9 TRAITS OF EVERY OUTSTANDING TRAVEL CONTENT CREATOR

So, you want to be a travel content creator?
Amazing!

But do you have what it takes?

You dream about all those epic destinations, wonder how to make a living sharing your experiences with the rest of the world and be paid for it? Are you willing to work hard and wait for your success?

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy

During my past 10+ years of travels, I’ve discovered that posting an aesthetic photo with a famous landmark on social media is not going to bring you all the free trips you dream of. Being an outstanding travel content creator is a test of character. What will help you to succeed are some of the traits that most successful travel content creators have.

There are not only nine qualities that make or break a content creator. There are at least two dozens that could be discussed and written about. Here I really wanted to narrow it down and put in the spotlight only a few. Use this as a guide to find out if you have them all, and if you are on the right path to join the group of amazing travel content creators.

So, let’s get a closer look at every one of travel content creator traits a bit closer, shall we?

Want more content creation tips?
ALSO READ:
• TRAVEL BLOGGER, INFLUENCER & CONTENT CREATOR | WHO IS WHO AND WHAT THEY DO
• 3 KEY PLATFORMS EVERY SUCCESSFUL TRAVEL CONTENT CREATOR NEEDS
• HOW TO DO “2022 IN 60 PHOTOS” TREND WITH FREE CANVA TEMPLATE

Searching for travel itinerary ideas?
ALSO READ:
• HOW TO SPEND TWELVE DAYS IN ZANZIBAR: PERFECT ITINERARY
• HOW TO SPEND FIVE DAYS IN DUBAI: RELAXED TRAVEL ITINERARY
• HOW TO SPEND SEVENTEEN DAYS IN JAPAN: FIRST TIME ITINERARY

Disclosure (being transparent and honest should be fun): You know the way I run this blog. I only recommend products, experiences, hotels, etc. that I personally tried and actually own and use. And some that I am positive will be helpful for you. On this site, you will see pretty colorful links which are known as ”affiliate links”. If you click on this link and buy something you like, I’ll earn some money. I’m talking huge bucks here, like a new Tesla, yacht, and 7-bedroom mansion. Ok, honestly, most of the time it will be enough to help me buy treats for my dog and parrot, eco-friendly travel products or to help me build the time machine, and travel back in time to see the dinosaurs, do an interview of stone crafters on Easter island and have a serious chat with masterminds who ‘invented’ Maths. Thank you! Read more in Disclaimer.

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Overview of Travel Content Creator traits

There are many factors that determine the success of a travel content creator. Personal ones. Skills that can be taught. And external factors, that can’t be influenced or controlled. Here we are going to focus on the core. On the basics. On Personality traits.

The list highlights only a couple of traits content creator needs to reach their goals.

PERSONALITY TRAITS CONTENT CREATOR NEEDS:
• passion,
• confidence,
• patience,
• persistence,
• courage,
• flexibility,
• curiosity,
• organizationally,
• honesty, and a
• person themself.

As you might have guessed those are more personal characteristics than skills. We can all learn skills like writing, booking a trip, photography, design, composition, SEO … The attributes above may be learned as well, a bit harder though, but I believe it helps if at least a few of them are ingrained in your personality from the start.

1. Passion

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” – Oprah Winfrey

Is traveling your passion? Is creating content your passion? Are both of those answers YES? Great! If they are not, you are going to burn out.

Having a passion for travel and content creation is essential. If you only want to be a travel content creator for the money, free trips, and staying in fancy resorts, it will be hard for you. You might struggle to keep creating content when times get hard. And they will!

Doing it for the wrong reasons, won’t get you desired results. You might love it at the beginning but when the excitement disappears, things can turn downhill. Plus, people can genuinely see if you are doing it because you are passionate about it or because it is popular.

Find something that you are truly passionate about and do that. Don’t create travel content just because it looks great and because everyone is doing it. Do it because you want to help people with your travel experiences, tips and because all you can think about is travel and where to go next.

Pin those for a later read!

2. Confidence

”Whatever you do today, do it with a confidence of a 4-year-old in a batman cape.”

If only it would be that easy, right?

When embarking on a travel content creation journey, you need to have passion but you also have to believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it! Feeling that you can and will succeed. You have to be your biggest supporter and cheerleader. And for that, you need confidence.

So, what does that mean? You must have passion but you also need the right mindset. There will still be doubts and wtf moments and ‘I can not believe I am doing this’.

When you are confident in yourself, you know that you are capable of doing something. You have the willpower to do what it takes, to conquer all the obstacles. You go for it! You do the work!

Remember, if you are just starting out, Don’t Compare Your Chapter 1 To Someone Else’s Chapter 20! We all have our own unique journey and story that we should be proud of. Celebrate small wins and push doubts into the shadow. You are further ahead than the person just starting out.

