Wondering how to become a travel influencer? This detailed guide shows you everything you need to know!
Influencer marketing is a very important marketing strategy for many companies. As a travel influencer, your job is traveling the world. You create content, work with brands, and visit many destinations.
I'm a travel influencer on Instagram and I focus on creating photos at beautiful places. Currently, I have about 86,000 followers on my Instagram page. I love being a travel content creator, as it allows me to focus on my passions! My passions are pretty places and photography.
In this guide, you can find everything you need to know on how to become a travel influencer! There are so many important things to know if you want to become a paid travel content creator.
I'll start with information on becoming a travel influencer with an audience. After that, I'll give you information on how to get paid too.
Table of Contents
How to Become a Travel Influencer
First, I'm going to give you information on how to become a travel influencer with an audience. I'll tell you how to start, how to create content, how to build your own brand, and more!
Find a Niche: The First Thing To Do If You Wonder How To Become a Travel Influencer
Want to know how to become a travel influencer? First, you need to find a niche! This is a very important thing to do.
Of course, it's already a niche to focus on traveling, instead of something else. For example, it's very different from a food influencer or a lifestyle influencer.
But it's still important to get even more of a niche. There are many travel content creators, and you need to distinguish yourself. If you do that, there will be people interested in your niche that will become your audience.
By choosing a niche, there are a few things to consider.
First, you need to find a niche that you love. It's very important that you love what you're doing, as you'll spend a lot of time on it!
For example, you can focus on luxury travel. But you can also focus on budget travel, or on backpacking!
Besides that, your niche can also be a certain country or even a continent.
Also, a niche can be couple travel or solo travel.
So it's important to find a niche you love if you want to become a travel influencer. But besides that, it's also important to find a niche people are actually interested in.
That's important because you need to get an audience of people who love to see your content.
All examples of niches I mentioned above are very popular niches.
But there are many other niches that people will love.
So start thinking of a niche that fits you and that you want to create content about! Then only check if you love it enough to spend a lot of time on it and if people would like to see it. If that's the case, you found your perfect niche!
Choose a Good Name: Something Many Forget If They Think of How To Become a Travel Influencer
After finding a great niche, it's time to find a good name!
It's not the first thing you will think about when you're wondering how to become a travel influencer. You might think about how to create content or how to get a consistent feed first.
I'll tell you more about these things later. These things definitely are very important, but choosing a good name is also crucial. And it's something that many people often forget about.
Your name is a large part of your own brand. It is the way you present yourself as a content creator and it's how people can find you.
There are several things to consider when choosing a name.
Your name should be both unique and not too hard to remember.
It should be unique as you don't want people to confuse you with other travel content creators.
Besides that, it has to be easy to remember. If someone wants to find you on Instagram after they saw you somewhere, that should be easy.
Moreover, I'd recommend including a word related to travel in your name.
If you do that, it's immediately clear that you create travel content. Those who want to see travel content will more likely follow you in that case.
For example, you can choose the first part of your name and a word such as travels, explores, or journeys.
That's only an example, as there are many options for a good name. Be creative and find a name that you like!
Create Content: One of The Most Important Things if You Want to Know How to Become a Travel Influencer
If you want to become a travel influencer, it's very important to create content. Your content is the reason you'll get an audience.
There are a few important things on how to create great content. It should be of high quality. Furthermore, it should be something your audience wants to see. And besides that, video content is also important. Below, I explain this!
High Quality
The content you create for your Instagram travel page should be of high quality. That's very important if you wonder how to become a travel influencer.
When people look at your profile they should see it's professional. This gives a better impression and makes it more likely they will follow you when they visit your page.
Also, when you want to work with brands in the future, it is better if you can create professional content. Brands will definitely like it more! Because of this, you should definitely focus on creating content of high quality.
To create high-quality content there are several things you should think of!
First, you need the tools to create professional content. Think of a good camera and good photo editing software. Without this, it is much more difficult to make high-quality content.
Besides that, you need to know how to make good travel content for Instagram.
You need to practice a lot. One way of doing this is by taking a lot of photos and then comparing them to see which methods of taking photos work best.
