For Those Seeking To Be NUMBER 1
Welcome to how to make your blog the best and really stand out from the crowd! Although the travel blogging industry is saturated, it’s a fun and rewarding industry that requires dedication and a lot of work to stand out. Remember that blogging isn’t an overnight success story, so make sure you’re in it for the right reasons!
Starting a travel blog was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I wanted to own something, put all my energy and efforts into something I was passionate about, and share all my knowledge with others, especially women in the travel world. Starting a blog wasn’t the easiest journey, but it’s definitely been the best thing I’ve ever done.
Ready To Learn How To Make Your Blog The Best & Really Stand Out?
I worked on my travel blog for 20 months (on and off) before launching it in January 2024. It’s been two years since launching, and the results from all the hours spent on training courses, revamping the website, and learning the boring stuff (SEO, analytics, etc.) prove it’s working. I started making money through affiliate marketing, ads, and my own products, and my data shows positive monthly growth.
Although I’d still class myself as very new to the game, I’ve learned much about blogging. If my knowledge can help you fast-track your blog to greatness with better results, then I’ma write about it, right? I’ve written a blog about starting a successful blog, and now here is how to make your blog the best quality and really stand out from the crowd. I really hope this helps you!
1. KNOW WHO YOU ARE
We May Be Alike, But We Are Different. Who Are Ya?
This might sound…like duh, but this is a deep question to ask yourself in the blogging world. Grab a piece of paper to write on and ask yourself: Who am I? Describe yourself in 5 words. What do I love? – Name five things you love. What do I stand for? What are your beliefs? Value in life?
Before making your blogging stand out, you need to zero in on what makes you, well, YOU! You want to be sure who you are and not get lost in others’ influence, because trust me, it’s easy to start trying to be like someone else who seems to have success. Please don’t get lost in their sauce, get lost in yours!
2. WHY?
The Reason Behind It All
Once you’ve nailed down what makes you unique, it’s time to dig into your motivation. Write down these questions: Why do I want to start blogging? What’s my message? What’s my brand all about?
I wanted to share my travel adventures and help others, predominantly female solo travellers, travel confidently. My message and brand represent empowerment and spontaneity and encourage self-belief. Over the years, my core ‘why’ has stayed the same, though I may add to it; it’s essential to know your ‘why’.
Why is your ‘why’ so important? It guides everything—how to make your blog the best, how you want it to look and feel, and what topics to write about. Making your message clear will help give your visitors confidence in you.
3. YOUR END GOALS
Visualise Your Goals…Know What You Want
When I started blogging, my goals were content-related. I wanted to write quality content to help others live their best YES. Sure, it would be amazing to make a living from blogging instantly. Still, the reality is that most blogs take years to see any income, and unless you are selling products or services, a blog alone will unlikely make you a millionaire. Your heart should be in it for the passion, and as a result, you will find ways to make your blog the best it can be to increase profitability.
I spend about 12-16 hours a day working on my website out of passion. That’s not because I have to; I want to. I have a vision in my head of how my website will look six months from now and all the juicy travel content I want to write about. This excites me, so I want to work on it. These hours are quite unhealthy in a typical working week, but this is just who I am. Set your boundaries and listen to your body when you need a rest, as it is important to avoid burnout.
Like any business, you must work to make your blog the best and most successful it can be. That’s why it is important to figure out your end goal. Will it just be a hobby? Or do you plan on making blogging a big part of your career? If so, you may need to sacrifice some things.
There are amazing Skillshare courses about blogging that can boost your skills. Free resources are also available on YouTube and other platforms to help you gain knowledge on blogging. Be inspired by others and use all the information to make your blog the best it can be.
4. WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU LOVE
Not What You Like Sometimes, But What You Love All The Time!
Blogging can be about anything, from bird watching to train spotting to food and well-being. Of course, travel is what I know best, so that is what I write about. If you’re into it, I can guarantee someone else is too. If you’re picking a unique niche, you can actually benefit from growing faster in that market, since it’s unsaturated.
Everyone talks about picking a niche. However, I struggled initially because I was trying to focus on a niche to write about! I didn’t know how to choose it because I was into many things. From solo travel to mum-and-daughter travel to resourceful tips and flights, I couldn’t decide how I would do niche blogging. So I didn’t. I stripped it back to being a female travel blogger -because that’s what I am. I write about anything I want to write about on MY blog.
Now, just because you’re in the travelling space, you don’t need to travel daily! If you go to Rome, for example, you can create multiple pieces of content to write about, such as the food you enjoyed, the places you visited, the history of Rome, the hotels you stayed at, an itinerary for Rome, etc. Also, remember that your hometown is a destination, too. Embrace the idea that where you live is unique and different for people who don’t live there! I tend to stay at a hotel somewhere in the UK once in a while and write about the Top 10 UK Staycations.
5. WHO ARE YOU WRITING FOR?
What Do They Look Like? What Are Their Hobbies?
Determine who you write your content for and who will likely read it. This is known as audience personas. Ask these questions: Who is your ideal reader? Who are you targeting? If these don’t align, adjust them to work together to make your blog the best.
Picture the reader you want to attract. It makes a huge difference in the quality of your writing and how well it connects with people! Imagine writing a message to your BFF versus writing a letter to your boss. Different tones, right? You’d never use the same style to write about both. Always keep that person in mind to make your blog the best and most relatable. This helps shape the imagery and graphics you use and the overall brand you create! Consistency is key.
