Do you need to learn to flip your ardour for journey right into a six-figure enterprise? Journey running a blog is an thrilling and versatile technique to earn cash whereas exploring the world. You get to share your experiences, encourage others, and create a enterprise that matches your life-style. However how do you go from simply writing…
Do you need to learn to flip your ardour for journey right into a six-figure enterprise?
Journey running a blog is an thrilling and versatile technique to earn cash whereas exploring the world. You get to share your experiences, encourage others, and create a enterprise that matches your life-style. However how do you go from simply writing about your journeys to truly making $100,000+ per 12 months?
In the present day, I’m excited to share the story of Jessie Festa, a profitable journey blogger who began her weblog, Jessie on a Journey, with the purpose of serving to vacationers. Jessie went from incomes nothing to constructing a six-figure journey running a blog enterprise.
On this interview, I ask Jessie questions on the way to begin a journey running a blog enterprise, like:
- How a lot cash can a journey blogger realistically earn, and what are the principle earnings streams?
- Is there nonetheless room for brand new journey bloggers to achieve such a aggressive area of interest?
- Do you should journey incessantly to take care of a profitable journey weblog, or are you able to weblog about journey with out being on the highway consistently?
- What instruments and gear are vital for working a profitable journey weblog? Do newbies want to speculate quite a bit to get began?
Plus extra!
In case you’ve ever puzzled how a lot cash journey bloggers actually make, how they receives a commission to journey, or the way to begin your personal journey weblog, this interview with Jessie is for you. She’ll break down her journey and share tips about the whole lot from affiliate marketing online to working with manufacturers and tourism boards.
And, when you’re prepared to show your love for journey right into a thriving enterprise, Journey Weblog Prosperity is the right useful resource for you. Created by Jessie, this membership affords 100+ programs and workshops, and a supportive group that can assist you develop your weblog right into a worthwhile enterprise. Whether or not you’re a newbie or trying to scale, Journey Weblog Prosperity gives the instruments and techniques to make it occur.
Technically, the doorways are closed, however when you use my affiliate hyperlink, you may be part of proper now. You may also use coupon code “MAKINGSENSE9” to get your first month for simply $9. After that, it’s $49 per 30 days to remain a member, and you’ll cancel at any time – even earlier than your trial month is over.
Please click on right here to study extra about Journey Weblog Prosperity.
Let’s dive into how Jessie makes $100,000+ every year as a journey blogger, and how one can get began too.
How I Make Cash With A Journey Weblog Enterprise
Really helpful studying: How To Begin a Journey Weblog and Make Cash
1) Inform me your story. Who’re you, and what impressed you to start out your journey weblog?
Hello, my title is Jessie Festa, a journey blogger, photographer, and weblog coach from New York.
I began my first journey weblog, Jessie on a Journey, in 2011. On the time, there weren’t many sources on-line for solo vacationers, and after going by the difficult means of planning a 3-month solo backpacking journey by Europe, I wished to assist others extra simply plan their very own solo journeys.
Moreover, I wished to create a enterprise that may permit me to proceed touring.
I graduated with my BA/MA in Communication throughout a recession, so jobs have been scarce. Whereas it was a scary and unsure time, it additionally gave me the house to pursue journey running a blog and see the place it may lead me.
Inside a couple of 12 months I used to be in a position to start incomes a gradual earnings from it, and at present it’s my full-time job. Together with Jessie on a Journey, I personal the web sites Epicure & Tradition (sustainable tourism and tradition weblog) and NYC Picture Journeys (my photograph expertise web site that will get most of its reserving by the weblog).
2. How a lot cash do you make as a journey blogger?
I’m proud to say I’ve been in a position to create a 6-figure enterprise for myself by running a blog—which I attribute primarily to treating it like a enterprise, which I share extra about under in query #5.
I additionally attempt to diversify my visitors and income streams as a lot as potential to assist shield my enterprise.
Moreover, I monitor what’s working—and what isn’t—so I can modify my methods accordingly.
Lastly, I automate and streamline as a lot as potential, similar to by creating gross sales funnels to promote my digital merchandise.
3. Why did you resolve to change into a journey blogger?
In the end, it was my love of journey. I used to be decided to search out—or create—a job that may permit me to earn a residing from anyplace in order that I may preserve exploring the world.
Humorous sufficient, I didn’t actually know what running a blog was earlier than I began mine. Once more, this was 2011, and running a blog as a profession wasn’t frequent but. I’d all the time assumed a weblog was simply a web-based journal.
However, I noticed different vacationers—regular individuals who weren’t celebrities—doing it and truly earning money writing about their travels on their web sites. I informed myself that if they may do it, so may I. So I did!
4. What do you get pleasure from most about working a journey weblog?
The power to be my very own boss, receives a commission to be artistic, and journey the world.
Working a journey weblog means attending to create my very own schedule based mostly on targets I’m obsessed with and initiatives I’m enthusiastic about. Moreover, I can work from anyplace on this planet—or select to take day off, as a result of I’m the one approving trip time. 😉
With journey particularly, you may select to monetize your journeys, similar to by writing weblog posts that comprise advertisements and affiliate hyperlinks or working with sponsors.
