{"id":710,"date":"2018-09-28T10:51:48","date_gmt":"2018-09-28T10:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.traverse-events.com\/blog\/?p=710"},"modified":"2018-09-28T10:53:11","modified_gmt":"2018-09-28T10:53:11","slug":"how-i-create-all-my-blog-content-while-im-travelling-on-a-press-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.traverse-events.com\/blog\/how-tos\/how-i-create-all-my-blog-content-while-im-travelling-on-a-press-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"How I create all my blog content while I\u2019m travelling on a press trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

Simple and effective ways to get more of your blogging work done while you\u2019re travelling.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Most travel bloggers live a balanced life where they\u2019ll travel for a few days or a few weeks before returning to a home base to relax, recuperate and create content for their blog. It\u2019s a great way of living; a week of adventure followed by a week sat in cosy caf\u00e9s writing about the trip and editing photos and videos before setting out on the next adventure. This is the travel blogger dream, right?<\/p>\n

But what about the travel bloggers who don\u2019t have the luxury of spending a whole week working in that cosy caf\u00e9? Many travel bloggers balance full time jobs, freelance careers or other commitments like families, so they don\u2019t have that extra week to create their content.<\/p>\n

You could do your blog work in your evenings and weekends but it isn\u2019t long before blogger burnout creeps in and you start to resent all that blog work that\u2019s piling up. Before you know it, six months have passed since that weekend in Barcelona and you still haven\u2019t written about it. You need to stop accepting press trip invites because you simply don\u2019t have time to write about the trips and this fun hobby becomes a chore.<\/p>\n

Sound familiar?<\/p>\n

If you blog alongside other commitments or you simply want to be more efficient with your time as a travel blogger, keep reading to find out how I create all of my blog content during a press trip.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been blogging for almost 10 years and for 5 of those I\u2019ve been full time. I used to travel 2-3 times a month and then return home where I\u2019d be glued to my laptop for about 12 hours a day. Press trips were fun little holidays and it was when I got home that the real work began.<\/p>\n

‘Then I had a baby and it became more difficult to get that blog work done once I got home. And then I had a second baby and it became impossible to get any work done at home!’<\/div><\/blockquote>\n

Then I had a baby and it became more difficult to get that blog work done once I got home. And then I had a second baby and it became impossible to get any work done at home!<\/p>\n

I had two choices. I could either put my kids into fulltime day care or I needed to find a way to become more efficient with my time. If I couldn\u2019t get my blog posts written after a press trip, I had to get them written during a press trip.<\/p>\n

This is often easier said than done, especially during those hectic trips with back to back activities, but I\u2019ve been doing this for about 3 years now. I aim to have all of my blog posts written, all of my photos edited and all of my social media scheduled before I get home. The only thing I don\u2019t do while I\u2019m away on a trip is video editing and that\u2019s because I like to do it on a big computer at home. If I could take an iMac on a plane with me I would!<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Here\u2019s how I get all my content created during a press trip<\/h2>\n

Research the hell out of your trip before you leave<\/h3>\n

I do so much research before a trip that I basically already know what I\u2019m going to write about before I get there. I make notes, jot down facts and write questions if there\u2019s something I\u2019d like more information about. These notes then make the skeleton of my blog posts and once I\u2019m in the destination I can flesh them out. I use these facts and figures and then add personality and character to create a story based on my own experiences.<\/p>\n

‘I do so much research before a trip that I basically already know what I\u2019m going to write about before I get there.’<\/div><\/blockquote>\n

Researching everything helps you have a greater understanding of your destination, making it much easier to write about. It\u2019s also going to help you know what you\u2019re going to blog about so you can ensure you get all the information and photos you need.
\nIt also helps you know what you won\u2019t blog about too which is equally important as you won\u2019t waste any time while you\u2019re there.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to skip activities you know you won\u2019t blog about<\/h3>\n

If there\u2019s something on your itinerary that you know you won\u2019t blog about, don\u2019t be afraid to ask to skip it. You could either switch this activity for something you will blog about, or you could use this time to start creating your content.<\/p>\n

Keep a journal<\/h3>\n

I know many people struggle to write about an experience immediately after it\u2019s happened. If you do, I recommend writing a journal each evening. A journal will help jog your memory when you come to write the \u2018proper blog post\u2019 or your journal may take an unexpected turn and become a proper blog.<\/p>\n

