Calling all Travel Bloggers!

Travel content has to be some of my favorite posts to read. I can’t help but feel inspired to take my own trips to the destinations I read about, and feel insanely jealous of the folks who get to experience so much of our world at the same time!

Many travel bloggers are digital nomads, as in, those who are making a living by working remotely. One of the popular ways travel bloggers make money to keep venturing on is through Affiliate Marketing.

For you travel bloggers out there wanting to make some extra bucks to fund your wanderlust, keep reading to find out how you can make money through this method by effectively using ShareASale.

(Note: Even if you aren’t a travel blogger you can still learn a few things from this post! Stay tuned, as I will be writing up advice for other categories in the near future).

1. Apply to Join

First and foremost, you can’t get very far with ShareASale unless you sign up. It’s a simple process and the application only takes about five minutes to complete. We’ll approve you within 1-2 business days. Then, the fun can start!

2. Partner with Travel Merchants

ShareASale has a number of fantastic brands in the travel niche. It is important to promote travel Merchants that you know, or have researched fully, in order to gain your audience’s trust. I want to share just a few Merchants with some ideas for content to help get you started.

Notable Travel Merchants on ShareASale:

Viator

Content ideas: Viator is a TripAdvisor company, which sells tickets to thousands of activities across the world. Browse their site to see what they have available in your next destination! You can also take a look back at your old content to see if Viator sells tickets to an activity you have already completed. You can link to that activity to guide your readers on how they can have the same great experience.

Cotopaxi

Content ideas: Are you a traveler that likes to give back when you can? Shop Cotopaxi for jackets, backpacks and other outdoor accessories while helping to alleviate poverty. Let your fellow travelers know about this giving company who offers ‘Gear For Good.’ 

Eastern Mountain Sports

Content ideas: Eastern Mountain Sports has you covered when it comes to outdoor sports and fitness equipment and apparel. Their products offer a perfect opportunity to be featured in a camping or hiking gift guide. You can also compile a ‘wish list’ of your favorite hiking, ski or fleece jackets and shoes! It’s best to give your readers options.

RoamRight

Content ideas: I don’t know many world travelers that go without travel insurance. I see many posts written regarding the different companies and options for travel insurance. See what RoamRight has to offer, and include them as a choice in your post!

Footprints Language Education Ltd.

Content ideas: Another popular discussion on travel blogs is how to make money overseas. A frequent topic that comes out of these discussions from travel bloggers revolves around teaching English abroad. This is your chance to earn commissions on referring your followers to do meaningful work and make a difference on their next adventure. 

3. Showcase Individual Travel Products

There’s bound to be a few products from our Merchants that you have used yourself while exploring the globe. I highly recommend linking directly to these products in order to increase conversions and commissions for you!

There are a few different ways to link to your favorite products, including:

• Text links – A simple text link to a specific page can easily get the job done without being too distracting.

  Example: “We bought ‘Skip the Line’ tickets from Viator for the London Eye, and I’m so glad we did!” 

• Individual Images – You can hyperlink your own pictures as Affiliate links!

  Example: (Click the photo)! 

• Make-A-Page  – Create your own storefront of your favorite products!

  Example:

• Product Showcase – Make a dynamic banner ad highlighting a particular category of products!

  Example:

4. Keep Track of your Stats

ShareASale has numerous reports available to help you see which Merchants and creatives are performing the best. If you start to see a spike in your referred transactions to Viator, promote them more! If you notice that your product links are earning more commissions for you than your text links, start adding more product links!

A few helpful reports inside ShareASale include:

• Merchant Summary – This report is the best way to keep track of which programs you’ve joined and how many total hits and sales you’ve referred to them.
• Historical Trend – I find this one valuable because you can select 1-5 of your top performing Merchants and compare and contrast their data.
• Traffic Report – It gives insight into the number of hits you refer to your Merchants in a specified period of time. This report also makes it easy to find the creative(s) used, and where the click came from on your website.

As you know, when you put time and effort into your blog, the results can be huge. The same goes for Affiliate Marketing techniques because when you take the time to provide your readers with the best brand and product advice, the outcome can mean more money in your pocket.

Affiliate Marketing is a great path to take for all Travel Bloggers. I’m encouraging you to make money with your blog to extend that trip or buy that next plane ticket. So journey on, digital nomads, ShareASale has your back!