Writing generic destination information won't make you stand out as a blogger anymore. Additionally, most bloggers are not constant nomads and have a home base. "Becoming a Backyard Blogger" means also specializing in your current location and this session will give you concrete reasons why this is important. While bloggers always want to be on the road experiencing someplace new, solid and more lucrative opportunities often lurk in their backyard. With case studies from Toronto, Sweden, and other destinations, we will illustrate how writing locally has yielded better results in being recognized as well as tangible benefits beyond your base.

1. Why Backyard Blogging is
Essential to Your Brand
Lola Akinmade Åkerström

2. Quick Introduction – Most Applicable
Writer, photographer, blogger
www.lolaakinmade.com
Editor-in-chief, Slow Travel Stockholm
www.slowtravelstockholm.com
Freelance writer for Sweden.se
www.sweden.se
Freelancer photographer, Sweden’s official image bank
http://imagebank.sweden.se
PhotoBlogger for Sweden’s official Site for two years
http://blogs.sweden.se/photo

3. What we’re covering today
I. Backyard Blogging and myths surrounding it
– Why bloggers don’t want to do it
I. Reasons why you should start backyard blogging
II. Case Studies
–Colorado, Italy, Toronto, Indiana, New York, and Sweden
I. Steps to get you started/building key relationships

4. [ I ]
Myths of Backyard Blogging
Why bloggers don’t want to do it

5. Truth be told
Chances are most of
us here want to live
successfully doing
what we love through
our blogs…
Money + Flexibility = More Travel

6. Travel blogging reality curve

7. Travel blogging reality curve
TRAFFIC
COMPETITION

8. Travel blogging reality curve
TRAFFIC
COMPETITION
YOU
+
Thousands of
Other blogs

9. Travel blogging reality curve
TRAFFIC
COMPETITION
YOU
+
Thousands of
Other blogs
Where you
want to be
over time

10. Travel blogging reality curve
TRAFFIC
COMPETITION
YOU
+
Thousands of
Other blogs
How do YOU
get past this
hump of
generic
fluff?

11. How do you get past
that hump?
Passion
Quality
Unique Voice**

12. Travel blogging frustration
• Many “voices” are already taken
– Budget Transportation
– Luxury Shopping
– Backpacking Spa
– Slow travel Boutique
– Food Family
– Adventure Local expert

13. Travel blogging frustration
Ironically, these
“voices” are taken
by the same
bloggers on the
same blog trips
writing about the
same things.

14. And so we’re back…
TRAFFIC
COMPETITION
YOU
+
Thousands of
Other blogs
…to the
generic
hump of fluff

15. It's too late to be
everything to everyone.
Other blogs already jumped
on this much earlier.
And the truth is…

16. “Backyard Blogging”
One concept that will eventually push
you over that hump over time.
CUE IN

17. Backyard
Blogging means:
Documenting your
backyard → where you
live and what your
personal interests are.
In a nutshell

18. However…
Not many bloggers are
thrilled to or are interested
in blogging about their
cities or homebase.
WHY???

19. Myth 1 People will think I’ve “settled” down
The travel blogger that doesn’t travel

20. Myth 1 People will think I’ve “settled” down
What if your personal
situation changes and
affects the frequency
of your travels?
Will you be grasping for
content for your blog?

21. Myth 2 I will feel pigeonholed into a specific
region or topic
Pigeonholing will limit my opportunities

22. Myth 3 There are already a gazillion bloggers
in my backyard
Yes, I live in New York city

23. Myth 4 PR companies won’t approach me for
press/blog trips
Seriously? If that’s your
sole reason for travel
blogging (free trips),
please make the hump
smaller by leaving…

24. Myth 5 It’s boring
I want to travel…darn it!

25. The travel grass
seems to always
be greener on the
other side…
doesn’t it?

26. Ironically,
your local tourism
board keeps flying
in bloggers and
journalists who
think the grass is
greener on YOUR
side.

27. [ II ]
Reasons why you should start
backyard blogging

28. Reason #1
Opportunity to build expertise

29. The problem with
most forms of
media trips is that
they’re platonic.

30. Meaning –> It’s challenging to
gather unique content from the
same trip with 6-14 other travel
bloggers

31. Other bloggers can’t
go on every media
trip your local
tourism board
organizes, but YOU
can

32. They don’t have
to fly you in or
put you up for 3
nights at a 5-
star hotel –
You’re already
there

33. Unique
advantage and
opportunity to
build and be
recognized for
regional
expertise

34. The reason you also want to build
expertise in a region is because
generic travel blogging is
overcrowded.

35. Remember this reality curve?
TRAFFIC
COMPETITION
YOU
+
Thousands of
Other blogs

36. Reason #2
Gain deeper access to local
resources

37. You can acquire more
in-depth content for
your own travel blog
than generic surface
material generated
from media trips

38. This will, in turn, help you solidify your personal
brand with fresh, in-depth and cool regional
content.

39. Reason #3
Additional source of income

40. Let’s be real
We love to be paid to
do what we love =
Blogging + Travel

41. Every tourism board
has an annual or at
least semi-annual
budget

42. If you have a rough
idea of what they’re
trying to accomplish,
you can get yourself
a nice chunk of that
pie
Blogging? →Photography? → Social media? → Copywriting?