You don't have to do this while traveling, because it isn't about the destination at this stage. Instead, you can take practice photos near your home to find out what works best.
Another thing you can consider is doing a photography course. This can help you to understand the basics of photography when you are starting out.
Find Out What Your Audience Wants to See
Now I'm going to explain the second thing that's important to know on how to create content. If you're wondering how to become a travel influencer, this is one of the most important aspects!
When you're going to travel to create content, you first need to find out what your future audience wants to see.
Many people post photos on Instagram. That's because many people want to share their photos with their friends and family. You might also already share photos on Instagram with others you know.
When you want to become a travel influencer, your target audience completely changes. You don't post photos for your friends and family, but you create content for strangers.
For that reason, you need to make content that people who don't know you yet want to see!
You can achieve that in several ways.
For example, create the most beautiful photos of a destination. This can help others in finding a place to visit in the future. Or give detailed information that is useful to others. Another way is to create dreamy photos that people love to look at.
These are only a few examples of how to create content strangers will like. Create content that you would follow if it wasn't your account.
Videos
For a long time, the most important content was photo content. That's still important and it still plays a very large role on Instagram.
But video content keeps getting more important nowadays for several reasons.
One of the reasons is that TikTok became very popular. Creating videos for TikTok is a great way to increase the size of your audience.
If you have many followers on TikTok, you can be a travel influencer there. But besides that, people who follow you on TikTok can also start following you on Instagram.
Another reason why video content is very important is Instagram Reels. Reels is a rather new feature that allows you to upload short videos.
If you want to know how to become a travel influencer, then I'd recommend creating Reels. Reels can go viral, and if that happens, you can reach many people in a short amount of time.
For that reason, it's important to learn how to create great videos.
Make Your Instagram Feed Consistent
Another very important thing when you want to be a travel influencer is a consistent feed.
Your Instagram feed will look much more professional when you do so. And this makes it more likely that your follower count will grow!
So what is a consistent feed?
When you look at the feed of a travel influencer, you can see that many colors are the same. Or you might see there is a certain feeling that all photos have. Furthermore, it could be that there is a certain pattern in the types of photos you see.
This is no coincidence. It makes your feed look much better!
An important aspect of this is the order in which you post your photos. Think of a way you can do this. For example, you can alternate posting blue and green photos.
But the most important way to make your feed more consistent is by using a preset. If you want to know how to become a travel influencer, presets are important.
Most people who edit their photos for Instagram in a professional way use Lightroom. This is great software to change, for example, the light and colors.
A preset is a way to edit your photos, in the same way, every time. For example, you can adjust the tone of the blue color for every photo.
You can click on a preset and everything changes! That way, the colors and lighting in every photo will be very consistent. The result is a very consistent feed!
Moreover, you can create your own preset or you can use a preset of an existing influencer!
You can shop my presets if you want your feed to look like mine, very colorful, happy, and bright! With this, you can make your feed consistent for sure!
Plan Ahead
Want more tips on how to become a travel influencer? Then this one is very useful! Planning ahead is another important thing for becoming a travel influencer.
If you want to be a travel influencer, you want to approach your account in a more professional way.
Because of that, you can't think last minute about what you want to post on your account. That's because you want the quality of your posts to be high.
When you plan in advance you can make sure what you are posting is suitable for your account. That's why it is great to build up a buffer of content, such that you don't run out of it.
And if you see you are running out of high-quality content, you have enough time to make new content!
Also, planning ahead is important if you want a consistent feed. This is something I already talked about in this article.
You can't have a consistent feed if you don't know what your feed will look like in the future. You need a way to see your feed in advance before you post it to Instagram.
There is great software that can help you do that. For example, Later is a great option. Another option is Tailwind.
Build Your Brand
Another important thing when you want to become a travel influencer is to build your brand.
Rather than seeing your Instagram page as only a place on Instagram, you should consider it as a business.
You create something that others want to see and you can earn money with it. This makes it a business, so think of it as such!
A good thing to do is to create your own website. Here you can show how people get in touch with you and you could give information on who you are.
This is great for your followers, but also for the brands you work with.
