If you noticed, things are a little different around here!  True Colours is now Land of Marvels and I couldn’t be more excited about this new chapter.  I’ve been thinking about a name change for about 6 months now and back at the end of the Summer last year, I came across an advertisement in a magazine with the Jules Verne quote “You are going to visit a land of marvels,” from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.  The quote struck me instantly, referring to heading out on a journey into a land of marvels.  That couldn’t be more true about travel in general and exploring this beautiful world we inhabit.  And so from there I started thinking about what I wanted Land of Marvels to be, to put a design together that I feel like captures this new chapter for me and for this blog and website.  And so here today, I am launching my new ideas and I hope that each of you loyal readers will enjoy the journey ahead of us!

Land of Marvels will continue to house all the things you loved about True Colours; it will be travel themed, it will still have daily posts about my travels around the world, travel tips to help you travel better, posts about the state of our world and world issues that affect us all and the honest truths I’ve come across while I travel.  It will still have Nick’s beautiful photography and all the things that made True Colours what it was for 4 years but the time has come to expand my horizons, to open up this site to new possibilities and to help even more people aspire to travel more and to be a resource for planning your very own travels.

You’ll notice this newly designed site (thanks Amanda!) has a few different features than the old one did and I can’t wait for everyone to look around and explore!  The idea of Land of Marvels going forward is that this site will be much more than just a travel blog; it will be an online travel resource and guide for you to explore and plan your own travels wherever that may be.  In the coming months I will be launching both printable travel guides for cities all around the world, travel itineraries for you to download and use as planning guides for trips you plan to take and a custom Land of Marvels Photography shop where you can download your favorite photos that I post on the site here.  My hope is that Land of Marvels will become your source for travel inspiration and travel planning, that you will not only find the inspiration needed to go after your own dreams here on these pages, but to put those dreams into action and plan your own adventures with the help of the travel information you’ll find here on Land of Marvels.

And so today, we embark on a new chapter, a new direction.  I am so excited for what’s to come here on Land of Marvels and I am so thankful to have each and every one of you reading this along for the adventure to come.  I can’t say enough how thankful I am each and every day for my readers, for those of you that take the time out of your busy days to come here and read what I have to say and so today, with this exciting launch of Land of Marvels, I’m so appreciative of you and so excited to have you along for the ride!  Happy exploring!

I’ve written a number of posts over the years on the topic of blogging, on tips I’ve come across, advice to those just starting out and a bunch of random topics in between and if you’re curious, you can scroll through those posts here.  Lately I’ve had a lot of requests for more of these types of posts and on blogging tips once you’ve reached an intermediate level so this week I want to dedicate each day to a different topic on travel blogging in particular, though all the topics could easily be applied to all types of bloggers.  I feel like there is a lot of information out there circulating about how to start a blog and tips to make it grow, but once you are in the game, I wanted to talk about some of the blogging strategies that I’ve used here on my blog and maybe some of these strategies and tips could help other bloggers in their search for how to grow their own blogs.  So here is my advice for the bloggers, travel bloggers in particular, that are in that second stage of growing and moving their blogs forward to the next level.  

For me blogging is my third job, after my day job and my Interior Design side business.  It takes a lot of my time and energy and in return it gives me a lot too.  Ever since I started offering ad spots or working with brands, I’ve treated this blog as a business.  If you’re making any sort of money blogging and want to grow that income, then it should be treated as a business.  I was lucky in that I already had another successful side business with my Interior Design business Reverie, so I knew a little about how to manage a small business but if you don’t, don’t worry, you’ll figure it out as you go along!  Here are a few tips I would suggest in growing your blog into more of a business long term if you want to go that route.

Treat it as a Business

I think one of the most important things in moving your blog to that next step is the mindset.  Are you treating it like a hobby and posting every once in a while or are you posting a lot and have big goals for your site?  I fall into the latter category and am constantly brainstorming ways to move my blog forward and what I eventually want it to be.  It’s not my primary focus in life right now so it’s taking longer than some other blogs that it’s their only job, but despite the time period, if you want your blog to grow and succeed long term, then treat it as a business and get your mindset on that goal too.