43. Reason #4
Leads to more work

44. How?
– Recommendations – from
fellow bloggers/freelancers
– Existing clients – moving from
your region to other regions
– Your tourism board – They
have tons of contacts in the
travel industry -> airlines,
lodging, other DMOs

45. Reason #5
It keeps your content fresh even if
you can’t travel

46. • Opportunity to build expertise
• Gain deeper access to local resources
• Additional source of income
• Leads to more work
• Keeps your content fresh
Quick recap of benefits

47. Case Studies

48. III.
Myth-busting
Case Studies
–Summaries from Colorado, Italy,
Toronto, Indiana, New York, and
Sweden
NOTE – Will be posting the full case studies on my blog too.

49. 1. People will think I’ve “settled” down
2. I will feel pigeonholed into a specific region or topic
3. There are already a gazillion bloggers in my
backyard
4. PR companies won’t approach me for press/blog
trips
5. It’s boring
Remember those myths of backyard
blogging?

50. MythBuster 1 – Kara Williams
Location – Colorado
-Colorado Gal with the Vacation Gals - thevacationgals.com
-Started out as Aspen Expert
-Written numerous articles & guidebook chapters: Fodor’s,
Ski Canada, Luxury Las Vegas, American Eagle Latitudes, to
name a few
-Monthly column in the Denver Post
-Led to more work covering other locales (within and
outside Colorado) -> Expedia
@karasw

51. Words from Kara Williams
Thoughts
- I am DELIGHTED when I'm pegged as the "travel writer who knows about Colorado" -
again, more money in my bank account when editors find me via search with assignments
about Colorado (which, are, frankly, easy for me to write because I know the destination
well).
- Other bloggers who know my "niche" recommend me for work (I got the Fodor's guidebook
gig because a FB friend shared the job listing with me).
Advice
- Get over it. You might want to be known for your exciting, far-flung travels all over the
world, but if you want to have STEADY content for your blog OR if you want to be paid for
your expert knowledge of your hometown, make yourself known as a local expert.

52. MythBuster 2 – Natalie Taylor
Location – Toronto
- Known as a Toronto Expert – www.nearafar.com
-Written and contributed to Toronto Tourism including
writing fact sheets
- Featured blogger for Toronto Tourism
-Written for publications such as Blackbook Magazine and
Design Lines
-Led to more work and assignments with AFAR
@nearafar

53. Words from Natalie Taylor
Thoughts
- I became a local expert on TO for AFAR and won their hometown contest. From there, I
became an ambassador and am now writing a digital Toronto guide for them. In August, I
went to Taiwan on assignment for AFAR to do in book advertorial and social media
promotion for them. #taiwanafar
Advice
- Blogging about Toronto helped me with my personal brand because people associated me
with the city because I wrote about it on a consistent basis and would give visitors personal
tours. From there, if anyone had questions about TO, they would send them to me. Word of
mouth!

54. MythBuster 3 – Carol Cain
Location – New York
- Award-winning travel blogger behind Girl Gone Travel –
www.girlgonetravel.com
-Written and contributed to various brands including
Expedia Viewfinder and is a NYC Correspondent for Forbes
Travel Guide
- Formerly NYCityMama; Writes about multi-cultural
activities and aspects of travel
- Nominated by Nickelodeon as one of the best NYC blogs
@CarolACain

55. Words from Carol Cain
Thoughts
I think I stood out because I am not afraid to admit that I am not as cool as everyone in NYC
likes to say they are, and that I am always looking for a good deal. I highlight things about the
city that are real experiences for those who live here – good and bad – but that still make me
proud to be from here. And I am not ashamed to call myself a tourist in my own town
because this opens me up to learn so much more.
Advice
It is normal to take for granted the place that you call home, but there is a reason why people
visit. Put yourself in that mindset. I think a lot of places are way more interesting than their
residents give them credit for, and there's great value in being a source of information.

56. MythBuster 4 – Emma Taveri
Location – Brindisi, Italy
- Force behind Brindisi is MY Destination -
www.brindisimydestination.com
-After years in London, Rome, and Milan, decided to leave
her manager role and big city life for good and go back
home to Brindisi to follow her dreams and passion.
- Organized the very first “Blogger Experience” trip to
Brindisi which was a success -
http://www.brindisimydestination.com/en/blogger-
experience/
@EmmaTaveri

57. Words from Emma Taveri
Thoughts
It's very common to have a destination blog / website about famous destinations, but very
hard to have one about an emerging destination. This is my mission, and it's being very
successful so far.
The success of the Blogger Experience Trip and what happened next (conference
invitations and support from local authorities) lead me to the decision to proceed with a
destination blog where I also talk about my personal life and promote my destination
through my story of the girl who came back, through the connection with my friends from
all over the world and friends in my town.

