The Travel Creator: Content Strategy & Marketing Tips for Travel Influencers

Travel creators: do you actually know how much you make per hour?

Whether you’re a travel creator, travel influencer, UGC creator, or running a full-blown travel content business, figuring out what to charge can feel like the Wild Wild West. We see what other creators are charging, pick a number that sounds good, and hope it somehow makes sense.

But are you actually making a profit?

In this episode, I’m joined by profit strategist Michelle Denio to talk about how to price your work based on actual numbers — not vibes, what another creator charges, or the fact that $997 sounds like a nice internet-business number.

Michelle breaks down how to figure out what your time needs to be worth, the hidden hours you’re probably forgetting to account for, and why bringing in more revenue doesn’t necessarily mean you have a profitable travel content business.

We also talk about what happens when you hit capacity — because despite what the internet loves to tell us, the answer isn’t always, “Just raise your prices!”

Sometimes you need to change the way you work.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to price your services as a travel creator, UGC creator, or content creator
• Why copying another creator’s pricing doesn’t tell you what YOU should charge
• How to figure out what your time actually needs to be worth
• The hidden hours you might not be accounting for in your client and brand work
• Why Michelle recommends adding a buffer when estimating how long projects will take
• How to know if a project or client is actually costing you money
• What to do when you realize you’re seriously undercharging
• Why hitting capacity doesn’t automatically mean you should raise your prices
• How changing your business model can give you more time without sacrificing revenue
• Project work vs. retainers and how recurring revenue can create a more sustainable business
• How to price profitably without pricing yourself out of your target market
• Why more revenue does NOT always equal more profit

If you’re building a travel creator business and constantly wondering what to charge, whether you should raise your prices, or why you’re making money but still feel like you’re working ALL the time… this episode is for you.

Because making more money as a travel creator isn’t just about landing more brand deals, UGC projects, or clients.

You also need to make sure the work you’re already doing is actually profitable.

🎧 Connect with Michelle

Listen to Michelle’s podcast, The Real Truth About Business, for more on pricing, profitability, sustainable business growth, and the actual numbers behind running your business.

Subscribe to her newsletter, the Sunday Morning Brew

Have a virtual coffee chat with Michelle ☕️

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
  You’ll get:
  ✔ monthly business systems
  ✔ coworking + Q&A calls
  ✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
  ✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

🌎 Join the Travel Creator Business Plan Community and get the systems, support, and strategy to grow your creator business. Sign up here! ✈️

 your content creator business feels like a hot mess express, hiring a virtual assistant might be exactly what you need. But how do you know when you're ready, what should you outsource first, and how do you make sure you're not just creating more work for yourself?

In this episode, I'm joined by my very own virtual assistant, Glen from Serenique VA , to talk about hiring your first virtual assistant and building the support system your business actually needs. We're getting into the signs it's time to outsource, how to figure out what to hand over, and how to work with a VA without needing to have every single system perfectly organized first.

We also talk about how to use virtual assistant support strategically in your travel creator business, from managing leads and creating content to tracking opportunities that can actually grow your business. Because the goal isn't just to get things off your plate. It's to free up your time and energy to focus on the work that moves the needle.

In this episode, we cover:

• How to know when it's time to hire your first virtual assistant
• The signs you're ready to outsource, even if you don't feel ready
• What to delegate first, from admin and client communication to content creation and lead follow-ups
• Why you don't need perfect systems before hiring a VA
• How to create simple SOPs using Loom and AI
• How to figure out which tasks belong in your zone of genius and which ones you should hand over
• How to use a time audit to see where your hours are actually going
• How to communicate with your VA, set expectations, and create better boundaries
• How a VA can support lead tracking, nurture relationships, and manage business growth opportunities
• How to hire strategically so your new support helps you grow your business and create more freedom

Plus, Glen shares how consistent lead tracking and follow-ups helped one client secure 10 discovery calls and generate $40K in proposals and discovery-call opportunities in just one month.

Connect with Glen:

Instagram: @serenique.va

Check out Glen's Before You Hire guide for practical exercises to help you identify what to outsource, create your handover list, and understand the value of bringing support into your business.

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
  You’ll get:
  ✔ monthly business systems
  ✔ coworking + Q&A calls
  ✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
  ✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

🎧 Love this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and send it to the creator friend who's been staring at a blank email draft for three days. You know who they are.

 pitching brands doesn't have to feel awkward, desperate, or like a full-time job. 

I'm walking you through the cold pitch email I send to creators, and the exact same structure works for pitching brands and tourism boards. You'll learn why most pitches get ignored, how to write a first line that proves you did your homework, and how to ask for a conversation without begging for a credit card. Whether you want to grow your travel content monetization or land more brand partnerships, this is the pen-and-paper episode you need.

