These days, it appears as though everyone and their gran is a travel blogger. There’s nothing wrong with that; documenting your travels is fun and in some cases can lead to fantastic opportunities. But landing those coveted gigs to actually get paid to travel and write about it, is SO much more than just pressing ‘publish’ on your Tumblr once in a blue moon. Here’s our take on what companies look for when hiring a travel blogger. Keeping these things in mind will not only put you in a better position when pitching to travel companies, but it will also foster a positive freelancer experience.
1. Your following matters…to a certain extent
Many companies will tell you that you don’t need a huge following to be considered for a press trip or some sort of partnership, and while that might be somewhat true for some things, (contributing articles, for instance) in other cases it’s honestly a little bit of a lie.
Of course you need a significant enough following for it to be beneficial to the company. Think of it as a ‘scratch our back and we’ll scratch yours’ situation – it needs to be mutually beneficial, with both the blogger and travel company gaining access to a new, preferably wider, audience.
However, all is not lost for the middle-of-the-road bloggers. Engagement beats following, so if you have followers who share and talk about your content, that’ll get travel companies jumping for joy more than a bunch of bot accounts who never react to your stuff.
Don’t believe us? Then take it from Contiki’s global marketing team:
"Factors like reach and authority will always play a role in outreach, however we're increasingly focusing less on size and more on audience engagement. Once we can establish a brand fit in terms of aesthetic and tone we focus on what tactics content creators use to build strong engagement within their community, regardless of size. 2017 is no doubt the year of the micro-influencer, where brands can focus on cost-effective ways to scale volume and build deep engagement across a wide breadth of communities."
- Will Weeks, Head of Content, Contiki
2. You need a press page (PLEASE)
Come on guys, have a press page! Or media page, portfolio page, whatever you want to call it, just have a place where travel companies can view your media kit and any content you’re part of elsewhere around the web (i.e. articles you’ve written, interviews, quotes). This helps you secure projects with travel companies because they’ll want the content they have you produce to be seen on your site as well as their own.
This isn’t just to help them, as Google will reward you as well when you establish strong connections to other places online. When you rank higher on Google, your audience will grow and the likelihood of bigger brands (with bigger budgets) contacting you grows too!
3. You need to understand the brand’s values and voice
If I had a dollar for every time a blogger contacted travel companies showing a lack of knowledge of what that brand does/stands for… well, I’d be rich enough to not have to make another ‘if I had a dollar’ statement.
Just like when someone reaches out to you as a travel blogger, you want them to know the basics: your name (it’s TourRadar NOT TOUR RADAR, TORE RADAR, Tourradar), the ethos of your blog, what kind of content you create and what you’re an expert in. It’s the same for travel companies; each has a mission statement and has a direction and a voice they want to maintain.
It helps both parties get off to the best start and maintain a great working relationship when the voice and values of each are respected and acknowledged from the very first point of contact.
"We want content that makes us laugh, that makes us feel inspired and of course make us want to pack our bags ASAP! For The Collective, we’re always on the hunt for super-shareable and fun pieces. Think: listicles, photo essays, how-to guides and destination-focused pieces that are on brand and match our tone of voice. For bonus points, add a seasonal hook to your pitch to catch our attention and don’t forget your own personal flair – it’s what makes you stand out!"
- Gemma Music, Editor of The Collective by Topdeck
4. They want your first-hand experience with a destination
Many in-house editorial staff at travel companies (especially start-ups) are always eager to expand their library of content through collaborations with freelancers. As great as it would be, we don’t cover all the countries in the world, and we have to man the content fort at home base which doesn’t allow a lot of time for adventures abroad.
As a travel blogger, you’re an expert in the content or place you’re writing about and/or working with a brand on. Travel companies want travel writers and bloggers to use their personal voice and experience to make the audience feel like they’re there with them; to show them the places they should check out and get them excited and inspired.
Even though the internet is full of information, it’s always best to hear it from someone who has experienced it first hand so write honestly and in your own voice, unless explicitly told otherwise.
"At Intrepid we look for writers with a passion for adventurous travel and a knack for storytelling. We welcome contributors from all walks of life to share their experiences across the globe, and encourage tales from off the beaten track, from memorable interactions with locals, and about anything else that relates to the life-changing experience that travel provides. We also look for writers who go that extra step further in scoping out a unique or quirky angle for a piece, and always appreciate when they can provide great photos to go along with their work."
- Rebecca Shapiro, Managing Editor, Intrepid Travel
5. Be responsive and accommodating
Travel companies have a lot to think about, and lots of departments overlap, making deadlines a very real thing in an employee’s life. We don’t want to be waiting for somebody to get back to us when we have an editorial and social calendar we need to sort out and stick to – who knows, maybe you could even lose out on going on a free tour because you took too long to follow-up with your portfolio, media kit and/or proposal.
In addition to being responsive, and somewhat stating the obvious, it’s always nice to have a pleasant experience when collaborating. You’re much more likely to get more opportunities in the future when you remain polite, professional and humble. It’s important to be able to have open conversations in order to discuss the work and stay on the same page so things go as smoothly as possible.
You might not believe it considering we often feel anonymous online, but your reputation is everything and travel companies talk, so don’t mess it up for yourself!
Jayne from Girl Tweets World highlights the importance of communication from the travel blogger’s point of view:
"I've found the key thing for me when working with brands is to lay out in writing what exactly will be delivered by each side. For my side of the agreement I draw up a document which states how many blog posts, images or social media posts I will deliver and by when. That way I can use the document as a checklist at the end of the project and also have something to refer to if at any stage anything over and above this is requested by the brand. I feel it's important for bloggers to have the freedom to deliver content they know will work best for their readers but it's equally important to set the right expectations with clients about what you will deliver."
- Jayne Gorman, Travel Blogger, Girl Tweets World
6. Practice good spelling and grammar (duh!)
This one begins right in your very first email. You could have the biggest following in the world, but if we’re spending forever editing bad writing or we see that you don’t take care of your spelling or grammar, this tells the company you’re either: a) a bad writer, b) lazy, c) inconsiderate of others’ time or d) all of the above. Spoiler alert: any of these are bad.
If you have horrendous spelling and grammar but still snagged a gig, know that most companies would think twice about coming back for more collaborations. Of course, you don’t have to be a modern Shakespeare if writing isn’t what your brand focuses on. Just a quick review of your spelling and grammar is a simple sign of respect and represents that you’ve put effort into your work and care about your relationship with the travel company.
