By Will Hatton
Today, many folks dream of hitting the road and traveling the world while working remotely on their own business, as their own boss. It’s a path that has been heavily romanticized, and for good reason. To live life on your terms, choosing where you live and work from, is a truly liberating experience. But to get to this promised land is a challenge, and most folks who try to build an online business are ultimately not successful.
I’m the founder of
The Broke Backpacker, one of the world’s largest travel blogs, and I’m a serial entrepreneur with over a dozen different online ventures under my belt. I started my own journey fifteen years ago while backpacking the world on a budget of just $10 a day, and since then I have learned a TON about what does and what doesn’t work when trying to build an online income.
How I became a travel blogger
Embarking on my own journey as a broke backpacker, I was hungry for both adventure and great stories. I found I had a passion for writing in-depth reports of what it was truly like to be living in a tent, hitchhiking, couchsurfing and basically living like a hippy around the world. I was passionate about the potential for personal development through challenging travel that threw me out of my comfort zone and I used this passion to build up my travel blog and to launch some other projects along the way.
Simply being on the road as a young and naive teenager without two cents to rub together presented me with numerous challenges. I took a good number of risks and made pivotal decisions that transformed this passion project of mine into a sustainable source of income. From refining my niche to leveraging productivity systems, each decision was a stepping stone toward building a sustainable and successful business.
I am sharing some of the key decisions that propelled my humble travel blog for budget backpackers into a profitable business with an audience of over 1 million users a month. So, fasten your seatbelts and join me as we explore the pivotal moments that transformed my budget travel blog into one of the internet’s best-known travel sites.
10 strategies I used to build my travel blog into a business
1. Investing in a catchy domain name
It may sound simple, but let’s be honest—picking the right brand name is a pivotal decision for any business. The Broke Backpacker is a memorable name that immediately tells the audience what the site is about. It also has a personal element to it.
This not only helped me establish a strong brand identity but also attracted the right audience from the get-go: people who wanted to go backpacking, but were pretty broke.
Back in the day, ten years ago when I first started this blog, there was hardly any content online about traveling on an extreme budget. Indeed, most travel blogs talked about traveling on a budget of $50 a day (so $1500 a month) after flights. This was way more money than I ever had access to and I’m glad, as it pushed me down a different path. Ultimately, I saw a sizable gap in the market.
By aligning my domain name with my niche, I positioned myself early on as a trusted resource in the budget travel space, drawing in readers who resonated with my content and message.
2. Embarking on crazy adventures
One of the game-changing decisions I made was to embark on extraordinary adventures that captured the attention of both readers and the media.
I explored and covered off-the-beaten-path destinations like Venezuela when not many were doing it—especially with the same level of detailed, raw coverage that I brought to the game. Some of my photos in Venezuela went viral and this was a crucial moment for me.
By undertaking epic journeys like embarking on an attempt to travel from the UK to Papua New Guinea overland, I managed to attract the attention of powerful media like the BBC and The Daily Mail, scoring the first powerful backlinks that helped ramp up The Broke Backpacker’s value in Google’s eyes and helped me build some more monthly traffic.
I also documented my adventures on Snapchat, taking my audience with me as I hitchhiked across Iran, hiked deep into the Pakistani Himalayas, and drove a rickshaw all around India. I was raw and real in my videos, often enjoying a cheeky smoke on camera and always trying to tell it how it is.
The exposure and credibility gained through these adventures propelled my blog’s visibility and opened doors to new opportunities.
3. Launching expeditions to Pakistan
In 2015, I visited Pakistan for the first time. I was broke (big time) and I covered everything on my Snapchat. I was the first blogger to do this, and the first in Pakistan for a LONG time. My audience was stoked to see this misunderstood part of the world.
I went back there a second time in 2016. I turned to my audience on Snapchat and asked if folks would be interested in seeing this amazing country with me as their guide.
