Finding your travel blog's voice

Finding your travel blog’s voice

Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström

Writer, photographer, blogger – www.akinmade.com

Blog at Geotraveler’s Niche – www.lolaakinmade.com

Blogger for Sweden.se

Write and photograph for many publications

Quick Background

Why do you blog?

Love of travel Blog trips Money Family & friends All of the above None of the

above

Truth be told

Chances are most of us here want to live successfully doing what

we love through our blogs…

Money + Flexibility = More Travel

Here’s the problem

Travel blogging reality curve

Here’s the problem

YOU

+

Thousands ofOther blogs

Travel blogging reality curve

Here’s the problem

YOU

+

Thousands ofOther blogs

Travel blogging reality curve

Where you want to be over time

Here’s the problem

YOU

+

Thousands ofOther blogs

To get past the hump of generic fluff:

- Passion

- Quality

- Unique Voice

Many “voices” are already taken Budget Transportation Luxury Shopping Backpacking Spa Slow travel Boutique Food Local expert

Travel blogging frustration

Ironically, these “voices” are taken by the same bloggers on the same blog trips writing about the same things.

Travel blogging frustrations

So we’re back…

YOU

+

Thousands ofOther blogs

…to the generic hump of fluff!

And the truth is…

It's too late to be everything to

everyone.

Other blogs already jumped on this much earlier.

Goal of this workshop

Give you solid ideas on how to [naturally] improve the overall quality of your blog content by finding its voice

Finding your blog’s voice

Tip #1 Focus on you first

Love readers = yourself, not > yourself

Finding your blog’s voice

What are YOUR interests?

YOUR hobbies?

What turns YOU on when you travel?

Finding your blog’s voice

Quality naturally improves when you know what you’re talking

about because you’re genuinely interested in it.

……….Examples

Example1 - Focus

I know nothing about surfing

I’m not really interested in it either…

Example 1 - Focus

But, if I just visited California or Hawaii, I may be tempted

to do a “10 Cool things to try in Hawaii” and include

surfing on the list…

Example 1 - Focus

The problem

My “10 Cool things to try in Hawaii” no longer becomes unique because I’m trying to please everyone with

things I don’t even care about.

Example 2 - Focus

I just got back from a blog trip where I got to enjoy Michelin-starred food and was wined and dined by the tourism board…

Example 2 - Focus

The problem

Say there were 10 other bloggers also eating, drinking, and taking the exact same pictures of the lobster claw…

Example 2 - Focus

But I noticed one of the chefs had a tattoo of the city I was visiting…

Example 2 - Focus

Instead of focusing on how I absolutely LOVED the city, I could actually ask the chef why he tattooed the city on his arm.

He obviously loves it more than I ever could, right?

Revisiting Tip #1 - Focus

Focusing on your own interests

Focusing on what naturally piques your interest

Finding your blog’s voice

Tip #2 Kill adjectives and clichés

“Absolutely stunning” = generic

Finding your blog’s voice

Think about your favorite bloggers…

Finding your blog’s voice

Not just bloggers you respect because they’re where you’d like to be

(i.e. making money from blogs, hopping on blog trip after blog trip).

But travel blogs you actually read.

Finding your blog’s voice

Because of how they write

There’s a certain “openness” to their writing

Finding your blog’s voice

They tend to “show” you what

they experienced, rather than

“tell”.

Finding your blog’s voice

Showing “tells” your reader so much more than telling does by reducing adjectives.

Example – Kill Adjectives

Genova is a fascinating city with historical gems

Example – Kill Adjectives

“[New York/Paris/Lisbon/Rome] is a fascinating city with historical gems”

“Fascinating” and especially “Gems” tell the reader absolutely nothing.

Guess what?

YOU

+

Thousands ofOther blogs

We’re back to the generic hump of fluff!

Finding your blog’s voice

Clichés

“Stockholm/St. Petersburg – The Venice of the North”

“Bangkok/Udaipur/Alleppey - The Venice of the East”

“Georgetown/Christchurch/Melbourne – The Venice of the South”

é

Finding your blog’s voice

Adjectives – Flat and/or Too Many

Sun-kissed/Sun-dappled Best-kept secret, Best, Great Perched, Nestled Exotic, Gem, Can’t miss/Must-

see

é

Examples

DISCLAIMER!

