Writing a travel blog is easy right? In fact, any sort of blog. You just sit down and bang out a few words on somewhere you’ve been and throw in some photos that you took and ‘wham’ it’s done! Then lots of people just happen to read and like it making it a huge success. Easy. Surely it’s that simple?
This may be how it works for some bloggers out there but we’re not accomplished authors or designers and really have to put a lot more thought and hard work into our JWalking prose.
How do we write our blog?
For a start we take it in turns. Jo creates one post then I do the next and so on. We decided that this was the only way to keep it as ‘our‘ blog and not let it develop into some sort of geeky IT project which it could easily have become.
- No schedule for posts, we just roughly plan a week ahead who’s going to do what.
- Try and write the post in one hit, spending 2-3 hours typing and researching.
- Choose the photos that we want from the stored library on the laptop.
- Jonno edits and uploads the photos chosen.
- Schedule the post although it’s often for the same day. We generally go for between 6 and 7pm.
- When published we link on Facebook and Twitter and upload an image or two to Pinterest.
So all in all a post usually takes around four and a half hours in total from sitting down to logging off.
How we started our Travel Blog?
Well we weren’t so organised and we really had no idea what we were doing. I setup the WordPress account and blog before quitting work and had a ‘try it and see‘ period of breaking things and messing up the site before deciding on what we wanted.
Then we simply typed what we thought and added a couple of small photos before publishing. No social media at all and hardly any thought to readability or layout. All of our followers were family and friends that we had personally told to ‘read out blog‘. Looking back on those posts now is a little uncomfortable as they look fairly childlike and are so hard to read. Maybe we should rewrite and re-post with re-edited images?
What we’ve learnt about blogging?
Initially I would say not much but that obviously isn’t true after developing our blog over four and a half years. Thinking about it we have learnt a great deal and after a discussion whilst walking the dogs this morning we jointly decided that;
- We’ve learnt how to write stories after not doing anything remotely like that since we were at school.
- We’re still learning how to structure posts with a combination of story and facts. Jo still struggles with not including too many facts and figures.
- We’ve figured out that shorter paragraphs and sub-headings make our posts more readable.
- We are still learning how to write in the correct ‘voice‘. We know it’s not an essay, a letter, or an casual text but that ‘voice‘ that you need to get balanced is tricky to get. Ongoing.
- We know that properly tagged images bring a post to life.
- We know all about social media and the boost it can give to hits and followers. Need to do more though.
- Most importantly we’ve learnt that our online audience is of equal importance to our personal friends and family.
What we should do and don’t!
I think we’re doing most things correctly but of course we could always spend more time on the blog. We have ideas for posts that we haven’t quite got around to and could obviously promote JWalking more on social media but the fact is that we are very comfortable with the amount of effort we currently put in. We’ve been approached several time to do sponsored posts or carry advertising but we still maintain that our blog is about our lives and not the other way around. Perhaps that will change in the future but I doubt it.
What we do to spread the word.
The obvious links to new posts on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest of which we find Pinterest to be the best developer of new followers and hits by a long way. It takes a lot of work though and we go through peaks and troughs with promoting via social media.
Easily the most enjoyable and perhaps the most successful way of spreading the word is via comments on other blogs and engaging with like-minded bloggers. The support and interaction that we get from so many of them is truly humbling and inspirational. Just wish we had more hours in the day to connect with even more people.
What would our followers like us to do?
Managing a blog can be an insular experience sometimes as it’s so easy to get stuck into a particular way of doing things and not changing or expanding when necessary. So if there is anything that you, our followers, would like us to change then please let us know. Shorter posts? Less photos? More about blogging? Location-specific information? Silly stories? Who knows what works best but we’re happy writing whatever is appreciated the most.
How do we write a Travel Blog?
We do our very best and try and be completely honest and sincere in every word we publish. So the final byline would be that ‘we write our blogs as ourselves’. Which is how we hope it comes across …………
JWalking 
Hi guys i am really enjoying your blogs especially this one , i can learn a lot from you….thanks.
Gary
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Nice of you to say Gary. Lovely to get feedback from fellow bloggers.
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It’s definitely not easy to write a blog. Especially maintaining one. I used to try to post a day, but it’s very challenging to do it with my full time work schedule. Now, I try to post on my days off. I enjoy following your blog. You are doing a great job!
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A post a day is hard going Dee, that must’ve been a bit stressful. I’d struggle to think of subjects and especially titles if we did that many. Thanks so much for following, really appreciate your support.
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Enjoy reading posts from both of you and believe you are doing a great job so I wouldn’t change anything.
