CONTENT, Bill Fink is an award-winning writer with credits that include National Geographic Traveler, Frommer’s, the San Francisco Chronicle, Oprah Magazine, BBC, Yahoo, CNN and even Manila’s Expat Magazine. His honors include SATW’s Lowell Thomas Gold Award, stories in the “Best of Lonely Planet Travel Writing,” multiple Travelers Tales “Best Travel Writing” and shortlisting in “Best American Travel Writing” anthologies. He spent two years as a PR Manager for the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), and lived in Manila for a year doing Asia market analysis for IBM
TBEX Asia 2016, Whats the Story, Blogging Beyond Top 10 List, Bill Fink
1. What’s the Story?
How to Find Compelling Travel Content
and Transform it into Trend-Worthy Stories
By Bill Fink
2. Introduction
• Hi, I’m Bill: @finktravels billfinktravels.com
• Freelance writer: web/magazines/guidebooks
• Japan National Tourism Organization
• Corporate Marketing in Silicon Valley
• The common theme? Telling a story
3. Why is story-telling important?
• Transforming passion to the pages
• Grab attention, keep attention (sticky eyeballs)
• Content drives business
• Readers, publishers, advertisers, partners
4. Three Keys for a Building a Better Story
• Finding the Angle
• Crafting the Message
• Creating the Trend
5. Finding the Story Angle
The Crowded Bar Test: Grabbing and keeping attention
• Breaking News
• Safety/logistics/deals
• Quick Expiration, Easy to replicate, Are you a news blog?
• Superlatives
• Top 10s - best/cheapest/biggest/newest/weirdest
• Easy angle, but too common
• Be Unique: Find a different angle to a common theme
• Unique Place (Georgia Music Blog: exploregeorgia.org/music)
• Unique Time (Cold weather Blog: ericlarsenexplore.com)
• Unique People (“Bleisure Travel” skift.com)
• Unique Activity (Philippine Hoops: rafebartholomew.com)
6. Crafting the Story’s Message
Becoming a Shaman…not a Show-Man
• Show and Tell time
What is the story (show)
Why does it matter (tell)
• Striking a Balance
• Too much showing is tedious
• Too much telling is preachy
• Notable Examples of Showing and Telling
• Intrepid Travel’s Elephant Welfare Blog
• Wayne Curtis Cocktail Blogs
• Jeff Greenwald & the Penis Sadhu
7. Creating the Trend
Bringing Greater Meaning to your Story
• Giving Your Story “legs”
• Include as part of a greater movement
• Is it repeatable, sustainable, general
• “Trust but Verify” (The Ronald Reagan Rule)
• Chicken foot structure: 3 supporting points
• Balance anecdotal experiences with sourced data
• Leading indicators of travel trends
• Travel Industry (TBEX, ATTA, SATW), Hotels, Airlines, Tour cos
• Gov’t and NGOs: USAID, UN, local governments
• Follow the money: Destination marketing, Investments