocious designs and finally settled on what I have today. I still tweak elements of the design and functionality every week and I still have a lot to learn, but I feel much more comfortable.


If you started your blog today, what would you differently?
I would have spent more time reading other travel blogs. I read three or four pretty religiously before I started – now my list of travel blogs I read is well over 50.

I have realized since then that the handful of blogs I read weren’t especially representative of the entire community. I think it would have been better if I had a wider view of the travel blog spectrum when first getting started.

If you have questions or problems with your site, where do you go to find answers?
I have been extremely impressed by the helpful nature of the travel blog community. I’ve reached out to other travel bloggers with both general and specific questions. I’ve yet to receive anything but helpful advice. I’ve been extremely impressed with the community as a whole – everyone seems incredibly positive and willing to help out.

Other travel bloggers are likely to be reading this interview. What questions do you have for them?
Will I see you at TBEX? It’s in my home state of Colorado, so I’m hoping to see a lot of you there! I have only met one other travel blogger in person thus far; I’m excited to meet many more.



Travel blogging is becoming more and more popular. How do you differentiate yourself in such a crowded market?
I think taking on the business travel angle has given me quite a different niche in the market. Unlike most of the other travel bloggers, I don’t get to choose the destinations I go to – my employer does. For me, this adds a unique variable in the formula.

I’d love to be writing about a beach in Thailand, but the reality is work is sending me to Wichita, Kansas next. I have no idea what I’m going to write about when I get there, but you better believe I’ll do my damnedest to seek out the interesting, unique, beautiful, and delicious to keep the posts interesting.

And finally, what advice would you give to people running, or thinking about setting up, their own travel blog? 
Find your voice. This is definitely something I'm still 0working on; it's important to let your personality shine in your writing. My favourite travel bloggers do an amazing job of this, and it is something I'm still practicing each and every day.

Thanks to John for taking the time to answer all my questions! Don’t forget to check out John’s travel blog, Travel Rinse Repeat, follow him on twitter, and like his facebook page. And if you’ve got any questions for John – pop them in the comments below!

Travel blogging tips from the experts: Hecktic Travels

Today I am delighted to be interviewing an awesome travel blogging couple, Pete and Dalene Heck of Hecktic Travels. See what they did there?

Pete and Dalene came up with the plan of travelling the world way back in 2007, but it wasn’t until they managed to sell their house (and everything else!) in 2009 that they finally hit the road.

They have a very leisurely approach to travel, which often involves spending long periods of time house sitting in different countries. This lets them really experience an area quite deeply, whilst living for free.

By now, they are regarded as being fairly expert on the topic of house sitting, and if you ever wanted to know how to travel the world and score free accommodation while you were at it, then you should check out their House Sitting 101 guide.

As if travelling full time, living in amazing locations and seeing the world at their own pace wasn’t enough, they also feature some truly incredible photography on their site. You really need to check that out. After you’ve read this interview of course! Enough of my waffle.. let’s meet the Hecks!

Tell us a little bit about Pete and Dalene and your site, hecktictravels.com

We are a Canadian couple who sold all our belongings in the spring of 2009 and started traveling. We are currently in Turkey, our 26th country together as a couple, and we see no end in sight to our traveling ways!

Our website started just over one year ago and is almost entirely a chronological narrative of our ongoing journey punctuated with our passion for photography. It is as much about our personal story as it is about the places we travel to.

Why did you start writing a travel blog?

When we first left home for South America, we fired up a blogspot page just to keep our family and friends posted on what we were up to. At that point we had no idea that this whole other world of travel blogging existed!

About a year and a half later, just as we settled into a six month housesit in Honduras, we started to discover the massive community, and some of the potential opportunities that went along with it. It was then that we decided to switch to our own domain and make a concerted effort to improve our offering.

Also, while six months on a tiny island in the Caribbean may sound like paradise, it can actually be quite dull. The new blog was largely born out of boredom. :)

How do you define success in terms of your travel blog?

We consider ourselves very successful for a number of reasons: the great friendships we've made from it, and for the places seen and things done that we probably wouldn't have experienced otherwise.

We enjoy the encouraging emails we get from readers and when people tell us that we have influenced them in even the smallest of ways. We truly love our little blog - it is the best job either of us has ever had, even if it doesn't pay all the bills.

I love your photos! Any quick tips for travel bloggers wanting to take great shots?

Thanks Laurence! First and foremost, learn your camera. Learn all the settings, and practice, practice, practice how to use it when off the "auto" button.

Also, understand that post processing is just as important as the capture - there are many pieces of software available that can turn good captures into amazing photos.

Where do you want your travel blog to be in the next year?

That's a tough question, because we are not typically goal setters or planners. We don't know what we're doing in two months, let alone in a year, so our blog will just be wherever we are!

The universe has taken very good care of us thus far - opening doors and providing opportunities out of the blue. We will just continue to put out the effort that we have been, and are confident that our good fortune will continue.

Do you follow any metrics in terms of traffic analysis / site ranking, and how important do you think these are?

Of course we follow all the usual analytics and metrics, but we really don't pay much heed to them. We don't get bent out of shape when we have our down days and instead try to focus on the overall picture which has been extremely positive since the start.

We believe strongly in what we are doing and work hard to put out our best effort and continuously improve - strong traffic and rankings will come naturally. Wherever we are meant to be, there we are.

Which social networks are you active on, and what tips would you give for success on these?

We use Twitter, Facebook and Stumble-upon quite diligently, and are dabbling in Pinterest.

One of the things that has worked well for us on Facebook is to post on various destination pages - for example, to get more exposure while we were in New York, we posted photos and popular posts on any tourism page that had the words "New York" in it.

Pete handles Stumble-Upon, and even though it has been frustratingly up and down as of late, it is also just a great tool to keep up on other travel blog posts. With Twitter, well, we could use some tips from others on that. We find it hard to invest the time needed to cultivate strong relationships on that platform, and so are sure that we're not using it to it's fullest potential.

What other techniques have you used to improve your traffic, and how successful have these been?

Guest posting. A lot, and a lot, of guest posting, outside of the travel blogging world as well. This is so important, especially at the start. Lately we've been trying to restrict it to one a month for better time management, but in the past couple of months we've also had too many good opportunities to turn down (including yours)! :)

What sort of time commitment do you put in to your travel blog on a weekly basis?