3. Patience

“The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit”. – Fabienne Fredrickson

Building a career as a travel content creator takes time. Learning new skills, writing, getting to the destination, editing, posting, planning … Everything needs time. Besides time, it also takes energy, dedication, motivation and persistence.

You have to be determined, to keep going. No matter how long it takes. If not, then your content creation journey isn’t going to get any further than where it is right now.

You will have to push through the hard days where you won’t see any results with the hope that someday the seeds you are planting will give you a well-deserved result. 

I am not an arborist but we have fruit trees at home. Even in ideal conditions, it’s normal to wait two to four years after planting for your trees to begin producing fruits. Don’t give up because you can’t see immediate results. 

Patience is the key.

Pin the one you like more.

4. Persistence

“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow, it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it — but all that had gone before.” – James Clear

Be determined. Be persistent and keep going. Keep posting, keep publishing, and keep doing what you are doing. And have the patience to wait for results.

Remember that everything you do today, for you, your content creation, your blog, and your Instagram is a step in the right direction.

Taking those small actions will sum up over time. Doing this consistently, focusing, even when times are not ideal, is going to drastically change your travel content creation trajectory and paved the path to your success.

Also, you can’t lose if you never quit!

5. Courage

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” – Brene Brown

It takes courage – an immense amount of courage – to put yourself out there and start posting on a website and social media channels. It requires even more of it if you are posting about your experiences and sharing your story. It takes courage to start and it takes courage to keep it going.

When you open a business Instagram profile and start posting on your website, you are putting yourself out there into the world of the unknown. There will be strangers reading about you, seeing you, and getting to know you. That’s a bit intimidating! But once you press the ‘publish’ button for the first, second, third, hundredth, and thousandth time, your courage will slowly grow.

You need to have the courage to start. To share your story. To keep going when everyone else thinks that you should quit. To share your passion. It takes courage to live your life the way you want.

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6. Open for a change

“Enjoying success requires the ability to adapt. Only by being open to change will you have a true opportunity to get the most from your talent.” – Nolan Ryan

It would be utopic to think that everything will follow a plan we set when embarking on a new journey. It is indeed a very rare occasion. Because nothing really goes according to plan.

In the past years, travel and content-creating markets have changed drastically. New platforms were created, there was a shift from longer content (blog) to photo-sharing apps, to short video content … what is next? Who knows.

Right now, the majority of travel content is presented in short videos – on TikTok, Youtube or Instagram Reels. Your job as a travel content creator is to realize the format that works for you. You have to know who you are creating content for.

What worked 3 or 5 years ago might not work anymore. Trends change. Generations change, and markets change. Platforms change. How we travel changes. If you want to be an outstanding master of your craft, your need to be able to change your approach and strategy. Pivot when needed. Expect the unexpected.

Remember, change is not always bad. Be open for it! Be flexible and have the willingness to adapt.

7. Curiosity

“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.” – Brian Herbert

When the signal for a change is on the horizon you will need to have the willingness to learn new things (or new-to-you things).

If you are not willing to learn you will stay stuck. You will get outdated, by doing things in the same old way, which will not help you to grow.

The beauty of online space is that it is constantly changing. So, even if you start now, don’t feel discouraged, because chances are that the new things, new apps, you ‘have to learn’ and new for everyone else as well.

And if you feel stuck with things that are around for a while. Invest in a coach or a course. There are people out there who were at the point where you are now.

You need to be curious. You will need to want to improve and have the willingness to learn new things. You will have to let the things that are no longer working go. There is plenty of information out there. What you do with them is in your hands.

Pin those for later! Sharing is caring!

8. Organisational skills

“No business can succeed in any great degree without being properly organized.” — James Cash Penney

While planning and organizing may seem like a waste of time, especially at the start, it can actually contribute a lot to your success. If you are not organized, sad truth is, you won’t get very far.

Maybe it doesn’t seem like it from the outside, but being a travel content creator is hard work. It is not just free travel and posting a nice photo, staying in a hotel, and writing a blog post about it.

There is a lot that goes into running social media accounts, marketing, blog post, and website. There is also a great of work involved when on a destination, pre and post-content creation that many people don’t realize. It also means creating pins, filming and editing videos, coming up with blog ideas, marketing, replying to emails and comments, being consistently present …

If you love creating, being busy with this type of work isn’t a bad thing. But you will have to come up with a system that will work for you. Being organized will save you time, help you be more productive and more consistent, will prevent loss of ideas and actually give you more free time. You will always know what to do and not fall behind with the work that needs doing. 

I am still a big fan of pen and paper and bullet journals. I take notes. I also love Google Calendar and scheduling tools. They help me stay consistent and present in the online world. Now, I am not saying that is how you should do it. Find a way that works for you if you are serious about being a travel content creator. 

You can have all the passion and determination, but if you lack organizational skills, then all of it is going to seem like chaos and calamity.