I put up a PayPal link to secure deposits and overnight it sold out. I suddenly had $6000 (12 x $500 deposits) in the bank, which I immediately spent on trying to grow The Broke Backpacker, reasoning that I had 6 months before I led the first tour and therefore time to make it back.
It was a pretty big risk but…I made it work.
4. Being authentic
Authenticity pays off, and it has been a cornerstone of my success.
I made the conscious decision to openly talk about topics that are often considered taboo, such as drug use and things that real people do in the real world. I felt like travel blogs often hid such things, and I made an effort to always be transparent.
By sharing authentic stories and vulnerabilities, I created a deeper connection with my audience. People related to the raw and unfiltered nature of my content, and this genuine approach built up a lot of trust and loyalty among my readership.
Being authentic and true to my personality allowed me to build a strong community of people who appreciated my transparency and valued the realness I brought to the table.
5. Going ALL in
I think perhaps what separates successful entrepreneurs from those who dream of working for themselves but struggle to make it work is their refusal to give up and their ability to fully commit to a project.
I spent two years in Chiang Mai working 60-70 hours a week. During that time, I had to put my travel goals and dreams on hold and focus solely on working tirelessly. It’s ironic that in order to be successful in running a travel blog, I had to temporarily step away from the road and dedicate more time to writing posts, designing strategies, organizing standard operating procedures (SOPs), cultivating relationships, and hiring writers. There was so much involved in that stage, and I made numerous sacrifices.
I vividly remember feeling incredibly anxious and worried, often struggling financially to the point where I couldn’t afford to eat or do much else. I had traded the freedom, joy, and personal development of being on the road for a desk, where I became my own boss and worked relentlessly. I faced significant internal struggles with self-belief and self-talk, constantly questioning whether all the hard work would pay off.
Throughout it all, I managed to hold on to the belief that it had to work because I had reached a point where I had no other options. I had borrowed money that I could only repay if I succeeded. The pressure on me was immense, but ultimately, it galvanized me to do whatever was necessary to achieve my goals.
6. Building an awesome team and knowing when to outsource
The Broke Backpacker is huge. It has about one million monthly visitors and 3000 unique posts. Building a team to help me organize and think of projects and bounce ideas around has been crucial to my success.
Every cent I earned along the way, I invested in hiring and expanding my team. Now, I am proud to have an incredible team of broke backpacker adventurer folks—and let me tell you, they do a stellar job at keeping the show running.
Knowing when to outsource tasks allowed me to focus on my strengths and allocate resources effectively. By assembling a team of expert vagabonds, I enhanced the quality of my content, expanded my reach, and freed up valuable time to explore new opportunities.
With them, I’ve managed to build systems that work, develop a ton of standard operating procedures for new hires and projects, and all of that combined has been the foundational force behind the scalability and success of my blog.
Recognize the power of collaboration and the value of expertise. Hire good people, focus on honesty, work ethic, and creative flair over experience. Trust your gut, not everybody can be trusted.
7. Leveraging the power of existing traffic
Over the years, I realized my blog was bringing in considerable traffic to our affiliate partners in the gear space, so I decided to capitalize on that.
I ventured into the world of dropshipping and started designing my own lines of backpacker essentials like hammocks and quick-dry towels under the brand name Active Roots.
This strategic move not only allowed me to diversify my revenue streams but also solidified my brand presence in the travel industry. It was successful for a while until Covid started and made it impossible to sustain, as shipping costs increased by 400%. Sadly, I had to throw in the towel on that business.
But now that the storm has passed, I’m already working on an upgraded version of that business that is aligned with the evolving demands of my audience, including a new line of Broke Backpacker Basics.
8. Going physical
The online world can be very fun, and I’ve dabbled in a lot of interesting business models and creative ways of building an income. Driven by my passion for online entrepreneurship, I recently ventured into creating a physical business that catered to my audience’s evolving needs.
I am passionate about the power of online entrepreneurship to change lives and raise people out of poverty. For a long time, I had dreamed of opening a business that would act as a beacon, a hub, and a muster point for aspiring entrepreneurs and digital nomads to find their tribe, as well as sleep, eat, work, and play.