Roughly 20-30 hours a week each (not including actual research/travel time).

What have you found to be the hardest thing about running a travel blog, and how do you overcome this?

The hardest thing is definitely time management. Right now we are settled for three months so it is easier, but when we are traveling faster, it is so difficult and we find ourselves easily burnt out.

At the end of last year we did a stint of 40 days of constant movement, working with tourism boards and other entities along the way. By the end of it, we were completely wasted. We learned a lot about ourselves and capabilities on that trip, and will be very careful not to overcommit again in the future.

If you started your blog today, what would you differently?

We really don't think we'd do anything differently. Sure, we've made mistakes along the way, but we learned from them and most things have been easily adjustable.

Does your blog generate any form of income, and if so, how did you achieve this?

We have made some money with text advertising, our partnership with Eurail.com, and small amounts from affiliate sales and freelance work. We don't expect this to be our sole income stream (we have other projects in the works), so anything we make from our blog really is gravy.

If you have questions or problems with your site, where do you go to find answers?

From knowing absolutely nothing about Wordpress a year ago, we've come a long way in being able to handle things ourselves. There are also plenty of resources online and other bloggers that we have turned to with questions.

And finally there is our new best friend Chris Richardson (@theaussienomad), who did a great job updating the look of our site and is now our first call if there are issues we can't handle.

Travel blogging is becoming more and more popular. How do you differentiate yourself in such a crowded market?

This is something that we give zero thought to. Pete has a great analogy for travel blogging in that he compares it to the PGA: a pro golfer shouldn't be concerned with what the others are doing - his biggest competition is the course, club choice, and his own abilities and mental game.

It is the same thing with travel blogging, bloggers should be less concerned with what others are doing and focus on how to improve their own game. The internet is infinite and there is room for us all, we can only beat ourselves by not giving our very best efforts.

And finally, what advice would you give to people running, or thinking about setting up, their own travel blog? 

A travel blog is very likely not going to make you rich. Therefore it has to be, first and foremost, a labour of love. It can easily become frustrating, fill you with self-doubt, and feel like a gigantic waste of time if you let it. The only thing that will keep you plugging at it every day is the fact that you love every aspect of it.

Thanks again to Pete and Dalene for taking the time to answer my questions! You can keep up with their adventures on their travel blog, hecktic travels, follow them on twitter, and find them on facebook!

If you enjoyed this post, why not check out the rest of the series, featuring a whole host of excellent travel bloggers. Or, if you’re a travel blogger keen to feature, head on over to my contact page and get in touch.

In the meantime, if you’ve got any questions or comments, do share them in the comments below!

Travel blogging tips from the experts: Nomadic Samuel

In today’s travel blogging tips article, I’m delighted to be featuring Samuel Jeffrey, better known as the man behind Nomadic Samuel, as well as the happy smiling faces of Smiling Faces Travel Photos.

Samuel burst onto the travel blogging scene with a tremendous bang last July, getting the sort of positive start that most folk dream of. Today he talks about how he got to where he is today, what drives him to blog, and his aspirations for his sites. Take it away Samuel!

Tell us a little bit about Samuel and your site, nomadicsamuel.com?

Nomadic Samuel was created on July 1st, 2011. I've personally been living overseas for six consecutive years and I wanted to share my stories, photos, videos, tips and resources with a larger audience than just family and friends. My only wish is that I would have started it sooner :P 

My blog features a daily travel photo and a daily travel video of the day and I also offer articles based on ESL, travel photography tips, destinations, photo essays and quirky travel stories. As far as style is concerned, I'd like to think I cover both the positive and negative aspects of travel with a healthy dose of sarcasm and humour thrown in for good measure.

How do you define success in terms of your travel blog?

That's a great question! I think for me personally, it's a combination of connecting with my readers, growing my audience and eventually making a career out of what I do. I'm passionate about travel and there is nothing else I'd rather be doing with my life.

Speaking of success - you burst onto the travel blogging scene very quickly and achieved some impressive metrics early on - what do you think were the reasons for your rapid success?

Thank you! I'm humbled by how supportive the travel blogging community is in general. Without that support, I would not have been able to achieve much to date. I think a few factors have helped contribute to my blog growing at a decent rate. 

Firstly, I have a lot of experience travelling, backpacking and living overseas in a variety of different roles. Secondly, I've really taken an interest in photography and video projects and prior to starting my blog, I had stock-piled a large amount of these resources. Thirdly, I post frequently, network with other bloggers, guest post, do interviews, stumble, tweet, comment and do my best to promote my materials and the materials of other travel bloggers. 

Having adequate resources and talent is not enough. You really need to push your materials - especially in the beginning stages of your blog.

Where do you want your travel blog to be in the next year?

I'm currently pleased with the formula I have for my main site right now. If I continue with the daily travel photos, daily travel videos and 3-4 pillar articles per week (longer materials that are on my homepage) my site will hopefully continue to grow at a steady rate. 

I'm actually working on four niche sites right now and rebuilding my youtube travel channel from scratch. I had previously been using music that was not creative commons with an attribution-commercial license. It was a difficult decision to dismantle thousands of hours worth of work, but I'm pleased to do things properly this time and I'll have the potential to monetize certain videos that achieve over a thousand views in the future.

Do you follow any metrics in terms of traffic analysis / site ranking, and how important do you think these are?

When I first started out, I slavishly would check my Google Analytics and Alexa ranking. Now I don't care so much about either of those. What I'm more concerned with now are my SEOMOZ rankings: Domain Authority, Page Authority and MozRank metrics; however, I would caution others from really caring too much about any of these.

Growth for your site will occur naturally if you have a formula of consistent effort that includes a regular posting schedule, promotion, networking and connecting with your audience.

Which social networks are you active on, and what tips would you give for success on these?

I'm most active on Stumble Upon and Twitter. I feel as though Stumble Upon is slowly decreasing in terms of it effectiveness and I'm considering some other options such as Pinterest. 

To maximize your use of Stumble Upon, I would suggest installing the toolbar, following others within your niche, stumbling often and sharing no more than 4 articles a week with others. I un-follow those who send several articles per day.  Nobody has time to keep up with that! However, sending an article roughly every other day, ensures that you're going to have the support of others who will stumble it, provided you do the same for them. 