It can be very simple, but it makes you so much more professional! So it's one of the important answers on how to become a travel influencer.
For this, it is important to get a domain name. For example, you're currently on my website. You can register a domain name at lots of companies on the internet.
What's great is that you can then also great a professional email address. For example, my email address is hello@dymabroad.com. This is great if you want to work with brands.
Furthermore, you can link to your own website in your bio, which is great!
Be Yourself
Furthermore, it's very important to be yourself! Tell your followers about the things you love, and let them know you.
Your followers will love that. Besides that, brands also like working with influencers who share their values.
If you want to know how to become a travel influencer, this is definitely important.
Keep Improving Your Photography Skills
One of the most important skills you need to have as a travel influencer is photography skills.
You need this to create good photos of the destinations that you visit.
When you want to become better each time, it is important that you keep on improving these skills.
You can do this by reflecting on the photos you take.
One way to do this is by looking at the results your photos get on Instagram. This is a way to reflect on your photos! And that works very well if you want to become a travel influencer.
Find Instagrammable Destinations
As a travel influencer, you have to great lots of travel content! For that reason, you need to go to places where you can create that.
You're going to travel, so I'm sure you'll see beautiful places to create photos and videos. But it's also convenient to find places that are photogenic before going there.
For that reason, it's great to search for pretty spots on the internet before going there. For example, you can find many Instagrammable places all around the world on my website.
I collect many photogenic spots to make it easier for those who like photography. So I'd definitely recommend having a look at it.
This isn't only a great way to find new places for photography. It's also very fun to go to these photogenic places! It's amazing to see all the beautiful places in a certain city or country.
For example, you'll find gorgeous viewpoints or pretty cafes. It's amazing to see all the colorful cafes in London or the gorgeous viewpoints in Santorini. This makes traveling even more fun.
Besides that, it's also fun to explore and capture places that no one knows yet. Finding hidden gems while traveling is amazing and it's fun to see for your audience!
So if you're thinking of how to become a travel influencer, this is important!
Create a Good Bio
Your bio is one of the first things people see when they check out your Instagram profile page. This makes it an important part of your page.
Together with your profile photo, it gives the first impression of your account. And it could lead people to follow or not follow you.
That's why it is important to think about what you write down in your bio.
For example, you can specify here what your Instagram page is all about. Or you can give some information about you.
Also, this is a great place to show contact information for potential brands. You can place your email address here or you can write down how brands can get in touch.
Use Hashtags
Want to know more about how to become a travel influencer? Another thing you have to consider is hashtags.
Hashtags are a way to label your photos. You can add them to the caption of your photo or in the comments. But, keep in mind that you can only post 30 of them at most!
What's great about hashtags is that people can search for or even follow a hashtag.
When they search for a hashtag, they can find top posts and the most recent posts that use that hashtag. It's here where they can find your post. As a result of this, they may follow your account.
Also, when people follow a hashtag they get top posts on their timeline, after which they can also follow you!
That's why it is important to choose the right hashtags for your posts!
Make Stories
One of the most important features of Instagram is the Instagram Stories feature. Using it is a smart move if you want to become a travel influencer!
Instagram Stories are posts that you can show on your Instagram page for 24 hours. After this time, they will disappear! People can click on your profile picture to see them.
Stories can be both photos and videos. And they are a great way to connect with your followers.
That's because they allow you to share updates with them.
Furthermore, what's great is that you can add a lot of interactive elements to stories. This allows you to even better connect with your audience as a travel influencer.
For example, you can do a quiz with your followers. Or you can let people vote. Also, you can let people choose between two choices. And there are many other great things!
Furthermore, Stories are a great way to grow your following.
When people check out your Instagram profile and see a great story, they are more likely to follow you!
What's great is that you can also add a link to a Story. That way you can share other things on the internet with your followers.
But you can only do this when you already have 10,000 followers or if you have a verified account.
Make Use of Story Highlights: A Great Tip if You Wonder How to Become a Travel Influencer
As I showed in this guide before, Stories are great to use as a travel influencer. You can share beautiful photos, videos, and more with your followers!
The only disadvantage of this is that they will disappear after 24 hours. Often you don't want them to disappear and you want to share them with your followers for a longer time!
