Guest Columnist: Sam Tydeman

When it comes to travel blogging, it definitely seems as though sharing is caring. Any blogger knows that securing yourself a spot on someone else’s blog is not only great visibility, but also allows you to share your expertise and get yourself out there.

Unfortunately, it can be tricky to secure a place as a guest blogger. Especially if you are not sure what is the best way to approach it. So, to lend you a helping hand, we have put together some of our top tips to get yourself a place as a guest travel blogger.

It is going to take time, so be patient

No-one owes you a slot on their blog, which means that you are going to have earn your opportunity. This can take time, and don’t go into a guest blogging opportunity with a sense of entitlement. Despite the fact that you have a sterling reputation, and you are incredibly skilled, it is still down to the blog owners discretion to give you that chance.

Know where you want to post

You should always have a list of target websites in mind that are you want to guest post on, always be on the lookout to grow this list of potential hosts. Gradually work your way through the list and don’t be shy about getting in touch.

If you get the brush-off, with a request to follow up at a later date, set yourself a reminder on your task tracking software, and make sure you circle back to them. (A couple of great free options for task tracking is Asana and Trello)

Useful Lists for Finding Travel Blogs accepting Guest posts:

• Here on Birds of a Feather: TRAVEL BLOGS ACCEPTING GUEST POSTS
• Over on Roving Jay:  100+ Travel Websites accepting Guest Blog Posts from Travel Writers

Know what guest blog posts you want to write

Any travel blogger knows that it is worthwhile having a bank of topics and ideas for you to write about. This means that when you get the nod to write a guest post, you will be ready to go.
You don’t have to go too far into detail with these ideas, sometimes just titles will be enough.

Always have a pad an paper or a digital way of capturing your ideas, so that you have a list of topics you feel inspired to write about.

Write the perfect guest article pitch

When you are getting in touch with the places that you want to feature as a blogger, the trick is to stand out. Make sure that the blog wants you to write for them. The ideal way to do this is to tailor your contact to them, never cut and paste your initial approaches, write them individually. Trust us, they will notice if they are not original.

The perfect pitch should contain:

• Introduction- don’t take too long introducing yourself to them, but give them a flavour of who you are and what you can do. (make sure you include a link to your blog so that they can check your writing quality if your pitch piques their interest).
• Make your pitch straight to the point – no-one has time to read through waffle, so make sure that your email is straight to the point and lets them know why you are getting in touch with them.
• Make sure you check their Write For Us/Guest Blogging Guidelines so you know what they’re looking for. Also check out a few of the articles they’ve published so you have a good idea of the content and tone they’re looking for.
• Tell them what you can write – if you have a speciality, let them know. This may help your cause and set you apart from other guest bloggers.

Help to promote your guest article

After you’ve submitted your guest article, don’t forget to request notification of when it’s being published so that you can promote it across your social media networks. This is not only great for your own brand building activities, but it also buys brownie-points with the blog host. Who knows, you may even get asked to be a guest blogger in future. It’s best to think of these guest blogging opportunities as a way to build some long-term collaborative relationships, rather than being a one-hit guest post wonder.

Keep track of the guest blog posts you’ve written

If you have successfully managed to secure a guest post on a travel blog, don’t just write about it and forget about it. Take a note of the title of the blog url of where it was published and add it to your online media or press kit. Always keep brand-building in the forefront of your mind, and work on updating a central place where your writing portfolio is centrally accessible.

Follow these straightforward tips, and you will soon get into the swing of reaching out and writing guest article for travel websites. The more you write, the better your travel writing will become.

If you struggling with writers block, you should try following the Freewriting tips in Jay’s Freewriting for Travel Writers book. She also have 10 freewriting prompt books that are available to download for free.