As far as twitter is concerned, I find a good balance of posting your own materials, retweeting others and being social is an ideal scene. Unfortunately, I don't feel I've achieved that yet personally. I'd like to be more social on Twitter than what I am currently now.

What other techniques have you used to improve your traffic, and how successful have these been?

The biggest technique I've used other than social media promotion is guest posting on other blogs and doing interviews such as these. I rarely turn down such a generous opportunity. The benefits are numerous. You get the opportunity to share your materials with a new audience and build back-links to your travel blog. Conversely, the host blog gets great free content to share on their site. It's a total win-win situation. Moreover, you develop a closer relationship with the partner blogger which is equally as beneficial.  I'll never forget somebody who has contributed a guest post to my site or vice versa.

What sort of time commitment do you put in to your travel blog on a weekly basis?

LOL! I'd be scared to admit the time commitment I put in right now. It's basically every single second that I'm not eating, sleeping, exercising or travelling. I've sacrificed my social life to a great extent, but I certainly have plans to scale things back when my blog has become more self-sufficient.

What have you found to be the hardest thing about running a travel blog, and how do you overcome this?

I've found the hardest thing is managing every sphere that is necessary to run a successful blog. If one spends too much time on content they're not networking or using social media enough. Even if those three things are taken care of maybe your inbox is piling up. I find it very hard to keep up with it all!  I haven't found the right balance yet. Additionally, one has to find the time to travel as well. What's the point of having a travel blog if you can't enjoy the passion that is behind all of it.

If you started your blog today, what would you differently?

If I started my travel blog today, I would wish I had started it 7 months ago (when I actually did) and if I can be even a bit more cheeky, I would have started it a few years ago. I think it's a much harder climate to break in right now than it was before. There are a lot of travel blogs these days. 

As far as mistakes that I've personally made, I wish I had of done my youtube travel videos properly the first time. It's going to take me a long time (possibly a year or more) to build up my resources to where they were previously.

If you have questions or problems with your site, where do you go to find answers?

There are two fantastic Facebook forums for travel bloggers. One is Global Blogger Network and the other is Travel Bloggers. When I've posted a question, more often than not, I've received an excellent answer or piece of advice within minutes/hours.

Travel blogging is becoming more and more popular. How do you differentiate yourself in such a crowded market?

I think the best thing is just to be yourself and not to compete with others. I love the community spirit that exists where we (as bloggers) tend to help one another. I don't try to intentionally differentiate myself from others, but a few advantages I may have include my extensive experiences as a backpacker and as an ESL teacher. Additionally, I have a large catalogue of photos and videos that have been built up over the years. 

There is no short-cut to achieving this. I've needed six years abroad to get to where I am today in all of those areas.

And finally, what advice would you give to people running, or thinking about setting up, their own travel blog?

I would say go for it! Don't wait too long like I did :P A few bits of practical advice would be to use Wordpress, find a SEO friendly theme and go self-hosted. Decide early on whether or not you want to do things casually or seriously. If you really want to grow your blog and audience an enormous amount of effort and hours come with the territory. On the other hand, if you are just interested in chronicling your trip, you can update whenever you feel motivated to do so.

Tremendous thanks to Samuel for taking the time to answer all my questions! Samuel is the wizard behind the curtain pulling the strings of Nomadic Samuel - Travel Blog - a travel site featuring photos, videos & quirky travel stories along with photography tips, interviews, esl tips, reviews and general travel advice. 

Additionally, Samuel runs other related sites:  Smiling Faces Travel Photos , Travel Photography Tips , Teach English Travel Overseas & How To Make Money Travel Blogging . You can get in touch with Samuel by following him on his Facebook Fan Page , Twitter , Stumble Upon , Youtube & Google + .

Travel blogging tips from the experts: Happiness Plunge

Today’s interview in my travel blogging tips series is with the happy man behind the happy site Happiness Plunge: Adam Pervez.

Adam has been travelling since January 2011, with a slightly different approach to many long term travellers, which he explains in the interview.

His key message, which rings very true with me, is the importance of being happy, and following your dreams. He also has a philosophy of trying to give back as much, if not more, as he gets from his travels. Admirable stuff.

Enough of listening to me ramble, on with the interview!

Tell us a little bit about Adam, and your site: Happiness Plunge (awesome name btw!)

I am 29-years-old but everyone keeps saying I look younger than that. I guess that’ll make me feel better about myself once I turn 30. :)

I studied electrical and computer engineering, worked on oil rigs in the Middle East for a couple years, went to Spain for an MBA, and then intended to permanently settle in Denmark as I worked for a major wind power company.

But as I was literally living what I thought was my dream in Denmark, I started to question what it was I wanted in life. I had never sat down and tried to figure out what my passions are or what I want to do with my life.

Once I got that process going, it snowballed and snowballed. I call my site The Happiness Plunge because what I ended up doing was leaving the comfortable six-figure easy corporate life behind to take the plunge into a happier and healthier life.

Why did you start writing a travel blog?

Well, when I sat down to write what my passions are, they ended up being traveling, writing, teaching, learning, helping others, and telling stories. You can see how that is very conducive to blogging.

My Happiness Plunge is what I am calling The Happy Nomad Tour. I use my blog to tell my own story and, hopefully, inspire others to pursue their passions in life. They need not be travelers or nomads like me, but the process of living out your dream is the same nevertheless.

How do you define success in terms of your travel blog?

I don’t think I’ll try to earn money from my blog, so success certainly won’t be defined monetarily. It’s not page views either, since most of those come via Google and only spend a minute. Instead, it’s those emails I get from people telling me that something resonated with them and they are going to start the Happiness Plunge process and begin planning a new life incorporating their passions. It has happened already, and I hope it continues happening. Hearing from my audience puts wind beneath my wings as it is, but those messages are my definition of success.

What aspirations do you have for your travel blog?

I don’t travel like most other travel bloggers. I don’t pay for accommodations, for example. That is an incredible challenge at times, but it keeps things interesting.

Part of designing a life incorporating my passions means helping people as identified above. So I volunteer each place I go with the goal of leaving it a bit better than the way I found it. I no longer travel to take pictures of the monuments and listen to what the tour guides tell me. I did that through 40-some countries already. Now it’s about understanding the people, walking a mile in their shoes, and trying to make their lives a bit better.

