Do you have a passion for travel and a desire to share it with the world? If so, then becoming a travel vlogger may be the right path for you!
Travel vloggers create original video content about their travel experiences and share it with a wider audience via social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
Digital content creation is exploding, but can you really make a career out of it? Discover how to make travel vlogging your new side hustle or even full time job!
Life as a Travel Vlogger
From the followers’ perspective, it may look like all glitz and glamor...
...but behind the scenes, there's a lot of hard work!
Successful travel vloggers continuously:
Research and plan their next trip
Document their adventures
Edit hours of video footage
Upload on a regular schedule
Manage their social media presence
Network with others in the industry
Perks of the Job
Don't worry, it's not just hard work. There are many benefits, too!
Broaden your horizons — see the world, gain new perspectives
Professional passion — it's a labor of love
Freedom & flexibility — be your own boss, set your own hours
Preserve memories — document all your travels digitally
Creative outlet — produce artistic videos
Connection — join the community of travelers and vloggers
Inspiration — motivate others to explore the world, too!
But Does It Pay The Bills?
The short answer is: maybe.
Let’s start with how travel vloggers make money:
Advertising — run ads in your videos and get paid when viewers click on them
Sponsorships —get free swag (and trips!) for promoting companies in your videos
Fan funding — loyal followers may pay a subscription fee to access your bonus content
Merchandising — promote your brand and make money by selling your own merch
Affiliate marketing — when your followers buy products from the links in your posts, those companies give you a percentage
Quiz
As a travel vlogger, you decide that one of the ways you'll make money is through the sale of your logo hoodies. This is an example of:
So How Much Can You Expect to Make?
With so many ways to earn in this non-traditional job, it’s difficult to quantify average salaries. However, a recent survey of 29,000 social media video content creators found that:
37% make a full time income
28% earn a solid part time income
35% only make side hustle money
Let's break that down into actual money...
full time = $2,500+ USD monthly
part time = $500 - $2,500 USD monthly
side hustle = < $500 USD monthly
full time = $3,380+ CAD monthly
part time = $675 - $3,380 CAD monthly
side hustle = < $675 CAD monthly
Keep in mind that as an entrepreneur, it will take time and effort to build up to these earnings. Most professional vloggers recommend starting out as a side hustle and working towards full time, if that’s your goal.
Would Travel Vlogging Be a Good Fit For Me?
You’ll love it if you're…
Passionate about travel
Independent and adaptable
Creative and entertaining
Open to sharing your life
Disciplined and determined
Excited to connect with people
Consider something else if you…
Prefer predictability and stability
Require a steady income
Want to limit your social media use
Don’t like being in front of the camera
Place a high value on your privacy
Prefer to stay inside your comfort zone
Think you might be better suited to travel blogging? Check out this Byte: Should I be a blogger?
Quiz Time!
Consider these potential travel vloggers:
Hannah: strong writer, loves travel, shy, artistic
Alex: adventurous, disorganized, problem-solver, large debts
Malik: creative, takes direction well, prefers order and routine
Zara: planner, open-minded, charismatic, resilient
Quiz
Pick the future successful travel vlogger:
Take Action
If you've decided that travel vlogging is right for you, follow these steps to get started…
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