Don’t get me improper, working any kind of enterprise, together with a weblog, is difficult work; however, there are numerous perks too.
5. What are a few of your favourite locations that you simply’ve traveled to because of your journey weblog?
My favourite place is often wherever I’ve simply been! 🙂 Just lately, I visited Kyrgyzstan and Tanzania—each of which have been completely unimaginable.
Subsequent week I’ll be heading to Nova Scotia for a partnership, which I’m very enthusiastic about.
6. How a lot cash can a journey blogger realistically earn, and what are the principle earnings streams?
I do know journey bloggers incomes nothing and journey bloggers incomes a number of six figures, so it actually relies upon.
For my part, one of many largest errors bloggers make is pondering that writing in itself will ultimately result in earnings.
Sure, your content material can—and will—be worthwhile; however, to actually earn a residing running a blog you want a revenue plan. It’s important to implement income streams, set targets, monitor success, and tweak your technique as wanted.
Constructing on this, a few of the major earnings streams for journey bloggers embody:
- Online marketing
- Working advertisements (as an example, I’m a Mediavine writer)
- Launching services and products
- Working with manufacturers and tourism boards on paid campaigns and press journeys
- Freelance writing and creating content material for manufacturers (whether or not by UGC collaborations or being a ghost author/creator for his or her channels—the latter of which I’ve discovered pays extra)
7. What instruments and gear are important for working a profitable journey weblog? Do newbies want to speculate quite a bit to get began?
To start with, I’d advocate investing in good internet hosting with security measures and constant uptime, a light-weight theme with assist, and a premium key phrase analysis software so to optimize your web site for Search Engine Optimization (search engine marketing).
As you develop, you might put money into different instruments, as effectively. It simply depends upon your technique.
For example, I personally pay for Later to schedule my Instagram posts and plan my feed; nevertheless, I additionally know many bloggers who use Instagram’s native scheduler or publish in real-time totally free.
Additionally, many important instruments are free to start out. For example, you’ll undoubtedly need an electronic mail advertising and marketing platform, like Mailerlite or ConvertKit, which generally provide free plans to get began.
8. What does your typical work schedule seem like as a journey blogger? What number of hours per week do you dedicate to sustaining your weblog?
I like to interrupt up my month into 4 weekly “sprints”. These embody:
- Getting the content material and occasion schedule for my Journey Weblog Prosperity membership (one in every of my major merchandise) prepared for the next month
- Creating content material and doing outreach to land collaborations and sponsorships
- Creating and scheduling any content material needed for my subsequent upcoming progress challenge
- I select one “progress challenge” per 30 days that’s meant to assist me develop my visitors and/or earnings—similar to launching a brand new digital product, co-hosting a webinar with an affiliate, participating in a bundle or summit, or implementing a brand new visitors technique
- Overflow week
Moreover, one in every of my merchandise is my NYC photograph excursions and shoots, which I launched after having so many readers asking me to point out them round New York. This implies there are days once I’m in particular person with these shoppers.
Once I’m engaged on the above, my day seems to be like a reasonably typical workday, although I can take a time without work if I would like, transfer issues round, and work from anyplace.
As a journey blogger I additionally journey quite a bit, so some weeks I’m on the highway. For example, I simply bought again from spending two weeks touring round Tanzania.
Whereas touring, I’m not likely on my laptop computer; nevertheless, I’m taking notes, photographs, and video clips to make use of in future journey content material I’ll create as soon as I’m again house.
9. Is there nonetheless room for brand new journey bloggers to achieve such a aggressive area of interest?
Completely, although I’d area of interest down extra than simply “journey”. Actually intention to construct a enterprise that helps a selected viewers and in a selected method.
As soon as you understand who you assist and the way, it’ll be a lot simpler to decide on what subjects to cowl, which associates and types to work with, and which services and products to create—as they are going to all be an extension of your mission.
10. How has your method to search engine marketing advanced as Google’s algorithms have modified through the years?
I’m lucky that I’ve all the time been targeted on rising and nurturing an electronic mail checklist, as I feel that is extra vital than ever. This manner, you may flip one-time readers into devoted group members and seize that visitors on an inventory you personal.
Moreover, I like to recommend diversifying your visitors sources in addition to fascinated by your weblog as a enterprise (vs merely writing over-optimized posts to attempt to rank).
11. How do you pitch manufacturers or tourism boards for paid partnerships or press journeys? Any suggestions for newbies?
Don’t overthink pitching. Go into as when you’re having a dialog and sharing an thought for a mutually useful partnership (vs asking the model to provide you one thing).
Earlier than you do that, attempt to pinpoint what you carry to the desk. Perhaps it’s affect, a selected viewers, a artistic content material creation fashion, or one thing else.
You’ll be able to watch a current YouTube video I shared for an precise pitch template that I’m going over step-by-step under:
12. Are you able to define the steps somebody ought to take to start out a journey weblog and switch it right into a worthwhile enterprise?
