Is Anybody Out There? Hang in There, Travel Bloggers
Recently I've noticed more than a few travel bloggers becoming frustrated. Frustrated about being passed over for blogging opportunities. Frustrated at being left off lists of “top” travel bloggers. Frustrated over feeling left out of the clique of “cool” travel bloggers who seem to be so much more successful than everyone else.
Someone said that travel blogging feels a lot like being back in high school. The kids who are deemed cool remain so, and it's difficult for any newcomers to reach that same level of coolness.
I've felt frustrated, too. It's not easy to always feel left out, or feel like you're lagging behind with no chance of catching up. I think it's especially bad when I put a blog post out there that I'm really proud of, and then it flops. Some days, I wonder who I'm even blogging for; I wonder if anyone is even out there, paying attention.
But I think this feeling of frustration is only natural.
The “cool kids” of travel blogging started in the exact same place that I am now. True, there wasn't as much competition in the travel blogging market a decade ago as there is now. But everyone has to start somewhere.
So, on those days when I start feeling frustrated, I try to remind myself of a few things:
- It's not the end of the world if no one leaves a comment, or retweets my new post. Sure, it's disheartening. But, in the grand scheme of things, one off day shouldn't ruin my whole week. If anything, it should just inspire me to try harder next time.
- Sometimes, it's just dumb luck. I can write what I think is a brilliant post, but maybe I just post it on the wrong day. Maybe the people who would also view it as brilliant just aren't around. And maybe the next day, when I post some silly Top 10 list, that's the day someone like Lonely Planet decides to retweet my post. Often, I think it's just one of those things that's very hard to predict, and impossible to control.
- There can be no success without failure. I'm really just a baby blogger when it comes to the travel blogging universe. I haven't been doing it for that long, and yet I'm slowly crawling my way up in the ranks. The little successes — the RTs from Lonely Planet, the occasional big boosts in traffic — feel even better due to the little failures. If I keep at it and don't let the frustrations ruin the experience, eventually those successes will come more and more frequently.
- It's not anyone's “fault.” I cannot blame everything on the successful bloggers. I can be jealous that they continually get opportunities I would kill for, but I can't blame them for being successful. They've worked hard to get where they are, and what I should be doing is taking note of how they made it happen for themselves.
Obviously I'm not going to become one of the “cool kids” overnight. Contrary to popular belief outside of blogging circles, travel blogging is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work, and even more dedication. It's not something you can just half-ass and expect to be successful at.
I know that, in the end, I'm the only one who can make my blog as successful as I want it to be.
And no amount of whining or feeling sorry for myself is going to change that fact.
Are you feeling like this too? Are there days when you feel like you're just screaming into a void, begging to know if anybody is even out there?
Well, you're not alone. Believe me.
Giving advice on handling this sort of frustration is near impossible. But here are the best tips I can come up with to try and break into that “cool kids” clique. It's my plan of attack, at least:
- Post a variety of quality things. Some insightful, some silly, some practical. You don't want to pigeon hole yourself into one specific sort of advice or writing. (Or maybe you do?) Especially when first starting out, I think a bit of experimentation with your writing can help you figure out what works and what doesn't for your blog. But, no matter what, focus on quality. Proofread your stuff. Make people believe that you know what you're talking about.
- Stay true to yourself. Even though you want to try and hone in on what people want to read by trying a variety of approaches, you also want to stay true to yourself. Don't write about something you don't enjoy. And certainly don't write about something you don't believe in, just because it's what you think people want to hear. Stay true to your own convictions; your voice will shine through.
- Don't make comparisons. No two blogs are the same, because no two bloggers are the same. You shouldn't be comparing yourself to others, or feeling bad because you don't feel like you stack up. If all bloggers were the same, what would be the point? Be who you are, and others will undoubtedly appreciate it.
- Read and comment on other blogs. If you remain in your own little blogging bubble, it's going to be much more difficult for people to find you, and — more importantly — relate to you. Read other travel blogs. Leave comments and share your insights. After all, how can you expect others to do the same on your blog if you're not doing it yourself? Plus, reading other blogs can give you a sense of different styles, and perhaps help you figure out the sorts of things you do and do not want to write about yourself.
- Be active in social networking. Start a Twitter account. Utilize StumbleUpon. Create a Facebook page. Engage with your potential readers, and forge some online relationships with other travel bloggers. Not only will you make some friends, but it's likely that you can help each other out by driving new traffic to one another's sites.
- Be open to guest blogging. A good way to gain some free exposure when you're just starting out is to write a guest post for another (perhaps even more successful) blog. Save something good for your guest posts, and you'll likely be rewarded with some new readers.
- Try new things. Never tried your hand at video editing? Not sure if travel photography is really your thing? Try it out anyway. Who knows, you may discover a new talent. And adding things like strong images and video to your blog will only make it more appealing.
And, most importantly:
- Don't give up. If travel blogging is really what you want to pursue, then don't let those rough days get you down. Don't let anybody tell you that you'll never succeed. Because, if you're serious about it, I think you can make it happen. You have to be persistent. You have to actively go after what you want. Eventually, it will pay off.
