What happens when a blogger has a bad press trip?
This is a question I’m asked about all the time so I thought it was finally time I addressed it in a blog post! When people realise that a big part of the job for many (not all) travel bloggers and journalists is attending press trips, people
Doin’ it for the ‘gram: Is it such a bad thing?
I’ve been blogging for a long time now and my favourite thing about this crazy online world is the way The Travel Hack is basically my online travel journal and a place to store all of my precious travel memories. I often sit down at my
The Secret to a great blog post
In my humble opinion, the secret to a good blog post, particularly a good travel blog post, comes down to two things. Personality Useful information Of course, there are a billion other things but these two are at the top of the list. One thing that should also
Spivo 360 Review: A selfie stick game changer for videos
My honest review of the Spivo 360 rotating selfie stick, the latest swivel selfie stick for GoPros, action cameras and smartphones. If you were reading the blog last week you will have seen that I’ve recently been sent a new GoPro HERO 6 which I was super
Pixter Travel Pack Review: Wide angle smartphone lens plus tripod
I was recently sent the Pixter Wide Angle Lens Pro and to the Pixter Flexible Tripod to review. This is part of the Pixter Travel Pack and retails for £64.90 (currently reduced from £89.80). On my first day testing it out I met up with The Travel Hack Team
10 Photography Hacks for Beautiful Travel Photos
Today's blog is all about how to improve your travel photography with these simple but very effective photography hacks! They come from Lisa, a professional photographer who shares her travel photography tips over on The Wandering Lens. Her photography is absolutely stunning so check out her Instagram
The Travel Hack’s guide to blogging
Whether you’re just starting out with your blog or you want to turn your blog into your full time career, I have lots of blog posts crammed with my blogging tips and advice. Maybe you’d like to set up a blog as a creative online scrapbook
Making a living with the best job in the world
I’m writing this post sat in Montana Airport. I have a short layover before I fly to Minnesota for a 7 day trip exploring some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. I had the usual grilling with US security as they questioned me about why
#BloggerCourse Twitter Chat: June 14th!
The second #BloggerCourse Twitter chat will be Tuesday June 14th at 7-8pm UK time! We’re going to be chatting about ‘Blogger Struggles’ and how to overcome them. Yes, this will be a chance to have a bit of a rant about what’s difficult in the world of
How to make the leap and become a full time blogger
Last month I spoke at Traverse blogging conference in Cardiff. I decided to talk about the blogging topic I'm most frequently questioned about - how to transition from being a hobby blogger to a full time blogger. There are so many amazing bloggers out there, working hard
Why I chose to not be a digital nomad
The travel blogging community is obsessed with the term ‘digital nomad’. It pops up on every travel blog with top tips on how to be a digital nomad, why it’s so awesome being a digital nomad, a typical day in the life of a digital nomad
How to Balance Travelling with your Career
Taking time out to go travelling doesn’t have to mean taking a career break. There’s plenty of ways you can see the world and still further your career at the same time. I’m of the opinion that going travelling proves initiative and a willingness to expand
The Christmas gift guide for bloggers
Welcome to the second post in our series of Christmas gift guides. Last year, I put together a Christmas gift guide for travel lovers so this year there are going to be lots of guides for different types of travellers and travel lovers. First up, we’ve got
How to be a 6-figure blogger – Part 2
Sign up here to receive updates about my 12-week blogger e-course In case you missed it, last week I posted the first half of my Blogstock talk about how to be a figure blogger. Here's the second half of my talk with more about my really basic SEO
How to find your travel blogging niche
Sign up here to receive updates about my 12-week blogger e-course ‘Niche’. Urgh, it’s a horrible word. But it’s a word I’ve been saying A LOT recently. I’ve been speaking at a few blogger events and conferences and the word ‘niche’ keeps coming up. Why? Because having
Blogging at the Beach with Icelolly #BlogAtTheBeach
Yesterday I had the pleasure of popping up to Leeds for a day of blogging and networking. Icelolly, the holiday price comparison site, invited a fabulous group of bloggers to their offices for a beach themed day. There were cocktails, palm trees, more cocktails, sun loungers
Win 2 x Blogstock tickets!
