So you’ve decided to start a travel blog and now you’re looking for ways to make money from it. Assuming you’ve already signed up for hosting, designed your blog and have been posting content, you should be ready to start making some money.
If you haven’t already started your travel blog, take a look at the article we wrote titled “How to start a travel blog and make money traveling the world.”
I’m going to get right to the point and give you the information that you’re looking for. So here goes!
How to make money from your travel blog
The first thing you’re going to want to do is make sure you have designated space on your travel blog for ads. We find that ads within the content (between paragraphs) typically make the most money. You can also feature ads on the sidebar of your posts. These ad spots will be crucial to make money from your travel blog.
1. Affiliate marketing
This is where you advertise someone else’s product and you get a cut of anything sold through your link. This is the biggest earner for many travel bloggers. Here are a few affiliate ideas to get you started:
• Website hosting
• Credit cards
• Hostels & Hotels
• Affiliate marketing networks
2. Google AdSense
Singing up for Google AdSense is very easy and you can start making money right away. Google AdSense is an advertising network that will fill your ad spaces with ads from different advertisers. All you have to do is input the piece of code they give you and the ads will start appearing. You can sign up here: https://www.google.com/adsense/start
3. Direct advertising
Once you’re getting enough traffic and have a decent following, you can start reaching out to companies directly and selling them ads on your travel blog. I’d suggest selling direct ads starting at a $10CPM (cost per thousand) up to $15 CPM.
4. Sponsored/Branded content
When approaching companies directly to sell them advertising, you can also offer to write blog posts that they can sponsor. Essentially they’re paying you to write a post which they sponsor. Try to stray away from doing advertorials as your readers will see right through them and it may damage your reputation as a travel blogger.
5. Selling your own products
A few things that you can sell on your site are:
• T-shirts
• Sweaters
• Mugs
• Travel gear
• E-books
• Photography (Lightroom Presets, Overlays, Photoshop Actions, etc)
One of the easiest ways to make money as a travel blogger is to offer your followers digital products. Digital products have almost no overhead and can be delivered to the customer without you ever having to lift a finger.
A great example of a digital product is Lightroom Presets. Since your Insta feed is likely gorgeous, your followers will want to mimic your style. (Don’t worry! This is a good thing!) By offering them a simple way to get quality results, they will be likely buy your Travel Blogger Lightroom Presets from you to match your style!
Indirect ways to make money from your travel blog
Having a travel blog will allow you to gain skills you never knew you would. You’ll develop skills in writing, photography, marketing, etc. You can use your newly developed skills to help businesses and turn these skills into your full-time job. The Internet is a beautiful place full of opportunities for people with these skills.
6. Freelance Photography/Writing
You can reach out to other travel blogs, travel websites or other online platforms that pay you to write articles. The best thing about this is that you can do it while you’re traveling. We have writers who write for The Plaid Zebra from all corners of the world. If you’re interesting in writing for The Plaid Zebra, please send an email to [email protected].
7. Consulting
With your newly developed skills, you can consult for other travel related businesses. Whether it’s marketing, advertising, content or strategy, you’ll have learned these practices from running your travel blog.
Related Articles:
How to start a travel blog and make money traveling the world
11 Benefits to starting a travel blog and traveling the world