58. MythBuster 5 – Nicole Wiltrout
Location – Indiana
- Indiana Blogger behind Arrows Sent Forth –
www.arrowssentforth.com
-Written and contributed to Visit Indiana as paid expert
blogger.
- Worked with brands such as Expedia and HomeAway.
-Recently moved to England and now has a weekly column
called “Dispatches from England” for Anglotopia, one of the
world's largest websites devoted to British culture.
@ArrowsSentForth

59. Words from Nicole Wiltrout
Thoughts
The beauty of a personal blog is that while I CHOSE to write about Indiana often (because my
family spent more time traveling Indiana than we did elsewhere), I also CHOSE to write about
our travels outside of Indiana as often as I wanted. I never lost readers because I wrote about
both types of "travel.“
Advice
I don't really see a reason not to write about where you live, unless you don't enjoy it or like
it. (And if so, move!) ;) Often, those are the easiest posts for me to write because I know the
destination so well. And I think readers really appreciate and seek out the type of first-hand
knowledge that only a local can provide.

60. MythBuster 6 – Lola A. (Mig!)
Location – Sweden/Scandinavia
- Editor-in-chief of Slow Travel Stockholm –
www.slowtravelstockholm.com
-Freelance for Sweden’s official site – www.sweden.se
-Photographer for Sweden’s official image bank and also
their photoblogger for 2 years documenting everyday
Sweden.
-Written for Visit Sweden and Visit Stockholm, worked with
other local brands and have relationships with tourism
boards from Swedish Lapland to Gothenburg and the Sami.
@LolaAkinmade

61. Words from Lola A. Åkerström
Thoughts
Destination association has helped carve out a side niche for me as well as opened doors and
brought in more income and helped me build cultural expertise. I’ve had many editors
contact me out of the blue for Stockholm/Sweden content and fellow bloggers/freelancers
have forwarded me work or made recommendations.
Advice
Blogging is all about diversifying as well and solidifying your brand. There are opportunities
in your backyard. There’s a reason why Visit Sweden keeps flying in bloggers and journalists
to cover the country. It’s absolutely gorgeous in many ways.

62. [ IV ]
Steps to get you started /
building key relationships

63. Backyard Blogging 101
Tip #1
Focus on your interests
first
Love readers = yourself, not more than
yourself

64. Focus on your own interests
Focus on what naturally
piques your interest
Focus on what turns you on
when you’re not traveling
Backyard Blogging 101

65. Backyard Blogging 101
Tip #2
Take creative risks
…and don’t be afraid to fail at them

66. Tips for backyard blogging creativity
• Look at your daily non-traveling life
• Look at your basic habits
• Assess your other skills
• Subscribe to your local lifestyle newspapers or newsletters

67. • Hobby -> You love to cook
• Creative idea -> Include
fresh recipes and blog posts
about your local markets
Examples

68. Examples
• Habit -> You’re obsessed
with coffee
• Creative idea -> Write posts
about your café conquests
around your town or city

69. The Key is…
Focusing on your non-travel
interests so you don’t get bored.
Focusing on your natural
interests which also make you
stand out from the gazillion
bloggers in your backyard.

70. Quick show of hands
How many of you have met with the
tourism board* of your home base?
* - If your base actually has a tourism board

71. Do they know who YOU
are?
Are they aware you
exist as a blogger in
their backyard?

72. Backyard Blogging 101
Tip #3
Contact your
tourism board or
DMO* already
*DMO – Destination Marketing Organization

73. Tips
– Send a letter of introduction
– Send any and all links to blog posts about
your location to their press contact.
Building local DMO relationships

74. Tips
– Start engaging with them via social media.
– Attend local press events and subscribe to
newsletters.
– Propose a cool partnership idea
Building local DMO relationships

75. REMEMBER THESE?
How to get over that
hump?
Passion
Quality
Unique Voice

76. Passion is what keeps you going when
you still can’t see the light at the end
of your blogging tunnel.

77. Quality naturally improves when you
know what you’re talking about
because you’re genuinely interested
in it.

78. A Unique Voice is what sets you apart
by telling those untold stories only
you can tell because those everyday
experiences are local and closer to
you than one-off stories from far-
flung places.

79. The more you start
approaching travel blogging
as writing about place and
experiences as opposed to
just your travels, the less
important the destination
itself becomes.

80. QUESTIONS?
Twitter - @LolaAkinmade
Portfolio – www.akinmade.com
Blog – www.lolaakinmade.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/GeotravelersNiche