Keep Track of Expenses

I keep a spreadsheet of all the money I make from my blog.  It doesn’t add up to very much per year but it’s enough to cover most of my blog expenses and sometimes a little extra that I can add into our travel funds.  But regardless of how much you’re making, keep track of it.  I also keep all receipts of expenses that relate to my blog and file them away.  Depending on how much I made and how much I spent, that gets molded into my taxes in some way each year and you’ll want to have all your records in order.

Look for New Ways to Expand

I find that I have random ideas come to all the time about ways to grow and expand my blog and I love that part of blogging because as bloggers we can constantly grow and change as we need or want to and that keeps it really fun.  In 2015 I have a lot of goals for this site, including a name change (coming in February) and a bit of a different direction (which I’m so excited about) but I also will be keeping the things that people really like and are successful even when moving in a new direction.  Expanding your view point of what your blog can be is an important part of growing and moving forward.  I’m moving more toward the idea that this site will be an online travel guide and while the blog will still be centerfold, I will be starting to offer more options to help you plan your own travels as the year progresses.  I’m really excited to debut the new site so keep an eye out in the next month for that!

Managing the Website

Just the aspect of managing a growing blog can be stressful and take a lot of time.  With a successful blog, comes responding to emails, answering comments, creating graphics, taking photos, figuring out what to write about and so much more.  I carve out about an hour each morning in my day to answer emails, send out emails, answer comments and work on any upcoming posts that might need a bit more work.  Spend the time because without it, parts of the blog will really start to falter.

Invest in Your Work

If you look at your blog as a business, then investing in that business just makes sense.  Spend the time, keep it organized and keep it up to date and running correctly.  This is also means sometimes a financial investment but as with any business, spend correctly so you end up getting a return investment down the road.  If you make your blog important and work to grow it, you’ll end up getting that investment back.

I’ve written a number of posts over the years on the topic of blogging, on tips I’ve come across, advice to those just starting out and a bunch of random topics in between and if you’re curious, you can scroll through those posts here.  Lately I’ve had a lot of requests for more of these types of posts and on blogging tips once you’ve reached an intermediate level so this week I want to dedicate each day to a different topic on travel blogging in particular, though all the topics could easily be applied to all types of bloggers.  I feel like there is a lot of information out there circulating about how to start a blog and tips to make it grow, but once you are in the game, I wanted to talk about some of the blogging strategies that I’ve used here on my blog and maybe some of these strategies and tips could help other bloggers in their search for how to grow their own blogs.  So here is my advice for the bloggers, travel bloggers in particular, that are in that second stage of growing and moving their blogs forward to the next level.   

This post in particular this week is one I’ve gotten a lot of requests to write.  This past year I’ve moved into the realm of working with brands in the travel industry and letting that become a part of my blog and my travel system.  This whole scenario can be a hard one for a lot of people and it’s often difficult to know where to start, so in short, here is what I would recommend and the route I took.  My blog isn’t big enough yet where large brands are reaching out to me (it does happen sometimes but not as often as I would like) so I took it upon myself to reach out to them and introduce myself and my blog.  It’s worked really well for me so far, so here’s the route I took!

Get a System Set Up

Before you start reaching out to companies you want to work with, work on getting a system set up on your blog and in your documentation.  I started by figuring out what I was going to offer brands when I reached out to them and decided that I would be offering reviews of hotels or other travel related companies as well as social media promotion.  This worked well for me since I had already had a review format somewhat set up on the blog, but I revamped it a bit and used it more as a selling point than I had before.  Then I put together a package which shows my following and some pertinent statistics and what I was offering in exchange for working with the company.  Then finally I put together a shortlist of places I wanted to reach out to and went from there.

Be Polite but Straight Forward

The next step is emailing the companies you want to work with.  I’ve had better luck with small chains or boutique companies as the larger corporations are often hard to get in contact with.  I went through each place I wanted to work with and sent them an email asking if they would like to collaborate with me in exchange for something.  For hotels, I usually ask for a free night or 2 in exchange for reviews and social media publicity, for airlines I usually ask for a discounted fare and for other brands I’ll ask for either discounts or free items to review and perhaps give away, all depending on what the item is.  It’s important to be polite but also be straight forward and let them know what you’re asking for.  Know what you’re worth and defend what you can do for them.  A nice email though really does go a long way so be nice and excited to work with them and they will be more willing to read it and look into it for you.

