I'd love to hear from other travel bloggers on these questions

I am working on a piece about travel blogging from the blogger's perspective. I find that there is still a great misunderstanding about the travel blogger and the value s/he delivers, so I'd value your input on the questions below. It's a little long, so feel free to comment on only some sections.

1) If a particular venue/restaurant/attraction/destination would like you to blog about them (and is not paying), what are your expectations? With the many options available to blog about, how can they attract your interest?

Do you:

Expect to be comped for you and/or your family (if a family-oriented destination)?
If it's a destination and you'll be doing a series of posts, do you expect/hope lodging, entrance fees to pertinent attractions and most meals will be covered?
Expect/hope they'll link to your post from their website?
Expect/hope they'll promote your work via social media?
Do you always send them a note of thanks or expect them to do that for you?
Anything else?

2) If you are traveling to a location at which you plan to vacation or travel to, do you generally contact the destination in advance to try to let them know in advance or get authorization to shoot video (if you do video blogging)? If so, who do you generally end up working with (PR agency, CVB or TPA, business itself)?

If someone wanted you to blog about them, what would you like them to know?

Thanks in advance for your insights!

Carol

P.S. I do primarily regional travel blogging but when I am on vacation or traveling, I write about other destinations, so I am interested in hearing from others who do more traditional travel blogging.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Keith Kellett on August 29, 2011 at 8:39am

I never expect anything; when an offer of a trip is made, I always establish from the get-go what's being comped, and make my mind up on that basis. For example, if they'll accommodate me, but I have to pay my own way there I don't rule it out completely; depends on how badly I want to go; a lot of my work arises from trips I've done on my own dollar, anyway.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carol White Llewellyn on August 29, 2011 at 11:09am

Thanks for your input, Keith!

So many of the places you blog about are places you have pre-selected. If, say, you were in a location and an attraction (a museum, a zoo, etc.) wanted you to blog about them, how inclined would you be to do so? Could they do anything to seal the deal?

For places that you've traveled to and blog about, do you contact them after-the-fact and send them a link to you posts?

Thanks so much!

Carol

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Keith Kellett on August 29, 2011 at 2:40pm

Hi, Carol!

Well, there's no 'one size fits all' answer to this one but, in the circumstances you describe, free admission would be the clincher. But, in those circumstances, I disclose that I visited the attraction 'as the guest of ...' and try to keep my stuff as factual as possible, and keep my personal opinion out of it.

Now, if I do the trip or visit at my own expense, I still blog about it and, whatever the circumstances, sent them a link about it. That's doubly important if you're doing a comped trip; they need to see some return on their investment.

Really, it's just an updated version of sending a 'tear sheet' back in the print days; you'd request several copies of the magazine or whatever, so you could send it to someone who'd helped you.

I'd love to hear from other travel bloggers on these questions

Replies to This Discussion

TBU JOBS

FOLLOW US