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travel blogger

A conversation about bloggers and their networks

by Todd Lucier on February 10, 2009

In this delightful conversation with @SEKeener, director of Boots N All Travel Network, @Elliottng VP of Marketing for Uptake.com and @KimMance editor-in-chief of gogalavanting.com and founder of TravelBlogExchange.com discuss the importance of travel blog communities and how tourism businesses can connect with travel bloggers.

If you are a tourism business looking to connect with new media don’t miss this insight-filled conversation about bloggers and their communities.

Download the mp3 (22.2 M)

Background:

  • Boots N’ All Travel Network – 6-7 year old blogging community connecting people.
  • Uptake – 1.5 year old travel information site / search engine just launched a travel blog network that helps promote the search engine and promote richly tagged search.
  • TravelBlogExchange – over 400 bloggers have joined in less than three weeks forming small groups discussing all kinds of issues relevant to travel blogging

The value of networking – connecting bloggers has many benefits:

  • bloggers get exposure that may lead to exposure in many different locations including high profile publications
  • community participation leads to comments and feedback on content that a blogger can’t get without connecting via networks.
  • cause-related issues – Passports with a Purpose and blogging networks can move issues.
  • bloggers can help one another by focusing on their strengths and helping one another grow their skills and abilities.
  • travel blogging networks provide more visibility for individual bloggers
  • coming together like the mom-bloggers gives the community more power and influence
  • The social side of blog networks can be difficult to monetize or at least measure, but the power of stories to influence travelers decisions is huge.

How does a tourism business get their story told by a blogger?

  • experiment with all kinds of media, don’t try to follow others
  • connecting with folks in social media – connect with the people who care the most about your destination
  • search the Travel Blog Exchange to find bloggers to tell a story
  • It’s all about relationships: Why should a blogger care about your business?
  • foster relationships with bloggers to get exposure for your business
  • connect with bloggers in their medium, using the social networking tools they use
  • be personal and transparent- don’t hide behind your business brand
  • be interesting

Kim’s 3 Tips to connect with bloggers:

  1. Email the blogger by name and reference something relevant that you have seen on their blog
  2. Provide and link to great photos.
  3. Develop a database of customized discount codes for the blogger to use to promote their story.

Twits you might want to know more about that were mentioned in this podcast:

Other Websites of interest noted in this podcast:

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