How to become a travel influencer: Top tips you need to know
Traveling goes beyond exploring new places; it’s a journey of self-discovery. Immersing yourself in unfamiliar surroundings reveals facets of your personality previously unseen. Traveling offers a unique opportunity to heal, reflect, relax, and grasp insights that no book can impart. For avid travelers pondering the idea of becoming a travel influencer, the question of “How to become a travel influencer?” likely arises. Many argue that investing in travel is one of the most rewarding uses of money. Despite hectic work schedules and responsibilities, some have chosen to turn their passion for travel into a profession.
In the past, travel was viewed as a mere leisure activity, but times have changed. More people are considering transforming their love for travel into a full-fledged career, finding fulfillment as travel influencers.
Switching careers, especially to unconventional paths like travel influencers, can be daunting. If you’re contemplating leaving your mundane 9-5 job to become a travel blogger, worry not. We’re here to guide you through the process, offering insights and perhaps helping you take that crucial first step toward becoming a travel influencer.
How to become a travel influencer
Begin with the fundamentals; everyone starts somewhere. Embarking on something new can seem like a complete maze for the mind. That’s why we’re simplifying the process of becoming a travel influencer to make it as uncomplicated as possible. The steps outlined below are the essential factors you should keep in mind.
Find a niche
Discovering a niche as a travel influencer presents more challenges than one might anticipate. While being a travel influencer is considered a
unique field, it’s crucial to be more specific. Simply identifying as a travel influencer won’t set you apart in a crowded market.
Consider your niche as a guiding factor for your content creation. Viewing travel influencers as a collective can be overwhelming with ideas. Conversely, a niche narrows down the content you draw inspiration from and helps you target specific brands. This specificity is essential for standing out, getting paid, and establishing yourself as a distinguished travel influencer in the competitive landscape.
Choose a memorable name
Now, let’s dive into the creative aspect. While we emphasize the importance of starting promptly, take your time when choosing your name. Selecting a name might not be the first thing that crosses your mind when contemplating how to become a travel influencer, but it’s crucial!
Your travel influencer name serves as your brand. It accompanies you throughout your journey, so it must be something:
- You take pride in.
- You genuinely like.
- Brands would find appealing.
This name is the initial impression both brands and your audience will have of your content. Therefore, present yourself in a way that aligns with how you wish to be perceived.
Create social media channels
Certainly, having a presence on social media is crucial for becoming a travel influencer; it’s practically self-evident. However, it’s not entirely accurate to say that social media is the sole path to influence. Some have become travel influencers solely through blogging without social media, but it’s a more challenging and time-consuming route.
For the best chance of success and earning as a travel influencer, it’s recommended to establish a presence across various social media platforms. Setting up your profiles is just the beginning—there’s no need to stress about rapidly growing your followers at first. Instead, follow accounts in a similar niche and begin posting your content.
While we won’t overwhelm you by suggesting you must be on every platform, focusing on a few key ones is crucial for effective influence. Selecting and concentrating on specific platforms will contribute to your success in the long run.
How to become a travel influencer on Youtube
YouTube stands out as a consistent and dependable avenue for travel influencers to earn money. Content creators generate income by displaying Google ads in their videos, earning payment when viewers watch the entire ad. To qualify for ads, creators must amass over 1,000 subscribers and accumulate 4,000 watch hours—a milestone that, while time-consuming, enables monthly payouts.
Beyond Google AdSense, travel influencers can forge partnerships with brands for sponsored content. Many creators incorporate affiliate links in their bios, earning a commission with each purchase. While YouTube has become a full-time job for numerous travelers, gaining recognition can be challenging. The growth process is gradual, and YouTube videos are typically longer compared to TikTok and Instagram.
Unlike the one-minute videos on other platforms, YouTube travel vlogs span between 10 and 15 minutes. Maintaining viewer interest throughout the entire duration relies on delivering high-quality content, making it essential for creators to hone their photography, videography, and editing skills.
How to become a travel influencer on TikTok
Despite being one of the newest social media platforms, TikTok boasts a user base of just under 700 million. Despite the vast number of users and the competitive landscape, achieving at least one viral post is relatively straightforward, thanks to the platform’s dynamic algorithm.
TikTok’s algorithm operates on various criteria, spotlighting users based on trends, relatability, and consistency. Incorporating a popular sound or song into a video significantly increases the likelihood of it landing on the “For You” page, exposing it to a broad audience.
Approaching TikTok with a business-oriented strategy is essential. Videos don’t need to be lengthy to capture attention; a concise 7-second clip featuring a person watching the sunset with a popular sound in the background is sufficient to engage the algorithm and garner viewership.
How to become a travel influencer on Instagram
Instagram boasts around 1 billion monthly users, potentially making it the most widely used social media platform. Many aspiring travel influencers opt to manage their pages on Instagram and TikTok. The introduction of the reels feature and trending songs has simplified the process of gaining visibility on the explore page or reels section.
Unlike YouTube, Instagram doesn’t function the same way in terms of algorithms. A travel video from five years ago might still trend on YouTube and accumulate hundreds of thousands of views, but on Instagram, a video of the same age is considered outdated.
To optimize Instagram’s algorithm and attract more followers, it’s advisable to post daily or at least every other day. The posting frequency plays a significant role in triggering the algorithm and expanding your follower base.
As your videos and account gain more traction, the likelihood of securing paid sponsorships increases, presenting valuable opportunities for travel influencers.
As a travel influencer, you can also monetize your social media channels through PopTribe. Create an account for free now to get free products and start making money. Contact us if you have any questions.