Maxie asks: Does running a well-established travel blog take a lot of work?

Well the short answer is, you bet!

Before I begin to explain, let’s step back a bit and ask a different question.  Regardless of what kind of blog you’d like to build, why are you doing it, and what does successful and well-established look like to you?

If your answer is that you would simply like to share experiences or information beyond the scope of Facebook, and don’t really have any grandiose plans, than you could have a free blog up and running in about 10-minutes using a service like Tumblr, Typepad, WordPress, or Google’s Blogspot.

However, if your plans are more ambitious, like ours, then success will require a large commitment on your part.

I’m not claiming that we are the be-all and end-all of the blogging world, but let me just share with you the labor of love that we put into our own website:

1. Your site must be appealing to the eye and able to grab someone’s attention in VERY short order.  Unless you are highly competent with Internet websites, this means hiring a professional.  This is going to mean a cash investment on your part.
2. Opinions vary widely, and it also depends on the type of website you intend to build, but be prepared to spend a dedicated block of time writing each day/week.  If you are building a blog for a consulting firm, a dental practice, a mortgage company, a real estate company, or something of that sort, then a couple of posts per week will be just fine.  However, if you intend to build something akin to a travel magazine, like us, then your output must be much greater.  I easily spend 40+ hours at my computer each week writing posts, sorting/cataloging photographs/videos, posting to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Flickr.  Plus, as we are a travel oriented site, we must travel.  Who wants to hear from a travel blogger who rarely travels?  I don’t.  Do you?  We’re out consistently traveling the world each month to boot.
3. Not only do you need to keep your site filled with attention grabbing and informative articles, but a successful, well-established blog is going to work diligently on building trusted and lasting relationships.  The idea that you might get rich sitting in your pajamas and letting Google drive traffic to your site is fools play. Successful businesses are built on raving fans, and trusted relationships with peers, providers, potential sponsors, etc.
4. You better have deep resources of passion for your subject.  We LOVE to travel.  Therefore, it is our love of travel that keeps the fire in our bellies each day, week, month, and year.
5. Be willing to learn.  This “new media” world is just that.  New.  No one really knows where it’s heading.  It will require constant learning, adjustment, and a BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal).

Well, I suppose I could probably write a whole book on this subject.  But that certainly isn’t on my plate in the near future.

Maxie, my simple answer is that great rewards require hard work.  There’s no such thing as luck.  Luck is when opportunity and preparedness meet.

So, if you have a burning passion in your belly, and the willingness to put in a lot of hard work, then go for it!  If not, stick with Facebook.

Hope that helps.

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