How can I afford to travel and how much money I earn from Travel Blogging
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 37,486
As someone with a bit of a history in blogging, I can say that her site is the perfect mix of the kind of content travel advertisers like to see.
99% of the content on BA is total crap, and only appeals to a very small portion of the traveling public. Does her girly attitude and photos help? You bet, but her content is fresh, bright and colorful. Compare any BA blog to her blog and you'll see why she does so well.
As for CC referrals being "King", perhaps in the US, but if you want a global audience, they are meaningless, and again - only appeal to a very, very small portion of your audience.
99% of the content on BA is total crap, and only appeals to a very small portion of the traveling public. Does her girly attitude and photos help? You bet, but her content is fresh, bright and colorful. Compare any BA blog to her blog and you'll see why she does so well.
As for CC referrals being "King", perhaps in the US, but if you want a global audience, they are meaningless, and again - only appeal to a very, very small portion of your audience.
#32
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,955
As someone with a bit of a history in blogging, I can say that her site is the perfect mix of the kind of content travel advertisers like to see.
99% of the content on BA is total crap, and only appeals to a very small portion of the traveling public. Does her girly attitude and photos help? You bet, but her content is fresh, bright and colorful. Compare any BA blog to her blog and you'll see why she does so well.
As for CC referrals being "King", perhaps in the US, but if you want a global audience, they are meaningless, and again - only appeal to a very, very small portion of your audience.
99% of the content on BA is total crap, and only appeals to a very small portion of the traveling public. Does her girly attitude and photos help? You bet, but her content is fresh, bright and colorful. Compare any BA blog to her blog and you'll see why she does so well.
As for CC referrals being "King", perhaps in the US, but if you want a global audience, they are meaningless, and again - only appeal to a very, very small portion of your audience.
*TPG for big news (big meaning from a major company, because he only posts things that can earn him a referral)
*OMaaT if I'm going on a trip in J and need to pick a product, because he's flown them all and his reviews are entertaining; doesn't pimp credit cards nearly as hard
*VFTW for some honest analysis on some of the things TPG posts as well
But Just One Way Ticket is living what she writes about. For real. Not just a short term jaunt for the purpose of generating content. That's readable every day because a lot of us sitting at a desk would love to be doing that - if not full time, maybe a month between jobs or something, or even 2 weeks with the family. That's good content, and if I were paying to advertise (I have nothing relevant to advertise), her blog would be high on my list.
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
I wouldnt advertise on a site with such poor reader numbers. 83 per cent of visitors do not bother to read a second page.
#34
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: SPG Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 27
Yup, her blog has actual content. Don't get me wrong, I check TPG for the big stuff from major issuers or airlines, I think Gary does a good job with some analysis, and One Mile At a Time is just a fun blog to read because I think Lucky/Ben is insane. But those sites, by and large, all contain the same 90% of content and differentiate on the last bit. I might read them for a particular objective -
*TPG for big news (big meaning from a major company, because he only posts things that can earn him a referral)
*OMaaT if I'm going on a trip in J and need to pick a product, because he's flown them all and his reviews are entertaining; doesn't pimp credit cards nearly as hard
*VFTW for some honest analysis on some of the things TPG posts as well
But Just One Way Ticket is living what she writes about. For real. Not just a short term jaunt for the purpose of generating content. That's readable every day because a lot of us sitting at a desk would love to be doing that - if not full time, maybe a month between jobs or something, or even 2 weeks with the family. That's good content, and if I were paying to advertise (I have nothing relevant to advertise), her blog would be high on my list.
*TPG for big news (big meaning from a major company, because he only posts things that can earn him a referral)
*OMaaT if I'm going on a trip in J and need to pick a product, because he's flown them all and his reviews are entertaining; doesn't pimp credit cards nearly as hard
*VFTW for some honest analysis on some of the things TPG posts as well
But Just One Way Ticket is living what she writes about. For real. Not just a short term jaunt for the purpose of generating content. That's readable every day because a lot of us sitting at a desk would love to be doing that - if not full time, maybe a month between jobs or something, or even 2 weeks with the family. That's good content, and if I were paying to advertise (I have nothing relevant to advertise), her blog would be high on my list.
#35
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,955
I agree but what content is not being covered that you wish would be covered by a blogger? I feel like there's not much more insight or big news information that isn't being covered out there already so most people are just spinning their own take on a particular news piece or promoting credit cards for referrals. I'd love to hear what you think isn't being covered and that needs to be addressed by a blogger.
#36
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Another fun read about comp'd trips: http://velamag.com/backpackers-in-paradise/.
#37
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,611
Another fun read about comp'd trips: http://velamag.com/backpackers-in-paradise/.
#38
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Or honest about the idiocy of how marketing organizations target their comp'd trips and why trusting what you read about a destination, especially from a press trip, is a questionable move.
I suppose possibly all of the above, too.
I suppose possibly all of the above, too.
#39
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,611
So maybe pudgy American co-owner Jennifer, her The Help-loving sister in law Melody and the Tourist Board of the DR are crazy like a fox for inviting pretentious and ungrateful bloggers!
And maybe Sarah there did more harm to the cause of anti-exploitation and neo-colonialism than good with her screed.
In any case, thanks for sharing! It did indeed give some terrific insight into the mind of a travel blogger on the verge of/dipping her toe into 'selling out.'
#40
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
#41
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: IC Diamond Amb, Bonvoy Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, HH Diamond
Posts: 309
I also find her blog entry on the Seahorse quite pretenious. She must have known what lies ahead of her when she got the invitation for that trip - if not- google is indeed your friend. If the property is against her travel "ethics" why did she accept the invitation in the first place? Why spend a week/days at a property with all expenses paid just to later blog about how much you loath the environment and that you'd rather spend time with the people who work there at the local BBQ hut? If you really have got any ethics as a blogger than don't accept an invitation to a trip like that.
#42
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,182
#43
#44
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: BAEC Silver, SPG Gold
Posts: 465
How can I afford to travel and how much money I earn from Travel Blogging
Go to a TBEX or one if the many other "travel blogging" conferences and you meet lots of bloggers living on the road full time or traveling on press and sponsored trips (I don't agree you should take a free trip to somewhere you wouldn't stay normally but that's just me) - the points travel group is a small subset of blogs represented there.
I started my blog (philatravelgirl.com) to write about the actual travel experience once I burned miles in J to safari, Easter island and RTW that I didn't see on BA or for that matter when researching solo travel - I'm making no money from it and while I have a few ideas long term I'm just trying to build readership and travel vendor /PR contacts.
I started my blog (philatravelgirl.com) to write about the actual travel experience once I burned miles in J to safari, Easter island and RTW that I didn't see on BA or for that matter when researching solo travel - I'm making no money from it and while I have a few ideas long term I'm just trying to build readership and travel vendor /PR contacts.
#45
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 526
But if you look at the readership stats I posted in post 3, copied from her own site, the general public does NOT seem to like it! She just seems able to convince commercial companies that they do.
I wouldnt advertise on a site with such poor reader numbers. 83 per cent of visitors do not bother to read a second page.
I wouldnt advertise on a site with such poor reader numbers. 83 per cent of visitors do not bother to read a second page.
I presume a lot of her traffic is coming from mainstream female dominated social networking sites (FB/Pinterest) and that traffic is less sticky than the targeted traffic you're more than likely to be receiving.
That doesn't make it any less desirable, in fact her target demo (18-35 yr old females) is one of the most profitable subsections to advertise to. The advertise could care less what her bounce rates are, as long as they are sharing and buying their product.