One of the great things about the travel industry is there is literally a world of destinations and topics about which to write. People love to travel, they love to talk about travel, and a good travel article will almost always find an audience. Deciding on topics for your blog or newsletter is a small exercise in marketing. The mission is to determine what subject will grab and hold the attention of the reader, and them coming back for more.
If you are going to write about travel, it helps to become a student of travel writing. Spend time looking at the leading consumer magazines, reading articles and studying the topics current in each. What destinations are “hot”? What topics are covered with some frequency? What are the concerns the writers are addressing for the public? Remember much research and demographic study goes into the publication of a consumer magazine. Leverage their research dollars by watching where their editors are focusing attention.
Likewise, each day TRO publishes its Travelgram, a compilation of the day’s travel news as presented by top consumer publications. The topics you see covered each day in the Travelgram are representative of the issues about which travelers are thinking. Visit online consumer forums to see what the concerns of the traveling public are at any given moment. Perform keyword research to see what search terms are being applied to your niche markets. Use resources such as these to inform and inspire your topic selections.
Your own travel experiences provide valuable material for writing and will color all of your creative content. What are the biggest problems you have encountered when traveling? What issues have you struggled with as a traveler? What are your pet peeves? What have been your biggest surprises and worst disappointments? What solutions to common travel hassles have you discovered? Chances are, your personal perspective will find an empathetic eye among your readers. The problems you have personally encountered are likely to be the same problems your readers deal with when they travel. Tips and “how to” articles never go out of style. Providing information that makes the travels of your readers more enjoyable, safer or efficient is a direct path to seizing their attention.
Educate, inform, entertain – these are the keys to the types of topics on which readers are willing to spend time. Become a resource though which your travel clients can empower themselves and you will have earned an audience.
Tomorrow: Writing Well
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