Comments on: I’m launching a new travel blog http://fionacullinan.com/2009/12/im-launching-a-new-travel-blog/ Web editor, professional copy fluffer, travel hack 'n' ting Sun, 02 May 2010 19:46:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Behind the scenes of a travel feature – pt 1: transparency and the trouble with top tens « Tourist Vs Traveller http://fionacullinan.com/2009/12/im-launching-a-new-travel-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Behind the scenes of a travel feature – pt 1: transparency and the trouble with top tens « Tourist Vs Traveller Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:28:51 +0000 http://fionacullinan.com/?p=298#comment-59 [...] I decided to experiment – as is the will of the Tourist Vs Traveller blog – and crowd-source the answers using interactive tools and applications, but also funnel the [...] [...] I decided to experiment – as is the will of the Tourist Vs Traveller blog – and crowd-source the answers using interactive tools and applications, but also funnel the [...]

]]> By: Fiona Cullinan http://fionacullinan.com/2009/12/im-launching-a-new-travel-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Fiona Cullinan Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:21:06 +0000 http://fionacullinan.com/?p=298#comment-29 I hope so. And actually I don't see why not because it makes financial sense. Clients hire publishing agencies to produce their editorial or social media content out of their marketing budgets all the time. But travel companies have the connections to hire specialist travel writers/bloggers/journalists/insertnewtitlehere directly, without paying agency fees. The main issue of being paid by a client is ethics - although newspapers also have to deal with this whenever a journalist writes about a paid-for trip. Transparency is one solution but I also think the nature of the content is another - I can see a move away from travel narrative and towards more transparent content: news, interviews, audio clips, video, etc, which show the story of the travel product. And there needs to be an editorial push back with the client - for example, if there is an issue with one of their products, then it needs to be reported and they can resolve it publicly in the comments. It would be great if a PR agency could send a blogger along as part of a fam/press trip and see what stories they generate as an experiment. Hosting the content on their client's site/blog would also - SEO experts correct me if wrong - offer better SEO value than the individual journalist's blog, because there are likely to be more incoming links. Just need a bold PR agency or tourist board to give it a go... and I suspect the delay is that they are looking for new outlets too and return on blog is not as obvious or measurable as placement in a newspaper. I hope so. And actually I don’t see why not because it makes financial sense. Clients hire publishing agencies to produce their editorial or social media content out of their marketing budgets all the time. But travel companies have the connections to hire specialist travel writers/bloggers/journalists/insertnewtitlehere directly, without paying agency fees.

The main issue of being paid by a client is ethics – although newspapers also have to deal with this whenever a journalist writes about a paid-for trip. Transparency is one solution but I also think the nature of the content is another – I can see a move away from travel narrative and towards more transparent content: news, interviews, audio clips, video, etc, which show the story of the travel product. And there needs to be an editorial push back with the client – for example, if there is an issue with one of their products, then it needs to be reported and they can resolve it publicly in the comments.

It would be great if a PR agency could send a blogger along as part of a fam/press trip and see what stories they generate as an experiment. Hosting the content on their client’s site/blog would also – SEO experts correct me if wrong – offer better SEO value than the individual journalist’s blog, because there are likely to be more incoming links. Just need a bold PR agency or tourist board to give it a go… and I suspect the delay is that they are looking for new outlets too and return on blog is not as obvious or measurable as placement in a newspaper.

]]> By: David Atkinson http://fionacullinan.com/2009/12/im-launching-a-new-travel-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-27 David Atkinson Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:25:53 +0000 http://fionacullinan.com/?p=298#comment-27 I agree that something has gotta give right now. The weekend papers are thinner than ever, the quality of writing worse than ever and the hit rate for freelancers placing stories at an all-time low. The old model looks dead in the water. Time to move on .. but how? Providing professional content for industry websites looks like a new model. After all, I keep hearing that people still want quality writing, not some SEO tag list. But will they put their money where their mouth is? Let's see... I agree that something has gotta give right now. The weekend papers are thinner than ever, the quality of writing worse than ever and the hit rate for freelancers placing stories at an all-time low. The old model looks dead in the water. Time to move on .. but how?
Providing professional content for industry websites looks like a new model. After all, I keep hearing that people still want quality writing, not some SEO tag list. But will they put their money where their mouth is? Let’s see…

]]> By: Fiona Cullinan http://fionacullinan.com/2009/12/im-launching-a-new-travel-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Fiona Cullinan Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:51:58 +0000 http://fionacullinan.com/?p=298#comment-26 @Nigel. Thanks for you comment. I think that there is a lot of great local and hyperlocal travel blogging. Congrats on your site - there needs to be good local resources and hopefully inbound tourists can find them. For myself, I don't want to cover a particular beat - it's usually too much for one person so you need a lot of UGC or guest bloggers (as I found with What To Wear Where). But I am interested in the nature and form of travel journalism itself and how journalists/bloggers can push its boundaries. That's the plan anyway... @Nigel. Thanks for you comment. I think that there is a lot of great local and hyperlocal travel blogging. Congrats on your site – there needs to be good local resources and hopefully inbound tourists can find them.

For myself, I don’t want to cover a particular beat – it’s usually too much for one person so you need a lot of UGC or guest bloggers (as I found with What To Wear Where). But I am interested in the nature and form of travel journalism itself and how journalists/bloggers can push its boundaries. That’s the plan anyway…

]]> By: Nigel Barlow http://fionacullinan.com/2009/12/im-launching-a-new-travel-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Nigel Barlow Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:32:06 +0000 http://fionacullinan.com/?p=298#comment-25 Will be watching with interest Fiona as trying to develop something similar www.northwestscenes.co.uk. I still believe that it comes down to quality content,yes we have celebs jetting around the UK and the world and yes numerous people put their travel experiences online but it takes a certain skill to convey atmosphere to the reader,to notice the unnoticable and twist the picture around. It is only early days for North West scenes at the moment.In the new year,hopefully will have time for more content and a different look at the world up in this part of the country. One thing that I have noticed is how little we look at what is in our backyard,there are many places,many stories up here that people are not aware of even though they live within touching distance of them.It is that I feel will draw traffic to the site. Nigel Barlow Will be watching with interest Fiona as trying to develop something similar http://www.northwestscenes.co.uk.

I still believe that it comes down to quality content,yes we have celebs jetting around the UK and the world and yes numerous people put their travel experiences online but it takes a certain skill to convey atmosphere to the reader,to notice the unnoticable and twist the picture around.

It is only early days for North West scenes at the moment.In the new year,hopefully will have time for more content and a different look at the world up in this part of the country.

One thing that I have noticed is how little we look at what is in our backyard,there are many places,many stories up here that people are not aware of even though they live within touching distance of them.It is that I feel will draw traffic to the site.

Nigel Barlow

]]> By: Hotel York House Lisboa http://fionacullinan.com/2009/12/im-launching-a-new-travel-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Hotel York House Lisboa Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:26:14 +0000 http://fionacullinan.com/?p=298#comment-24 Dear Fiona, Like the idea you are trying to achieve "What is harder to find is a middle-ground between Jo Bloggs naming and shaming their hotel and the angled/subjective narrative of the commissioned travel writer/presenter". Looking forward to read your future posts. JTMB Hotel York House Lisboa Dear Fiona,

Like the idea you are trying to achieve “What is harder to find is a middle-ground between Jo Bloggs naming and shaming their hotel and the angled/subjective narrative of the commissioned travel writer/presenter”.

Looking forward to read your future posts.

JTMB
Hotel York House Lisboa

]]>