Should You Have a Blog to Travel?

We receive a lot of messages from future travelers regarding travel blogs: >

Writing about blogging is not the goal of this blog: I enjoy sharing my discoveries and reflections here. However, due to the persistent interest and curiosity, and despite my initial promise to write only one article on the subject, here is the behind-the-scenes look and our perspective on travel blogs.

For me, a travel blog has two missions: to share the travel experience and to prolong that experience.

Going far and wanting to keep in touch with loved ones while sharing discoveries is deeply human! It comforts both sides. We adopted this approach for our first long trip: François created a website for us to publish our photo albums and travel logs as we went along.

The benefits: to indicate that we are still alive and to update everyone without having to write to each of our loved ones individually. A time saver, in a way...

But this first site was not a blog. For example, there was no space for comments. The idea was not to be interactive but to provide accessible content to our loved ones. We weren't looking to reach strangers. We had no social media and shared nothing outside of our site.

Over time, we continued to publish our photo albums and travel stories... but not so much for our loved ones, who followed us from afar, but rather for ourselves. To keep a record. An album accessible anywhere and anytime.

After our second trip to Peru, four years after our first big trip, I wanted to write different types of articles. To step outside the mold we had created to share our reflections and answer some recurring questions from family and friends interested in benefiting from our advice drawn from past experiences. That's when I created Un sac sur le dos, with a very different approach.

To write during or after the trip? A question I solve by saying: why not both? Whenever I feel like it and have the time... simply put.

I enjoy writing while traveling, especially during long bus, train, boat, or plane rides... That moving stillness, with the landscapes whizzing past my window, is extremely stimulating: ideas rush to my mind, and my fingers tingle. It's the call of the keyboard (or notebook)!

But the question of the timing of blogging is a real debate without a right answer.

Does sharing one's journey diminish the experience? Or does it amplify it?

Some believe that publishing photos and articles during the trip disconnects the traveler from the present experience. Others, like me, believe that writing is an extension of that immersion, reliving the highlights of the day through writing and selecting photos at night. But, of course, a personal balance needs to be found and reinvented with every trip...

Travel blogs are like books: there are all kinds. Some are >, some are advice blogs, some are >, some are reflection blogs, some are photo blogs, and there are vlogs (videos)... And there are those, like ours, that mix all genres!

When creating a blog, there are often two key points that one doesn't think about.

First: there are hundreds of travel blogs.

Truly. And I'm only talking about French-speaking blogs! It's impressive. This implies, on one hand, that by creating a blog, you enter a new community, that of travel bloggers, sharing a common passion and interests. A world to discover step by step, bloggers to > (virtually or otherwise)... It also means that many others before you had the same idea and are probably talking about the places you have visited or are about to discover...

Second: how will your blog be unique?

It's a question to ponder alongside its purpose. When I started this blog very naively, my sole objective was to write. With my mind full of words, I wanted to put them on the keyboard. That's all. Not even to be read. Just to write. Which is a bit paradoxical... But some have a much clearer vision when they start their blog, with a marketing plan and a desire to monetize their site, or even to become professional travel bloggers.

I think it's not that simple, and that one should be very aware of the work, time, and energy it takes before plunging into this adventure. But also, and especially, the passion it involves. Writing just for the sake of writing has, in my eyes, no meaning. Some sometimes say >... But what for? Why do we write?

For me, the true, the first, the most important reason to write should be the desire. Simply put.

Yes, it is possible to professionalize oneself as a blogger, at least at first in one's blogging style and the quality of their work. But it's a complete process to adopt.

And ethics in all this? I talk about ethics because it's part of the blogger's approach for me. Ethics means writing one's own articles, without copy-pasting from Wikipedia or other websites. Ethics is citing the source of photos if you're not using your own. Ethics is verifying sources and writing with heart and reason.

And on top of all this, there's the question of the identity and personality of one's blog: being unique and offering unique content, going beyond classic >...

And being ethical is also about loving your blog. And loving your blog means respecting yourself and respecting your project first and foremost.

Yes, being a blogger raises a lot of questions!

Another question that travel bloggers may face, beyond the balance between blogging and traveling, is the influence of the blog on their journey.

Will the blogger change their way of traveling for their blog?

For example, will they prepare their trip more? Or will they force themselves to visit every > to take photos and share them on their site?

