The First Time…

My first visit to Austin, TX, for the first annual TravelCon was full of “firsts” and it was an exhilarating experience!  Exhilarating because there comes a time in your life when you have to take a leap, and this trip was my leap. It was the first time I attended a travel blogging conference and identified myself as a travel blogger. Even better, no one looked at me sideways while silently thinking I’m crazy for being a blogger.

Going For It

I was preparing to launch my blog in the winter of 2018 when I first learned of Nomadic Matt’s TravelCon. My immediate reaction was, “I have to go!”.  Typically, I overanalyze everything, but in this case I bought my ticket for the conference before I could rationalize my way out of it. I decided if I was going to move forward with a blog then I might as well go all-in and start learning from and talking to those with experience. Now having attended TravelCon, I can confidently say I made the right call!

You’re Going Where? For What?

One word: perplexed.  I received a lot of puzzled looks from friends and family when I (reluctantly) shared I was going to a travel blogger conference in Texas. This sounds like an odd niche for a conference but what everyone needs to remember is there is a market for everything. Paying to hear about how to improve your blog? With over 600 attendees for TravelCon, I’d say there is definitely a market!

Despite some perplexed responses to my TravelCon plans, I wasn’t deterred.  I knew why I was going and it was important to me. I shrugged off those awkward responses and continue to do so.  I’m determined to enhance my blog, build a travel fitness community and encourage my fellow fit travelers to maintain  healthy habits while traveling.  Eating healthy and maintaining fitness on the road is difficult but if we stick together and share our tips and tricks we can make it happen!

Touchdown in Austin

When I purchased my TravelCon ticket in February the conference seemed so far away but, as usual, time passed quickly and before I knew it I was on a plane to Austin and checking in to my first Airbnb.  The hotel prices downtown were pretty hefty so I definitely recommend using Airbnb. (Use this code to receive a discount on your first Airbnb.)  I stayed in the South Congress (SoCo) section of Austin which was about a 25 minute walk to downtown. It’s a little quieter than downtown but still has many great restaurants and shops. It’s also home to the legendary music venue, The Continental Club.

Being in SoCo allowed me the opportunity for a daily dose of exercise while walking to and from the conference and while exploring the city. When I needed a break or was traveling a long distance I hopped on a Lime for a super fun ride. Using Lime was another first for me. I had never seen them before, as they’re not yet popular on the East Coast and I don’t spend a lot of time in cities. Having ridden one, I can’t wait to do it again!

TravelCon Teachings

I was fortunate enough to attend TravelCon and I understand not everyone was as fortunate as me. I would like to share a few lessons learned in the hope they are beneficial to others.

Lesson #1: Content is King

The message I heard consistently at all sessions and from all the keynote speakers was that quality content is perhaps the most important thing to focus on. The content should be relevant to your brand, geared towards your target audience and help readers solve a problem. As a new blogger, it’s difficult to attract and retain new followers but good content is the best way to do it.  Make yourself valuable and give people a reason to keep coming back by providing helpful advice. Not sure what people will find helpful?  Just ask. Talk to fellow travelers and use social media to ask how you can help your audience.

Lesson #2: Open Your Mouth

I’m not gonna lie, I hesitated putting my conference badge around my neck. I think I was suffering from imposter syndrome. I figured everyone else was experienced and actually knew what they were doing, were naturals at networking and had traveled the world. In reality, I met quite a few people who had either yet to launch their blogs or had just started. Phew, what a relief! I wasn’t alone! But I wouldn’t have known that if I didn’t open my mouth and talk to people. I’m not an extrovert so networking is a struggle for me, but I left my comfort zone and met some really interesting people at varying stages of life and career. Now I have connections to learn from and meet up with at next year’s TravelCon.

Another benefit to talking with people is it helps provide content for your blog. While you’re traveling, you’ll meet locals who can give you good recommendations for fun experiences you won’t find in travel guidebooks. Chances are you’ll meet fellow travelers who need help or are looking for suggestions on what they can do on their vacation. That’s a perfect chance for you to help them out and promote your blog at the same time!

Lesson #3: Don’t Give Up

Building a library of quality content takes a long time. A successful travel blog doesn’t happen overnight so be patient and work hard to build your brand.  It’s easy to throw a post together in five minutes but how good is it really going to be? Successful travel bloggers set goals, establish a target audience and stay true to providing content that is useful and relevant for years to come. Creating quality content isn’t easy but it results in long-term success. As keynote speaker Oneika Raymond put it, “Outlast the competition”. Many people start travel blogs thinking it will be fun and all they have to do is write about where they’ve been. In reality, it’s very time consuming to run a blog and continually engage your audience, so a lot of people give up on their blogs. Stay the course, put in the work and you’ll find success.

Plan For The Future

TravelCon was most definitely an inspiring few days.  I learned technical skills to improve my blog and engage readers and, more importantly, I took the crucial first step of joining the travel blogger community.  I’m determined to keep the momentum going by implementing lessons learned at TravelCon and by keeping in touch with my fellow bloggers. I’ve already purchased my ticket for TravelCon 2019 and I urge all travel bloggers to do the same.  I’ll see you there!