Although the idea of travel blogging isn’t brand new, there’s definitely a modern way to go about it if you want to learn how to make money. In the past, it was entirely based on writing article blurbs and maintaining a website. While this practice is still in play, there are other avenues to consider here, such as social media platforms.
Instagram is a leading example, and the platform itself has changed immensely since it first landed on the market. Travel bloggers have gotten pretty savvy over the years, but there’s always room for improvement for rookies and veterans alike.
You also don’t need a massive following to churn some dollars, as most of it comes down to the content and overall marketing. This article highlights how to make money as a travel blogger on Instagram.
Why Combine a Travel Blog with Instagram?
Let’s say you’ve started gaining some traction on your travel blog. Well, it doesn’t hurt to expand into other media to help drive traffic and make some money. It’s important to note that the benefits of this go beyond just money alone. When you break your content down into different mediums, you can increase traffic, sales, notoriety, as well as general business opportunities.
Here are a few popular reasons as to why you should combine a travel blog with your Instagram:
- The best travel blogs achieve thorough storytelling by using more than one platform
- Blogs are great for in-depth, informative content, while Instagram helps complement that with bite-sized ideas
- This approach gives you more than one avenue to monetize Instagram
- You can cross-promote and grow your audience at a faster pace
- Expands your reach and overall visibility for every blog post
These are some decent examples, but making money on Instagram doesn’t come with linear decision-making. You can take many routes when trying to monetize your travel content on Instagram. In the same vein, it’s best to stick to what works so you can avoid as much trial and error as possible.
6 Ways to Make Money with Your Travel Blog on Instagram
For those looking to get the most out of their effort, it helps to keep an open mind to new strategies and content ideas. This is especially true if you're new here, as you'll want to absorb the dos and don'ts to see visible results.
Travel influencers have been around for quite some time, but sponsored content and social media platforms have taken things to a whole new level. It’s also crucial to understand how much quality content and having a business mindset matter.
You’ll be hard pressed to find monetizable opportunities if you don’t know how to do cold outreach or negotiate rates. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to revamp your existing strategy, the sections below offer several actionable ways to make money with your travel blog on Instagram.
1. Partnering with hotels and resorts
It might seem obvious, but secure partnerships with hotels and resorts should be a first step consideration. There are several reasons for this, such as paid brand collaborations, potential for long-term clientele, as well as travel experiences.
To effectively cold pitch to these types of brands, you’ll definitely need to have some decent storytelling in order. Make sure your blog posts are not only in-depth, but also detailed at every corner.
You want to sound like a subject matter expert, and not only that, but someone who understands what consistent travel is like. A large following can be helpful with the cold pitch, but brands work with nano and micro influencers all the time to reach niche audiences.
2. Look into tour and adventure organizations
Aside from where people like to lay their head at night, consider the many attractions they’re looking forward to during the day. Even if you aren’t very interested in taking a tour, this is one of the first ideas for your average traveler. It gives them an easy way to sightsee and understand more details about their foreign surroundings.
Your approach to this comes from a different angle, with a focus on things like promotional offers and customized content, with the hopes of driving traffic. Whether you’re sending people to the tour service website or directing them to a specific location, trusted word of mouth can go a long way.
3. Brands focused on outdoor gear
If you take a look at any of the top travel blogs in today’s world, it’s clear they’re diversifying their promotional opportunities. Aside from destinations, it’s a good idea to try to market yourself toward outdoor brands focused on gear. That doesn’t mean it has to be exclusively camping gear; just about any travel-related product company will do here. Your content in this space should focus on highlighting products in an organic way that makes sense for the environment. It’s much more than just posting an ad on your social media channels.
These brands are looking to have you integrate their product into your existing lifestyle organically. It’s another good example of how any successful travel blog knows a thing or two about marketing and freelance writing.
4. Travel-related affiliate links
Pretty much any travel blog on the market is making use of affiliate links, but efforts to drive traffic should go beyond the blog itself. There are plenty of travel-related affiliate programs, but you also don’t want to stuff a ton of hyperlinks just because.
On top of that, it’s really important to be transparent with your audience about this so they don’t feel like you’re being sneaky about sales. The top travel influencers and bloggers you can find today know the ins and outs of this for the most part.
It’s usually newcomers who bite off a bit more than they should when it comes to affiliate links. For this to be truly effective, you should align your affiliate offers with your content and track the performance of each offer over time.
5. Specific travel products and guides
It’s also okay to be very direct about any potential products or guides you’re looking to sell to interested readers. Many people who take travel seriously have no issue if they have to personally spend money on information they don’t have.
Even if this information is publicly available, you can be seen as a reliable and trusted source over random things they can find online. Make your guides easy to download, and consider including tough topics like planning itineraries, budgeting, and travel-essential checklists. You can also segue all of this information into easily tappable links in your Instagram bio.
