HOW TO START A SUCCESSFUL TRAVEL BLOG

Starting a travel blog is the best decision I’ve ever made.

Through this site, I’ve funded seven years of full-time travel and gained a book deal for my travel memoir, along with a big New York City agent. I’ve been featured in large newspapers, like the Wall Street Journal, the Independent, and the BBC. I’ve been interviewed on the radio in front of an audience of 1.6 million listeners. I make a comfortable six figures in entirely passive income, meaning the money comes in whether I’m working or not.

And yet, before starting Never Ending Footsteps, I had zero writing experience, had no idea how to run a website, didn’t really know what a blog was, and had never heard of WordPress. I didn’t even own a camera. I’d just graduated from college with a physics degree and was fully intending to throw myself into a career in particle physics — that is, after I took a year-long round-the-world trip.

Guys, I’ve now been travelling full-time for seven. freaking. years. That’s seven years of travel paid for entirely through this travel blog.

But success to me isn’t just about the money, the book deal, and media mentions.

Running Never Ending Footsteps has led to life-changing friendships with some of the most fascinating and inspirational people I’ve ever met. It’s helped me conquer my multi-year battle with anxiety and an eating disorder. I even found my boyfriend of six years through my travel blog!

So yeah, I’d say starting that this site was the best decision ever.

There are approximately seventeen bajillion articles describing how to start a travel blog out there and I hesitated throwing my take into the mix for many years because of it. After reading several of these articles and cringing my way through them, though, I couldn’t hold back. I wanted to write an article about how you can actually set yourself up for the best chances of success. I want to show that you can build a six figure business without selling out. That you can be unconventional and embrace your weirdness and find a community of people who love you — while pouring money into your savings.

You don’t need to do what everyone else is doing — in fact, I recommend actively avoiding it. In a space so crowded as the travel blogging world, you should stand out and that’s why my guide is the one you should follow. It’s one that’s based around what will give you the best chances of success in 2018.

Here’s how to start a travel blog:

Find the perfect name to suit your personality.
Set up hosting for your blog.
Install WordPress.
Learn how your blog’s dashboard works.
Download a kickass theme.
Design your logo.
Install these essential plugins.
Start building your audience and making money!