Thus, I aspire to “sell” my more altruistic form of traveling. But I can say that however much I try to give, I always end up getting more back in return.

Do you follow any metrics in terms of traffic analysis / site ranking, and how important do you think these are?

I check my traffic daily. This is important to some extent. Sure, I’d like to build a following and know that there are people out there who enjoy what I’m doing. But in the end, I designed this life to pursue my passions, remember?

I like writing. I’d say writing and blogging are quite different animals. Maybe 25% (or less) of the time that goes into getting a post online involves writing. The rest is photo editing, looking things up, HTML tweaks, and lots of other tedious, small things.

Still, I’m on this trip for myself. So yes, I pay attention to them, but I am by no means a slave to them.

What techniques have you used to improve your traffic, and how successful have these been?

I haven’t put a ton of time into promoting myself or my blog. I’ve often been without internet access during this first part of my trip, so just getting posts online sometimes takes a herculean effort.

But I’ve done interviews for blogs, been featured in local newspaper articles, and done some networking. To be completely honest, none of these have made much of a dent in my traffic at all.

But slow and steady wins the race, and having a long-term perspective means that 10-weeks into my trip and minimal traffic increase from the start is ok by me. If after two years of traveling, I might be a bit disappointed, but I will have left a trail of goodness in my path from all my volunteering. That’s more important to me than my page views.

What have you found to be the hardest thing about running a travel blog, and how do you overcome this?

Right now I would say the marketing of it. I never have a hard time coming up with content. But yes, marketing to get myself and my blog out there is hard.

And time. People may think that being a travel blogger is all fun and games. I work harder now than I did during either of my two jobs. I volunteer during the day, work on the blog, try to stay a month ahead so I know where I’ll be over the course of the coming month and, hopefully, where I’ll be sleeping. It takes a lot of work, especially since I refuse to pay for accommodation. Finding a place to stay often eats up a lot of my time.

I overcome these things by constantly getting more efficient. Even though posts still take a long time, I’m way, way faster at it now than when I first started. I remember spending hours trying to get spacing right, for example. Now I have systems in place that mean I don’t even have to consider spacing anymore.

I also use crowdsourcing. My first step is always asking the Couchsurfing community in a location if they know of a place I can volunteer locally. This has resulted in places to stay and volunteer opportunities with minimal work.

What sort of time commitment do you put in to your travel blog on a weekly basis?

It depends where I am and what I’m up to. When I’m on the move, it requires a lot more time than when I’m stable in one place for a while. But I’d say I put a minimum of 20 hours per week into the blog, 30-40 more likely.

Sometimes ending up in a place with minimal internet connectivity forces me to take a vacation from my “vacation.” That’s ok too.

If there was one thing you wish you could have known before you started writing your blog, what would it have been?

See the previous question.. I had no idea it would require so much time. But it’s ok. I am happy to put in the time!

What have you found to be the best way to go about generating an income from your blog?

I haven’t found that yet, and I don’t know that I will. I’ll try to earn money in other ways.

How do you go about promoting your travel blog?

I do interviews for other blogs, network with other bloggers, always have business cards on hand for when I meet other travelers and bloggers on the road, contact the local media before arriving and upon arrival each place I go, and so on. I use social media, of course, but that can be another black hole of time wastage.

If you have questions or problems with your site, where do you go to find answers?

It depends on the problem. Generally I check Google. I have the Thesis theme/framework running my blog, and the support network in their forums is excellent. So they are often a big help. But I put a lot of time into getting my blog where I wanted it before I left for my trip. So I haven’t made many changes since I started traveling – mainly because I don’t have time to troubleshoot in case something goes wrong (and it always goes wrong).

I’m already thinking about how to redesign my site. Maybe sometime in the future I’ll take a week or two and totally redesign it. We’ll see.

Travel blogging is becoming more and more popular. How do you differentiate yourself in such a crowded market?

I think my story of leaving the corporate world to travel is a tired and repetitive one. But combining that, with the fact that I was so well-traveled before I left, the reasons I’m traveling, the fact that I volunteer in each place, and that I’m refusing to pay for accommodations.. Has someone done all that at once before? If they have, rock on! I haven’t found them yet though :)

Again, my main cause is convincing people to pursue their passions in life. My main passion happens to be traveling so that’s the main topic at hand on my blog. Had it been arts and crafts, my blog may have been about how I created my own Etsy store, for example. Who knows.

And finally, what key advice would you give to people running, or thinking about setting up, their own travel blog?

Know yourself, try and think whether you want to put in the time commitment necessary to blog your way across the world, don’t plan to rely on an income for your trip (if it happens, great, but don’t plan on having an income from your blog), decide how much you feel comfortable with sharing (the more comfortable, the more interesting stories you can share), and don’t do it unless you like writing! :)

Massive thanks to Adam for taking part in the interview. You can find out more about Adam by following his blog, subscribing to him on Facebook, and following his Twitter feed.

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Travel blogging tips from the experts series, now featuring interviews with nearly twenty well known travel bloggers, from Gary Arndt (Everything Everywhere) to Matt Kepnes (Nomadic Matt).

Travel blogging tips from the experts: Todd’s Wanderings

In today travel blogging tips interview I am delighted to be interviewing Todd of Todd’s Wanderings.

Todd has been traveling for over ten years, combining his love of travel with his work as a conflict resolution and human rights expert. He has lived in Japan, Thailand, Timor Leste, Sri Lanka, and currently spends much of his time in Kosovo.

As well as his travel blog, Todd runs the Travel Blog Challenge – a community driven effort to help fellow travel bloggers.

Today Todd talks about monetization, balancing traveling and blogging, and what success means to him in terms of his travel blog. On with the interview!

Tell us a little bit about Todd, and your site, Todd's Wanderings.
Hmmm, what to tell that will keep you reading the rest of my answers...I left home in 1999 to live in Japan and I've been on the road ever since. I have worked my way around the world, and currently travel with my wife and brand new son.

Todd's Wanderings was started way back in 2006 as a way to reconnect with my friends and family who couldn't relate to my wandering life. Over the years it has evolved into a professional travel blog where I showcase my life and my work as a writer and a peacebuilding specialist visiting some offbeat places.