The frustrating days suck. But, often, at the end of those days, I get an e-mail from someone who has just discovered my blog, or a great comment, or a kind retweet from someone I respect. And those make all the difference.
So hang in there, fellow travel bloggers.
Because, yes, it seems there is somebody out there, paying attention.
Do you sometimes get frustrated with blogging, too? How do you cope?
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
[…] gotten a lot of feedback from the disclaimer to my last post, some of it positive and some of it not so much. And that’s just fine. I don’t regret writing it because it […]
I admire you for writing this. I’m also a new kid on the block, so to speak (have had my site for 3 months), and I get it. Like others have said, I think it takes time and patience. Also, it’s good to learn from others who have been at it for while.
Meanwhile, though, I love your site’s name and think you’re doing really well. Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much, Lisa! I only moved into this cozy self-hosted site in mid-July, so I haven’t really been in the game for very long, either! But you’re right, trying to learn a thing or two from others who have been doing it for years is always good.
Like you said, isn’t it funny the pages you get the most hits on? This post has very little to do in the way of actual travel and its got a million (almost:-)) comments!
Great to hear there are loads of people in the same position as you (us). And great! a million more blogs to add to my RSS feeder:-).
I know! It’s crazy.
But yes, I have a ton of new blogs to check out now! I love that.
You’re absolutely right. I am a new blogger and I did ask myself this question of whether there was anybody there to “hear”. But, after a few moments of panic (rather than frustration), I realised that I liked what I was doing. It makes me feel good, I have the opportunity of “traveling” also virtually to places where I cannot travel myself, I see beautiful pictures, I read nice stories and that’s fun! So, indeed, the most important thing is to not give up. Thanks for the insight.
You’re very welcome. And you seem to have a good handle on things! If it makes you feel good, then I say who cares about anything else?
What a great article on a topic that’s so near and dear to our hearts. Thanks for sharing the closet-love!
You hit the nail on the head and got straight to the heart for me! I didn’t start my blog to make money. Ads and sponsored posts weren’t my idea of what I was doing, but I admit that I still feel like the loser kid in school often when a number near 10 (comments/tweets) excites me then I click over to someone else and see the number in the 20s or more. Sometimes I wonder if I’m not writing the right stuff but I think you make a good point here, how can I write about something if I don’t know it? I have to stick to what I know and right now I’m still fairly new in the blogging and travel world so it can only go up from here! Thanks for the great post and honesty, it’s ALWAYS a good thing to know you are not alone!
For the record, I always thought you were one of the cool kids and have been inspired and impressed with your blogs progress over just the past short months! Keep it up!!
Aww, thanks so much, Annie. I’ve certainly been feeling like a cool kid these past few days with all the fantastic feedback this post has gotten. … it’s weird! But I’m just glad to have voiced an opinion and given some (hopefully good) advice that lots of others can relate to.
I didn’t start this blog to make money, either. (In fact, I’m actively NOT making money as we speak! Haha.) But I obviously can relate to getting excited over a higher number of comments or Tweets than usual. I do my best to not compare myself to others, though. It’s tough sometimes, but I can’t turn myself into something I’m not. I can’t write about backpacking through South America or getting ripped off in Asia simply because I haven’t experienced those things. I just have to write what I know, and hopefully make it interesting and entertaining enough that others will want to read it!
Wonderful article! I’ve been having the same kinds of frustrations lately because I’m not really a “travel blogger” just kind of a “life blogger” who blogs about travel when I’m doing it.
I’ve considered transitioning into a travel blog (since I am planning a RTW trip) but then I stepped back and realized that wouldn’t make me happy and it isn’t why I started blogging in the first place. I know no one else really cares to see photos about what I made for dinner but, you know what, I care, and I blog for personal reasons, so I will post it! It’s been hard lately to see successful travel bloggers all around Twitter knowing that I will never get as much traffic or comments because I don’t write with a niche or write advice and just write about whatever I happen to be doing. But I keep to having to remind myself that that’s OK.
Thanks, Val. Don’t be discouraged by others, or think that what you’re blogging doesn’t matter. YOU care about it, and I’m sure you’re not the only one. Stay true to yourself. If you don’t think travel blogging is for you, then don’t go there. You don’t want to enter into something just because you think you “should.” You have to be excited to do it; to want to do it. Because otherwise those feelings of frustration will only eat away at you. So yes, it’s absolutely okay to just write about whatever you happen to be doing — it’s your blog, after all!
As one of the people who I guess would be a “top travel blogger”, let me give you some insight:
1) I’ve been doing this almost 4 years now. It takes a lot of time to build an audience. I didn’t really get any traction until I had been doing it for 2.5 years. You have to be prepared to blog in obscurity for years if you want to really make something out of this. 9 months into my travels I had less than 100 RSS subscribers and visits per day.
2) There are way more travel blogs now than when I started. More competition means it is harder to stand out.
3) Most travel bloggers just network and market to other travel bloggers, which means that they all share the same basic pool of readers. If you want to grow, you have to get an audience larger than the travel blog community.
