The travel industry has been among the ones that were hurt the most during the coronavirus crisis. After worldwide cancellation of flights, bookings and travel restrictions within countries, travel blogs were left wondering: what do we do now? Like in any crisis, there was an overwhelming sense of uncertainty, instability and even panic in the air.
If you make a living from your travel blog, this crisis was probably your worst nightmare come true. Without the ability to actually travel, people are no longer looking for that type of content, nor do you have anything new to share from your globe-trotting adventures.
Well, it’s not really like that. The reality is that you can still continue using storytelling as a method of connecting to your travel blog audience. Here’s how:
Keep the Connection Going
Staying silent and stopping all posts and updates is definitely not the right response to this crisis. Your readership and audience want to know what’s happening, how you’re dealing with the crisis and what you have to say, even if you’re not doing any travelling per se.
The first step is to decide that you are going to keep a regular and consistent connection to your existing audience. Also, you should even make an effort to expand it, but be realistic and take the circumstances into account. Make a plan of what, when and why you’re going to post and stick to it as much as you can. When circumstances change, and they inevitably will, change your plan as well.
Post Throwbacks to the Good Times
From every medium and publishing source, we are bombarded with grim information about the crisis. Even more, there’s loads of fake news and alarming posts that make coping with the situation even worse. As a publisher, you have the power to go against this stream and actually contribute something positive and cheerful.
In times like these, people need a reminder that the good times will come again. Post some of your favourite experience from the last year or earlier and share the positive lessons that you have gained from that experience. This will remind your audience that even though the times are tough at the moment, good times are ahead and we will appreciate them more than ever before.
Cooperate with Fellow Bloggers and Writers
Just like in personal relationships, the crisis has reminded us of the importance of being part of a professional community and helping each other. Stay in touch with your favourite travel bloggers – comment on their posts, share their photos, recommend their websites!
Now is also a great time to feature some other writers on your travel blog. This can give you the increase in exposure you need during these times, but can also help you stay consistent at times when you’re feeling overwhelmed and have difficulty writing. Services with professional writers, including travel and tourism experts who can share their knowledge and experiences are: SupremeDisserations, Studicus and Fiverr.
Get Visual
During challenging times, individuals tend to gravitate towards visually engaging content. When feeling anxious, stressed, or uncertain, they often prefer accessing images and videos over reading lengthy blog posts. Make your travel blog posts as visual as possible by incorporating a variety of multimedia elements such as videos, images, animations, and infographics. Consider utilizing the capabilities of a free online video editor to enhance the visual appeal and storytelling aspect of your content, capturing the attention of your audience effectively.
“The visual is incredibly powerful. In times when readership rates are down – for example, travel posts in times of a crisis like COVID-19 – using visual elements is the perfect way to attract the attention of your audience”, says Dorian Martin, a writer at WowGrade. It’s also a good idea to link your travel blog to all your other social media profile that’s more visual than textual: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and so on.
Adapt to the New Normal
No matter how unbelievable it may sound, the travel industry is going to take a lot of time to get back on its feet. Not only that, but when it finally does, it will be something completely different than what we’re all used to. At this point, it’s impossible to predict even the short-term future, and there’s no telling what the adventure of travelling will look like one year from now.
As a travel blog writer, you have to accept this reality and adapt to it. The industry is going through radical changes and it’s only natural that your travel writing and day-to- day work will change just the same. Stay on top of everything that’s going on and shifting in the industry to preserve your authority and position of knowledge.
Conclusion
Crisis is not a sign that you need to stop with your storytelling efforts as a travel blog. Crisis times are, by definition, scary and unpredictable, but you need to accept that you now need to work under these conditions. It’s just a signal that you have to change the way you communicate with your audience. First, you need to start by addressing the crisis, not pretend that nothing is going on and carrying on as if it’s business as usual.
Guest post written by: Estelle Liotard
Estelle is a professional writer working with some of the top essay writing services such as TrustMyPaper and GrabMyEssay. She’s also a partner contributor at best essays websites that help students from all around the world with their papers and assignments. Estelle runs her own blog and loves all things digital and innovative.