You've been travelling for over ten years. What drives you to keep going?
Momentum and curiosity. I have tried to be a good American and settle down with a house and a family. But it just doesn't work for me as I get bored easily. I crave experiences and stories that go along with beers and campfires. There was a point when I started getting tired of traveling. But when I met my wife it breathed new life into me and now I'm happy wherever her and my son are (preferably a backwater developing country somewhere).

Why did you start writing a travel blog?
Oops, I fired that one off earlier. Sorry. Here is a more honest answer :) I turned my blog over to a larger audience because I was looking to build a platform to get a book I'm writing published on walking a 900 mile 88 Buddhist temple pilgrimage in Japan.

The funny thing is that the more I wrote, and the more positive responses I got to my writing the more I realized I loved it. I love connecting with people, I love inspiring people and making even a small difference in their lives. Getting a thank you from a reader is one of the best things about blogging.

How do you define success in terms of your travel blog?
Of course there are the classic measure of traffic, money earned, page views etc etc. I keep a close eye on all of those but at the end of the day my blog will be successful if it builds my authority to the point where I have an effect on people's lives. It might sound innocent but the minute one person
finds something I wrote useful, funny, or helpful than I have succeeded. Of course I want to replicate that to as many readers as possible.

Do you follow any metrics in terms of traffic analysis / site ranking, and how important do you think these are?
I think if you treat your blog like a business than you have to be serious about metrics. I use Google analytics as well as GetClicky. I actually prefer GetClicky as the layout is easier to read.

In any case, for me the most important metrics are number of visitors, time on site, actions (clicks, page views etc) and comments. I think they are important to help you determine what is and isn't working on your site. There is so much more that goes into building a great blog beyond just putting up great content. You need to make sure people find that content and are encouraged to interact with it. 

You also run the 1000-1000 travel bloggers challenge. What's that all about, and why did you decide to start it up?
The site was launched in December 2010 as a community experiment to prove or disprove if travel blogging can be a sustainable online income. The main metric is the 1000-1000 Challenge where bloggers try to reach 1,000 visitors a day (quite hard actually) and earn at least $1,000 a month (enough to keep the budget traveler going). We prejudge the results by helping each other to succeed.

I started it as a way to give back to the travel blogging community and as a place for me to talk travel blog shop that may not be of interest to my regular readers on Todd's Wanderings who don't have a site of their own. I also wanted a way to fight back against the hordes of scam artists out there
peddling the "get paid to travel" scam. I think that it is possible (and I'm living proof see my breakdown of how I paid for 12 years of continuous travel), but it is not easy and everyone should be aware that you don't just press enter and start earning cash :)

What have you found to be the hardest thing about running a travel blog, and how do you overcome this?
I think keeping momentum is the hardest part. In the blogging world you are only as good as your last post. Sometimes I just don't feel like posting, or I want to go outside and play. There are ups and downs in any creative pursuit but luckily for me I get nervous when I don't post. I feel like I'm letting my audience down and that pushes me to keep writing, and trying to be better with every word.

What sort of time commitment do you put in to your travel blog on a weekly basis?
I put a lot of time into my blog. I probably spend about 20 hours a week with it. Writing, marketing, networking, etc. of course I enjoy all of this, but it does take time away from other things. Plus I have (usually) a full time job, am a husband and a father, run two other sites AND have to find time to
travel. I'm in the process of developing the second (third?) stage strategy for my blog, my brand and my other websites. I want to make it even more professional and deliver a consistent experience.

If there was one thing you wish you could have known before you started writing your blog, what would it have been?
I wish I had known that blogging would help develop my own writing so much. The difference between now and back in 2006 is embarrassing. If I had known it was this easy to become a writer (just start writing) I would have started much earlier.

What have you found to be the best way to go about generating an income from your blog?
Ha, that is a loaded question :) I think it depends on the type of blog. For Todd's Wanderings the best way has been through direct advertising. However, I have reached a saturation point where I can't add too much more without ruining the experience for my readers. Since this is not scalable I am now reverting back to my original plan of developing my own products (travel memoir, off beat guides, pin up calendars of me on exotic beaches in...I've said too much).

How do you go about promoting your travel blog?
I try to write useful, witty, entertaining articles that other people feel like cool if they link to and tell their friends about. After that it is mainly about networking. I connect with other travel bloggers, I use my Facebook fan page, twitter, Stumble Upon, and I write in news papers from time to time.

I also do fun interviews like this. The best advice I can give is to take on a leadership role in the blogging community, get on the radar of other popular bloggers and then push as hard as you can.

How do you see travel blogging developing over the next few years?
I hope I see a shifting of the sands to separate travel blogs into different categories: the personal travel log (as a blog as originally intended), a professional travel blog, interactive online travel magazines and then all the other spammers. I hope that we as a community of professional travel bloggers can help to develop the image of our industry better, become more business minded without losing our creativity, and set expectations of readers that they will find quality each time they visit.

And finally, what key advice would you give to people running, or thinking about setting up, their own travel blog?
Just do it. Travel blogging is just like traveling, if you don't start you will never really understand how to do it or what style fits you best. That being said please rethink starting ANOTHER around the world travel blog. I know that you think that your trip is the most unique trip ever. But trust me when I say it is not. What IS unique about your trip is YOU. Think about what makes you different, your interests, and your skills. Merge this with your travel blog in a way that creates a unique slant on the travel world.

As always, tremendous thanks to Todd for taking part in the series. You can find out more about Todd on his website, plus you can follow him on both Twitter and Facebook.

For more travel blogging tips from the experts why not take a look at the rest of the series, which now features nearly twenty interviews from travel bloggers who have been there and done that, sharing their experiences and advice on what has worked for them on their travel blogging journeys!

Travel blogging tips from the experts: Nomadic Notes

Today’s travel blogging tips article features a blogger who has been successfully living a location independent lifestyle for eight years.

James Clark is the author of travel blog Nomadic Notes. On the road since 2003, James confesses he needs only his laptop, an internet connection and a pillow to keep himself going.

As well as running his personal travel blog, James finances his location independent lifestyle with web design and travel promotion activities.

With eight years of success behind him, and no doubt more to come, today James shares his thoughts on creating and running a successful travel blog.

Tell us a little bit about James, and your site, Nomadic Notes
I am Australian by passport, though currently of no fixed address. I run an online business that revolves around travel, including web design and site optimisation, as well as travel marketing. Nomadic Notes is my personal travel blog which features photos and notes as I wander my way around the world.

