I was asked today for a summary of #TBUIBK -so many talking points were covered which you will read about. Here are my observations...
I am borrowing and taking inspiration from a post from William Bakker Chief Strategist at Think! Social Media who wrote an awesome article about how travel bloggers are reinventing the future of destination marketing : Click here )
I like to think...
After #TBUIBK travel bloggers are actively creating the future of travel media
Simply not offering just a vision of the future of travel media
Photo used under Creative Commons from dullhunk
The conference brought together a unique mix of professionals: travel bloggers, photographers, social media professionals from all over the world, joggers/journo-bloggers (whatever ridiculous term you can think of) destination marketing organisations..
Put together these diverse range of professionals in a room and watch the *sparks* fly:
Ideas, products and messages were spreading around the room like viruses.
What I’ve seen before and still am constantly amazed is how creative and multi skilled travel bloggers are.
All of us are unique and blessed with a very sophisticated range of skills. We create good content , can take good photographs, savvy with the latest modern technology , create and start a blog, VERY social media savvy and also are excellent network builders.
However that very jack of all trades badge does bite us in the ass a lot. ( All the time )
During the first panel debate at #TBUIBK blog trips and bloggers working with PR, we got dragged into the age old debate journo vs blogger. Are we the same? Should we expect differential treatment? Should we get paid to attend press trips?
( I personally think no. A few pro travel bloggers might get paid because of their time being limited ... but generally for 95% of us, we have to be more entrepreneurial about we sell our skills and monetize our blog )
Kevin May from Tnooz, put forward an intriguing question towards the panel as to whether bloggers consider themselves as a community builder/marketers
There was a mixed reaction from the bloggers at the conference. Some see them as community builders, some as content creator, some see it as way of allowing them to travel and fit their lifestyle choice-no one blogger is alike.
My personal take on this is that we a combination of all of the above and more.
Many of us have at the conference have alter egos with business backgrounds in different areas of business.
Because blogging by nature is more personal, bloggers are quite diverse and unique.
Blogs are a multi-peer medium. The blogger share their personal take and seeks acknowledgment and feedback. We are not uni-directional. We want to be recognized and influence.
As a travel blogger I don’t want to be defined and put in a box.
That’s because I haven’t realised my full potential yet and I am still learning about what I can achieve and offer.
Like all bloggers at the conference I think.
We learnt from the BEST at #TBUIBK
TBUIBK highlight: Ken Kaminesky with Melvin @traveldudes and Michaela @comunicami on the photo tour of Innsbruck
- We learnt about how to take better photographs via photo walks with Ken Kaminesky
- We discovered emerging cutting edge trends like Iphoneography from Kirsten Alana.
- We learnt about how to be a more professional, ethical and better writer from Abigail King.
- The important of marketing yourself effectively: We learnt how to brand and market yourself to travel PR companies from Ruth Haffenden from Four bgb.
- We learnt how to think of your blog as a business by demonstrating the value of your audience and niche from Janice Waugh and Keith Jenkins.
- We were given a masterclass presentation about how to (+swear a lot) create a kickass WordPress blog from John O’ Nolan- a guy who is working with the biggest names in the business.
- Learning how to network (v.important skill ), create lasting relationships and work the room like Melvin from Traveldudes and that guy in the orange shoes. What’s his name again? :)
We can be the best if only we learn from the best. That’s what was #TBUIBK‘s greatest legacy.
Dynamic Duo!: Ayngelina Brogan: Bacon is Magic and Michael Hodson: Go See Write
It was a privilege to be amongst so many talented and amazing people. I think everyone who attended came away inspired with new ideas.
We are still evolving
We fail, fail, fail ( a lot, rant rant rant #insaneinthebrain ) but in the end we keep trying because we want to learn, EVOLVE
We EVOLVE as publishers because the needs and demands of our readers are changing. The media landscape is changing rapidly-online channels are becoming more and more dominant and newspapers are in decline.
Travel PR and DMO’s are having to respond to these changes in the landscape and reach out to where their audiences are and that is why travel bloggers we are in demand.
'We're the heirs to the glimmering world'
( The National (Awesome band) Song: The Geese of Beverly Road )
Travel Bloggers discovering a new glimmering world in Mieming, Tirol on a blog trip post #TBUIBK :)
We still don’t know our potential yet. The sky is the limit. These are are very exciting times.
Let’s not get carried away.
We to learn to do the little things better to make a bigger difference.
We have to be better at the basics of writing, be as honest and transparent as possible with our stats so we can build better trust plus we have to be prepared to take on board any constructive criticism.
We have to be more professional and package, present ourselves better to travel companies. (#mediakisamust #noexcuses #reallynoexcuses )
Not just speaking to journalists, publishers, travel companies but looking outside our world and looking at the other bloggers in other sectors like fashion, tech and learn from them.
The next few months is a challenge for the blogging community to show we can evolve further and be even more awesome.
So it’s important we don’t stand still- we keep talking to each other, keep sharing, keep learning, keep making mistakes, keep enjoying the process and keep evolving.
I think at the same time there is a lot journalists, marketers, DMO’s, travel PR can learn from us just as much as we can learn from them.
Why we have reached the 'Tipping Point'
The good news is that we’re already at the 'Tipping Point' : a phrase coined by Malcolm Gladwell in his landmark book called ‘The Tipping Point’ (great book to read, highly recommend)
I quote one of his three laws that creates a tipping point:
“The Law of the Few" -the first law states
"The success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social gifts."
Sounds familiar?
In order to bring about the phenonmenal change there are two more laws he quotes: the ‘stickiness factor’ : the specific content of a message that renders its impact memorable and lastly the ‘power of context.’
I think travel blogging ticks all. Which is why we are making the future of travel media and becoming an integral cog in the travel industry.
Any questions and comments? Thank you.
PS: Big thank you to Oliver for organising Travel Bloggers Unite Innsbruck and to all those who led the workshops with utmost dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm- you are all a shining star in the sky and role model for me.
Biggest thanks to all the delegates/friends I met- you were freaking awesome, you created a perfect reality for a few days, I felt so rich and blessed-was one of the most amazing weeks of my life. I love you all.