What's great is that Instagram has a feature for this. These are Instagram Stories Highlights. Unlike Stories, Stories Highlights have a permanent place on your Instagram profile!
You can choose Stories that you can add to a Stories Highlight. They appear as small circles at the top of your profile!
You can organize them as you can choose which Stories to add to which Stories Highlights.
For example, you can make a Stories Highlight with pictures of New York City or Paris.
Also, you can add a custom image to each Stories Highlight. That way you can better work on your brand.
You can make custom images that fit your brand well! For example, you can choose a font and colors that match other aspects of your brand! Creating Stories Highlights is great for becoming a travel influencer.
Make Instagram Guides
A rather new feature on Instagram is Instagram Guides. If you want to know how to become a travel influencer, I'd recommend using Instagram Guides too.
The concept of Instagram Guides is that you can share Instagram posts with text. It's a great way to give your followers more information!
There are 3 types of guides.
Places Guides allow you to share certain places in the world.
If you do that, a tappable element of all places you add appear.
This is great because you can share information about the places you visited! For a travel influencer, that's perfect.
With Product Guides, you can list products. Furthermore, with Posts Guides, you can do anything else.
Creating Guides is a great way to make your Instagram page more interesting. It's fun for your consisting followers, as it's extra content.
But it's also a great way to grow your following. Those who have a look at your profile might follow you because of the Guides you wrote!
You can create Guides about many things. For example, you can create a Guide about pretty places in a certain city. But you can also create a Guide in which you give travel tips.
Instagram Guides are perfect if you like being creative!
Stick to a Consistent Posting Schedule
Another important thing to do is to stick to a consistent posting schedule.
Thus, posting every day, every two days, or any other regular timing is a good idea.
Doing this will help you grow your amount of followers on Instagram. If you have a consistent posting frequency, more people will see your profile.
And if more people see your profile and you do everything else on this list, they will likely follow you.
Also, your existing followers will like it more if they know when you'll post something. Because of that, the engagement on your photo will be much higher. Comments, likes, saves, it all helps you grow your account.
Another benefit of sticking to a consistent schedule is that you set a deadline for yourself. When you want to post every day, you have to produce enough posts to stick to it, which is good for your account!
If you don't have a consistent posting schedule, and you post whenever you want, you'll likely post less.
So there are all kinds of benefits to having a consistent posting schedule. That's why I definitely recommend doing so!
Choose a Good Profile Picture
Having a good profile photo is also important if you want to know how to become a travel influencer.
Your profile photo is always one of the first things people see of you. Whether they have a look at your profile or see one of your photos, they see the profile photo.
For example, if someone has a look at your profile, they will see your profile picture at the top of the page! For that reason, it's very important for the first impression people get of you.
Besides that, your profile photo is not only a photo people will see first, but it's also a photo they will always see.
Whether your posting a photo, create a story, post Reels, or do something else, it's visible!
That's also why it's important to have a good one.
So how do you decide which photo you use as your profile picture?
I'd recommend choosing a photo that shows your face. Also, I'd recommend choosing a photo that shows that you're a travel content creator. For example, choose a photo of yourself in front of a beautiful view!
Get a Page With a Lot To Do and To See
If you're wondering how to become a travel influencer, this is also important. It's best to get a page with lots of things to do and to see!
So instead of only posting photos, post photos, Reels, stories, and more! You can also post several photos in one post so people can swipe.
It's important that your Instagram page is a fun place to spend some time. If you do that, people will more likely follow your travel page.
I already mentioned Guides, Reels, and Stories. And it will help you grow your following if you create many kinds of content.
Also, if you post Stories, make sure every now and then people can vote or ask a question. If you do that, there are things to do on your page which make it way more fun for your audience!
Moreover, it's not only more fun to have a look on your page, but more people will like it too!
For example, those who love photos can have a look at your photos. And those who prefer videos can see your videos. Furthermore, people who like reading can read your guides.
Many more people will love your page if there's a lot to see!
How to Become a Travel Influencer That Gets Paid
So now you know the most important things about how to become a travel influencer. Once you're a travel influencer, it's time to get paid!