Why did you start writing a travel blog?
I started Nomadic Notes as a personal creative outlet away from my online business sites, and I use this site to participate in the online travel community.

How do you define success in terms of your travel blog?
There are the obvious metrics, such as the month by month increase in traffic, but as a personal blog I would say that success for me has been in being part of a community of like minded people and making real life friends who I talk to and meet up with offline.

What aspirations do you have for your travel blog?
I use my travel blog as a means of improving my writing and photography, as well as making myself known in the travel community and beyond.

Do you follow any metrics in terms of traffic analysis / site ranking, and how important do you think these are?
I mainly use Google Analytics to gauge the progress of my site. I use the traffic numbers and referrals as a yardstick to see how I can improve traffic numbers. I take note of metrics such as Google Page Rank, Alexa, Compete etc, but those aren't accurate measurements and can be too easily gamed to be useful.

Being obsessed with checking website stats can become an obsession, so be aware of that. It's better to focus on creating content and engaging with readers.

What techniques have you used to improve your traffic, and how successful have these been?
I do link exchanges with other travel bloggers, as well as promoting my site through social media (mainly Twitter, Facebook and Stumbleupon).

What have you found to be the hardest thing about running a travel blog, and how do you overcome this?
Running a travel blog while actually travelling is the hardest thing for me. If you are out taking in new sights all day, it is a real effort in time management to set aside some time to create new content, in addition to my other work which I need to find time for as well.

What sort of time commitment do you put in to your travel blog on a weekly basis?
I try and post twice a week, though when on the road this is often once a week. In addition to content, there is the promotional side of engaging readers via social media. I spend my spare time working on multiple sites, so I really couldn't say how much I spend on one site.

If there was one thing you wish you could have known before you started writing your blog, what would it have been?
I'm learning as I go so I don't really wish I had known anything. If anything though it would have been I wish I started earlier. If you are thinking about starting a travel blog, stop thinking and register a domain, NOW!

What have you found to be the best way to go about generating an income from your blog?
As I am already generating income from commercial websites I am not reliant on income from my travel blog. Monetizing a personal travel blog is difficult, but if you are interested in earning income online I would suggested starting other sites which would be more suitable for commercial purposes, such as destination guides or on specific niches you are passionate about.

How do you go about promoting your travel blog?
There are a multitude of ways to promote your site. Early on, commenting on other travel blogs is a good way to get on other travel bloggers radar. Exchanging links, doing guest posts and interviews and social media are good methods as well.

If you have questions or problems with your site, where do you go to find answers?
I usually just Google any problems I have. There are also some good travel blog groups on Facebook where the members can point you in the right direction.

And finally, what key advice would you give to people running, or thinking about setting up, their own travel blog?
I would give the same advice that was given to me when I first started making websites - write about a subject that you love to write about, not just because you want to make money from it. That way if your site doesn't create any income it wont matter so much as you are blogging for the love of it.

Massive thanks to James for taking the time to answer all of my questions and be entertaining with it. You can find more from James on his website, Nomadic Notes, and you can find him on Facebook,Twitter and Google Plus. If you have any questions or comments on the interview, hit up the comments box below.

Don’t forget you can see more tips from other travel blogging experts by checking out the rest of the series, which thus far has interviewed nearly twenty successful travel bloggers. Enjoy!

Travel blogging tips from the experts: Fevered Mutterings

Today I am delighted to be interviewing a travel blogger who seems to always be getting himself into tragic circumstances, and then writing about it with wit and humour.

He doesn’t really need much more introduction than that – I am of course talking about Mike Sowden, author of travel blog Fevered Mutterings.

In this interview, Mike tells us about his influences, how nudity can sell a blog, and the trouble you can get into writing romance novels. No, I’m not sure about it either. Enjoy the read – I certainly did.

Tell us a little bit about Mike, and your site, Fevered Mutterings

"Fevered Mutterings" is a weird name for a travel blog - but that's because it wasn't one until recently. I've always loved to travel and to obsess about faraway places, even when I was in them - born in Germany, grew up in Cyprus - and my magpie gene activated when I first discovered National Geographic (many of which are still filling the loft-space of my Mum's house, and she's still badgering me about it whenever I visit).

This version of FM has been around for about 3 years now, and it's settled into a rhythm of mostly travel-related content because that's where my thoughts are these days, and the direction my life is going in. Outside of FM I'm an ex archaeology student, part-time freelance writer and a part-time I'll-do-anything-for-money. You're not going to print that, right? I'll be ruined even more ruined.

Why did you start writing a travel blog?

Because I attract misadventure. For years I tried fighting it, thinking it a curse: now I embrace it as the blessing it truly is. Actually, it's the popularity of Bill Bryson that really paved the way. He's a shiny-minded writer with strong journalistic chops and he could have define himself as a professional, an expert. Is that the Bill we know? No - he wants us to believe he's a buffoon. He wants us to laugh with him, but also AT him. The result? Some of the best-selling travel books in the world, love them or hate them, rife with mishaps, misunderstandings and embarrassing faux pas. He doesn't hide them, he lets us in - in fact, you could argue the tone of his books pre-date the best travel blogs out there now, the ones that are unafraid to show the reality and the failings of independent travel, the face-palm-SMACK moments that everyone cringes about in retrospect. People who depict themselves as human, not superhuman.

So, there you go. I go places. I get stuff wrong. Foreign people laugh at me. That's usually why people read my work, and that's usually why I write it.

How do you define success in terms of your travel blog?

Success is either when I write something that sounds exactly like what I'm thinking, or something that kick off a good discussion - ideally both at the same time. It sounds corny, but I'm always so very grateful when people take the time to write a comment that digs deep into their own thoughts. (I also like it when they argue with me). Good blogging is effective communication, going both ways.

And so I reckon success isn't traffic or social media mentions (although those are nice when they happen). Success is about doing something that has lasting engagement and lasting value both to myself and to someone else. Success means making other people really think. Even if that thought is merely "oh Mike, what were you on when you wrote this?"

What aspirations do you have for your travel blog?

I want to be the new Rupert Murdoch. No, wait, not a good analogy at the moment. I want to be...the new Elvis! Girls, hamburgers, sequins. It's my dream, and anyone who laughs at me on this one will be first against the wall. Laugh at me on anything except this! Yes.

