How I Make $100,000+ Every Yr With A Journey Weblog

Do you wish to discover ways to flip your ardour for journey right into a six-figure enterprise?

Journey running a blog is an thrilling and versatile approach 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 really making $100,000+ per yr?

As we speak, I’m excited to share the story of Jessie Festa, a profitable journey blogger who began her weblog, Jessie on a Journey, with the aim 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 best way to begin a journey running a blog enterprise, like:

• How a lot cash can a journey blogger realistically earn, and what are the primary revenue streams?
• Is there nonetheless room for brand spanking new journey bloggers to reach such a aggressive area of interest?
• Do it’s essential journey often to take care of a profitable journey weblog, or are you able to weblog about journey with out being on the street continuously?
• What instruments and gear are essential for operating a profitable journey weblog? Do newcomers want to take a position quite a bit to get began?

Plus extra!

If you happen to’ve ever questioned how a lot cash journey bloggers actually make, how they receives a commission to journey, or the best way to begin your personal journey weblog, this interview with Jessie is for you. She’ll break down her journey and share recommendations on all the things from affiliate marketing online to working with manufacturers and tourism boards.

And, should you’re prepared to show your love for journey right into a thriving enterprise, Journey Weblog Prosperity is the proper useful resource for you. Created by Jessie, this membership gives 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 seeking to scale, Journey Weblog Prosperity supplies the instruments and methods to make it occur.

Technically, the doorways are closed, however should you use my affiliate hyperlink, you possibly can be part of proper now. You can too use coupon code “MAKINGSENSE9” to get your first month for simply $9. After that, it’s $49 monthly 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 be taught 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

Advisable 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 identify 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 assets on-line for solo vacationers, and after going by the difficult strategy of planning a 3-month solo backpacking journey by Europe, I needed to assist others extra simply plan their very own solo journeys.

Moreover, I needed to create a enterprise that will permit me to proceed touring. 

I graduated with my BA/MA in Communication throughout a recession, so jobs had 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 could lead on me. 

Inside a couple of yr I used to be capable of start incomes a gentle revenue from it, and right now 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 website 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 capable of 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 doable to assist defend my enterprise. 

Moreover, I monitor what’s working—and what isn’t—so I can regulate my methods accordingly. 

Lastly, I automate and streamline as a lot as doable, comparable to by creating gross sales funnels to promote my digital merchandise.

3. Why did you resolve to grow to be a journey blogger?

Finally, it was my love of journey. I used to be decided to seek out—or create—a job that will permit me to earn a residing from wherever in order that I might maintain 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 at all times assumed a weblog was simply an internet journal.

However, I noticed different vacationers—regular individuals who weren’t celebrities—doing it and really being profitable writing about their travels on their web sites. I advised myself that if they may do it, so might I. So I did!

4. What do you get pleasure from most about operating 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 primarily based on targets I’m captivated with and initiatives I’m enthusiastic about. Moreover, I can work from wherever on this planet—or select to take day off, as a result of I’m the one approving trip time. 😉

With journey particularly, you possibly can select to monetize your journeys, comparable to by writing weblog posts that include advertisements and affiliate hyperlinks or working with sponsors.  

Don’t get me fallacious, operating any sort of enterprise, together with a weblog, is difficult work; however, there are quite a lot of perks too. 

5. What are a few of your favourite locations that you just’ve traveled to because of your journey weblog?

My favourite place is normally wherever I’ve simply been! 🙂 Not too long ago, I visited  Kyrgyzstan and Tanzania—each of which had 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 primary revenue streams?

I do know journey bloggers incomes nothing and journey bloggers incomes a number of six figures, so it actually relies upon. 

In my view, one of many greatest errors bloggers make is considering that writing in itself will finally result in revenue. 

Sure, your content material can—and will—be worthwhile; however, to essentially 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 essential revenue streams for journey bloggers embrace:

• Affiliate internet marketing
• Working advertisements (for example, I’m a Mediavine writer)
• Launching services
• 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 operating a profitable journey weblog? Do newcomers want to take a position quite a bit to get began?

To start with, I’d advocate investing in good internet hosting with safety features and constant uptime, a light-weight theme with assist, and a premium key phrase analysis device so that you could optimize your web site for Search Engine Optimization (website positioning).

As you develop, you might spend money on different instruments, as properly. It simply is determined by your technique. 

As an example, I personally pay for Later to schedule my Instagram posts and plan my feed; nonetheless, I additionally know many bloggers who use Instagram’s native scheduler or publish in real-time free of charge.

Additionally, many important instruments are free to start out. As an example, you’ll undoubtedly need an electronic mail advertising and marketing platform, like Mailerlite or ConvertKit, which usually supply free plans to get began.

8. What does your typical work schedule seem like as a journey blogger? What number of hours every week do you dedicate to sustaining your weblog?