While these questions may seem innocent at first, know that there will always come a time when the impact of the blog on the trip and the way of traveling will be felt. It's up to you to find your balance while maintaining your course: above all, do not lose your personality and individuality trying to resemble the perfect travel guide. There are already hundreds of books published by professionals for that.

Seeing everything, doing everything, photographing everything, writing everything, sharing everything... aspirations it's best to part with and to protect yourself from!

Being too connected means the attention is more focused on the screen and virtual reality than on the reality of the journey.

Because yes, blogging takes a lot of time. And blogging is more than just writing! This writing task is often just the tip of the iceberg: alongside it, there is work on social media, managing emails and comments... not to mention the technical side of blogging!

But to address this point, I'll hand it over to the pro! I'll give the keyboard back to François.

How much time does it take? Can anyone create a blog? Do you need basic computer skills? On which platform should I create my blog? ...

The questions we receive regarding the technical side are even more numerous and varied than those on the > side. Difficult to answer them all in depth, but I will nonetheless try to share my views as a computer scientist specializing in web technologies and security.

Creating a blog is a project that requires careful evaluation before diving in. A project that takes time... but also money. Here are, briefly, the main steps to creating a blog, once the concept and the other questions presented by Amandine are studied.

A blog is free, isn't it?

I'll say right off the bat that a blog is expensive. But yes, one can also do it (almost) entirely for free. For example, via wordpress.com. But that involves a lot of limitations. As always, there's an obvious quality-price ratio. So if you're thinking of creating a highly personalized blog, with your own domain name, the ability to > to a high traffic (over 10,000 visitors a month), desiring that your site doesn't take 27 seconds to load, and wanting a unique theme and logo... you'll have to go beyond free solutions.

Answer: Yes, it is possible to do some things yourself if you have the skills (or develop those skills), or even to ask a friend. But here, the money saved is converted into time invested. A lot of time!

Cyberattacks are only for big sites, right?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Don't be fooled; whether for the > or >, attacks by bots first, and then by malicious individuals, always occur.

Answer: therefore you need to think about securing your blog. And if you don't know anything about it, the debate is still the same: take the time to acquire the skills (and regularly update them, especially in the security domain) or pay someone specialized in the field.

What scares me the most is losing everything!

Similar to the greatest fear of photographer travelers who is to lose all their photos, for a blogger it's quickly becoming the fear of losing their entire blog and, along with it, all the hours of work spent behind the screen. And it's not just external attacks that may cause this catastrophe: one is never safe from an internal technical problem.

Answer: same debate as before, one can take care of creating backups oneself, do it manually, go through some free turnkey solutions that will quickly show their limits... And pay for external storage.

And of course, it is possible to combine these two solutions: use and develop your own skills in certain areas while handing over to a professional for other specific domains.

For your information, the website Un sac sur le dos (website hosting, domain, backup hosting, plug-in licenses, HTTPS certificate...) costs us nearly 500 euros a year, even though I handle all the IT part!

I'll hand the keyboard back to Amandine for the final word.

François offers his services to businesses and bloggers to create, customize, optimize, or secure websites. Feel free to take a look at his site Informatinca >> and contact him to present your project and inquire about his rates.

In a few days, the third edition of the Travel Bloggers Salon will take place. An initiative by a travel blogger, Xavier, to bring together professionals from the tourism world and French-speaking travel bloggers. A great challenge to organize this event... and a successful bet. We attended the first edition in Cannes and the second in Ajaccio and will, of course, be present at this third edition in Brussels!

Last year, Xavier created the >, rewarding the best French-speaking travel blog. The idea: to highlight quality over quantity. Regardless of the blog size, the number of followers on social media... A jury composed of experts in their field evaluated several criteria specific to travel blogging: marketing and communication, design and user experience, photography, content, video, and brand image.

And we had the pleasure and privilege of winning this first Trophy last year (a whole story to read here)!

So this year, we are switching sides and both will be jury members of the WAT16 Trophy: a new challenge!

François will judge the security and web optimization of blogs. Specifically, the compliance with web standards, loading speed, image optimization, technical quality of responsive design, and security.

And I will judge the inspirational content and storytelling aspect of the blogs.

Hoping this article answered the many questions I received from (future) travelers! Feel free to respond in the comments to share your inquiries and personal experiences.

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