Today you'll learn:

• Why most cold pitches get ignored (hint: nobody cares about your follower count)
• How to write a first line that's a compliment, not a résumé
• Why one simple yes/no question gets more replies than a wall of text
• How to use email marketing stats to make a brand feel the problem you solve
• How to adapt this template for tourism boards and brand partnerships
• How long to wait before following up, and what to say instead of "just bumping this up"
• How many follow-ups to send (spoiler: I've landed deals after the sixth email)
• Why you should only pitch 3 to 5 people a day so you don't burn out

The Pitch Formula, Broken Down

1. A personalized, specific compliment. Not "loved your trip to France." Think "that tiny village in France." Specificity proves you did your homework.
2. One easy question. We're humans, and we're hardwired to answer questions.
3. Why it matters. Two quick bullets or stats that make them feel the gap.
4. Proof. Share one result or one past partnership. Not all of them. One, maybe two.
5. Audience match. If you're pitching a tourism board, tell them where your audience lives.
6. A yes/no ask. "Would you be open to a conversation?" or "Would it be helpful if I sent over a couple of ideas?"
7. Space it out. Every line gets its own paragraph. Nobody wants to read a block of text.

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
  You’ll get:
  ✔ monthly business systems
  ✔ coworking + Q&A calls
  ✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
  ✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

What happens when you throw a completely unhinged idea onto TikTok… and then 40 strangers actually show up? 

Maddy Garrett knows a thing or two about turning travel content into an actual travel community.

After moving to Lake Tahoe and realizing she knew approximately… nobody, Maddy posted a TikTok asking, “What if we got a bunch of single people together and went camping?”

The internet said YES.

Within a week, her Facebook group had 4,000+ people. Two weeks later, 40 strangers from across the U.S. showed up for a camping trip in the Nevada desert. And just like that, Outsiders Together was born.

In this episode, we’re talking about what it REALLY takes to turn a following into a community — and how travel influencers and travel content creators can use group travel and retreat travel to create experiences people actually want to pay for.

We’re getting into:

✈️ How Maddy turned one TikTok into a 4,000+ person travel community
⛺ Why starting with FREE meetups can be the smartest way to build community
🌎 How to sell group travel when you don't have a huge audience
💰 How travel content monetization can work through group trips
🔥 Why FOMO was one of Maddy’s biggest marketing strategies
📱 The simple content strategy she used to make people feel like they were missing out
🗓️ How she would launch a group trip TODAY in just two weeks
👯‍♀️ Why people often aren't buying the trip — they're buying the chance to hang out with YOU
💻 How travel influencers can turn their audience into an actual travel community
🥂 And why you need to stop overthinking it and JUST DO THE THING

Maddy also shares what she learned from hosting international trips through Trova, including trips to Peru, Iceland, Alaska and Costa Rica, and what the financial side of group travel can actually look like.
If you’ve been thinking about creating a travel community, hosting group trips, or adding retreat travel to your business… this is your sign to stop waiting for everything to be perfect.

CONNECT WITH MADDY:
Find Maddy at @maddyoutdoors.coach

Listen to her podcast: Paid to Travel 

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
  You’ll get:
  ✔ monthly business systems
  ✔ coworking + Q&A calls
  ✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
  ✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

💌 Want your newsletter to feel as easy as texting your bestie? Join my next workshop From Overthinking to Outbox 

Your newsletter does NOT need to be complicated. 

If you’re a travel content creator trying to grow your audience, get more eyes on your offers, or turn your followers into actual business leads, email marketing needs to be part of your strategy.

In this episode, I’m answering some of the questions I get asked ALL the time about newsletters — from how often you should send them to what actually belongs inside your emails.

We’re talking:

• ✈️ How often you should send your newsletter (and why consistency matters more than frequency)
• 💌 Why a simple email template can make newsletter growth SO much easier
• 👀 What your email open rate is actually telling you
• ✍️ How much educational content you should include
• 👋 How to weave your personal story into your emails without making every email about you
• 👀 Why I LOVE a good PS
• 📝 Why a TLDR can be especially useful for travel creators
• 💰 How to balance value and selling in your emails

Plus, I’m sharing my actual approach to email marketing for travel influencers so you can stop overthinking your newsletter and start sending emails people actually want to open.

And if you want to learn how to make sending an email feel as easy as sending a text message, I’m hosting a training where I’ll walk you through exactly how to create strong educational email content, choose a sustainable sending cadence, and actually get people opening your emails.

👉 Sign up for my next email marketing workshop here on how to send a newsletter as easy as sending a text. 

This is usually invite-only, but I’m opening it up to my podcast fam. 💌

Happy creating, happy emailing, and I’ll see you on the internet!