6. Content creation services for others
Another angle to consider here is content creation for other travel brands. Assuming you’re working with decent freelance travel writing, photography, or video editing skills, this can be turned into multiple income streams.
Even with some of the most popular travel blogs on the internet harboring tons of notoriety, they don’t utilize all of their content avenues. On the other hand, many travel brands may not have the level of expertise or know-how you do when it comes to content creation. Between affiliate income, selling digital products, and being an educational resource, you can easily translate this to a client base of your own.
Successful Travel Bloggers on Instagram: Real-Life Examples
If you’re still having a hard time seeing how you can integrate this information into your own strategy, looking at other travel influencers and their success stories can help. You can also view Instagram content in more detail by using tools like the Instagram Viewer to get a better idea of how influencers craft their brand and content.
This includes their profile, 24-hour stories, reels, and even their highlights. It’s also entirely anonymous, and you can get a better look at how the tool works in the YouTube video down below.
There is a massive list of influencers you could sort through, but we’re going to focus on five examples that stand out in their own unique way.
Brooke Saward (@worldwanderlust)
Primarily known as the creator of ‘World of Wanderlust’, Brooke has dug deep into her niche as a travel blogger and influencer. This can be seen in her female-driven travel blogs, as well as significant platform strength across her blog and Instagram alike.
Some of her main collaborations are focused on hospitality brands and tourism boards, which you can assume easily overlap with each other. From sponsored posts to travel partnerships and a range of digital products, Brooke is a great example of how to earn money in this niche.
Murad & Nataly Osmann (@muradosmann & @natalyosmann)
Working as a duo, these two are widely known in this space for their ‘Follow Me’ project. This includes many thematic photos across the world, with a strong focus on visual storytelling over anything else.
They definitely know how to monetize this space, and it goes far beyond travel brands. For example, Nataly has landed promotional deals with the likes of Dior and TAG Heuer. It seems a lot of their revenue stream stems from luxury travel and branded campaigns for the most part. This is also a great look at how coupled-up travelers can draw plenty of interested viewers.
Chris Burkard (@chrisburkard)
Another notable adventure photographer, it’s safe to assume that Chris Burkard is hailed mainly for the quality of his content. Then again, if you look a little deeper, you’ll see plenty of marketing strategy as well.
Primarily driven by landscape and surf photography, Chris has grown a reliable following on Instagram. He also does well with his photo books, editorial projects, and even documentaries. Many of his collaborations stem from outdoor brands, with a strong focus on adventure gear and pretty sizable media outlets. Regarding his sales, this comes from multiple streams, including photography workshops, print sales, and a variety of sponsored travel plans.
The Bucket List Family (@thebucketlistfamily)
Catered more toward family-style content, The Bucket List Family inspires other families all over the world to get out into the world together. This is a bit more niche, considering many travel bloggers and influencers focus on solo content.
Many of their collaborations are found in sponsored trips, brand ambassador programs, and their YouTube ad revenue does pretty well. From family-centric travel brands to cruise lines and tourism boards, the family has done well to diversify their lives as travel influencers.
Kiersten Rich (@theblondeabroad)
This travel enthusiast's start was actually in finance, until she decided to become a full-time traveler. Eventually, this decision led her to create ‘The Blonde Abroad’, and she has done well to improve her following across several platforms. Between her blog, YouTube, and Instagram, she has an effective strategy for creating different types of travel-related content.
Many of her long-term partnerships come from travel brands, lifestyle companies, and specific destination campaigns. More specific revenue streams include things like affiliate marketing, sponsored blog posts, and even informative travel workshops. For a final comparison, the table below simplifies the unique niche and revenue streams for each of these influencers.
Each of these influencers is quite different than the next. The list doesn’t end here, and it just goes to show how diverse the travel market is with bloggers and influencers trying to make a living.
Let’s wrap up
Creating a successful travel blog and social media content may seem impossible at first, but everyone starts somewhere. Even the most famous travel influencers started out with nothing to show, but they stuck to the game plan for the long term.
Even though this particular side of the market has existed for years, there’s still plenty of room to get into it. Learning how to make money as a travel blogger on Instagram definitely comes with trial and error, but it isn’t an impossible feat, and there’s lots of data to back that up.
FAQ
Can a travel blog bring income?
Most definitely, and it can be accomplished through several income streams. Whether it’s affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, trips, or even ad revenue, you don’t have to limit yourself as a travel influencer and brand.
How do you make money on Instagram as a travel blogger?
For the most part, this is done through brand partnerships through sponsored posts, affiliate links, and digital products. There are many ways to go about it, but high-quality content and consistency are key here.
HWhat are the top travel influencers on Instagram?
There are literally hundreds you could discover on your own. However, I felt the likes of Brooke Saward, the Osmanns, Chris Burkard, Kiersten Rich, and the Bucket List Family were all diverse examples.