4) I’m always surprised at how few new travel bloggers ever bother to ask for advice. There is a lot of very bad advice floating around from people who call themselves experts. There isn’t a whole lot of experimentation and data gathering to find out what works.
5) The ‘clique” is sort of self inviting. At any point have you reached out to talk to any top travel bloggers? Have you met any in person? I’ve become good friends with many people with much smaller blogs than mine just because I’ve met them in person and have hung out with them. Its impossible to know every blogger. I only accept guest posts from people I’ve met in person and I’m probably 10x more likely to retweet someone I’ve met in person.
6) Work smarter, not harder. You need goals and a plan and a means of executing that plan. I set blogging goals every year that I have no idea how I’m going to achieve and work over the course of the year to try and achieve them.
7) Kara is right. I’ve found the hard way that PR people are seldom going to come knocking on your door. It doesn’t matter how much traffic you get because they really don’t care. Its all about networking and who you know.
Also, Audrey is totally full of crap 🙂 Her and Dan are totally the cool bloggers 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, and for the advice, Gary. I really do appreciate it.
I know how tough travel blogging is; in fact, the fact that it’s a challenge makes it more appealing to me, I think. I know success isn’t going to happen overnight, and I’m okay with that. I just have to keep working at it.
And I definitely know the importance of networking. As with a lot of professions (journalism is the same way sometimes, I’ve found), it really is a matter of who you know, as opposed to what you know. Which gets frustrating sometimes, but hey, that’s life!
At the end of the day, I love what I’m doing. And, for now, that’s good enough.
But, on those days when I start feeling a bit down, I just remind myself that bloggers like you were in my shoes not so long ago. And to see the success you’ve had, and to know how much you love what you’re doing… well, that’s inspiring!
I know where you are coming from. When I first started I had a little more time than I do now and networking came easier. Now that I’m busy, I find I’m out of the loop so to speak. I feel like I ‘don’t belong’ because I’m not able to post an article a day or a week for that matter. Nonetheless, keeping my chin up and getting the occasional comment & contact keeps me at it. It’s a passion. I’m following it.
Cheers 🙂
Nancy
Hang in there, Nancy. You certainly aren’t alone!
This is a great article for me. I just started up my site about 2 months ago. Not only the article but the comments were helpful too. Thanks!
Glad I could help! It really feels great to help out or inspire a fellow blogger. Good luck!
The response to this post shows that there are many people who can identify with your situation and
understand. I’m in a slightly different position – still trying to convince the “powers that be” that a blog would be a valuable addition to our website!
It also shows that there are a whole lot of us reading you! I am subscribed to your feed and always enjoy seeing that you’ve posted. Sometimes I read it on the reader and sometimes I visit so I can comment.
Travel blogs succeed because they give glimpses of what the “ordinary” tourist misses. You’ve covered many places that I never would have thought to put on my list of places to visit and yet your blog has shown me what I would be missing.
Keep writing, keep blogging!
Thank you so much, Dawn! I always like reading your comments, and I’m tickled to hear that I’ve opened your eyes to some new places! The response to this post has absolutely blown me away! But it just goes to prove what a fantastic community we’re a part of. (I sense a post on that coming this week!)
And a blog WOULD be a valuable addition to your organization’s website! Working in the media, I can’t stress enough how important it is for businesses to embrace blogging and social media! People want to feel like they can relate to you; like you’re reaching out to them specifically. And building up a blogging audience is a fantastic way to build trust and loyalty.
Great to hear a reality check on how much hard work blogging can be, anyone in this game who’s successful has been working hard and consistently over a number of years – I believe that you should stay with your passion while also responding to what appears to excite your audience. And if no-one’s commenting then the best thing is to get out and start commenting yourself – it’s a kinda reciprocal thing
It totally is a reciprocal thing! I try my best to read and comment on all sorts of blogs throughout the week. I do have my favorites, but I’ll read just about anything that sounds interesting and throw in my two cents! I know how great it is to receive feedback on my blog, so I try to give that back to fellow bloggers.
And yes, hard work is the key to success, in any endeavor.
I know what you mean and sometimes, we just need to be reminded that we are all unique and need to find what works out for us. Blogging after all is a learning experience and it is about sharing knowledge and skill with the others who need our help. That’s what makes it enjoyable!
Great post. Keep them coming!
Thanks for reading, Adrian! I agree – blogging is such a great learning experience. That’s part of the reason I love it so much!
As the Tweets and Comments show, there are plenty of people here reading and following your blog. 🙂 Excellent post Amanda. As much as I like comments, tweets, mentions and the like, at the end of the day I’m blogging because I enjoy it and in many ways simply doing it for myself.
Thanks, Matt! And, at the end of the day (and beginning, too), I blog because I love doing it, too. But, the feedback never hurts!
Don’t pay too much attention to what goes on the travel blogging community. Concentrate more on your readers producing interesting, informative, entertaining and inspiration content to attract them to your blog and keep them coming back.
That’s what I try to do, Karen! Thanks for the support.