9 Tips for Travel Blogging on the Move

When we started our travel blog 9 months ago we realised quite quickly that travelling and blogging don’t always easily go hand in hand. We’ve pretty much been on the road throughout, and over that time we’ve picked up a few tips that we’d like to pass on about the practicalities of blogging on the move.

Whether you’re on a week’s trip, a month-long expedition or full-time backpacking for years, it can be difficult to keep up with the requirements of running a new blog. It involves flexibility and dedication to actually write and publish those blog posts, but with some organisation and planning ahead there’s no reason you can’t find the right balance between work and play.

We do our best to allow ourselves time out from recording our adventures and travel tips to just enjoy having fun wherever we are. Here are 9 tips for blogging on the move!

1. Record in the Moment

Always have something with you to take notes on, be that a good old-fashioned notebook or your smart phone. We find that if we try to write blog posts solely from memory, the feelings and facts about a place or experience have often become diluted and they prove trickier to write.

We learnt the hard way by wasting so much time searching for details we’d forgotten. Some bloggers also use their smart phones as Dictaphones to really capture the emotion of a story in the moment. Give it a try!

2. Find Some Peace

We would always recommend finding a quiet space to work in. Particularly if you are staying in a dorm room in a hostel, search out a place where you can focus without distraction.

We’ve battled with trying to write in hostel bars over a beer but your best bet is to find a quiet corner in a coffee shop or a co-working space alongside other people also working. It’s the same as working anywhere but if you are constantly getting interrupted and your attention drifting from the task in hand, it’s just going to take you longer to complete it.

3. Get Organised

For us, being disorganized just takes valuable time away from us enjoying ourselves wandering around the local markets or relaxing on the beach reading a book. Make use of social media scheduling tools to maximize your time by posting in bulk and also to maintain your presence online even when you’re not.

For example when we were camping in the jungle whilst adventure hiking in Luang Namtha in Laos we had scheduled blog posts and social media updates.

Also, as important as social media is for the promotion of your blog, it can be one of the biggest distractions. Our advice would be that if you aren’t specifically working on social media, log out of your accounts or put your phone out of reach to avoid temptation.

4. Utilize Offline Time

Whether it’s because you are in transit to your next destination or because there is poor signal where you are, you will no doubt find yourself without internet at some stage. Especially if you are travelling in a developing country.

In Bolivia and Laos we spent hours hunting for a decent connection but we’ve recently changed our mindset to take advantage of these situations. You see there are plenty of tasks that you can do whilst offline, such as editing photographs or videos, planning social media posts, not to mention physically writing.

5. Plan Ahead

Think about which pieces of your equipment you will need to do work on the move and ensure they are not packed in the luggage hold. We often got caught out by this early on and it’s frustrating. Also never bank on having access to power outlets – make sure that your laptop, phone and battery packs have enough charge to last the journey.

It may sound obvious but the last thing you want is a wasted 12 hour journey because you forgot to charge stuff. When you are blogging on the move always plan to for travel delays too. We were stuck in airports for nearly 2 days without internet when travelling from Peru to Colombia.

6. Reduce Pressures

Keep a list of upcoming blog posts that you want to want to pen so you don’t forget any great ideas you have. Get ahead with them by a few weeks so that you are not putting unnecessary pressure on yourself.

In the beginning we would always be cramming to get a blog post finished and running around to find a decent enough internet connection to upload photographs. Put some time aside to get in front and give yourself a break.

7. Be Realistic

Whether it’s by letting your hair down having a few beers with fellow travelers or just allowing yourself time to take in the culture and get under the skin of the place you are in, we all need time to enjoy ourselves without thinking about work.

It’s very easy for us to not switch off and feel guilty because we haven’t finished editing a blog post, or conversely struggle to switch on and find the motivation to get started. Therefore, be realistic with how often you will be posting content.

Whether it’s daily, weekly or monthly, find out what is genuinely achievable for you personally. We switched from posting blogs three times per week to twice a week and it’s much more manageable.

8. Find Balance

Figure out what the best time of day for you to do work is. It may be that you are most productive getting up early, working for the morning then taking off exploring for the rest of the day.

Or maybe you work best splitting it up and working a few hours on a morning and a few hours during the evening instead? This may take some compromise if you are blogging as a couple and have different preferences.

But in order to be able to produce good quality content about a place, you need to allow yourself time to be inspired. Flexibility is key to your productivity whilst blogging on the move but you also need to create boundaries by separating work and play otherwise it can easily blur.

And trust us trying to write a blog post on a sandy beach is not the best!

9. Set Goals

When blogging on the move you are in a constantly changing environment and it can be difficult to stick to any kind of routine. We used to be left feeling like we hadn’t actually accomplished much with our blog day-to-day. To counter balance this we regularly set short and long-term goals and targets now.

For example, grow Facebook following by ‘X’ or make ‘X’ new connections with partner brands. We find that way, if you have a few days off blogging but are still meeting your targets you will still feel motivated.

So hopefully you can learn by some of our mistakes and make use of our tips for blogging on the move, to practice efficiency in your travel blogging and maximize your time. Most importantly give yourself a break and don’t let blogging become a chore.

Go on, knuckle down on that blog post for a couple of hours then get yourself out there, meet some new friends and enjoy some delicious local food. What are you waiting for?

James & Sarah

For more information and tips for Travel Blogging check out The Goat’s articles here:

Blogging Off-The-Beaten-Path: The Pros & Cons

10 Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Blogging

How To Start a Travel Blog: A Guide For Beginners

From Hobby to Career: The Complete Evolution Of Our Travel Blog

Author’s Bio:

James & Sarah, aka TheWholeWorldOrNothing.com, are full time budget backpackers & part time thrill seekers. They love seeking out delicious street food, taking on exciting adventure hikes & drinking a nice cold beer while watching a sunset. It all started with a drunken conversation about wanting more from life & a desire to travel the world. Now they are living their dream & hope to inspire you to put your fears aside & go follow yours. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest to keep up with their journey & awesome travel tips. What are you waiting for?