I’d advocate new bloggers first pinpoint their mission (ie who you assist and the way).
When you’ve outlined this, break your mission up into 2-3 major subjects—typically known as “content material pillars” —that you simply’ll create content material round. This can enable you preserve your content material cohesive and construct topical authority. You may even go laborious on one content material pillar to begin to develop faster.
From there, create content material that matches inside your content material pillars. Ideally, you’ll first create your foundational posts—these posts that readers will anticipate to be in your weblog—and you then’ll do key phrase analysis to search out low-competition key phrases (ie search queries) you may create content material round and rank for. Beneath is a useful video I made:
Whereas optimizing your web site and content material for search engine marketing is vital, I like to recommend implementing a number of different visitors methods—like Pinterest, Fb, and Flipboard—and constructing an electronic mail checklist to seize your visitors and switch one-time guests into repeat readers.
Your electronic mail checklist will help you develop each your visitors and earnings, as you may share your free content material (like weblog posts and YouTube movies) with subscribers in addition to paid merchandise and affiliate hyperlinks (with disclosure).
Which brings me to an vital piece of the technique: monetization.
As talked about above, it’s vital to implement and develop income streams. Then, you should utilize your content material to develop your visitors to develop your earnings.
For example, you may monetize content material immediately by affiliate hyperlinks and advertisements. Or, when you have your personal product, you may create content material that may entice your supreme patrons and get that product in entrance of them.
13. Do you should journey incessantly to take care of a profitable journey weblog, or are you able to weblog about journey with out being on the highway consistently?
It depends upon your particular area of interest. For example, when you run a weblog about Paris journey and you reside in Paris, you received’t have to journey in any respect.
Nonetheless, when you cowl many locations you’ll need to be sure you’re both touring recurrently otherwise you contract or rent writers who will help create content material.
14. What are some frequent errors new journey bloggers make, and the way can they keep away from them?
The most typical mistake new bloggers make isn’t fascinated by their weblog as a enterprise.
Many bloggers merely assume they’ll optimize their content material for key phrases, develop their visitors, and monetize with advertisements and affiliate hyperlinks.
To actually construct one thing sustainable and long-lasting, I like to recommend fascinated by your weblog as an precise enterprise—together with having your personal merchandise/companies—and your content material as a software for rising the enterprise.
15. What are the challenges of working a journey weblog, and the way do you overcome them?
One of many largest challenges for journey bloggers is maintaining with altering algorithms.
For example, within the final 12 months, we’ve seen numerous massive Google algorithm updates which have fully shifted what reveals up in Google search outcomes.
Whereas some blogs grew from this, others misplaced some—and even all—of their visitors. Additionally, some who misplaced visitors within the first replace bounced again within the third replace.
And it’s not simply Google. Pinterest, Instagram, Fb, and different social media platforms recurrently change the way in which their algorithms work.
Due to this, it’s vital to:
- Sustain with modifications and be adaptable
- Diversify your visitors and income streams
- Have an electronic mail checklist, which you personal (vs your social media followers, which you don’t)
16. Are you able to inform me about Journey Weblog Prosperity? What number of members do you might have? How can it assist journey bloggers? Is that this for brand new bloggers?
Journey Weblog Prosperity is a web-based membership devoted to serving to journey and life-style bloggers develop their visitors and earnings by a mixture of schooling, collaboration, and group assist.
When you login, you’ll have quick entry to 100+ programs and workshops. This contains the Core Curriculum, which takes you from setup to wage and teaches you the way to get setup for visitors and earnings success.
From there, you should utilize the included Running a blog Technique Roadmap to carry the whole lot collectively and create a marketing strategy for your self.
That will help you construct this out, there are further workshops and trainings that train methods associated to branding your weblog, rising your visitors, growing your electronic mail subscribers, launching and advertising and marketing services and products, rising your affiliate earnings, working with manufacturers and tourism boards, freelance writing, seeing success on social media, scaling with advertisements, creating workflows, enhancing productiveness and mindset, and extra.
Plus, there may be a minimum of one new stay workshop taught each single month—replay included.
Different perks embody a 15-minute onboarding name that can assist you create an motion plan, month-to-month stay teaching calls and bonus occasions with visitor specialists, weekly paid alternatives despatched to your inbox, over $2k price of included bonuses, and extra.
We presently have over 200 members. It’s a extremely supportive and nurturing group that may like to welcome you!
Bonus: As a Making Sense of Cents reader, I’ve bought a particular coupon code so that you can attempt Journey Weblog Prosperity out for simply $9 to your first month.
➡️ Click on right here and use code “MAKINGSENSE9” at checkout to snag the deal.
Simply be aware that the coupon is legitimate for brand new members solely. After your trial month is over it’s $49/month to remain a member and you’ll cancel at any time—even earlier than your discounted month is over!
You’ll be able to click on right here to study extra about Journey Weblog Prosperity.
Are you interested by beginning a journey weblog?
Really helpful studying: