Expert tips on how to become a travel influencer - part two

Kenzie Harvey aka LemonaidLies is a 25-year-old beauty, fashion, lifestyle and travel blogger based in London. Newly engaged and freshly moved in to a new home with her fiancé, there are many exciting opportunities on the horizon for Kenzie. Throughout her blog and social media, you can expect outfit of the days, her latest holiday snaps and her top beauty recommendations. Read Kenzie's blog here and follow her on her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 

Number One Top Tip:

 
“When travelling don’t just go to the ‘Instagrammable’ spots… it’s still your holiday so go and enjoy it. Capture the things you love and think are beautiful, that’s what your followers and potential new ones want. You never know, you could just be finding that hidden gem that everyone wants to see on their next trip.”
 

One Thing You Wish You Knew:

 
“You don’t have to try hard. Forget what you’re supposed to be writing (unless you’re working with a company) but if you’re genuinely enjoying yourself it’s a lot more likely that people will read and engage with your content. I would also say to think about different angles and what you would have found helpful before going to that place. That way you can give advice that’s really beneficial.”
 

Favourite Blog Post You’ve Written:

 
“It’s a tough choice between 5 Nights in Coron, Phillipines or Christmas in Bohol and our engagement. Both of these pieces stemmed from our amazing three weeks travelling around the Philippines but I love them both for different reasons. The Coro post is because the place was so authentic and breath-taking. We ate some of the best food in the backstreet restaurants and just lapped up the real culture of the island. Bohol was where we spent a rather unconventional Christmas but it means a lot because we got engaged here so it’s hard to pick.
 

Inspiration Behind Your Blog:

 
“Gosh, my blog has changed over the years. LemonaidLies was originally all about beauty back in 2013 when I struggled with my dyslexia at university. It was an outlet, but I have really found my feet in lifestyle and travel as it’s grown and matured. It’s where I feel most at home and comfortable in writing because it’s what I love. I spend all my free time either on holiday or planning another so why not share the passion? You will still find beauty and fashion, but the travel element is forever growing.”
  

Kenzie Recommends:

 
“Oh the list could be endless but the top five in no particular order are; Travel In Her Shoes, Steph My Life, Jaleh Michelle, Beth Sandland and Olivia Tilyard.”

Bali-based and raised in Ukraine, Alyona Hryschchuk along with her boyfriend Nikita, are the brains behind Whats The Helen blog and Instagram profile. From Hong Kong and Singapore to Santorini and the Maldives, no corner of the world is off limits and Alyona loves sharing her experiences and snaps to her 70k followers. Get in on the action by checking out her Instagram page or alternatively read her blog here.
 

Number One Top Tip:

“Blog only because you love doing it. I see so many people starting their blogs or pages because it might seem easy when someone else is doing it. The truth is that it’s consistent work, not an office job but an actual lifestyle. You’re working on weekends, at night, during your breakfast, lunch and dinner and the results won’t come fast and easy. You have to be dedicated to your page for as long as you can. There’s a lot of pressure in this field especially as it grows so rapidly now, so the only way to succeed is to keep going no matter what as well as truly enjoy not only travelling, but the work behind it – photography, editing, writing articles and posts and basically sharing your experiences with audience. If you love doing it, this niche is for you!”
 

One Thing You Wish You Knew:

 
“Don’t wait to be noticed. Stand out, post a lot, reach out to the top companies, go to your dream places and don’t be scared to hear ‘no.’”
 

Favourite Blog Post You’ve Written:

 
“I don’t have just one! I’m super happy about all my recent posts about Hong Kong as I missed the city vibe way too much. My trip was everything I imagined and more! I’m also very proud of this year’s Singapore posts that went viral online.”
 

Inspiration Behind Your Blog:

 
“The inspiration behind my page is, as my friend calls it, ‘hacking the system.’ My goal is to show that a young person like myself can be happy, in a healthy relationship, financially independent and travelling the world at the same time. We don’t need to choose only one way of success. We live in a modern world where we’re able to learn and create much faster then our parents and grandparents thus we have more opportunities to reach our full potential in life. As a result we can have the best of both worlds – success, independence and freedom. Those are the values we pursue with my partner, and this is the inspiration behind what I’m doing.”
 

Alex Recommends:

 
“Apart from myself - @whatsthehelen – I love @jeremyaustiin. He’s a great content writer and a major luxury travel inspiration. The photos of @ofleatherandlace are pure magic too. Honestly, I have so many other accounts I love following but these two are taking up a lot of my attention at the moment.”

With a focus on high-end accommodation and unique stories around the world, every luxury traveller is sure to be in their element when it comes to katabenjur. Managed by Benny Jurdi, you can expect to find out more about the Maldives, Hong Kong and Bali from the comfort of your computer screen or tablet. To follow Benny’s travels click here or follow him on his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
 

Number One Top Tip:

 
“Be authentic, genuine and your awesome self! While being a travel blogger means providing travel information to your followers, it also means being you. Do something unique and different. Try to present a subject in a way that hasn’t been done before. People started following you in the first place because of your writing and personal style, so don’t ever lose yourself. Make them feel like they’re connecting with you personally. Having the relationship with your audience is what being a successful blogger is all about. Just be honest, create from the heart and let your amazing self shine through.
 

One Thing You Wish You Knew:

 
“You can’t make everyone happy. No matter what you do or how you do it, there’s always going to be some negativity. The best thing you can do is see that thought as a positive because it’s impossible to create content that everyone likes.”
 

