Many people wonder what their dream job truly is. Traveling the world and being paid for it sounds like an absolute joy to many of us, but we assume it is impossible. Seeing places you’d never normally be able to see, experiencing all the different food and culture the world has to offer, and doing it all whilst earning money? Sounds impossible, but it actually isn’t. Being a travel blogger has become a legitimate job, and earning potential is good. It’s not all fun and games, but it’s certainly a very appealing job. So how do travel bloggers get paid? Read on to find out more.
Money at Home
The first point we have may surprise you. Many travel bloggers actually find ways of making extra money back home whilst they are traveling. As traveling requires being away from home for long periods of time, your assets are sat at home, earning nothing whilst you’re away. If you have a nice house in a good location, leasing your home for holidays on apps like Airbnb can be an amazing way of having some income rolling in without much effort from yourself. Depending on location, Airbnb prices can range from $30 to $300 per night, so if you’re planning a month-long trip abroad for work, you could easily be bringing in over $1000 a month in holiday lets.
The same goes for your car. There are now many car and ride-sharing apps available where you simply list your car and allow others to collect it and pay you through the app. These are all regulated and safe ways to earn money from your assets while away from home. One genius travel blogger even told us that they rent out their driveway as parking spots while they are away. There are plenty of ways to make your property earn you some money whilst traveling.
Paid Writing
Now, let’s get down to the actual business of travel blogging. One of the biggest income streams comes from paid trips or paid articles. This will be when a specific hotel, resort, or travel company wants you to write an article about their place. This would likely involve them paying for your trip in the first place and then paying you for one or multiple articles about the trip. This could also relate to specific events like holidays, festivals, or guided tours.
Respected travel bloggers will be asked to attend these events and then write articles about them. Your articles may be used for your own blog or be written as a guest post on the company’s own website. The possibilities are quite endless here, once you are a well-respected blogger, people will come knocking on your door for paid writing.
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Advertising
One of the key revenue streams for a travel blogger is advertising on their own blog. This part takes some time. First, you need to build your blog yourself. Write lots, and write well about everywhere you have traveled and plan to travel. Use social media and other promotions to drive traffic to your own blog page.
Once the traffic starts to build up, your site will become popular with advertisers. After this, you will be able to sell banner ads or sponsored links within your posts. Fees will range dramatically depending on the company who is advertising with you, the amount of traffic on your site, and how long the ad runs.
Social media advertising is also a great way to make some money. As your blog grows, so should your social media account – especially if you’re taking beautiful photos on your travels and posting them to Instagram. Having a big social media following means companies may approach you to do sponsored posts for their travel-related brands. Depending on followers, post prices can range from $50 to $500!
Photography
Another way many bloggers make some extra cash from traveling is by selling their photography. No doubt, whilst traveling, you’ll see and snap some amazing things. Whether it’s photos of a beautiful South East Asian landscape or a packed beach in Europe, these photos are useful to companies, brands, and other bloggers. The easiest way to get started is to upload to stock photo websites and wait for the money to roll in. You’ll be paid per download, so the better the shot is, the more you’re likely to make.
So, while income can vary massively depending on many things, you definitely can make money blogging and traveling the world. Sound good? Give it a try! Remember to build your blog up to a sustainable level and then throw yourself in full-time. Good luck, and enjoy your travels.
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