Need Help!!

[thetravelingdreamer]

I'm currently traveling in Thailand (well I'm teaching English but my contract will be up soon and then I will be traveling). I've decided that once I'm done with SE Asia I want to head to Europe, but I have one teensy tiny problem: NO MONEY!

I have a Photography Blog (…Shutter Speed…) and I have a Travel Blog (…the traveling dreamer…) and I want to try and have those somehow fund my trip to Europe because I want to keep documenting photos everyday and updating my travel blog so that I get a bigger group of readers and thus generate some income.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can do this?? How I can improve my blogs? I want to keep doing what I love which is taking pictures and writing and I know if I stick my mind to it I can have it carry me through my travels, but I would really love some input on HOW TO DO THIS?!

Thank you!

Take fantastic photo. Show how fantastic photo was taken.

That's how you get people to follow and read your blog. You can then use Google Ads to make a little money. Problem is, it takes a while to get a following and you don't make a lot. I think I made $50 or so over the last 6 months, and I have 120+ followers and 50-100 hits a day (most were because of one photo).

[BCampbell]

I saw your other post asking for advice on your blog.

I've been running aphotoblog for a while too and I've also been wondering what it takes to really get "up there" in the blogging world. Here's what I found out, but I warn you, you won't like it.

First, you won't be able to fund your trip to Europe with your blogs. Sorry, especially not if your timeframe is "soon". The fact is, very very few bloggers make any money, and even fewer make significant money.

What it boils down to is it takes money to make money. You have to outlay a significant amount of cash to promote your site and keep it on the edge of SEO strategies. In addition, many successful bloggers run a network of blogs, with staff (i.e., a business), and most successful ones treat their blogs like a full-time job, attending conferences, making connections, networking.

Simply put, you need thousands of visitors a day to make the kind of money you want to make. This isn't easy, it costs money, and it definitely doesn't happen overnight.

There are lots of sites outthere with successful bloggers giving good advice; since I'm not one of them, I suggest searching for a few of those.

Anyway, from what I understand, a good photoblog is one of two things: instructional, or lifestyle. You either teach people something about photography, or you give people reasons to live vicariously through you. It looks like we are both trying to do the second, for the most part. I'd suggest finding a "niche" and sticking mainly to it. Also use an RSS reader (I use Google Reader) and subscribe to as many photoblogs as you can find, to see what approaches others are taking.

Good luck!

[thetravelingdreamer]

Originally Posted by BCampbell

a good photoblog is one of two things: instructional, or lifestyle. You either teach people something about photography, or you give people reasons to live vicariously through you. It looks like we are both trying to do the second, for the most part. I'd suggest finding a "niche" and sticking mainly to it.

Thanks for the advice! I know its tough to have a blog generate income, but I have a couple friends that have actually done it and have funded their trips so I'm just trying to get more input from others!

I'm hoping my "niche" becomes travel photography, but travel photography that the common traveler doesn't get. I want to see things in a different light and show people the world through my eyes.

Thanks so much for your input!!

[k8et]

Maybe look into a sponsorship? I don't know how hard that is, but here's an example of someone who did that - Wanderful!!!

[thetravelingdreamer]

Originally Posted by k8et

Maybe look into a sponsorship? I don't know how hard that is, but here's an example of someone who did that - Wanderful!!!

I checked out that website! Really awesome! Thank you so much for the referral and maybe thats something I'll be able to do!!