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Great to hear as sometimes we’re just not sure. You can tie yourself in knots worrying about how to it properly and how to appeal to more readers. We try to relax and just do it.
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Do t change a thing. Everything is just right, exactly the way it is.
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Ah thanks Chris. We do our best and like the way it’s going but you never can tell can you?
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I think many of us have gone through the same process. I for one certainly have. As you get to know more about both the subject and writing styles, you find more things to include and it becomes a developing project. I look back at some of my early efforts and cringe. I would expect a ‘travel’ (not to pigeon hole it so please forgive me) blog to be that, that personal touch that reflects you both and the places you visit. Let it develop naturally go with the flow and make it about you and your lifestyle not a documentary. It’s very enjoyable as it is, informative, fun and about you. Great reading!
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Thanks so much. As you say it’s a real learning curve on style, method and content and although we feel as if we are improving its always nice to have that confirmed.
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I really like your blog and find it very readable. Just your own personal diary with some interesting facts. I know how hard it is to try and make something entertaining. But it shows that you really enjoy writing it for yourselves. Keep on blogging!
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Thanks Alison, so nice to know that people are enjoying it. Although it is our diary we always try to make it as entertaining as we can.
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I bet some of Lawrence, Hardy, Rankin and Dahl’s early attempts were a bit pants so you shouldn’t be to preoccupied with your early work. Leave them alone as proof of how the blog has evolved. The blog is fine the way it is. The increasing number of comments must be proof of that.
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Yeah guess we’re doing something right with more and more followers and supporters. Never totally sure of course ….
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It’s a process! I’ve been blogging for 8 years. It’ has become an adventure journal!
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Just takes time to find your own style doesn’t it?
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Nah, I’ve always been a Wild Rider!!! 😂 But I’m always in search of what resonates with readers.
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Nice to know what your readers like but I guess you just need to be yourself or else it won’t work. Once a Wild Rider always a Wild Rider eh?
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YeeeeHaaaaa!!
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i think you’ve got the hang of it…
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Thanks Mick, still learning but hopefully getting better.
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For folks who don’t have a home you’ve certainly created a homely blog guys.
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That’s a lovely expression, so pleased it feels that way.
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If it’s not broke don’t fix it. I think your blogs are fab!!! Your posts are written with warmth, honesty and humour. Although I’ve never met you both in person, I feel I’ve known you for years! “Carry on blogging”👏😊
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Thanks so much Liz, what a lovely thing to say. It’s great to get feedback from people that they enjoy the blog, it makes it all worth while. I’m glad you feel like you know us as we could very well be standing on your doorstep looking for a bed for a few nights ……..
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Great insight on how you manage your blog. My husband and I started our blog last year and we’re still figuring it all out. It seems like everyone does things a little differently.
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I guess we all have to find our own way of doing things don’t we? Whatever works best for you is the right way. Hope it’s going okay so far?
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I really enjoyed hearing about your process and how you got started. I think it is an ever evolving process with no right or wrong way. It just depends on what your goal is and what brings you satisfaction. Wonderful that you take turns writing and bravo if you can get a post done in 3-4 hours. Whatever you decide I he the joy of it all remains for you.
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You’re so right, it’s ever changing and you are continually learning as you gain experience. I think that as long as you enjoy it then it’s the right thing.
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I enjoy your blog and am fascinated by your lifestyle. Like you I probably need to spend more time on the blog but then you have to always enjoy the moment rather than thinking about creating perfect pictures etc. Enjoy what you do rather than be shaped by others!
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It would be so easy to just get carried away with blogging and make it too big a thing in your life. Our blog is about the rest of our life so has to fit in around it.
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Agreed again. I am ‘behind’ with posts but they will have to wait whilst I get on with life!
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Of course, that’s the right way to approach it I think. Life should always come first.
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It’s always refreshing to hear about other bloggers’ experiences but especially those who are in your general niche. I’m a solo traveler and the average person can’t imagine how much work is required to do what we do!
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Non bloggers have no idea how much work is involved do they? Never ending to be honest but then our blogs are very important to us aren’t they?
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I think the most important thing is to have an end result that pleases you. You’re doing a great job and I enjoy your conversational voice!
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So nice of you to say. You can overthink it though can’t you if you try to please everyone and work out what is the ‘right’ thing to say. We just try and be ourselves and hope that others enjoying following along.
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What a great idea to recap what you’ve learnt from blogging. It’s such a journey isn’t it. Even though I don’t get here as often as I’d like to, I always enjoy reading you when I do. Keep enjoying and inspiring. 😊
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Thanks Miriam but you should really come here regularly. There might be consequences if you don’t……
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Ouch.
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