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
  You’ll get:
  ✔ monthly business systems
  ✔ coworking + Q&A calls
  ✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
  ✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

Today’s episode is a little different because I’m actually stealing an episode from my friend and podcast producer  Marie’s podcast, Your Girl, where we sat down with Andrea to talk through our biggest business lessons from July.

And honestly? There are A LOT.

We’re talking about delayed gratification, client rejection, self-trust, networking, burnout, CEO time, making more money by doing less, and why sometimes the best thing you can do for your business is… go outside.

In this episode, we’re talking about:

• Why the clients you sign today might have been watching you for months
• The reminder that business is basically one giant lesson in delayed gratification
• Why you should never celebrate until the money is in the bank
• How to stop taking client rejection personally
• The difference between someone rejecting your offer and rejecting you
• Why people can say yes on a sales call and change their mind afterward
• How setting boundaries can completely change the way you show up in business
• Why your network is probably much closer than you think
• How “one degree away” relationships can lead to clients, referrals, friendships, and opportunities
• Why you should stop forcing yourself into a productivity schedule that doesn't actually work for you
• The weird realization that sometimes the less I work, the more money I make
• Why successful business owners can become addicted to being busy
• The importance of creating actual CEO hours instead of spending every second doing client work
• Why you need to work on your business, not just in it
• Giving yourself permission to have hobbies, travel, go to the beach, and have a personality outside of your business
• What it looks like to let your business grow up a little so it doesn't need you 24/7
• Why self-trust becomes absolutely essential when you're making big life and business moves

Want to check out more from Marie?

🎧 Listen to her podcast about scaling your business: Your Girl 

👉 Follow her on Instagram: @yourgirlmedia 

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
  You’ll get:
  ✔ monthly business systems
  ✔ coworking + Q&A calls
  ✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
  ✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

If the word “website” makes you want to crawl under your desk and never come out, this episode is for you.

Because apparently, you do not need a giant, expensive, perfectly designed website to start building your business online. 

You just need somewhere on the internet that you actually own.

In this episode, I’m chatting with my friend Andrea, owner and lead designer of Merveille Creative Studios, about websites, SEO, branding, and what creators actually need when they’re building a business.

And honestly? We are making websites feel way less overwhelming.

If you’re a travel content creator, UGC creator, influencer, or creator who wants to work with brands, tourism boards, and businesses, this episode is packed with practical advice for building an online presence that makes you look legit — without spending your entire life trying to figure out your website.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why you should stop relying entirely on Instagram and social media to house your business
• Why a simple landing page is better than nothing
• Why you should have your own domain instead of relying on platforms like Linktree or hosted landing pages
• What your website actually needs if you're just getting started
• When it's time to graduate from a landing page to a full website
• The essential pages every creator website should have
• Why your UGC portfolio should NOT live on Canva
• How your website can help you get discovered through SEO
• Why having a website can help creators look more legitimate to brands and tourism boards
• Website platforms including Squarespace, Wix, Showit, and WordPress
• Why Andrea personally prefers WordPress for SEO and customization
• The difference between easy-to-use website platforms and platforms that give you more flexibility
• Why website speed matters for SEO
• How to check your website speed with Google PageSpeed Insights
• The biggest website mistake creators make in their hero section
• Why you need to tell people who you are and what you do immediately
• How to use analytics to understand who's actually visiting your website
• Why you should have an email opt-in on your website
• What platform you should use if you're selling digital products vs. physical products
• How your website can become a home base for your travel content creation business

🎧 Want to listen to my producer's podcast all about scaling your business to the next level? Check our her podcast, Your Girl 

Connect with Andrea:

• Follow her on Instagram: @merveillecs
• Check out her website
• Want a FREE website audit? Click HERE 
• Want to Book a VIP Day? Click HERE

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
  You’ll get:
  ✔ monthly business systems
  ✔ coworking + Q&A calls
  ✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
  ✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

 ✈️ Sign up HERE  for access to my FREE workshop: From Overthinking to Outbox

What would happen to your business if Instagram disappeared tomorrow?

For travel creators, social media can feel like the entire business — the content, the audience, the brand deals, the money. But there’s one major problem: you don’t actually own your Instagram audience.

In this episode, we’re talking about why email marketing might be one of the most overlooked tools in a travel creator’s business — and why building an email list can completely change the way you grow, connect with your audience, and make money.

Because being a successful travel creator isn’t just about creating beautiful content. It’s about building a business you actually own.