For you fact-checkers

If you find clichés like “exotic” or “gem” in my other writing (not on my blog), an editor put it in there, not me.

Examples

Generic

”The Moyo restaurant pier is a popular place for surfers.”

...okay, but what do the surfers do there? Drink coffee together?

Examples

Unique

It was enough to pull me away from the succulent prawns I was devouring at Durban’s iconic pier restaurant, Moyo. The sight of surfers waiting patiently at the tip of the pier scanning for waves out at sea.

Examples

Generic

”Hilo Farmer’s market is a place where you can bask in the colors, the exotic tastes, and smells of tropical summer.”

…replace Hilo Farmer’s Market with any market

Examples

Unique

I walk past mounds of red cayenne pepper, yellow saffron, and green pistachio powder. There’s a strong smell of ripening pineapple in the air. This is Hilo Farmer’s market.

..that smell of pineapple may be distinct to Hilo Farmer’s market

Revisiting Tip #2

1. Write what you see, hear, and smell without a lot of adjectives

2. Weave “yourself” into “your” experience

3. Write like you’re writing to a friend, or be poetic if you like. Just be you.

Finding your blog’s voice

Tip #3 Take creative risks

…and don’t be afraid to fail at them

Finding your blog’s voice

Remember this guy?

www.wherethehellismatt.com

Finding your blog’s voice

Okay, great but it seems every single idea has already been taken.

What can I do to be creative?

Finding your blog’s voice

Tips for creativity

Look at your daily non-traveling life

Look at your habits

Look at your other skills

Examples

Hobby -> You like playing the flute

Creative idea -> Learn to play a bit of each country’s national anthem and add that to your blog.

Examples

Hobby -> You like to sketch

Creative idea -> Start blog posts with few sketches from where you’ve traveled

Examples

Candace Rardon – Travel sketching

www.candaceroserardon.com

Examples

Habit -> You’re obsessed with coffee

Creative idea -> Write posts about your quests for odd coffee flavors around the world

Revisiting Tip #3

Take creative risks by looking into your life:

Your daily habits

Your other skills

Finding your blog’s voice

Tip #4 Stop doubting your own voice

One man’s “funny” is another man’s “boring”.

Finding your blog’s voice

Will people still like me if they find out what I really think?

Am I really boring?

Do I need to be funny?

“Boring” & “Funny” is relative

é

Remember this chart

YOU

+

Thousands ofOther blogs

You can’t afford to be generic anymore

Finding your blog’s voice

You can’t afford to be generic anymore because that ship has sailed long ago….

And yes! I used a cliché

Finding your blog’s voice

For your blog to please everyone, you will comprise on

the overall quality of your blog.

This makes you generic again.

Finding your blog’s voice

So unless you’re Google with only one image and a textbox,

Your personal voice matters – boring, funny, or not.

Finding your blog’s voice

Tip #5 Be Patient

Nothing was built overnight.

Finding your blog’s voice

Be patient with yourself

Just like a teenager’s crackly voice, your blog’s voice will also mature as you continue to focus on what you’re passionate about and what interests you.

Finding your blog’s voice

Bottom line…

People are naturally drawn to people who are authentic and share the same interests beyond just a love for travel.

Finding your blog’s voice

Bottom line…

…and that’s how you can start building your own real and engaged community of readers.

In summary

How to find your blog’s voice:

Tip 1 – Focus on you first Tip 2 – Kill adjectives and clichés Tip 3 – Take creative risks Tip 4 – Stop doubting your own voice Tip 5 – Be patient

Workshop challenge

In 200 words or less, describe one

experience you've had so far in Genova.

Workshop challenge

Instructions – Submit by Saturday, Oct 20 at 18:00

1) Share your assignment - Facebook.com/TravelBloggerElevator 

Tweet the link to your content with hashtag #TBE12 #best_westernITA

2) Email – lola.akinmade@gmail.com [English] - simon.falvo@gmail.com [Italian]

Contact Information

Twitter - @LolaAkinmade

Portfolio – www.akinmade.com

Blog – www.lolaakinmade.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/GeotravelersNiche