Starting a new travel blog - looking for feedback
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Round Lake, IL
Programs: UA GS, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,064
Starting a new travel blog - looking for feedback
First off - to all the mods - This was my best guess as far as which forum to post this in. If there is a better forum, please move it for me.
Now, on to the real content:
Recently, I convinced my wife to share all her great organic children stories in a blog (I was sick and tired of hearing it myself). After talking her up I realized I had a lot of (useless) information from my years of traveling and working the system. All my friends looked at me as the "expert". Anyway, I decided to finally start writing and created a blog: www.travelingelite.com. I wanted to focus on informing the general public about how they can take advantage of what I knew.
So, my questions:
1. Based on the first 2 posts and the concept, is this a good idea?
2. Are there any great topics you think would be worth covering that you haven't seen out there (like I was planning to do a nice - How to travel with your kids so you dont piss everyone off - article)
3. Do you know any good places to promote travel blogs (besides my sig on here)?
Thanks in advance!
Gary (long time FTer)
Now, on to the real content:
Recently, I convinced my wife to share all her great organic children stories in a blog (I was sick and tired of hearing it myself). After talking her up I realized I had a lot of (useless) information from my years of traveling and working the system. All my friends looked at me as the "expert". Anyway, I decided to finally start writing and created a blog: www.travelingelite.com. I wanted to focus on informing the general public about how they can take advantage of what I knew.
So, my questions:
1. Based on the first 2 posts and the concept, is this a good idea?
2. Are there any great topics you think would be worth covering that you haven't seen out there (like I was planning to do a nice - How to travel with your kids so you dont piss everyone off - article)
3. Do you know any good places to promote travel blogs (besides my sig on here)?
Thanks in advance!
Gary (long time FTer)
#2
Join Date: May 2010
Location: BNA
Programs: No preference
Posts: 1,176
1. Honestly, there are quite a few similar style and content blogs out there. But if this is a source of information for people you know and want to help, then go for it.
2. Just about all topics have been covered in my opinion, but nothing has been covered from your own personal perspective.
3. stumbleupon comes to mind, all your friends and family, facebook, etc.
2. Just about all topics have been covered in my opinion, but nothing has been covered from your own personal perspective.
3. stumbleupon comes to mind, all your friends and family, facebook, etc.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA Plat, DL GM and Flying Colonel; Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 24,208
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
I think it is very important to ask yourself why you want to write a travel blog. Do you just want to share your stories? Educate others? Something else? Once you figure out WHY you are doing it answering the other questions becomes a bit easier.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Round Lake, IL
Programs: UA GS, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,064
Thanks!
To answer the previous post as to my motivation - I have so many friends and family that don't seem to understand that traveling is more than just about the journey from here to there...its a game. If you play it right and position yourself correctly then you win. I enjoy telling them how I get all these perks and stories (like calling an exec to get a plane actually brought back to a gate to pick up my mom on the last flight of the night). In the end if no one reads it then so be it, but I like knowing that the information is out there for everyone.
Do I want it to be read by millions - sure (although maybe I should hold back some of the real secrets just in case)...but I would be happy with helping a few people improve their experience (isnt that what most of us FTers are really about?)
To answer the previous post as to my motivation - I have so many friends and family that don't seem to understand that traveling is more than just about the journey from here to there...its a game. If you play it right and position yourself correctly then you win. I enjoy telling them how I get all these perks and stories (like calling an exec to get a plane actually brought back to a gate to pick up my mom on the last flight of the night). In the end if no one reads it then so be it, but I like knowing that the information is out there for everyone.
Do I want it to be read by millions - sure (although maybe I should hold back some of the real secrets just in case)...but I would be happy with helping a few people improve their experience (isnt that what most of us FTers are really about?)
#7
Senior Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,390
If you wish to see a number of FT member travel blogs, have a look at the pull-down "Extras" menu at the top of most FlyerTalk pages. A few clicks will take you to http://boardingarea.com/aboutus.php for quick links to a number of these travel blogs.
#8
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: CLT
Posts: 7,249
Travel blogging is very incestuous. I'd wager that 1/2 of my traffic comes from the other Boarding Area bloggers and other bloggers I've met.
Other places to promote would be TBEX - the travel blog exchange. It is the flyertalk for travel bloggers and they have an annual conference on travel blogging.
I occasionally use StumbleUpon and Digg when I remember, also my local paper has a blog section. Occasionally blogs get promoted to the main newspaper website. That happened for me once and for my friend once. I don't share every post there though, just ones relevant to the local area. AFAIK my local paper has no travel blogger.
After that, the main thing is just to write well. When I went to TBEX last year I was surprised to learn that the vast majority of them were writers first, travelers second. Most of them also did a different type of blogging that I do, but it did teach me that writing is important. If people can't read your writing due to formatting, structure, grammar, etc they move on. I'm a horrible writer, but I've come a long way. If you will just post about promotions like some of the Boarding Area bloggers then grammar and such don't matter as much. Other than that it's good writing that brings people in, consistency that keeps them coming back.
Other places to promote would be TBEX - the travel blog exchange. It is the flyertalk for travel bloggers and they have an annual conference on travel blogging.
I occasionally use StumbleUpon and Digg when I remember, also my local paper has a blog section. Occasionally blogs get promoted to the main newspaper website. That happened for me once and for my friend once. I don't share every post there though, just ones relevant to the local area. AFAIK my local paper has no travel blogger.
After that, the main thing is just to write well. When I went to TBEX last year I was surprised to learn that the vast majority of them were writers first, travelers second. Most of them also did a different type of blogging that I do, but it did teach me that writing is important. If people can't read your writing due to formatting, structure, grammar, etc they move on. I'm a horrible writer, but I've come a long way. If you will just post about promotions like some of the Boarding Area bloggers then grammar and such don't matter as much. Other than that it's good writing that brings people in, consistency that keeps them coming back.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Round Lake, IL
Programs: UA GS, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,064
Thanks for all the fantastic feedback!
#10
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC
Posts: 6,090
It seems like you're targeting beginner or less educated travelers. If that is the case, make sure it stays accessible and easy to understand for the novice traveler. Also, my personal preference is to avoid writing like you talk. For instance, I dislike seeing "So" and "First off" at the beginning of sentences. It just feels too informal and, frankly, less credible. Good luck with the endeavor!