Branding for Travel Writers

Presenter: Emily Grosvenorwww.emilygrosvenor.com

@emilygrosvenor

Why brand?

1. Get more clients

2. Get better assignments

3. Develop better relationships with readers and editors

4. Take more joy in our work

5. Tell the story of our professionalism

6. Provide a direction for our careers

Brands evolve over time

You’re going to do this by always delivering work that is your best quality.

You’re going to do that by branding yourself and constantly tweaking that brand over time.

Branding = Communication

• It’s the emotional velcro that ties readers to you.

• It’s a signifier of quality work.

• It distinguishes you from the rest of the pack.

The problem for travel writers

The Solution:Expertise – Promise – Belief – Voice

Crafting Your Writer Message

Self-assessment sheet

• The type of writing you do• The subjects you write about• The kinds of stories you want to tell • The themes your work tackles• The ways you serve your readers in

everything you write• The clients or customers you want to

attract• The books (perhaps even series of books)

you want to write• Your passions, interests, values and

purposes

Your Brand: Your website

• Appeal emotional or intellectual?• What is the competition doing?• What is your corporate personality?• What colors can you associate with your brand?• Is there an image or an object?

Examples

The Art of Simplehttp://theartofsimpletravel.net/Have Baby Will Travelhttp://havebabywilltravel.com/Nomadic Matthttp://www.nomadicmatt.com/Time Travel Turtlehttp://www.timetravelturtle.com/

Author photo: A Selling Tool• Makes you, the author, look

like someone the reader wants to spend the next several hours with.

• Reinforces the tone and style of fiction you write.

• Makes the book/magazine look better.

• Helps provide recognition on the next project.

• Looks like you.• Represents your public

persona• NOT overly theatrical or too

clever

Examples

Tag Lines• Choose something that looks good

visually• Make sure it is easy to say and remember• Speak in a tone and language your

customers understand• Simpler is better• Make sure it promises something you can

deliver• Have it show some action

Activity: Write Down Five Possible taglines for your work that explain to your intended audience what it is that your DO.

Travel Writer Taglines• Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site: Life untethered. • Wanderlust & Lipstick: Your destination for women’s travel. • Almost Fearless: Travel, mishap and adventure in a beautiful and bizarre world.• Wandering Earl: A new breed of explorer. • Hole in the Donut: Discovering the world, one culture at a time. • Amateur Traveler: Travel for the love of it. • Wild Junket: A rollercoaster ride of adventures around the world. • Fox Nomad: Travel Smarter. • Ott’s World: Travel and life experiences of a corporate American runaway. • Solo Friendly: All you need to travel is you! • My Itchy Travel Feet: The Baby Boomer’s guide to travel. • The Road Forks: Where food and travel intersect. • Backpacking Matt: Life’s a journey. • Land Lopers: Experiencing the world on a budget. • Todd’s Wanderings: Travel, adventure and advice from 10 years on the road—and counting!

Brainstorm Tag Lines

• Choose something that looks good visually• Make sure it is easy to say and remember• Speak in a tone and language your customers understand• Simpler is better• Make sure it promises something you can deliver• Have it evoke some specific emotion in the reader• Have it show some action• Activity: Write Down Five Possible taglines for your work

that explain to your intended audience what it is that your DO.

The Stories Your Business Needs to Tell

1. Your passion story2. Your business story3. Your customer story4. Your pitch story5. Your product story6. Your media story

Your Passion Story

Example: Beth Howard, The World Needs More Pie

Your business story

• How has your business developed over time.• Can make chronological sense, but must seem

organic, to show you are growing and learning, specializing and getting better at what you do.

• A chronology to show your longevity in the field

Your Customer Story

Who are your customers? Editors or readers?• Blog readers• Book reviews• Editor testimonials• LinkedIn endorsements• Responses to your stories in magazines• Any kind of feedback

Your pitch story• Show there’s a market for

your work• Showing that your idea can

solve a widespread problem• Identify empathy with your

customer – give people what they need

• Constantly refine how you are telling your story

Hi, my name is __________. I’m a travel writer who specializes in ____________ for ____________. I’m writing regularly for _________ about ___________. Right now, I’m working on _____________.

Your product story

Linking to your writing on your website

Sharing your products on social media

Developing relationships with other writers who will tweet out your stories for you

Your media storyWhat are people saying

about you?- Quotes from your clients- Reviews of your books- Coverage of you in other

media- Media releases- Blog hopping

What have you created?

Well-branded travel writer websites

Ralf Potts

Liz Crain

Don George

Sam Monicom

My Little Nomads

Your Writing Voice as Brand

• Who are the writers whose voices are so distinct that no one else could have written those words

• Who are the writers whose work you will read no matter what the subject is?

• How do we develop our voice in order to become a writer who people want to read no matter where we go or what we do?

Your Voice As Brand

• How you look at the world• Your distinct sensibility• How you speak and communicate like no one

else• Whether or not you are writing first-person,

your voice is yourself in the story• Take your joy in the writing, even if you are

Debbie Downer, enjoy being her

Activity: What is your two word description?

• Anthony Bourdain• David Sedaris• Anne Lamott• Nora Ephron• Natalie Goldberg• Meghan Daum• Joah Didion• Paul Theroux

Choose assignments to develop voice

• Take first-person stories in which you are the story or the way in

• Get yourself a column or a blog that is first-person and brand it with your sensibility

• Be THAT GUY, and take joy in every second of it• Figure out your two-word subtitle• Pitch the story of your journey, not the

destination

Short assignment:

• Tell me a story of travel that changed you.• A story of travel you didn’t want to go on.• A story where you were the absolute worst

person for this type of travel.• A story where what you got was not what you

expected.• A story of failure that had you winning in the

end.