Posts Tagged ‘travel blogging’
The ‘Art’ of Blogging: A Commentary
Once in awhile I notice someone doing a particular task and wonder, “Why are they doing such a thing? Is it for monetary gain, self-fulfillment or something completely different?” These questions kept popping up prior to and following the TBEX ’11 conference held in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) this past summer.
For those of you not familiar with TBEX and their conferences – it is the Travel Blog Exchange and their conferences bring travel-related bloggers, writers and media professionals together – explaining how everyone can ‘up their game’. There is a wealth of information to be gained during the sessions, but it’s not always everyone’s cup of tea.
The ‘Art’ of Blogging: A Panel Discussion
There was a time when blogging was a bright and shiny new outlet where people would voice their personal opinions on any topic that caught their attention. In a proverbial blink of an eye, blogs became ‘tailored’ to fit particular demographics – politics, travel, etc. Bloggers began to realized they could actually earn income (large or small) from the works they produced. But, there are a great number of bloggers that do not follow the money trail. I wanted to know why. So, I chose a small group of people and asked two simple questions…
Taking Your Blog to the Next Level
It’s been a while since Travel Blog Exchange ‘11 in Vancouver this past June so I’m a bit late on the guest-post writing bandwagon. However, I know many TravelBlogs readers will be interested in some of the take-away items from the event. This post is mainly for those wanting to take their blog to the next level – be it audience, revenue, marketing, tech and so forth. You might have been blogging for a while and are now considering ways to monetise. Or you might want to promote your freelance writing abilities through your blog. It could be that you just want to focus on better content. So, without further ado, here are some tips straight from some of the TBEX speakers.
The Wheat from the Chaff
The Travel Blog Exchange 2010 Conference (TBEX10) may have come and gone (in a blur), but it surely has not been forgotten. By deliberately waiting two weeks before sending out this discussion question, it gave everyone’s mind time to separate the “wheat from the chaff”.
Here’s what attendees had to say…
Why Are They All Talking At Me? (The TBEX10 Experience – Day Two)
Morning Talk – Travel Porn: If that isn’t a title to start off a morning, not much else is… Gary Arndt (Everything-Everywhere) captivated the audience because he has presence, speaks dynamically and cuts to the chase. The true topic dealt with photography – the use of photos to increase traffic to your site. (It isn’t all about video – pictures have purpose.) Ultimately, the use of photographs allows your reader to travel to places they may never experience for themselves. It was equated to reading National Geographic: you buy it for the images first, the stories (behind those images) second.
Why Are They All Talking At Me? (The TBEX10 Experience – Day One)
Pre-Conference Jitters: The end of June (June 26th & 27th, to be exact) had me quaking in my proverbial boots for a few weeks prior – mentally trying to digest what a conference dedicated to bloggers would actually entail. Though an editor and a blogger, I had not attended a function such as this in the past. I was filled with excitement and trepidation simultaneously. Listening to Hayes Carll’s “I Got A Gig” during the flight to NYC washed away all of the anxiety. I had a gig: Look, Listen & Learn. Period. I looked, I listened and I learned.
New York City: Why Are We Here?!
Recently I, along with my husband and 298 or so others, attended the Travel Blog Exchange 2010 Conference (TBEX10) in New York City. I was advised to approach this gathering with an “open eyes, open ears and an open mind” philosophy. I hope I succeeded in heeding said words of wisdom. Though I have attended/presented at conferences ranging from 20 to 20,000 participants over the years, none have pertained to travel and/or the industry itself. So, for me, this one was unique, very informative, suffered a small case of the hiccups (from which there was recovery) and was ultimately a rather sizeable success in my mind.
How to Blog from a Cyber Café
For a large portion of my travels I did not have a laptop. When it came to blogging about my travels this brought up a heap of new problems. I had no choice but to use public computers, some located in pretty dodgy cyber cafés. Others located in shut up tight ultra modern machines that don’t let you do anything but surf. Here are a few tips and tricks I used when travel blogging from cyber cafés.
My Travel Blog Saved My Life
I’ve never been very good at keeping in touch. I expect my Facebook status to skip hand in hand with my Twitter account around the fires of my Flickr pages and the result be that everyone knows just enough. When my laptop allows Skype into its inner quarters, I begin my conversations with “so sorry I haven’t been in touch…” and The Other End routinely console me. My Myspace is slumped in a shiver and a dozen ‘RE: Where are you?’ lie beneath dust and disgrace in any one my three spam-infested inbox’s. Postcards? I’ve sent a couple. Text messages? Reserved for belated birthdays.
