It’s a great conundrum of travel blogging that to have things to blog about, you generally have to be travelling, or at least exploring a lot around your home. Nothing wrong with that, but being out and about can mean that it’s hard to actually blog or connect with social media, particularly when you’re overseas. In my earlier travels I struggled with blogging on the go, but now I’ve got myself into a couple of good habits that mean that when I have the motivation (and aren’t distracted by my surroundings) I have a routine to keep the blog going.
1. Make the most of time offline
Where I’d rather be blogging from…
It’s always tempting to leap into my book, catch a few zzz’s on an early morning flight, or check out the latest movies on a long-haul. But time disconnected while in the air or on a long journey is a great time to get some serious words on the page. I keep a list of blog post ideas so, if I’m heading to a new destination, I might have a look through some of my other ideas and see if inspiration strikes. If I’m coming back, I like to jot down notes, or if the muse is really in town, write a whole post about my experiences in the destination. It’s also a great time to look through any guides that I might have bought to research the destination, or posts I’ve saved offline.
2. Have a set format for blogging while away
Sharing on the go
I tend to write most of my posts after the fact – I like to have time to reflect on a destination, and edit the thousands of photos I’ve captured! But I also like to keep my readers up to date with where I am. I love to instantly share my travels via Instagram, and I’m starting to experiment with Snapchat – you can add me by my username, jessinz. When I can, I also like to post a quick snapshot in my Two Feet In… series. I’ll share a few photographs and a couple of paragraphs of first impressions. It works for me because I know that I won’t be trying to write an epic-length piece, but I’ll still be sharing my travels!
3. Be efficient in getting online
Snapped, shared, devoured
If you’re blogging on the go or sharing on social media, it almost goes without saying that you want to do it as speedily as possible so you can get back to that delicious gelato or stunning sunset. It’s no fun being hunched over a laptop in a coffee shop with a dodgy slow wifi connection for hours at a time when there’s so much to explore outside! There’s a couple of different ways I make sure I’m being speedy online. There are several apps like Wifi Finder or Wifi Map that can help you pinpoint nearby wifi hotspots where you can jump online and get that post up or beautiful Instagram out to the world. More recently, I’ve relied on my mobile phone network provider, which lets me use my contract data for a set rate per day. This got expensive in New Zealand, and can also really add up when I’m travelling for longer than a weekend. I’m now looking to switch, and several friends rave about Three Mobile, which offers “Feel At Home” to let you use your UK phone allowance overseas in 18 destinations – brilliant!
Three’s mascot Jackson wants to help us blog all the time!
Now, your turn! I’d love to hear the tips and tricks you use to blog on the go, and so would Three. The best will win an awesome £50 voucher towards flights on an airline of your choice, and a Pay As You Go sim so that you can blog wherever you might be! To enter, simply comment below before October 22nd. Don’t forget to share the love!
I just entered to #win with @ThreeUK - visit http://www.twofeet-oneworld.com/2015-09-competition-three-how-do-you-blog-on-the-go/ to enter! Click To TweetPlease note: this competition is only open to UK residents (sorry to the rest of my lovely readers!), closing date 23:59 BST October 21 2015. One entry per person please. Judges’ decision will be final.