Comments on: Why we need a clear definition of a ‘travel blogger’

By: unbrave girl | By Any Other Name: Why I Call Myself A Writer

unbrave girl | By Any Other Name: Why I Call Myself A Writer — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:37:37 +0000

[…] I read a blog post entitled, “Why we need a clear definition of a travel blogger.” In the article, the author defined a travel blogger as “someone whose main income-generating […]

By: Hal Peat

Hal Peat — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:22:50 +0000

No, the definition doesn’t matter, why should it? Also, considering that those who consider themselves to be the pre-eminent travelbloggerati are also usually among the first to proclaim the mantra of “anyone can do anything”, “all media is equal”, and “raw content is the only authentic content and equal to edited content”, doesn’t leave much room if any for claiming that there are any valid criteria involved here.

By: Barbara Weibel

Barbara Weibel — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:32:12 +0000

I have been doing what I do for nearly five years now, three of which I didn’t make a penny. However, I’ve never referred to myself as a travel blogger. I’m a travel writer, pure and simple. And the day we all stop referring to ourselves as bloggers is the day we will begin to garner respect from “traditional travel writers,” many of whom disparage the term and use it against us to imply less than professional ability.

By: Michele

Michele — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:03:59 +0000

I don’t have a travel blog, I’m managing a corporate travel blog for which I write and manage the publishing plan. BUT I write also for other travel blogs.The majority of the bloggers I write for have become friends,

So when a brand (or a PR agency) approaches me I usually fix some sort of cooperation, engaging the blogger that I may find suitable for the sponsor’s goal achievements.

Actually, my question is, what am I?

By: Kevin May

Kevin May — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:55:52 +0000

@david – another element if your question is whether people write for themselves. Judging by the quality of some travel blogs, I would suspect quite a few.

PR agencies would never support some of rubbish out there, and readers quickly move on from crap sites.

By: Russ

Russ — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 07:18:58 +0000

That definition certainly, and realistically, narrows the field right down to a very short single-file.

By: David @ MalaysiaAsia

David @ MalaysiaAsia — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 06:54:56 +0000

Great read Andy. I’ll keep it short here as you’ve sort of hit it right there in the ‘thinking’ department for many people. Personally, I’d ask everyone – Do you write for your readers or do you write for the PR company? – Now if only the rest of the ‘travel bloggers’ and ‘PR’ from around read this article.

By: jipp

jipp — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 06:42:56 +0000

Sorry Andy, but I have to agree with Pam on this. A travel blogger is somebody who blog about traveling – income or no income. It’s as simple as that. I only think that it defines better on somebody who blogs about his/her own traveling experiences and not someone else’s.

By: Darren Cronian

Darren Cronian — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:53:11 +0000

When my Travel Rants head is on I call myself a blogger and in my own eyes (I don’t care what other people think) it has become a successful blog BUT 95% of readers (survey undertaken in the local pub on five people) have no clue what a blog is. When people visit Travel Rants they find the page on Google for a given search term, find the information they want and leave (sometimes they will comment but this only equates to 5% of people visiting).

Having a blog makes getting media attention and links much easier, probably even more easier for me because of the negativity of my content. The media like to mention blogs and quote bloggers, so for this reason – I have a blog, and I’m a blogger – my readers don’t care.

The problem for me with the term ‘blog’ and ‘bloggers’ is that PR/SEO etc agencies think that you will publish a sponsored post, text link ad for $5 for lifetime. In other words they think bloggers are CHEAP and I am afraid to say, a lot are. I cringe when I see some of the sponsored content out there, I really do, and I think it has got to the point where people don’t take bloggers seriously. I think it is a huge shame.

This is why when I have the My Life in Leeds head on and approach local businesses I am the editor/owner. I want them to take me seriously, and that I have writers who want to write quality content. To recap I think ‘blog’ / ‘blogger’ are just words and people shouldn’t get so hung up on them, but, I do think that if you are trying to make money from your content, you want to be taken seriously.

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:39:50 +0000

I think you are onto something with the definition, but I think that anyone who blogs about travel could legitimately call themselves “travel bloggers”. There are many kinds of travel bloggers though, and maybe that’s where distinctions could be made.

One never knows when a blog will make its money. I was a tech blogger for years and my tech blog didn’t make a significant amount of money until I sold the website. That moment of the final sale didn’t make me a “tech blogger”–I had been a tech blogger from the moment I began publishing content on technology.

What is the difference between a Web publisher and a blogger? Some “full-time travel bloggers” are making a living from websites other than their travel blogs.

My travel blogs don’t directly make the majority of my income, but I make a full-time living from the Internet, including the several travel blogs…