Favourite Blog Post You’ve Written:

 
“Wilderness Beauty: Amanwana.” I can’t say this enough, but what an incredible resort Amanwana is! This blog post makes me remember a good memory when we were there. It’s a special place. Amanwana is a luxury hotel on the remote island of Moyo, a nature reserve east of Bali. With only 20 ultra-stylish tents, you can enjoy the crystal-clear waters of Flores Sea. The only sounds you hear here are the waves breaking on the beach, bird song, monkeys chattering away and gentle raindrops on the canopy. When you wake up in the morning you may even get to see deer right by your door or even monkeys! It’s an enchanting place to really get away from it all. As a dream holiday, a stay at Amanwana is hard to beat.”
 

Inspiration Behind Your Blog:

 
“Tara Whiteman. She’s an Australian blogger that posts her awe-inspiring photos of her travel dreams on taramilktea.co.au and her Instagram page @taramilktea. I feel inspired by each and every picture that she posts. She has an incredible natural eye for taking photos that manage to capture the ordinary and elevate them to extraordinary. I also adore her fun-loving personality and colourful style.”
 

Benny Recommends:

 
"@jacob. Jacob is an extremely talented photographer and content creator. One of my inspirations who showcases his work on social media, he’s an amazing photographer with tons of useful tips. His photography has also been published in many magazines. @doyoutravel and @gypsea_lust. Jack Morris and Lauren Bullen are two travel bloggers who met in Fiji and have already travelled to more than 20 countries together. I really adore their spirit of travelling. Seeing how they travel and share their adventures makes me want to explore the world too."

Adventure and luxury travel go hand in hand when it comes to Jean Carmela’s blog Holy Smithereens. Having thoroughly enjoyed travel from the tender age of four when her parents took her to Hong Kong for Christmas, Jean has manged to relish sights of Cambodia, Australia and Iceland. Her Instagram page is also fantastic, and is sure to make you want to go from a single scroll of her feed. Check it out here.
 

Number One Top Tip:

 
“Get real life experience first. Not just travelling. Get out there, immerse yourself in ‘non-influencer’ kids of jobs and experiences. My background is in the travel industry where I had more than 10 years’ experience before I made the switch to full-time travel blogging. All the good and invaluable stories happen offline and personally, my experience gave me the upper hand. All the pretty Instagram pictures, as breathtaking as they are can either fade or be replicated, but knowledge in the industry your blog is about will always be irreplaceable.”
 

One Thing You Wish You Knew:

 
“I wish I knew that one day I would be doing this for a living so I could have chosen a more professional blog name! I sometimes get called Ms. Smithereens, but I don’t mind it one bit. It reminds me of how this all started: when I was blogging just for my myself, family and friends. This was circa 2006, when the word ‘influencer’ was more associated with narcotics than analytics. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground and never forget how this all started, so I’ve kept the name ever since.”
 

Favourite Blog Post You’ve Written:

 
“The majority of what I feature on my blog and social media are hotels and resorts. Unlike cities and destinations, it can be challenging to convey personality and character in a hotel or resort without sounding repetitive and contrite. On a trip to Castaway Island in Fiji, I immersed myself in the people – both the staff and its guests, and this blog post is one that I definitely enjoyed writing. It captures what I look for the most in my travels when I work with travel brands be it hotel, resorts or tourism boards; my experience with people."
 
"My favourite social post is this one. I love being surrounded by water and marine life. It’s taken in Tahiti which, as well as being my favourite place on earth, also jump started my career. This was when an airline saw my content and contacted me to create a video. My life after that trip was never the same again.”
 

Inspiration Behind Your Blog:

 
“From the age of four my father took me travelling and this is the reason why I’ve always known that I wanted to live a life prioritising travel. I worked and have foregone many things in order to travel, yet they never felt like work or sacrifice because I loved doing it. When I was working for an airline as cabin crew, I planned to take my father to my favourite city, London. A couple of months prior to the trip, he passed away. When I write about my travels, I imagine that I’m simply writing a letter to my dad, retelling my adventures in the most vivid way possible in the hopes that he may be enticed to come.”
 

Jean Recommends:

 
“Adventurous Kate for her writing, Mark Wiens for his adventurous appetite and Mrs O Around The World for her taste in luxury travel.”

Meet Daniel James. Obsessed with exploring the world, Dan has been travelling for 1,467 days between 2014 and 2018… now that’s impressive! Previously working in the food industry at various London restaurants, Dan packed it all in to work full time on his amazing blog Dan Flying Solo. Click here to follow his escapades across Mallorca, Bali and the Maldives and make sure to follow his Instagram too.
 

Number One Top Tip:

 
“Stand out. The content creation world is getting saturated and creativity is losing out to copy-cats. Find a way to make your content special.”
 

One Thing You Wish You Knew:

 
“It takes a long time and a lot of hard work to become successful to the levels of making it a full-time income. There are so many courses and articles about finding quick success, but to make a consistent and good income is a lot harder than a lot of people will admit.”
 

Favourite Blog Post You’ve Written:

 
“My blog post about Varanasi in India is one of my favourites. It was just a really special day and the article flowed out that evening. I didn’t have any writer’s block as it was a story that I wanted to share.”
 

Inspiration Behind Your Blog:

 
“My blog initially focused on weekend escapes when I worked 70-hour weeks in London restaurants. Now I aim to inspire other people to realise that they too can chase their travel dreams, or at least make the most of their annual leave.”
 

Dan Recommends:

 
“I really love blogs that blend together great travel narratives with stunning images. Some of my favourites are Lola Akinmade Åkerström, Robert Schrader and Eulanda and Omo.