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I’ve been the editor of the Wandalust UK travel blog for around one month now. I have to say it seems a lot longer. In an earlier post I reasoned that, “writing for another travel related blog would be a good way to enhance my profile and reputation and increase visitor numbers to my site and blog.” It certainly isn’t for the money at $140 a month for 5 posts a week.
It’s been quite a commitment to write 5 posts a week for Wandalust in addition to running my own travel site and blog. Although I’m only required to write posts of 70 words with one link and one image, I don’t generally word count. If I write for Wandalust to raise my profile I have to write quality posts.
The problem with my aim is that it’s pretty difficult to measure the impact of writing for Wandalust on my profile or to a directly attributable increase in visitors. I’m coming to the conclusion that “Karen Bryan” is as viable a brand as a travel blogger and writer as “Europe a la Carte” is as a brand for a website and blog about travel in Europe. This just makes any evaluation even more complex.
So far here are my thoughts:
Postives:
1 The ability to write about any travel related topic and destination not being limited to travel in Europe on modest budget, greatly increasing my knowledge and experience as a travel blogger.
2 Making useful contacts with other bloggers who may take me more seriously if I’m the editor of two travel blogs. Being taken on as an editor of another travel blog is rather different to blogging for your own travel business.
3 Visitor numbers to my blog have increased by more than 30 % over the last month but I can’t quantify exactly how much of this is attributable to Wandalust. Yes I can see direct referrals from Wandalust in my stats but there may be more disguised traffic.
Negatives:
1 The awful Movable Type blogging software is cumbersome to use and unreliable.
2 The flashing, irrelevant banner ads in the sidebar detract from my posts. One day there was a large cigarette in an flashing banner ad for smoking cessation aids a major distraction from the photos in my posts.
3 Time spent researching and composing posts and grappling with Moveable Type that I could spent on my own travel business and blog.
I’d welcome any feedback or observations you may have.
Tags: europe a la Carte blog, Wandalust
Karen,
Seems you have the answers in your questions and in your post
But suggest you stay some more months, see, make bilan and then make final decision.
best regards
Claude
Thanks for your comment Claude, I did start as editor of Wandalust with the intention of staying for some time, it’s just a big commitment for me writing 5 posts a week. If it was better paid that would justify me reducing my hours in my day job but I can make more in one day in day job than one months blogging with Creative Weblogging. Researching and writing 5 posts a week takes me at least 8 hours per week.
So you are one of those: The Blog Slaves :-)
More serious: I admired your step becoming the Wandalust editor. it had been on my feed reader long before you stepped up.
Once again: Let your son install piclens. It is a real find for quick scanning of photo and video pools and makes your research on the photo site a lot easier.
The positive site is that you can focus more on ideas of off beat European travel here and wander and dream on Wandalust.
So my 2 cents: grab the best of 2 worlds!
Happy Hotelier, yes I am a blog slave what Wandalust pays is about one third of the minimum wage in the UK but as I’ve said I didn’t start as Wandalust editor for the money.
The best of both worlds, yes that true but it’s all down to time.
Karen if it’s any consolation, I have started to see a nice flow of traffic coming from Wandalust. Out of interest what is the minimum rate of pay in the UK? I have no idea, but if things get off the ground with my plans, I’ll be in need of new writers.
Glad to hear you are getting traffic from Wandalust, Darren. The current UK minimum wage is £5.52 for workers aged over22, rising to £5.73 from October 2008.