Welcome to the fourth day of our 7 Day Summer Giveaway. Today’s prize is one for the bloggers out there as we’re giving away a pair of tickets to Blogstock! What is Blogstock? Blogstock is the world’s only blogging festival. If you love blogging, you love festivals, you
I’m speaking at icelolly.com’s #BlogAtTheBeach Blogger Event
I’m really excited to announce that I’ll be speaking at a travel blogger event in Leeds next month. The event will be hosted by icelolly.com, the UK’s leading holiday price comparison site. They’re holding #BlogAtTheBeach so they can get to know bloggers who they think could potentially be ambassadors for
How and why I started travel blogging
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is along the lines of how and why I began blogging. Everyone has a different story as to why they started blogging and we’re all nosy by nature! So without further a do, here goes… I began blogging
What my journalism course taught me about blogging
It’s been a couple of years now since I completed my NCTJ journalism course and I still get lots of emails from readers who ask me if I think it was worth it. One question I’m regularly asked is if it’s worth doing for someone who
5 tips for starting a blog from scratch
Starting a blog from scratch can be a daunting process. Where do you even begin? There’s so much to do, so much to learn and so many people offering conflicting advice. When I first began blogging there weren’t as many bloggers on the block so I didn’t
20 truths about being a full time blogger
Sign up here to receive updates about my 12-week blogger e-course It wasn’t long ago that I was calling myself a ‘freelancer’ and I’d correct anyone who referred to me as a ‘full time blogger’. When I first quit my job to work for myself the majority of
Blogging e-courses, books and workshops for a better blog
Is one of your New Year's resolutions to improve your blog? Or maybe start a blog from scratch? If it is, you're definitely not alone! Many of us want to revamp and re-energise our blogs in the new year so I've put together a list of blogging workshops
Using Google Analytics to improve your blog
Today I'm sharing my tips and advice about how you can use Google Analytics for your blog. Google Analytics is such a powerful tool for bloggers and it can really help you understand your audience and identify ways to grow and improve your blog. But it
That time I spoke at Google + why brands should work with travel bloggers
A few weeks ago I was incredibly honoured and excited to be invited to Google HQ in London. I was asked to speak on a panel focusing on the opportunities and challenges for travel brands. When on Earth did this happen? When did I become the kind
Nuffnang Blogger’s Workshop: Useful + Beautiful
On Saturday I attended Nuffnang’s blogger’s workshop at CitizenM hotel in London. I’ve written about a few different blogging conferences and workshops such as Cybher, Traverse, Blogstock and Food Blogger Connect. I love going to blogging workshops mainly because I love being able to meet new bloggers, no
Freelancing update: How I’m doing after one-year full time travel blogging and freelancing
This time last year I was terrified. I wasn’t even admitting it to myself how scared I was. I’d just quit my secure, fairly well paid, interesting and enjoyable job and decided to go it alone. Yep, I’d just plunged into the big bad world of freelancing! I
How to keep up with your favourite travel blogs {+ how it can help grow your social media following}
I don’t know about you but I’m often overwhelmed by the amount of travel blogs floating around the blogosphere. There are loads of blogs I love to read but they get lost in the epic mass of boring updates and pointless posts. My Twitter feed is a
Blog Hop: Behind the Scenes with The Travel Hack
The lovely Char Taylor from Taylor Hearts Travel has nominated me to take part in the Blog Hop. It’s a chance for bloggers to show what’s going on behind the scenes of their blogospheres. I don’t know about you but I’m super nosy when it comes
Weekend Reads #8
It's quick one this week as I'm writing this just before I head out to Blogstock! Blockstock is the world's first blogging festival. It's been put together by the guys behind Traverse, an informal and fun travel blogging conference. I spoke at the last conference about social