Work Your Connections

This point is for a little bit later after you get going and have worked with companies a bit, but keeping your connections strong and using them as you go forward can be really successful.  One example of this is my recent collaborations with Kimpton Hotels, both here in Portland and in Seattle.  I emailed the local rep a few months back and worked with him on a stay at the Portland River Place hotel.  Then a month or so later when we were planning our December trip up to Seattle and Leavenworth, I contacted him again to see if any hotels up there wanted to collaborate and got to work with the Hotel Monaco there was well.  When you find a good contact for a company, grow that connection and it will be a constant connection in the long run.

Create Relationships

It’s so important in business to build your relationships with people and vendors.  I’ve learned this ten-fold in my Interior Design business over the years but it’s also so true in blogging.  You never know when those relationships will help you in the future so building relationships with readers, with other bloggers, and with companies and brands is always important, even if you’re not getting anything in return now, it can come back and pay off a lot in the future.

Follow Through on What You Promise

Perhaps the most important factor in building relationships with brands in blogging is following through.  No one will want to work with you if you get a free hotel stay and then don’t deliver what you told them you would.  I make sure to post a lot on social media during the actual collaboration and then make sure to write my review in a timely fashion afterwards, usually within 2-3 weeks of when I was offered something.  Then be sure to email your contact at the brand with the link to your review or whatever you promised and thank them again for their help and hospitality.  Make a real effort to follow through no matter what, you want to keep your word.

I’ve written a number of posts over the years on the topic of blogging, on tips I’ve come across, advice to those just starting out and a bunch of random topics in between and if you’re curious, you can scroll through those posts here.  Lately I’ve had a lot of requests for more of these types of posts and on blogging tips once you’ve reached an intermediate level so this week I want to dedicate each day to a different topic on travel blogging in particular, though all the topics could easily be applied to all types of bloggers.  I feel like there is a lot of information out there circulating about how to start a blog and tips to make it grow, but once you are in the game, I wanted to talk about some of the blogging strategies that I’ve used here on my blog and maybe some of these strategies and tips could help other bloggers in their search for how to grow their own blogs.  So here is my advice for the bloggers, travel bloggers in particular, that are in that second stage of growing and moving their blogs forward to the next level.  

One thing that successful blogs do well is a commitment to building and growing a community.  A blog ultimately is about a bunch of people interacting, readers commenting, people offering their own opinions and advice and creating relationships between writer and readers.  Every great blog out there has a community, a place where readers and authors connect and a great sign in blogging is when you have an action comment section, with readers commenting and interacting with each other and the author of the blog.  I love the community that has grown here on my blog and I’ve formed some great relationships with readers over the years.  It’s really important to grow and develop that community because at the end of the day, a blog is really about its reach to a community, to have people that love reading your writing and will spend the time to engage with your writing.

It’s About More than Statistics

I’ve never been one to check my stats very often.  I know generally what kind of stats I have on the blog but it’s not a daily or weekly thing that I check.  There is so much more to a successful blog than how many views you get because if you get a ton of views but no one comments or engages, then what is the point?  I put more stock in having my readers comment on posts, tweet me about certain articles or generally just interact with me.  That interaction I think is far more valuable in the long run.

Create a Comment Community

I love the comment community here on my blog and it’s one of my favorite parts of my day to go through and read all the comments and answer back.  I make an effort to reply to every comment, even if it’s just a quick response, but it’s my way of keeping the conversation alive.  I love it when readers and I will go back and forth on comments for a while, having a discussion and getting to know each other.  Comments are an incredible way for us to interact online in a very real way.

Interact With Readers

One of my favorite things is to interact with readers, to hear their thoughts and get to know them.  Whether it’s in real life or just over the internet, it’s so nice to meet people through blogging that have many of the same aspirations as I do.  I’ve had Twitter conversations, comment discussions, email chains and everything in between with readers over the years and I always love those interactions.  It makes for a closer knit blog community when as bloggers we reach out directly to readers and are accessible.