Actually, aspirations are like goals. And goals...well, they kinda suck. I have things I want to do, yes. And I'm doing them, bit by bit. But over the last couple of years, all my predetermined long-term goals have hit the wall...and been replaced by others. So I refuse to think about what I'm going to do with my blog, and partly with my writing career. My focus right now is on right now. What can I pack into my day? What should I be working on right now? Where next? What's the best way to do what I'm doing? What do I want to learn, and who should I be talking to? Goals and bucket lists...they set up an Ideal You. You are basically inadequate until you've done these things.

I'd rather remain adequate. :)

Do you follow any metrics in terms of traffic analysis / site ranking, and how important do you think these are?

Probably like pretty much everyone who uses social media, I struggle to resist defining myself by my metrics. I've lost 10 Followers on Twitter overnight? Someone unLiked my Facebook page? I'M A WORM / I WILL CRUSH YOU TO GOO. etc etc. It's all a bit ridiculous really, so I try to resist that call (and sometimes fail). The only metric I put any real faith in nowadays is quality comments, whether on my blog or elsewhere (eg. Twitter). I'll choose people over traffic any day. Unless that traffic is prone to expansive, no-strings donations of massive amounts of money. Thanks in advance.

What techniques have you used to improve your traffic, and how successful have these been?

In terms of reaching the most eyeballs, Stumbleupon has been most effective. I've had a few high-traffic posts on there that have raised my blog's profile in substantial, lasting ways. I'm really pleased that they were also some of my best posts. (Not to mention grateful).

What have you found to be the hardest thing about running a travel blog, and how do you overcome this?

Being super-organised is a must when you're travelling. This really sank home to me when I went to Austria last week, and realised all the blog-related things I hadn't set up in advance. But also, travelling gives you a certain amount of free time to scribble or tap. When I haven't been travelling (which is 90+% of the last year), I've been working 30+ hours a week in a day job. Sometimes that's really hit my blogging hard. I still haven't fully overcome it, but I've become a lot more professional about it, both in a blog-for-fun sense and in a freelance writing business sense. You *have* to ring-fence your time. And that's tough, when writing is also a thing you do for fun. The spill-over can ruin you, if you let it. Don't.

What sort of time commitment do you put in to your travel blog on a weekly basis?

I'll say 5-10 hours, although that varies, and discounts all the stuff around it (social media, e-mails, Web development reading, reading other blogs etc).

If there was one thing you wish you could have known before you started writing your blog, what would it have been?

Don't be afraid to believe in yourself and what you're saying. Don't flinch from writing things that expose the inner you as the soft, pink, pathetic, mewling thing that it really is sometimes. Also, have a big button that says "Please donate massive amount of cash here".

What have you found to be the best way to go about generating an income from your blog?

Until now, showcasing my writing. I haven't scored any big advertising deals, or been paid to feature any products, although I wouldn't say no if the deal/product was right (and I'm currently working on a guide to my home city, so I'll be using my blog to get the word out). But I've used my informal writing to bolster my formal writing and get my name out there, and it's directly helped make me money as a freelancer.

How do you go about promoting your travel blog?

I paint the URL on my chest and then walk round town naked.

(Okay okay, I'm kidding. Not completely naked. Speedos).

Twitter has been an enormous help for getting the word out. It's also a great way to connect with like-minded (or indeed unlike-minded) people in the travel-writing / travel-blogging industry. It's plugged me directly into the community and I can't think of any other way that might have happened, at least that quickly.

Twitter is an extraordinary tool for generating a buzz - taking my friend Jodi of Legal Nomads as a prime example. She's utilized Twitter in extraordinary ways and connected with a huge amount of cool people, most of which end up at her website (which is itself terrific). That's Twitter used right. Not many people use it that well.

If you have questions or problems with your site, where do you go to find answers?

My site hosts Bluehost have been unwaveringly helpful. Can't recommend them enough. But in terms of specific technical issues, Chris of The Aussie Nomad and Anil of foxNoMad (see Anil’s interview here) are good, smart people to talk to. Otherwise, wild frenzied Googling, while screaming. Always works.

You have been writing for a while. How have you seen travel blogging evolve, and where do you think it is going?

Firstly, "travel blogging" has grown into such a massive, amorphous blob of Stuff that I'm wary of generalising about any of it. Really, just huge nowadays. There are people focussing on factual, destination-based writing, people more interested in gadgets and the How To side, people who best love the stories, people who most want to capture the world in pictures, and many many other types, all under the umbrella term "travel blogging", and booming every year, more sites and more sites and even more more....

Where I think it's going is better understanding existing between bloggers and other people in the industry - the PR companies, the travel agents, the resorts and so on. I attended the Travel Bloggers Unite conference in Manchester earlier in the year, and some really good discussions on this topic kicked off when one of the attending PR companies said "we're new to this - help us meet you in the middle". Everyone is in the same boat. It's too new for there to be "rules" (not that we want any of those things, frankly). It's an exciting time, but it's also a little chaotic. It's still being thrashed out. So don't judge your success in comparison with other travel blogs - judge it on your own criteria, whether that's connecting with a certain audience or making a certain amount of money. When you came along, they threw away the rulebook. Remember this.

And finally, what key advice would you give to people running, or thinking about setting up, their own travel blog?

Care.

A few years back I got chatting to a writer who tried to do what many, many writers have thought of as a dream job: writing Harlequin romances. Yes, really. And he (yes, he was a He) burned out really quickly. Yes, Harlequin romances come out every month and they're a huge, accessible, well-paid market for writers - but if you don't care, you can't do them. You fight against the tide, and then it sweeps you away in a torrent of existential misery. No job is worth doing for any length of time if you genuinely hate it - so why choose a job where you don't care?

Care enough, and it will never feel like a chore. It may not even feel like a job. Caring is how you stick in there long enough to get somewhere. So I'd say examine yourself (I don't mean....just, just put your clothes back on already). Think about what side of travel thrills you, what your voice is, what your passion is. Now - build a blog around it. Ignore everyone who tells you you're doing it all wrong, and do what feels right to you. The result will be fully yours, and when you have an engaged audience, it will be fully theirs too. You'll both care.

