We live in a digital world where most of us document our lives online, be it on social media, travel apps or a personal website. Travellers would usually keep a small pocket journal and carry it around wherever they go. But times have changed where they would bring laptops instead, or simply just their smartphones. Without further ado, here’s how you can document your travel journey online:
#1: Social Media
With the rise of Instagram, it became common to upload pictures when you travel on this photo-sharing platform. Compared to other platforms, Instagram is the best platform to show off your beautiful scenery, photos and delicious food from all around the world. There are also Instagram stories to bring your followers, who are usually your loved ones (or strangers!), around your trip as you hop from one place to another. It is much easier to share your photos on Instagram compared to a website since it only takes you a few minutes to post it and write a short caption.
You can also share some tips and guides with those following your account as most people would need them when they travel themselves. It also became a saying to call a place ‘insta-worthy’ due to the amount of photos being taken at that specific spot. Travelling is made easier with the help of Instagram especially how easy it is to tag a location and upload your photos. Users tend to look for inspiration or ideas on how to make their trip better, and Instagram is where they would go the most. Plus, if you consistently post all of your travel content, you could even stand a chance to get the attention of various brands and get paid to upload a sponsored post. Heck, you can even receive a free trip if you’re lucky!
Aside from Instagram, you could create your own travel Facebook page and regularly upload your photos there. Most travellers tend to get their Facebook and Instagram accounts linked so they would only require to post on one platform while it gets posted to both accounts. Facebook would be as useful as Instagram, but it wouldn’t be easy since there is higher competition on Facebook.
#2: Your Own Blog
Without a question, starting your own website or personal blog is a staple for any wanderlust. Not only is having your own travel blog helps to share your travel memories with anyone in the world, but you also get to earn some decent income through advertising. However, you should take note of the difference between a personal blog and a professional one. If you are looking to just write down your experience like a diary, then Blogger would be the best option. But if you are looking to earn income through it, getting started with WordPress would be ideal. Don’t worry – you don’t need to know any technical skills in order to set up your own website using WordPress. You could simply head over to any web hosting companies such as BlueHost and NameCheap to buy your domain name, which is something you have to think of and get them to install WordPress for you. Having a good website design is one of the key points to attract readers and gain an audience, aside from the content itself. You can take your pick among the various themes available on websites like WordPress Vault or any of the free themes provided by WordPress themselves and install them on your website.
Tips On Improving Your Blog and Social Media
Take Good Pictures
People love to look at good, pretty pictures. If your pictures are blurry and unclear, nobody would even want to glance over at them. They’ll just end up scrolling away. If you aren’t skilled at taking good pictures, that’s okay! Slowly along the way, you’ll eventually learn what works and what doesn’t. Get to know some travel photography tips and invest in a good camera if your smartphone doesn’t have a good one.
Tell A Story
Storytelling doesn’t come naturally unless you are a very skilled writer. Pictures could tell a thousand words, but so do your captions in your social media posts or articles on your blog. Play around with casual and formal writing styles to see what works best with your followers. Once you’ve found your own writing style, you are able to tell your own story through the experiences you’ve gained throughout your travel journey.
