Finding a Travel Blogger for Your Destination
3Qs+ with Leslie Koch
After reading a glowing description of a destination on a travel blog, you might wonder how you can connect with a blogger for your destination. Here's one now-with plenty of advice.
Leslie Koch is a freelance writer and blogger based in New York City. She left a corporate marketing career in 2008 to backpack around the world, and she visited 17 countries and 5 continents in one year. Koch has blogged for various sites since 2008, and in 2010, she founded Downtown Traveler, an online magazine for urban adventurers, featuring writing about travel, arts and culture. Find her on Twitter at @LeslieTravel.
Why is the voice of the blogger important in the travel and tourism industry?
The travel and tourism industry is increasingly courting bloggers because they provide immediate, in-depth and influential coverage.
You may wait for months to see a brief mention of your destination in a magazine, but bloggers will start their coverage almost immediately. Many bloggers post live updates, photos and videos to Twitter and Facebook during Fam trips.
The immediacy of blogger coverage makes it a smart choice for DMOs dealing with travel safety concerns. Photographs and blog posts showing it's "business as usual" at your destination can help counter negative images on CNN.
Finally, bloggers are engaged in a two-way conversation with their audience. They respond to reader questions and even create follow-up posts based on reader feedback. If there are misperceptions about your destination, this is a great way to address them.
How do DMOs find bloggers?
Twitter is the nerve center of the online travel community and is a great place to find influential bloggers. Once you identify a blogger who may be a good fit, make your first contact on Twitter. Retweet their posts, ask them a question related to your destination, or give them a shout on "Travel Tuesday" (on Twitter using the tag #TT or #TravelTuesday).
Follow up with an e-mail message; if the blogger is familiar with you from Twitter, they are more likely to respond. (Like traditional journalists, bloggers receive a great deal of PR spam in our inboxes).
Many travel bloggers are members of the Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX), an organization that hosts events in cities across the United States. If you aren't able to attend the 2011 TBEX conference in Vancouver (June 11-12), you can follow the action on Twitter. You'll find posts by leading bloggers when you search for #TBEX on Twitter.
Here are a few tips for finding influential bloggers on Twitter:
- Search for your destination or region (e.g., #Brazil) to see who is sharing information. If a post is getting a lot of "retweets," chances are it came from a user with a large network.
- Look at the Twitter profiles of DMOs with an established Twitter presence. Who are they following and interacting with on Twitter? These users may have an affinity for your product.
- Click on the Twitter handle of a blogger to see how many followers they have. The blogger's Klout score (a measure of influence) will also appear if you use a dashboard like Hootsuite to manage your Twitter account.
Once you've identified an influential blogger, it's easy to find others. Many blogs include "who we follow" pages that link to other high-quality websites. Some blogs, like Brendansadventures.com and Gotsaga.com, post lists of "top bloggers" based on site traffic or surveys.
What expectations does a blogger have?
A blogger is looking for an amazing experience that will excite and inspire readers. We want to showcase unique offerings and introduce our followers to hidden gems.
When planning a Fam trip, make sure there is Internet access (to encourage live Twitter and Facebook posts) and provide ample opportunities to interact with locals and learn about their culture.
Above all, treat bloggers with the same respect you show to traditional journalists.
What about negative comments? Is that just a risk the DMO runs when inviting a blogger?
Bloggers strive to write honestly about their experiences and that is what makes their opinions so valuable to readers.
If you reach out to bloggers with an affinity for your product and treat them professionally, it's unlikely they will write negative posts. If they are not interested in your offerings, they won't accept your Fam trip in the first place.
And because readers are not interested in lengthy complaints, most bloggers focus on providing helpful tips and suggestions.
Does the DMO always sponsor a blogger?
DMOs should always offer to sponsor a blogger. Unlike staff writers, bloggers do not have the option of expensing their travel costs; a FAM trip may be the only way they can afford to visit your destination. Sponsored trips are one of the main perks of blogging, which is not a lucrative profession.