How to be a travel vlogger in 2023

Travel vlogging is an ever-growing YouTube niche that is a dream job for many of us. It’s a tough nut to crack, but the rewards of making money doing something as amazing as traveling the world full-time makeup for the steep learning curve. Keep reading to find out how to get started.

The world is waiting!

What is vlogging?

Vlogging is just like blogging, but with video, of course! You are speaking directly to the camera about whatever is on your mind.

So how do you get started? Read on!

Have passion

Because you’ll be on camera, you really need to show the viewers how passionate you are about traveling. You can’t fake passion (unless you’re a really good actor); it’s just going to come through on your videos how thrilled you are to be in a new place. Passion and enthusiasm are engaging, you can’t succeed in this game unless you have loads of it.

Setting the right expectations

You’re not going to be a superstar overnight. YouTube is a tough nut to crack, as there are literally millions of channels that you’re competing against. You have to be a little realistic and come into this lifestyle with a realistic mindset and achievable goals. If you don’t, you’re going to be discouraged really quickly!

Don’t do it only for money

The constant chasing of money is not only exhausting, but it kills the two things you need the most; passion and creativity. Don’t quit your regular job the day you start making videos, it’s going to be a long and tough journey before you can begin making a living with this. During this growth period, money isn’t the thing that’s going to drive you to success. It’s passion and your ability to make amazing, original content.

Travel as much as you can

If you want to vlog about your travels… you have to travel! Pretty self-explanatory.

You have to get out into the big, wide world and do stuff! Wouldn’t be much of a travel blog if you were just filming in your bedroom right?

Find a Niche

As mentioned before, there’s probably millions of travel vloggers out there competing for a slice of the same pie that you want. The best way to compete? Play the game by your own rules!

Think about what is going to make you stand out from the crowd. Maybe you’re a gear expert, or you have special knowledge about a particular area of the world, you could be a foodie hell-bent on discovering the next big food trend. Look for trends that might be emerging, and openings in the market. This way, you’ll be able to provide content that no one else is providing, which will attract tonnes of loyal viewers.

Get inspiration / Learn from other travel vlogs

From time to time, you’re going to get writer’s block. You’ll be struggling to come up with different ideas for videos, or maybe things will start to get stale and monotonous. This is not good! You have an audience to entertain! Don’t fret, just chill and watch a few videos from fellow travel vloggers and draw some inspiration from them.

Watching other vloggers will allow you to take note of what the competition is doing right or wrong. Learn from them. After all, they’re in or were in, the same position as you are now.

Don’t forget to interact with their audience and reach out to the creator, you’ll be helping them out by engaging the viewers and helping yourself by doing some networking and under-the-radar advertising for your own channel. It’s a win/ win for everyone!

Give viewers originality and authenticity / Be you

People hate fakeness. Especially when it comes to social media personalities. I mean, if we wanted fake personalities, we’d just watch a movie or T.V. show, right?

It’s a cliche, but you should strive to be yourself. Or rather, the best version of yourself. The fact that you have a passion as cool as traveling and the guts to put yourself in front of the camera is evidence that you’re amazing!

Think about what makes you special. Ask yourself, “Why do my friends/ partners/ family like me?” and then show these qualities off to your audience. You don’t need to be perfect either, flaws can be endearing and will get the audience to identify with you more. Don’t forget; the camera loves you!

Essential Equipment for a Travel Vlogger

Cameras

You’re spoilt for choice. For a beginner, any entry-level DSLR camera should do. The most popular brands are Nikon, Canon, and Sony. One great thing about DSLRs is that they are extremely reliable in comparison to other high-tech stuff.

The type of camera is also something to think about. You most likely already have a DSLR or a camera on your smartphone, but you could also branch out and get some cool shots with an action camera, like a GoPro, or a drone (DJI are by far the best).

Camera Gear

This will include lenses, tripods, mounts, microphones, and storage.

Storage, especially, is super important. You need to have enough space to save all your shots. So stock up on SD cards (Sandisk) and external hard drives (Seagate).

Computer and editing software

A laptop is a must. It’s a bit hard to lug a PC tower around everywhere, so a big chunk of your budget should be spent on a powerful laptop. Macs are all the rage with a lot of editors, but they can be pricey, other brands, such as Dell and Asus, make excellent laptops too. Shop around to find out what’s going to be best for you.

When you’ve chosen your rig, it’s time to install some editing software. Adobe is the king here, whether it be for photos or videos.

Adobe is by far the most popular editing software, and thus, there are a lot of tutorials to find online. You don’t need to have Hollywood-level editing skills, but you do need to learn the basics so you can craft an engaging and entertaining video.

Everyone loves a story

Just rambling into a camera for 30 minutes might get you a few views here and there, but your audience just won’t be engaged. Learn to tell a story.

Depending on your niche, this could be one of the most tricky steps, especially to do this consistently.

Watch other vloggers and take note of how they tell their stories. Are they just speaking into the camera? Or do they take you on an adventure with a start, middle, and end. Pay attention to which videos keep your attention, and try to emulate that. There’s tonnes of resources online to figure out how to tell a great story.

Be emotional and try to learn what your audience wants!

How to Grow Your Travel Vlog

There are many ways to grow, and they should all be mined to their fullest potential.

• Be dedicated and consistent: You need to have a clear posting schedule and stick with it!
• Get Active on All Social Media: Advertise yourself. Don’t be shy!
• Make Friends with Other Vloggers: You could learn so many things from our peers. Don’t be afraid to reach out! You might even be able to do a collaboration!
• Interact with your audience: You must engage with your audience so you can develop a relationship. You’ll also gain valuable feedback!

How to Make Money as a Travel Vlogger?

Affiliate links are the best way for a beginner. Affiliate links allow you to make a commission on products that are featured on your videos which are purchased by viewers (via a link on your channel).

The next step is to set up a donation scheme like Patreon or PayPal. Your viewers will help you keep making content!

Never, never give up!

You made it! You’re on YouTube!

Now you’re on the right path to realize your dream of being a travel vlogger full-time. But don’t get too cosy, remember you must always be looking for ways to improve your content and grow. The sky really is the limit. Never stop learning, and never stop growing.

Good luck!