I like to interrupt up my month into 4 weekly “sprints”. These embrace:

• Getting the content material and occasion schedule for my  Journey Weblog Prosperity membership (considered one of my essential merchandise) prepared for the next month
• Creating content material and doing outreach to land collaborations and sponsorships
• Creating and scheduling any content material mandatory for my subsequent upcoming development mission
  • I select one “development mission” monthly that’s meant to assist me develop my visitors and/or revenue—comparable to launching a brand new digital product, co-hosting a webinar with an affiliate, collaborating in a bundle or summit, or implementing a brand new visitors technique
• Overflow week

Moreover, considered one 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 after I’m in individual with these purchasers.

After I’m engaged on the above, my day appears to be like like a fairly typical workday, although I can take a day without work if I want, transfer issues round, and work from wherever.

As a journey blogger I additionally journey quite a bit, so some weeks I’m on the street. As an example, I simply acquired again from spending two weeks touring round Tanzania.

Whereas touring, I’m not likely on my laptop computer; nonetheless, I’m taking notes, pictures, 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 spanking new journey bloggers to reach such a aggressive area of interest?

Completely, although I’d area of interest down extra than simply “journey”. Actually goal 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 to create—as they’ll all be an extension of your mission.

10. How has your method to website positioning developed as Google’s algorithms have modified through the years?

I’m lucky that I’ve at all times been targeted on rising and nurturing an electronic mail checklist, as I feel that is extra essential than ever. This manner, you possibly can 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 eager about 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 newcomers?

Don’t overthink pitching. Go into as should you’re having a dialog and sharing an thought for a mutually helpful partnership (vs asking the model to present you one thing).

Earlier than you do that, attempt to pinpoint what you deliver to the desk. Possibly it’s affect, a selected viewers, a artistic content material creation model, or one thing else.

You may watch a current YouTube video I shared for an precise pitch template that I am 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 essential subjects—typically referred to as “content material pillars” —that you just’ll create content material round. This can enable you maintain your content material cohesive and construct topical authority. You would possibly 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 then you definately’ll do key phrase analysis to seek out low-competition key phrases (ie search queries) you possibly can create content material round and rank for. Under is a useful video I made:

Whereas optimizing your web site and content material for website positioning is essential, I like to recommend implementing just a few 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 revenue, as you possibly can 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 essential piece of the technique: monetization.

As talked about above, it’s essential to implement and develop income streams. Then, you should utilize your content material to develop your visitors to develop your revenue.

As an example, you possibly can monetize content material immediately by affiliate hyperlinks and advertisements. Or, you probably have your personal product, you possibly can create content material that will appeal to your excellent patrons and get that product in entrance of them.

13. Do it’s essential journey often to take care of a profitable journey weblog, or are you able to weblog about journey with out being on the street continuously?

It is determined by your particular area of interest. As an example, should you run a weblog about Paris journey and you reside in Paris, you received’t have to journey in any respect. 

Nevertheless, should you cowl many locations you’ll wish to be sure to’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 shouldn’t be eager about their weblog as a enterprise. 

Many bloggers merely suppose 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 eager about your weblog as an precise enterprise—together with having your personal merchandise/companies—and your content material as a device for rising the enterprise.

15. What are the challenges of operating a journey weblog, and the way do you overcome them?

One of many greatest challenges for journey bloggers is maintaining with altering algorithms. 

As an example, within the final yr, we’ve seen various huge 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 essential 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 could have? How can it assist journey bloggers? Is that this for brand spanking new bloggers?

Journey Weblog Prosperity is an internet membership devoted to serving to journey and life-style bloggers develop their visitors and revenue by a mixture of training, collaboration, and group assist. 

When you login, you’ll have fast entry to 100+ programs and workshops. This consists of the Core Curriculum, which takes you from setup to wage and teaches you the best way to get setup for visitors and revenue success.

From there, you should utilize the included Running a blog Technique Roadmap to deliver all the things collectively and create a marketing strategy for your self. 

That will help you construct this out, there are extra workshops and trainings that educate methods associated to branding your weblog, rising your visitors, growing your electronic mail subscribers, launching and advertising and marketing services, rising your affiliate revenue, 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 dwell workshop taught each single month—replay included.

Different perks embrace a 15-minute onboarding name that can assist you create an motion plan, month-to-month dwell teaching calls and bonus occasions with visitor specialists, weekly paid alternatives despatched to your inbox, over $2k value of included bonuses, and extra.

We at the moment have over 200 members. It’s a very supportive and nurturing group that will like to welcome you!

Bonus: As a Making Sense of Cents reader, I’ve acquired a particular coupon code so that you can attempt Journey Weblog Prosperity out for simply $9 on 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 spanking 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 may click on right here to be taught extra about Journey Weblog Prosperity.

Are you curious about beginning a journey weblog?

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