In this episode, we’re diving into:

• Why your Instagram followers aren’t actually your audience
• The difference between rented audiences and owned audiences
• Why travel content is especially well-suited for email marketing
• How your audience is already using your travel content to plan trips
• Why hotel recommendations, packing lists, visa tips, and destination guides can become the foundation of your newsletter
• Why email can be more valuable to brands than your Instagram following
• How a newsletter can support your brand deal strategy
• What makes a travel newsletter actually worth opening
• Why consistency matters more than sending emails every week
• How to create short, conversational emails that don’t take hours to write
• Why your newsletter needs a clear purpose beyond “here’s what I’ve been up to”
• How to stop overthinking your emails and actually hit send

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
  You’ll get:
  ✔ monthly business systems
  ✔ coworking + Q&A calls
  ✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
  ✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

👉 Sign up HERE  for access to my FREE workshop: From Overthinking to Outbox

A free 25-min workshop on building a newsletter that feels as easy as texting — structure, consistency, and how to turn readers into clients.

For creators who know they need a newsletter and just need it to feel doable.

Today I’m sharing the apps and tools I think you are absolutely sleeping on if you want to grow your business, save time, and stop doing everything manually.

I’m a big believer that the right tools can make running your business so much easier and there are a few that I use constantly that I think more travel creators need to know about.

In this episode, I’m breaking down my favorite creator tools, business systems, AI tools, and apps for everything from project management and pitching to email marketing, time tracking, content creation, and staying organized.

We’re talking about:

• Why Asana is one of my non-negotiable business systems and how I use the desktop app to quickly capture tasks
• Why I use Instagram on desktop instead of my phone to avoid the doom-scroll trap
• How I use LinkedIn as a more intentional engagement activity
• The dictation tool I’m OBSESSED with and why WhisperFlow is a game changer for writing emails and YouTube scripts. 

👉 USE MY WHISPERFLOW LINK TO GET STARTED

• How I use Airtable as a lead tracker for my more complicated pitching system
• The simple Google Chrome tab organization trick that makes my life way easier
• Why I’m moving from Fathom to Granola for meeting notes
• How I’m experimenting with Claude to clean up my desktop and take some of those annoying manual tasks off my plate
• Why the humble Notes app is one of my favorite business tools
• The new Kit MCP feature and why I’m excited about connecting AI directly to my email marketing
• How Subscriber Signals can help you identify potential collaborators and opportunities hiding inside your email list
• New design features, landing pages, and forms inside Kit
• Why I think you should be using Google Sheets and Google Forms instead of constantly adding another paid platform and another login to your life
• How I’m using Toggl to track exactly where my time is going
• Why I’m doing a time audit to figure out what I should be automating, delegating, or using AI to help with

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
  You’ll get:
  ✔ monthly business systems
  ✔ coworking + Q&A calls
  ✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
  ✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

What if your newsletter could do more than just sit in someone’s inbox every week?

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of two recent email marketing projects I’ve been working on and breaking down the exact strategies we’re using to turn subscribers into warm leads, create FOMO, and ultimately convert people into paying customers.

Because your email list should not be an afterthought.

I’m walking you through how I’m building a waitlist strategy for Cocktails & Clothes, including the welcome sequence, weekly newsletter, segmentation, speed networking events, early-access offers, and the systems that keep the waitlist warm.

I’m also sharing how I took a business strategist from basically zero to a fully automated newsletter system in just three weeks — including why I chose GoHighLevel over Substack, how we’re using different signup forms and welcome sequences based on where someone came from, and why having a content strategy behind your newsletter matters SO much.

And honestly? This is the unglamorous backend stuff that actually works.

In this episode, I’m breaking down:

• How to build an email marketing strategy that turns followers into paying customers
• The influencer strategies and creator tips you can use to create FOMO around your offer
• How to create a waitlist that actually stays warm and converts
• The email sequence I’m using to nurture people from waitlist signup to purchase
• Why segmentation from day one is non-negotiable
• How to use a weekly newsletter to consistently showcase wins, testimonials, events, and social proof
• Why your newsletter should have a goal beyond simply “sending content”
• How to create different welcome sequences based on where your subscribers came from
• Why you may need multiple signup forms for your email list
• How to build a newsletter content bank so you’re never starting from scratch
• Why I chose GoHighLevel instead of jumping on the Substack train
• How to build automated email marketing systems without adding another million tools to your business
• The importance of documenting your backend systems so you actually know how everything works
• How I took a newsletter system from kickoff to launch in just three weeks

Want to see behind the scenes of my client Marie's waitlist email strategy for Cocktails & Close? 

👉 Sign up HERE

Influencer strategies, creator tips, email marketing, newsletter strategy, email marketing strategy, newsletter automation, email list growth, creator business, content strategy, waitlist strategy, email sequence, lead nurturing, digital marketing for creators.

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
  You’ll get:
  ✔ monthly business systems
  ✔ coworking + Q&A calls
  ✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
  ✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE