Does your business blog take readers to far-off places, inspire them to push their limits, and show them the wonders of the world? No? Well, that might not be what you’re going for, but there are some really good reasons to take a second look at the travel bloggers who are.
The savviest travel bloggers are wildly successful at engaging with their readers. They’re also really good at getting those readers to ‘share the love’ through social media. The more readers they attract, the faster their audience grows; and that growing audience allows them to monetize their blogs in a big way.
In other words: they’re straight-up schooling your business blog.
(Photo credit: Toa Heftiba)
But the same basic strategies used to create stunning travel blogs can help you improve your business blog, too. Want to increase traffic, engage with your audience, and increase the revenue generated by your blog? Read on.
So, just what strategies are the best travel bloggers using to make their content so valuable?
Here are the top nine:
- They emulate other great blogs – and not necessarily just other travel blogs.
- They tell great stories.
- They provide unique content from real life.
- They bring their blog to life with stunning photos & high quality videos.
- They use those photos to build trust with their readership.
- They participate in the most popular social media sites and promote social sharing.
- They link to useful products and other content that’s valuable to their readers.
- They offer compelling, fresh content regularly.
- They’re in it for the long haul. They establish a great blogging strategy and stick with it.
You might be thinking, “I’m a plumber/landscaper/HR specialist. So, how on earth is my business going to create the same buzz as an exotic travel blog?”
And while we’ll grant that plumbing, landscaping, or HR software do not seem as exciting as world travel, we know you can still use their strategies to great effect.
Here’s how you can take each strategy from above and translate it into something that brings life to your business blog. After all, if you strip away the beach photos and exotic locales, what is a travel blog at its core? Just one person telling other people interesting stories in an interesting way.
If you have a business, I promise that you have these stories to tell.
Travel Blogging Strategies to Use for Your Business Blog
1. See it, do it.
When you see a blog you love, figure out why it’s so amazing. Once you’ve identified some of the features you love, incorporate similar features into your own.
This creative plumber combined travel tips with his plumbing blog and the result is awesome. However, the features don’t have to be content-related. It could also mean getting creative with design—imitating fonts, color schemes, or even site/blog layouts from the pages that look great to you.
2. Become a storyteller.
Take your visitors on a great adventure. What’s the most interesting or bizarre thing you ever dug out of a drain? What kinds of stories do you tell when you get together with other plumbers? Blog about them. Hearing about other people’s plumbing disasters might even make them feel a little better about their own.
You might be surprised at how interested your customers are in those stories. After all, they’re visiting your blog and looking for information about your business. You just need to present that information in a compelling way.
(Photo credit: Wesley Caribe)
3. Make your blog uniquely yours.
Do you have a plumbing pet peeve? Perhaps it’s something you have to fix over and over and over again. Blog about that, too! Share your frustration and offer some tips for preventing similar fiascos. Successful travel bloggers know that readers love storytellers who share their triumphs, as well as their frustrations.
If you’ve had an epic fail, you might even want to blog about that, too. After all, there’s something very appealing about someone who admits their mistakes. Tell the truth, add some humor, and charm those readers.
4. Use lots of photos & videos.
Your photos might not compete with exotic architecture or epic nature shots. But they don’t have to! Maybe, you’ve worked in a famous location or have high-quality shots of your own handiwork. You probably have some great photos that are relevant to your business.
(Photo credit: Ian Schneider)
Videos also liven things up and make the site more visually appealing. They can also make it more relatable. How about including videos of your team at work? It’s easier for readers to connect with someone they feel like they know. They want to feel like they know you and can trust you to be straight with them.
Those candid images of a busy work site are engaging and often compelling. High-quality videos also leave readers feeling good about the energy and expertise of your company.
5. Make it easy to read about your adventures.
Photos and videos help here, too.
But you should also be sure to use subheaders, short paragraphs, and plenty of white space.
Take a look at this travel blog for a great example of something that’s an easy read.
6. Encourage people to follow you on social media & prove you’re worth the follow.
Establish a social media presence and then use it to your advantage. These social media performance tips will help you make better use of those accounts.
Don’t think plumbers and social media go together? Check out this article on “How Plumbers Are Rocking Social Media.”
(Photo credit: Mr. Speedy Plumbing & Rooter Inc. of Huntington Beach)
7. Offer useful tips & tricks.
People love reading about tips and tricks they can use in their own travels.
Your readers are no different; they’re just looking for different kinds of advice. The internet is sometimes a scary world and ‘experts’ often aren’t all that expert. Advice that comes from a reputable business in a particular field—and from a blogger they trust—adds huge value to your site.
8. Keep readers up-to-date.
Posting on a regular basis helps build customer loyalty. It doesn’t take many trips to a stale, static site before readers simply stop coming back. Create an editorial calendar to help keep your blog on track. Posting once a week is a good place to start.
Loyal readers are often your most valuable customers, so don’t disappoint them. Of course, you’ll want to have something new and fresh each time. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a few posts waiting in the wings for when you can’t come up with anything to say. It helps if you have a backup plan.
9. Practice patience.
Spend a little time visiting great travel blogs with an eye to how you can take your blog on a great web adventure. Just don’t expect immediate results; it takes time for any blog to attract a following and achieve measurable results.
If you just think you’re too busy running your business to blog like we’ve recommended; in that case, consider outsourcing your blogging to BlogMutt. Our experienced writers would love to help make your blog world-class.
Follow these tips, hire great writers for extra help, and invite your blog visitors on a trip into the wild world of your business.