Below, you can find information on how to become a paid travel influencer.
I'll first tell you some of the possible collaborations. After that, you can read which brands work with influencers. Furthermore, I'll let you know how to get in touch with brands. After that, I'll give you some other tips!
The Possible Collaborations
Here are some examples of collaborations with brands! These are ways to become a travel influencer that gets paid.
Paid In-Feed Posts
The first way to make money as a travel influencer is through in-feed posts.
In-feed posts are the posts that appear in your feed. They take a permanent spot on your Instagram profile.
Also, when you post this kind of content, all your followers will see it on their timeline.
An example of an in-feed post is you holding a product of a brand. Or, as a travel influencer, you can take a photo at a hotel and show how beautiful it looks!
When posting a paid in-feed, it is normal to tag the brand's Instagram account in your photos. That way your followers know which brand you promote.
It is important that you specify your paid in-feed posts are ads. In many countries, the law requires this.
For example, you could use a hashtag that shows this when posting a paid in-feed post. Also, you can use Instagram's paid promotion tools.
Paid Stories
Another way to make money as a travel influencer is through paid Instagram Stories.
As I already said in this guide, Stories are a great way to have interaction with your audience. And that's something brands value a lot!
Through video stories, you can showcase a brand's product or you can show something else!
What's great is that this type of promotion can be different from what you usually post. It doesn't need to fit in your existing consistent feed.
This gives you and the brand a lot of flexibility in working together.
Product Photography and Videography
Want to know more about how to become a travel influencer that gets paid? You can also make money as a travel influencer through product photography. And you can make product videography as well.
For this, you make content for brands that you don't post on your own Instagram account. You take photos and videos that the brands can use themselves.
Brands that you work with like your content, and want that type of content for their own page. This is the perfect way to do that!
Social Media Management
This last way to get paid as a travel influencer is for when you are a travel influencer for a longer time.
Many brands struggle with their social media. They might need someone that can make their Instagram profile pages better.
You could do this for them.
Once you are an established influencer you have a lot of experience with social media.
This experience makes it easy to manage the social media accounts of brands.
The extent of this social media management for brands can differ a lot. You could help them set up everything or you could help them with their posting strategy.
But you could also manage their whole social media account!
What Kind of Brands Work With Travel Influencers
As a travel influencer, there are many brands that you can work with. First, you can work with all kinds of travel brands. For example, you can collaborate with tourism boards, train companies, hotels, and more!
But there is much more! Besides brands related to travel, there are many other brands that want to work with you.
Even though you want to become a travel influencer, that doesn't mean you can only work with travel brands!
Your audience likes to travel, but they will definitely have other interests too. Furthermore, it depends on your niche as well.
For example, many travel influencers work with clothing brands. That's because clothes can play a large role in their travel content.
The possibilities are endless. Other examples are laptop brands, soda brands, apps, jewelry brands, and much more! These are only a few examples of all kinds of companies that travel influencers can work with.
How to Get in Touch With Brands
When you want to work with brands you first have to get in touch with them. There are three main ways to do so!
Send Emails
One of the ways to get in touch with brands is by sending them an email.
You can approach companies through email by sending them a proposal.
In this, you can tell about your rate and what you can offer for that.
Influencer Networks
Influencer Networks are a way for brands and travel influencers to connect.
You can make an account here and brands can get in touch with you if they see a fit.
This is a very easy way to get in touch with brands.
A Brand May Approach You
Often a brand approaches you to work together and you don't have to do anything.
This is the easiest way to get in touch with them, which is great!
Other Tips on How To Become a Travel Influencer That Gets Paid
Here are some other tips if you want to get paid as a travel influencer. With this, you can get even better results.
Get a Media Kit
A media kit is a convenient thing to have as a travel influencer. With it, you can show brands a summary of your brand. In your media kit, brands can find a lot of information about you.
For example, you can add here any brands you already worked with and your niche. Also, you can add the services you offer!
Get a Portfolio
A portfolio is a place where you can showcase your previous work. This allows brands to see what they get when they work with you.
You can include your portfolio in your media kit. Or you can create a separate portfolio!
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