Also, read my blog for all the answers about travel-blogging, and by "read" I of course mean "donate to". Yeah. Want to see a grown man cry? Pay me to do it. Yeah.

Massive thanks to Mike for taking the time to answer all of my questions and be entertaining with it. You can find more from Mike on his website, Fevered Mutterings, and of course you can follow him on both Facebook and Twitter.

Don’t forget you can see more tips from other travel blogging experts by checking out the rest of the series, which thus far has interviewed nearly twenty successful travel bloggers. Enjoy!

Travel blogging tips from the experts: Canvas of Light

Today’s travel blogging tips article is a little bit different, in that I’m interviewing a travel blogger who focuses on his photography rather than his words.

As I’m a big fan of photography, both taking and looking at, this seemed like a perfect interview to run.

Daniel Nahabedian is the author of Canvas of Light, a site where he shares photography from his journey, which he started in 2009.

Currently living in Chiang Mai, and with a history more varied than a patchwork quilt, Daniel shares his thoughts on photography blogging, differentiating a blog in todays crowded blogging space, and the importance of being yourself.

Tell us a little bit about Daniel, and your site, canvas-of-light.com

I am a previous HR officer recently converted into a Travel Photographer. I left my job back in 2009 to travel as much as I can and I ended up settling in Chiang Mai, Thailand after I fell in love with the city.

I am a self-taught photographer (started early 2008) interested in travel and foreign cultures. Being a multi-cultural person myself and speaking 5 languages opened many doors and made me want to learn more about the world.

Why did you start writing a travel blog?

I launched my blog on blogspot long before I planned to travel. It was a way for me to share my photography with friends and have my own space for creativity . Later, when I started traveling, my photography became more travel oriented and I decided to share all my discoveries with anyone interested out there.

Your site is very much about your photography - how does this differ from a traditional travel blog and do you have specific challenges to overcome?

My site is a Travel Photoblog. You will never find reviews, “how to” and “top-ten” posts. Also, unlike many travel bloggers, I do not monetize my blog. I consider it more like a portfolio of my work and a way to share knowledge with whoever is interested (and not only the travel blogging community).

The only challenge I face is to try to attract both worlds (Travel Bloggers and Photographers) and keep my posts interesting enough for them to come back. I don’t just post a photo with a caption, I also try to provide some useful information.

How do you define success in terms of your travel blog?

Success for me is when a magazine editor discovers my blog, likes my work and contacts me for assignments. My goal is not to make money through advertisement but to be able to get published in various magazines. Success is also when I receive a mail from a random visitor who tells me: “Thank you, I learned something new!”

What aspirations do you have for your travel blog?

Of course I would love to see more visitors on my blog. This would mean more and more people are interested in different cultures and the outside world. I would also like it to be a blog where people come to learn about Travel Photography and share tips.

Do you follow any metrics in terms of traffic analysis / site ranking, and how important do you think these are?

I mainly use Google Analytics to check how much traffic I get, which posts are popular and to try to improve my website accordingly. I try to pay attention to SEO and let my website grow naturally.

What techniques have you used to improve your traffic, and how successful have these been?

The most important move I have made is to switch to a self-hosted blog with my own domain name. I used to be on blogger and my traffic skyrocketed in 3-4 months when I switched to WP with an eye-candy theme.

I also participate much more in social media networking, sharing and commenting other bloggers’ work. Finally, posting regularly and giving away free stuff like free tips and free photo critiques make people happy so they often come back for more.

What sort of time commitment do you put in to your travel blog on a weekly basis?

You mean on a daily basis? *wink* I spend a minimum of 2 hours per day on my travel blog. This includes research for my posts, editing some photos for my blog, trying to improve my theme (and trying not to mess it up), replying to comments and sharing on social media.

I also used to post daily, but I realized I am spending to much valuable time I could use for pitching, researching and shooting for other publications. My blog doesn’t bring me any money, I have to focus a little more on finding an income.

If there was one thing you wish you could have known before you started writing your blog, what would it have been?

Finding your own voice. Write the way you want to write. Readers will visit your blog because you are honest and genuine. I tried at first to copy others, especially popular travel bloggers, but that just didn’t work for me so I decided to stick to what I know and like.

What have you found to be the best way to go about generating an Income from your blog?

I don’t generate income with my blog, there are no ads and no text links. It’s all free information. However, all the photos are also for sale and from time to time, a few fans buy a print or two but that’s not very often unfortunately.

How do you go about promoting your travel blog?

I am lucky to be on the border between Photography and Travel blogging. I have a wider range of people I can reach. I usually use social media to promote my work. Every post is shared on twitter, on my Facebook profile and on my Facebook Fan page. Otherwise, I don’t promote it aggressively. I just let it grow naturally.

If you have questions or problems with your site, where do you go to find answers?

I usually start by asking my best friend Google. If it doesn’t provide any answers, I turn to the Twitter and Facebook community to ask my questions. The Travel blogging community is really helpful.

Travel / photo blogging is becoming more and more popular. How do you differentiate yourself in such a crowded market?

I try to keep my blog simple. It is not crowded with ads and random posts that are found everywhere else. I also post big photos while most bloggers put up small thumbnails you have to click on. Too many bloggers focus on attracting other bloggers or the “cubicle-dweller”. It’s becoming a closed world.

I want to reach everyone, travelers and non-travelers and provide a way for readers to escape for a minute and maybe learn something new. My goal is not to make everyone abandon their jobs and go discover the world.

And finally, what key advice would you give to people running, or thinking about setting up, their own travel blog?

The Travel Blogging world is getting really crowded. Every person going on a trip dreams of writing about it and making money out of their blogs. Think first WHY you are setting a up a blog. Is it personal? For friends and family? or a way to fund your travels? My advice would be to stay genuine, find your own voice and don’t try to copy others.

Write about what interests you. There are far too many “top-10-bests” and “How to” posts. Don’t do it just because it works well. People want to read stories by people.

And finally, don’t just focus on “me, myself and I”. Give back to your readers, offer free tips, offer information, free photos. Let them leave happy and they’ll come back.

Many thanks to Daniel for taking the time to participate in the interview. You can find out more about Daniel and his superb photography on his website at Canvas of Light, plus you can find him on Facebook. Also, don’t forget you can check out more in this series of travel blogging tips by following the link. Enjoy!