One day you’re getting ready for a master’s program, and the next, you’re sitting on a plane to Costa Rica (and already planning your next trip!). That’s how it happened for Brianna, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants to the U.S., who would go on to launch a blog empowering young Black women to explore the world.
On BlackGirlWanderer.com, Brianna shares knowledge and wisdom from her adventures around the globe while monetizing her expertise with affiliate links. In this article, Brianna shares her journey with us.
I always knew there was something more
When the pandemic hit, I was about to start a degree in public health. Maybe it was the fact that I was stuck at home, or maybe I wanted to be distracted from the thought of grad school, but I suddenly got the desire to travel. As I thought about it, I realized this could be something more than just having fun in new places. I could learn how to travel meaningfully as a young Black woman, then share what I learned with others.
And that’s what I did. It’s been over four years since I launched blackgirlwanderer.com, and since then I’ve been to about 18 countries. My goal is to eventually check all seven continents off my list!
What I’ve learned about travel
For one thing, I’ve learned that not every trip has to be a big one. I’ve had a lot of fun seeing new parts of the U.S., like Portland and Portland (Oregon and Maine!). Especially for people who are just starting to travel solo, I recommend starting small. A day trip out of your city or a long weekend in another state is a great way to get your toes wet.
As a solo female traveler, I follow certain rules for safety, like avoiding Airbnbs and not letting someone know I’ll be traveling on my own unless they need to know.
I’ve learned a lot as a blogger, too – check out my tips below.
Black Girl Wanderer
I’m proud to say my blog is all me. I do all my own writing, even if I’m not super fast, and I base my articles on recent trips or places I’ve been to more than once. I tend to write travel guides for specific places or more general things, like how to survive long-haul flights (CBD, baby!).
It’s not always easy to predict which articles will do best. You might expect a tropical paradise or glamorous European capital to get the most attention, but my top post is actually a Houston travel guide.
Here’s what else has been popular on Black Girl Wanderer:
Challenges
Ok, I’ll admit it – I don’t like SEO. Learning it has been the most challenging part of developing my blog, and the creative spark I feel when I’m writing a post the way I want to disappears when I try to incorporate keywords. I feel like I’m compromising my voice. I’m still working to find a balance between being authentic and getting my blog in front of people’s eyes.
But despite only being a novice in SEO, most of my traffic comes from Google or direct links. I might get some tomatoes thrown at me for saying this, but the recent Google Helpful Content update even helped boost my site views.
Another challenge is transitioning from Wix to WordPress, which I’m working on now. It’s a big and tedious task, and potentially an expensive one, so I’m seeing how much of it I can reasonably do on my own.
Promoting BGW
Most of my promotion is done on social media (Instagram, Pinterest, etc.). These days, I only post on Instagram when inspiration strikes and have switched my focus mainly to my blog.
For Pinterest, I like to use the most beautiful photos from my travels and am sure to create a title that will do well in searches. My most clicked Pinterest pins are my three-day itinerary to Cartagena, Colombia, a picture of a quaint, beautiful street in Italy, and my Tulum travel guide.
Monetization and affiliate marketing
For the past two years, I’ve been monetizing my blog with Travelpayouts. I like the fact that I can connect to programs without having to worry about clicks or views minimums, as I would if I used other services. Travelpayouts makes it really easy to create affiliate links and widgets, which I’m then able to incorporate seamlessly into my blog.
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Join todayMy blog is definitely more of a side hustle than anything else, but I love that I can turn my thoughts and experiences into revenue. Extra cash for the next trip never hurts!
Tips for other bloggers
- Set a writing alarm. I’m at my most consistent when I set an alarm each day. When it goes off, I sit down and tell myself all I need to write is a few sentences, but often I’ll end up completing a whole section of the blog post!
- Place links naturally, not strategically. Well, be strategic too, but make sure your links blend organically into the text. Otherwise, your post will just feel like a commercial.
- Only promote things you really like. If I recommend an experience or a city, it’s because I tried it out and enjoyed it. If you promote a guesthouse blind, and then readers go there and find rats in the shower, they’re never going to trust you again.
And finally, my mantra, which got me to where I am today: Be patient. Be consistent. Be inspired. The rest will follow. I think this is true in all parts of life, and I hope it helps you in your journey!