In 2022, after a few challenging years, we finally managed to open Tribal, Bali’s first custom-built co-working hostel. I’m thrilled to say that we’ve been getting great feedback, and we’re usually full.
This project allowed me to merge my love for travel, community building, and entrepreneurship. Tribal Bali became a hub for like-minded individuals, fostering collaboration and connection among digital nomads, as well as overall just being a kickass place for my nomad folks to get some work done.
9. Being disciplined
Being disciplined is a crucial skill for entrepreneurs and digital nomads to develop. Personally, I found that cultivating discipline was essential in building and managing a successful travel blog.
To achieve this, I focused on staying organized using tools like Google Calendar and Trello. I set clear goals for myself and identified the habits I needed to cultivate in order to reach those goals. I have whiteboards placed throughout my house, displaying various goals, affirmations, and reminders to keep me on track. Each evening, I review my habits and tick off the ones I successfully accomplished during the day.
I also employ a two-phone system to avoid getting too engrossed in my phone and ensure a proper winding down before sleep. The second phone is dedicated to music, audiobooks, and podcasts, devoid of any social media or communication apps. Ultimately, the key is to minimize distractions, maintain focus, and establish goals for each part of the day. I’ve spent the past 10 years cultivating these practices.
I’ve also developed a strategy to ensure that every aspect of my blog receives the attention it deserves. I break down all the necessary tasks over a three-month period and chip away at them on a weekly basis, even the ones I may not particularly enjoy. Honesty and self-awareness are important in recognizing both successes and failures.
It can be tempting to spend time on your online businesses’ social media, or endlessly designing a logo, but at the end of the day, there are essential tasks that only you can accomplish—the “big business domino” that needs to be toppled every day.
Cultivating discipline enables you to get things done, especially when faced with challenges. It helps you focus and avoid unnecessary distractions. This skill is paramount for any aspiring entrepreneur.
10. Being patient
During Covid, the site’s monthly user count plummeted from 1.5 million to a mere 200,000. Travel-related search traffic took a massive hit as well. Even when looking at it from a percentage standpoint, the revenue generated from the remaining traffic wasn’t as expected. While some people continued to search for travel-related terms, bookings for hostels and purchases of gear were virtually non-existent.
The entire world was in a state of anxiety and uncertainty.
In such circumstances, there was no choice but to double down and fully commit. We utilized that time to rebuild the site, making it faster, leaner, sexier, and smoother. Previously, it had become a Frankenstein-like creation, initially designed by me and later worked on by various developers who never communicated with each other.
Over a six-month period, we rebuilt it from the ground up. We also expanded our team of writers, focused on revamping different content series, and updated older posts. Fortunately, our efforts paid off, but it was undeniably a nerve-wracking experience to double down when everything seemed to be falling apart.
I firmly believe that if you aspire to succeed and create something remarkable, you have to go ALL in.
FAQs about creating a travel blog
How can I monetize my travel blog?
Display ads are a good way to start generating income, though they might deter some readers. My suggestion is to start by joining affiliate programs for brands you love and find ways to plug them as hard (and as softly) as you can.
Is travel blogger a good career?
Starting a travel blog can be an extremely rewarding career, though you really have to be passionate, patient, and persistent. With the right mindset, ahead of you await plenty of travel, income, and creative expression opportunities.
What should I include in my travel blog?
Start by asking yourself what is your speciality or travel superpower. Finding the right niche is more effective than going broad. Perhaps you know a specific destination/region better than anyone, or a style of travel. Start there, study the competition, and create something better.
About the Author
Post by: Will Hatton
Will Hatton is the man behind The Broke Backpacker travel blog. For many years, he journeyed to far-flung lands all over the world on just $10/day. Today, his site is the ultimate resource for aspiring adventurers looking to ditch their desks and hit the road in search of raw, real, and meaningful adventures.
Company: The Broke Backpacker
Website: www.thebrokebackpacker.com