Use Social Media

Social media is one of those things that can be extremely powerful for a blogger.  Anymore, a blog without anything else really isn’t going to work.  We all want to feel like we know bloggers, we want to see what they do on a daily basis on Instagram, we want to see what they retweet on Twitter, we want to see their trips and their thoughts on Facebook.  And to be honest I think it brings us all closer.  I love following bloggers I like on Instragram and Twitter, I love scrolling through to see what they are up to or what they are wearing or where they are traveling.  It makes us feel like we have a connection to them and in that way, using social media to grow a larger following can be an incredible tool.  But be smart with it.  I’ve really changed the way I use Instagram in the last year, focusing more on quality of my photos over quantity and I’ve focused it more on my personal life instead of blog stuff since I get a lot of questions on my daily life.  This way followers can see where I am and what I’m doing, both when I’m at home and when I’m traveling.  Social media can also be a great tool to employ when working with brands, which I’ll be talking about in another post this week!

Building Personal Relationships

I touched on this a bit above, but over the years of blogging, I’ve built some really great personal relationships online.  Many of these have turned into real life meet ups all around the world, but even if we haven’t been able to meet in person I really value the personal relationships I’ve built with readers and other bloggers.  This part of blogging is really fulfilling because it brings people together on a very personal level.

I’ve written a number of posts over the years on the topic of blogging, on tips I’ve come across, advice to those just starting out and a bunch of random topics in between and if you’re curious, you can scroll through those posts here.  Lately I’ve had a lot of requests for more of these types of posts and on blogging tips once you’ve reached an intermediate level so this week I want to dedicate each day to a different topic on travel blogging in particular, though all the topics could easily be applied to all types of bloggers.  I feel like there is a lot of information out there circulating about how to start a blog and tips to make it grow, but once you are in the game, I wanted to talk about some of the blogging strategies that I’ve used here on my blog and maybe some of these strategies and tips could help other bloggers in their search for how to grow their own blogs.  So here is my advice for the bloggers, travel bloggers in particular, that are in that second stage of growing and moving their blogs forward to the next level.  

Starting out today, we’re going to talk about finding your niche in the blogging world.  Now more than ever, blogging is a competitive business.  There are blogs out there for all matter of topics and within each topic there are thousands out there.  It’s important in this scenario to make sure you’re blogging in the right niche for you and the only way a blog can be successful anymore is if readers want to come to your blog over and over again and if they identify with the niche you’re representing.  There are travel blogs galore out there and so it took me a while to figure out exactly what my individual niche is, what I can offer that not many others can but once I did, I saw significant growth in my blog.  My individual niche became promoting travel to people who might not necessarily think it possible, to provide inspiration for people living in the States and want to travel abroad often and to promote the amazing things travel can bring to one’s life and how it will change you for the better.

Every blogger needs to at some point as their blog grows, take a look at what kinds of posts are popular and what your readers want and what you want to write about.  It’s a process of determining who you are as a person, who you want to be as a blogger and what niche you want to represent.  So to go through this process, here are some steps I found useful!

Take the Time

The process of figuring out which niche you fit best into and applying that to your blog takes time.  Don’t rush this portion of growing your blog.  Take the necessary time to figure it out, do your research and spend time thinking about which niche you want to grow in and what will make you successful.

Do Some Soul Searching

One thing about this blog I’ve found over the years is that there have been numerous instances where I’ve had to do some real soul searching to figure out if it was worth it to continue blogging and if the work and effort put in were really worth it at the end of the day.  I’ve had days when comments have completely ripped me apart or when I’m completely uninspired and question it all, but it’s those moments when we can do some real soul searching and figure out what we want, that will only make your blog more successful and relatable to readers.

See What’s Out There

It’s important in any business to see what’s already out there in terms of “competition.”  I use quotation marks because I believe that blogging is not really about competing with other bloggers because no one says you can’t read 10 different travel blogs and have each one offer something different, but it is important to know what else is out there in your niche.  See how other people are doing it and see how you want to be different.

Determine What You Don’t Want to Be

It’s important as you take intermediate steps in growing your blog to really determine what kind of blogger you want to be in your niche but perhaps more importantly, what you don’t want to be.  I have over the years learned some of my best lessons by watching other bloggers do things I didn’t like and learning from their mistakes.  Realize what you don’t like in blogs you follow and don’t make the same mistake.

Make Goals to Move Forward

Blogging is a side job, it really is if you’re doing it to be successful.  It takes a ton of time and effort (and sometimes money) so treat it as such.  Make goals to strive for and follow through.  Use your niche to propel you forward in certain goals you want to achieve and try to be the best in that scenario you create.