6. KNOW YOUR STYLE
Are You Coming With Swagger, Or What?
Think about some of your favourite brands, such as JD Sports. Their online and in-store vibe is clear and distinctive, making it an identifiable brand. This needs to be the same flow for your brand, reflecting it. This includes colour palettes, fonts, logos, and writing styles.
When you’re ready to add social media or visuals to your website, Canva is a fantastic resource for designing brand elements and graphics. They offer thousands of templates, stock photos, and premade graphics for just about everything, and they’re super easy to customise.
I use Canva to make my Pinterest
7. ACCELERATE YOUR STRENGTHS
Let Your Strengths Be Your Strengths…Own It!
If being on camera makes you cringe, maybe YouTube isn’t your thing. I really wanted to try uploading on YouTube, but this wouldn’t suit my style. While getting out of your comfort zone is great, I realised my energy and efforts are best focused elsewhere. I love photography and short reels, so Instagram is my ideal platform. Start where you are most comfortable, and then take on a bigger challenge if you’re up for it!
Throughout the years, I have taught myself so many skills. I wanted to learn everything — from building websites to SEO and marketing —but it became overwhelming. I tried to learn everything simultaneously, which is ambitious but not smart. Instead, I chose to learn one thing at a time and practice each thing. It took a long time, but I’m so happy I did it; knowledge is power—and I really mean it. However, you can’t be a master at everything; as much as you want to, there’s not enough time in the world. Focus on what you love, and let the pros —like those on Fiverr —help.
8. QUALITY…NOT QUANTITY
Would You Rather 5 Ok-ish Treats Or 1 Amazing, Juicy Treat?
If you aim to post content to have something out there without spending the time or effort to make your blog the best, what really is the point? If you want to help, teach, and guide people, rushing through with no care in the world for what you’re posting defeats the objective. People learn when the content is quality and engaging, and when you can sense the authority and quality of the work.
I took a break from posting on Instagram for a few months while I was revamping my website. Trying to focus on both meant my content quality was suffering. Quality is my priority, so I paused to work on the website instead of spreading myself too thin. This way, I could come back and create quality content for my followers. Forget algorithm goals; who wants half-hearted content? I’ve also started my ForeverLivingYes TikTok, which I post when I want, as I only wish to post QUALITY.
9. ENGAGEMENT
That Online Social Butterfly
This one is harder for me, as I still work on it weekly. Once you’ve posted your blog, don’t just sit back and wait! Although SEO is important to make your blog more visible in search results, other methods should also be used to gain additional traction and build a loyal community of followers.
You can start by networking with others in the industry, engaging with their posts, reaching out for collaboration opportunities like guest posts, or doing something fun together for your social media. It’s all about building and expanding your audience. I’ve recently created an EverythingTravelGroup on Facebook that I’ve been slowly building, and I’ve enjoyed it!
If you can see your audience is coming from social media, set up things like a newsletter subscriber pop-up or use a pop-up to guide them to other related pages or landing pages. OptInMonster is a great WordPress plugin with pre-made templates. Finding time to do everything is harder when you’re a one-woman band. This is where time management comes into play.
10. TIME MANAGEMENT
Your Life, Your Time!
To make your blog the best and really stand out, you’ll need to make some great time management choices. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, as it depends on your industry and job roles. Being a one-woman band has been my biggest challenge. Multi-tasking across many areas often leads to less focus; as you’re just getting into one task, you’re already thinking about the next. Something I found really useful was splitting my weeks up and focusing on tasks, for example:
Week 1 – CONTENT: Create physical content for Instagram and Pinterest. This week is about being creative and making content in different styles and formats so I can use it on these social platforms. I upload around two pins daily, so I aim to make 75 mixing travel quotes and posters.
Week 2 – EVERYTHING BLOGGING: This week, I’ll draft new blogs, analyse my website and blog links, and generate new blog ideas.
Week 3 – EVERYTHING NETWORKING: I will use this week to network, engage with others, out-link, make myself known, and shoot my shots.
Week 4 – LEARNING & REST: This week, I will learn new skills and catch up on bits like paperwork, finances, and planning for the next month. Then, I would spend the rest of the week resting. It’s a great way to get off the screens and do other things I love.
Of course, during these different weeks, you’ll still need to set aside time for posting, publishing and whatever else. Life happens, so your months will not always look like this, but it is also good to work a month in advance to ensure the quality of what you create stand out.
11. BE KIND TO YOURSELF
Love You, For You, All You <3
Again, break as often as you feel you need to! There’s no shame in that. Overworking until you burn out is real, and it’s not good for your mental health —it shows in the quality of your work. Although reaching goals is essential, it can wait until you’re ready.
You may not get it the first or the tenth time, but dedication and consistency definitely pay off! So don’t be too disheartened if your content doesn’t perform as well as expected. If you’ve tried to make your blog the best it can be and really stand out, congratulate yourself! Then, later on, retry.
It’s a hard industry to excel in, and with the internet brimming with content, standing out will never be easy. But I believe in you as much as you believe in yourself, that you can make your blog the best, stand out, and reach all the goals you have for yourself. Just remember: always be kind to yourself —you’re forever a work in progress!
