Make Money from A Travel Blog; From $3k a Month to a Millionaire
I’ve wanted to share this concept with the travel blogging community, and my readership, as a way to motivate other would-be travellers and travel bloggers to get out there and do it and to show that it really is possible. I can’t believe it’s true, but you can make money from a travel blog. I’m personal proof of that. I now earn around $3000 per month from One Step 4 Ward through a series of things. And if I can do it, anyone can.
EDIT 2020: *I wrote this post back in 2011! I was going to delete it, but I think it serves as nice motivation and inspiration for how far a travel blog can take you. I’ve since made $2m USD from my travel blog! My advice? Start your blog today! You can use my SUPER EASY guide about how to start a travel blog here, takes about 20 minutes, and about $10 or so to get started.
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Making money from a travel blog within the 1st year of blogging
I’ve been toying with the idea for a few months whether to mention One Step 4 Ward’s earning potential in a post or not. The last thing I want to do is come across brash and boastful. Then I remember back a year or so ago when my blog was getting 10 hits a day and I read Nomadic Matt’s thoughts about a successful travel blog and how perseverance is key etc. I stuck in there, and waited, and stuck in there and waited until, lo and behold, an amazing thing happened and the first advertiser was knocking on my door.
That was about 10 months ago, I was in Ethiopia and I nearly hit the roof in excitement. “Some dude want’s to pay me $50 to put an advertisement on my website, wow!!” I shouted, to anyone who would listen (which was no-one apart from my best mate beside me). Less than a year on and I don’t need to work to travel anymore, brilliant.
Lots of people email me every week asking how I fund my travels and previously I’d say from savings, from a working holiday in Australia, from teaching English but the reality is now I’m a professional travel blogger and I love it.
If I can do it, so can you!
In a further bid for you to understand how possible this scenario is for you too, I want you guys to understand something. My design skills are awful (I have none). Moreso, my programming ability is non-existent. And my writing is average at best. I’m certainly no James Joyce BUT I do have a real passion for living my life, for seeing the world and having no regrets. And through some quirky twist of fate, the internet is rewarding that with an ability to generate revenue through travel blogging. So don’t you think it’s time to jump on the bandwagon?
So if you’ve done a bit of traveling before then get started and when you’re getting 10 hits a day and think “f*ck this”, maybe you’ll remember this post. Who knows, in 18 months time you could be location independent, writing a blog post like me on how you make money from a travel blog too, enough money to live your dreams indefinitely, referencing me and this article as your inspiration, with a redesigned lifestyle allowing you to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. There’s nothing holding you back. Happy Travels.
EDIT 2020; 9 YEARS LATER!
WOW, I’ve just reread this blog post. What a beautiful journey it’s been. You can read about my life now in 2021 here. From $1k a month blogging to $3k a month when I wrote this. I topped out at $60k one month, and now I’m free, building my dream house in Northern Thailand. Guys, don’t hesitate. Start your blog, live your dream. It’s possible. Email me if you want to learn how I can help!
And remember, never travel without PROPER travel insurance – $9 a week, no contract!
Final thoughts on how to make money from a travel blog?
This post is old. But like I said, I don’t want to delete it. It serves as a reminder how far I’ve come, and how far you can come. If you want some actual blogging tips, check out:
How many pageviews you need to make money from your blog
FREE ways to promote your blog
Travel blogger salary; How much a travel blogger income can be
How I made $1m in 3 years blogging
Remember, never travel without travel insurance! And never overpay for travel insurance!
I use HeyMondo. You get INSTANT quotes. Super cheap, they actually pay out, AND they cover almost everywhere, where most insurance companies don't (even places like Central African Republic etc!). You can sign-up here. PS You even get 5% off if you use MY LINK! You can even sign up if you're already overseas and traveling, pretty cool.
Also, if you want to start a blog...I CAN HELP YOU!
Also, if you want to start a blog, and start to change your life, I'd love to help you! Email me on johnny@onestep4ward.com. In the meantime, check out my super easy blog post on how to start a travel blog in under 30 minutes, here! And if you just want to get cracking, use BlueHost at a discount, through me.
Also, (if you're like me, and awful with tech-stuff) email me and my team can get a blog up and running for you, designed and everything, for $699 - email johnny@onestep4ward.com to get started.
Do you work remotely? Are you a digital nomad/blogger etc? You need to be insured too.
I use SafetyWing for my digital nomad insurance. It covers me while I live overseas. It's just $10 a week, and it's amazing! No upfront fees, you just pay week by week, and you can sign up just for a week if you want, then switch it off and on whenever. You can read my review here, and you can sign-up here!
As you know, blogging changed my life. I left Ireland broke, with no plan, with just a one-way ticket to Thailand
and no money. Since then, I started a blog, then a digital media company, I've made
more than $1,500,000 USD, bought 4 properties and visited (almost) every country in the world. And I did it all from my laptop as I
travel the world and live my dream. I talk about how I did it, and how you can do it too, in my COMPLETELY FREE
Ebook, all 20,000
words or so. Just finish the process by putting in your email below and I'll mail it right out to you immediately. No spam ever too, I promise!
