Every day, our world gets smaller and smaller. Transportation technology has us waking up in Atlanta and hitting the hay in London, and we can practically travel anywhere we want these days, provided we obtain the means. With ever-expanding international markets, our temporary transfers overseas may even last longer than a typical vacation. Thanks to our globetrotters, a huge trend that has hit the internet over the past few years is travel blogging. Essentially, most people use this medium as a travel journal that is visible to others. Thus, the travel blogs act not only as a means of communication to loved ones but also for our own references and memories later down the road. If you’ve never maintained one before, you may be concerned about how to create a travel blog, but you need only open a free account on a blogging website and then try to follow some basic guidelines.
The most poignant travel blogs, and those that actually maintain a steady following, engage readers not only because they can explore the traveler’s experiences and follow along beside him but also because the writer reveals his own observations and revelations along the way. Simply put, if you want to learn how to write an effective travel blog–perhaps to look upon years from now–ask yourself what you want each posting to represent and what you have learned since your last blog entry.
Followers will obviously expect photos on your blog, so make sure to include at least one per post. However, just as people rarely enjoy thumbing through somebody else’s family photo album, few people want to see every picture you take abroad. Try picking your favorite few and posting them within the hopefully meaningful and thought-provoking text. You might want to choose your favorite scenic photo and then one of you that highlights an important part of you trip. If you have a hilarious picture you’ve taken, definitely post that, as everybody can use a good laugh whenever possible.
Once you have analyzed your own personal development, which is key to any meaningful traveling, decide how to convey this to your friends and family, and start writing. Most likely, your reader expects a casual rapport, so feel free to hack away at the keyboard during a brief stop at an internet cafe, and don’t consume yourself with perfection. Again, the most engaging travel blogs will speak colloquially to your readers to make them feel a part of your adventures.
Try to update your blog as often as you can, so long as you have something either funny, meaningful, or exciting to convey. Remember to include details that may seem irrelevant, as specificity does count and will set your blog apart from those that simply reiterate an itinerary. Though your itinerary should make its way into your blog’s memory, you want to do this with anecdotal stories and pictures. Also, each posting does not need to be a thousand words! The most important travel blog quality is that you inject your own personality, sense of humor, and quirkiness into it, and don’t forget to direct it at your appropriate audience!