Sometimes I\u2019m not sure what I want my blog post to focus on, so I\u2019ll sit down and begin writing a journal which will take on a life of its own. I\u2019ll usually find that with a bit of editing a journal becomes a blog post. Even if it\u2019s not good enough for a blog, it will often become the backbone to something else or possibly a wordy Instagram caption. I often don\u2019t realise something was such a special experience until I\u2019ve written a journal and realised I\u2019ve written 1,000 words about a hike or the atmosphere in a hotel.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t just keep a journal while you\u2019re travelling, keep a journal while you\u2019re at home too. One thing that definitely helps me get all my work done during a press trip is the fact that I\u2019m a very quick writer, and I put my speedy writing down to practice. As a child I always wrote a journal and as I got older I was that friend to who sends you long, wordy emails describing every part of their day! I start writing in my head before I\u2019ve even got a pen in my hand, so I\u2019ll often mentally half write blog posts while I\u2019m in the shower or while I\u2019m waiting in the security queue at the airport.<\/p>\n

Always pack a portable charger<\/h3>\n

Never underestimate the amount of work you can get done on your phone while sat on a bus! The only thing holding you back from doing more work on your phone is usually the battery life so make sure you pack a portable charger.<\/p>\n

Download apps like Google Docs and Google Sheets as well as your favourite photo and video editing apps.<\/p>\n

Keep all your photos and video clips organised<\/h3>\n

If you only take one piece of advice from this post, make it this.<\/p>\n

Every evening when you go back to your hotel room, put all your photos and video clips onto your laptop and\/or external hard drive, organise them into folders and name them appropriately. This is one of those boring tasks that doesn\u2019t take long if you do it daily but it\u2019s a mammoth task at the end of a big trip.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

It\u2019s also so much easier to label your photos when names and places are fresh in your mind. Edit and resize your photos too and if you\u2019ve got a decent wifi connection, you can also upload them into WordPress so they\u2019re ready and waiting to go as soon as you\u2019ve written your blog posts.<\/p>\n

Skip dinners<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re on a short trip it\u2019s usually important to attend all meals as a way to socialise with your group and get to know the brand and PRs who invited you. But if it\u2019s a longer trip, don\u2019t feel like you need to attend every meal, especially if it\u2019s just another hotel dinner.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not a food blogger and I rarely blog about my meals so I\u2019ll sometimes skip the evening meal in favour of room service and a few hours work.<\/p>\n

Save the easy jobs for when you\u2019re tired<\/h3>\n

Yes, this trip is going to be tiring. It\u2019s going to involve lots of late night and lots of early starts so keep this in mind when you\u2019re planning your work. If you\u2019re a morning person, use this time to do the jobs that require the most concentration and save the easier things (like organising and editing photos) for late at night.<\/p>\n

Accept that you\u2019re going to be tired<\/h3>\n

Really tired.<\/p>\n

‘This isn\u2019t a holiday, it\u2019s a press trip. This is work. You\u2019re not there for a jolly, you\u2019re there to create content!’<\/div><\/blockquote>\n

This isn\u2019t a holiday, it\u2019s a press trip. This is work. You\u2019re not there for a jolly, you\u2019re there to create content! I\u2019m not suggesting you don\u2019t enjoy yourself. Yes, let your hair down and have a drink after a long day but keep in mind that you will be working long hours.
\nThe first ever press trip I went on was with super bloggers like Abi King from Inside the Travel Lab and Kash from Budget Traveller. It was during this trip that I realised how hard bloggers work during press trips, so mentally prepare yourself before you arrive!<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need to get up at about 6am to do an hour or two of work before breakfast and then you\u2019ll be up for an hour or two after dinner too. This often means you\u2019re only getting 5-6 hours sleep every night but it\u2019ll be worth it when you get home with all your blog posts complete.<\/p>\n

\"Header<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Don\u2019t leave the airport until you\u2019re done<\/h3>\n

So you\u2019ve landed back at home but you still haven\u2019t finished all your blog posts. You could get them finished in about 3-4 hours so you go straight home and promise yourself you\u2019ll crack on when you\u2019re back\u2026but we all know that\u2019s a lie. You\u2019ll get home and see your friends and family. There\u2019s a cold bottle of wine in the fridge and your favourite TV program is about to start. There\u2019s no way you\u2019re doing any work tonight! Then a week passes, then two weeks, then three weeks\u2026..<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been known to land at Manchester Airport and instead of going to pick up my car, I\u2019ll go straight to Caf\u00e9 Nero to carry on with my work.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to lie, it\u2019s tough! But arriving at home knowing you\u2019ve done all your work is the best feeling so it\u2019s 100% worth it, I promise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Simple and effective ways to get more of your blogging work done while you\u2019re travelling. Most travel bloggers live a balanced life where they\u2019ll travel for a few days or a few weeks before returning to a home base to relax, recuperate and create content for their blog. It\u2019s a great way of living; a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-tos"],"yoast_head":"\nHow I create all my blog content while I\u2019m travelling on a press trip - Traverse Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.traverse-events.com\/blog\/how-tos\/how-i-create-all-my-blog-content-while-im-travelling-on-a-press-trip\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How I create all my blog content while I\u2019m travelling on a press trip - Traverse Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Simple and effective ways to get more of your blogging work done while you\u2019re travelling. 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