Sharing is caring! And pinning is winning!

9. Honesty

“Honesty is a very expensive gift. Don’t expect it from cheap people.” – Warren Buffett

Be true to who you are, what you do, what you like, and what you think.
Be honest with your audience, with brands, and with yourself.

With audience. Don’t be just one of those Facebook Ads that sells a book on how to become a millionaire in 4 days. Yeah right. Share your journey and your honest opinion about the destination, hotels, and food. Tell your audience how you save your money. How you pack.

Honesty goes a long way and it will earn you trust and support in hard times. Plus giving your two cents about a subject and sharing your opinion and experience will set your blog apart from a traditional guidebook.

With brands. Don’t promise something you can not deliver. Present them with a realistic Media Kit and what you can do for them. When starting out you might get approached by a brand that doesn’t really fit with what you do or believe. Here, as controversial as this may sound, don’t agree to work with them if it doesn’t. Don’t just say yes to a free product or a brand deal if you have nothing in common with them. Think about being a vegan and promote a fast food chain that makes burgers. What does this say about you?

Share and tell what you believe in. There are more than 8 billion people in the world, so I am 100% positive you can find like-minded individuals and brands that would love to work with you.

Honesty is the best policy.

Pinning is winning and sharing is caring!

10. BONUS: Person himself

“No one is you, and that is your superpower!”

The best and most obvious one.

Be you! Show us you!

We are all a sum of experiences, mistakes that we made, and lessons we learned. We come from different parts of the world. From different cultural backgrounds, we were growing up in different environments. We traveled to different countries at different time of the year. A combination of those gave us a unique point of view. Things and views that are uniquely yours. Share those.

Don’t try to copy others. Show us your writing style. Your sense of humor. Share our likes and dislikes. (I really don’t like chocolate and I am terrified of clowns.) Show us how you see things and what your experience was. 

By showing us your style, graphics, writing, and experiences, you will stand out and become more memorable.

Travel Content Creator traits in a nutshell

Being an outstanding travel content creator is a test of character. What will help you to succeed are traits that most successful travel content creators have. Those are more personal characteristics than skills.

While we can all learn skills like writing, SEO, and even maths and quantum physics … the personality attributes are the ones that will help you to achieve your goals. Having them ingrained in your personality is a huge benefit right from the start.

You might excel in some and be average in others. You might have other traits that will make you stand out. As mentioned in the beginning, there are many more characteristics of an excellent content creator. But those nine (and an added bonus one) are some of the most important ones.

I hope you found yourself in a couple and that they have inspired you to start sharing even more amazing content.  

Believe in yourself and go for it!

Shine on,
Anja

What do you think are the traits of an outstanding content creator?
Which one would you add?

Let me know in the comments!

Pinning is winning and sharing is caring!

Want more content creation tips?
ALSO READ:
• TRAVEL BLOGGER, INFLUENCER & CONTENT CREATOR | WHO IS WHO AND WHAT THEY DO
• 3 KEY PLATFORMS EVERY SUCCESSFUL TRAVEL CONTENT CREATOR NEEDS
• HOW TO DO “2022 IN 60 PHOTOS” TREND WITH FREE CANVA TEMPLATE

Searching for travel itinerary ideas?
ALSO READ:
• HOW TO SPEND TWELVE DAYS IN ZANZIBAR: PERFECT ITINERARY
• HOW TO SPEND FIVE DAYS IN DUBAI: RELAXED TRAVEL ITINERARY
• HOW TO SPEND SEVENTEEN DAYS IN JAPAN: FIRST TIME ITINERARY

Do you want to travel like me?
Here are some of my favorite travel tips and resources;

FLIGHTS: I use Google Flights or Skyscanner to find the best flight deals. The destination everywhere feature is perfect to find some cheap deals!

ACCOMMODATION: Booking.com is my favorite site for finding great hotel deals.

TOURS & ACTIVITIES: I like to wander around on my own, but when I want to explore with a group I book a tour with GetYourGuide.

Skipped to the good part? Here is the gist

I hope this helped you to see what traits travel content creator needs.

If you found this blog helpful, follow me on Instagram and Pinterest. Or you can subscribe to my YouTube channel. Here you will find a lot of travel tips, itineraries, and packing hacks completely for free. If you want to see more of it and would like to encourage me to post even more, you can say thanks and buy me a coffee.

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About Anja On Adventure

Anja On Adventure is a travel blog, a collection of insider tips and information on destinations, that I visited as a solo female traveler, tour guide, teacher, yacht stewardess, and Survivor challenge tester.

Anja, is a thirty-something adventure-seeking, sun chasing, beach hopping, gin-loving, tropics enthusiast with a creative mind and sarcastic spirit, who loves coconut and mango but doesn’t like chocolate and sweets. I am passionate about all things travel, maps, and puzzles. Click here to learn more About me.