FAQ

HeyNomadic is a multi-faceted business and has various revenue streams including affiliate programs, consulting, social media marketing, curating tours, custom branding and digital content creation.

1) I work with tourism boards, hotels, airlines and travel partners where expenses are covered and I am paid for social media marketing or producing content like photography or videography. (You’ll always know if I take a press trip as I disclose it in the post). I accept these opportunities when it’s a destination or experience I’m excited for and I think my readers will benefit from my first-hand perspective of the trip.

2) I earn ad and affiliate revenue from my website. This way, the website remains free for readers like you!

3) I offer social media and influencer marketing consulting as well as content creation for brands that want to focus on authenticity and engagement. I began consulting out of my own love for social media and branding and enjoy helping create solutions for other companies.

4) In response to the countless emails and messages I get about my editing process, I developed my own Lightroom Presets. I created different collections with custom presets that I use on my own photos throughout my travels. These easy-to-use mobile and desktop presets will instantly add a beautiful aesthetic to all of your images.

Honestly, it’s a LOT of work, and a lot of very little sleep while traveling. After blogging for about 2.5 years on my own, I realized the only way to grow my business was to start building a team.

To travel full-time while managing multiple businesses, sharing daily blog content, posting daily to Instagram, managing a constant social media schedule, securing and managing partnerships, shooting and editing photos, and shooting and editing videos on your own will drive you insane.

It takes an army to raise a blog—I currently have a team of 8 people

I have an irreplaceable Managing Director, Lauren, who helps keep the business running at all times and is the glue that keeps this business together. I wouldn’t be where I am without her!

I have a rock star Content & Community Director, Chelsea, who manages my social media communities and blog content.

I also have an incredible Graphic Designer, Video Editor, Web Developer and a talented team of Writers.

First of all, thank you for your kind words! But you’ve got to know that my blog was not an overnight success and I’ve put countless hours into growing it and developing my team. For someone just taking a glance at my Instagram feed, they might think I’m traveling a lot of the time, but the truth is so much of it is working at my laptop—editing photos, creating content, replying to emails.

And yes, I have a team. I wouldn’t be able to do it all without them—there are only so many hours in the day!

If you’re wanting to pursue blogging as a career here are the things I would focus on:
Find your passion and niche; find out what makes you and your content different
Figure out your target audience
Build your website
Create useful content with gorgeous photos and graphics
Make use of social media platforms
Learn all about SEO
Network with others
Don’t get too caught up with numbers or focusing on the success of others

Understand that social media and blogging are always changing and you’ll have to adapt! I don’t focus all my time and energy on any one platform as they can change at a moment’s notice (or a new algorithm).

There’s a short answer and a long answer. The short answer is, “just do it!” Sure, you need to figure out logistics like what your brand name is going to be, who your target audience is, and how you’re going to create content. But don’t let the fear of starting the blog and putting yourself out there prevent you from doing it at all! The long answer?

Check out my FREE Ultimate Guide to Starting a Successful Travel Blog, which includes step-by-step tips on getting your website up and running!

 here!

It’s funny that there are so many parallels in just about every industry, but as an entrepreneur or for any new business owner, there’s a saying that it takes at least 3 years for a new business to become profitable, and success is not guaranteed.

I imagined my blog in that way, where the first 3 years were going to be challenging and that I would potentially fail. And by fail I mean nobody would read my blog or I would need to quit the blog and return to a full-time job to support myself. BUT I worked my butt off, learned from the criticisms as well as the compliments and was open to evolving my brand to better connect with my audience.

So, my first tip is to stay true to what you’re passionate about—if you are thinking about starting a blog or taking your blog to the next level, I encourage you to really find your niche and focus on something that you would be interested in blogging about five years from now.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned? Create engaging content! I think one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is creating content that you love, but with your audience in mind. Always ask yourself, would this help my readers? Or, is this something that my readers care about? Asking for audience feedback is one of the easiest ways to create content that they will love.

If you’re just getting started, check out my FREE Ultimate Guide to Starting a Successful Travel Blog, which includes step-by-step tips on getting your website up and running!

If you’ve already got a blog but are looking for insider tips to step up your game, check out my Tips for Brand New Bloggers!

And, if you’re interested in pursuing blogging as a business, sign up for my Blogging Master Class here!

First of all, hone in on what aspects you’re wanting to get better at and grow. Does your site need some tuning up? Do you need to focus more on SEO? How is community engagement on your social media platforms? Are you taking the best-quality photos possible?

Here are several articles that will help you out:

Tips for Shooting Stunning Travel Flat Lays
10 Ways to Be a More Productive Blogger
10 Skillshare Courses Perfect for Bloggers
The Best Apps for Bloggers to Stay Organized
Tips for Brand-New Bloggers Wanting to Step Up Their Game
The Best Photography Equipment for Travel Blogging

Narrow down what you’re trying to become better at and start there! I know it can be overwhelming at first, so do it in small chunks.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: my blog was not an overnight success. The success of my blog has been a direct reflection of the effort I put into it—when I treated it like a job, that’s when things really started to happen. I figured out who my audience is, learned SEO, upped my photography skills and focused on content creation.

To stand out, I truly believe you need to create useful content. There are so many pages and sites that share “inspirational” photos of traveling to a place…but that’s just what it is: inspiration. It doesn’t provide you with tips for visiting, the best time to go, how to get those shots, etc. So I prefer to create content that is of value and helpful to my readers—that doesn’t just let them dream of a place, but actually allows them to make that dream a reality by providing them with the tools to make it possible.

Also, when you’re building a blog, you’re building a brand—so you’ve really got to hone in on what your goals are, your message, who your target audience is, what kind of content you’re wanting to create and why. If you’re wanting to stand out as a blogger, head over to this post for all my tips and tricks.