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

Ever feel like you're traveling just to check off boxes—and missing the whole point? Same. 

In today’s episode, we’re talking about slowing the heck down, building a travel lifestyle that actually feeds you, and being real about how tough routines are when you’re living on the road.

I brought on two of my favorite humans, Candace and Logan—van lifers, creators, and truly intentional travelers who’ve been doing this since before it was cool (yep, pre-#VanLife). We dive into what slow travel really means (hint: it’s not just staying longer), how they built their creative routines from the road, and how to avoid being “that” tourist when you post about tiny towns online.

✨ This episode is a love letter to living slower, consuming less, and being deeply rooted in how we show up as travelers.

We’re covering:

• The actual rules of intentional travel—no, really
  
  
• Why overposting can hurt local communities (and what to do instead)
  
  
• How to balance creating content without burning out
  
  
• Our favorite hippie routines (brushing your teeth with clay, anyone?)
  
  
• A brutally honest take on travel and routine while living in a van
  
  
• The books and tools that shaped how Logan & Candace travel today
  
  

📚 Books + Resources Mentioned:

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon
• Living Resistance by Kaitlin B. Curtice
• Effortless and Essentialism by Greg McKeown
• The Way of Wanderlust by Don George
• The Power of When by Dr. Michael Breus
• Secret Life of Walter Mitty (film)
• Inhabitants (documentary)
• Libby app – for audiobooks & ebooks through your library
  
  

💌 Connect with Logan & Candace

• Logan on IG: @follexposures & @loganfoll
   
• Candace on IG: @chasing.candace
  
  

📩 Want more unfiltered travel creator vibes? Hop over to @travelcontentwriting and slide into our DMs. Tell us: how are you balancing routine + travel? Or not balancing it at all? We wanna hear it.

• 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 you're feeling totally drained right now—you are so not alone. We’re officially at that point in the year where being outside sounds way better than another hour behind the screen. 

So today, we’re diving into how to make content creation actually FUN again (yes, really).

Because if content creation feels like a chore, it’s not sustainable—and that’s not the vibe we’re going for. Whether you're a seasoned content creator or just getting started, these easy, actionable content creation tips will help you rediscover the joy in what you do.

From outsourcing the stuff you hate, to turning your workday into a game (hello sweet treat rewards 🍩), to co-creating with friends and playing with new formats—we’re breaking all the “rules” and bringing the fun back to your strategy.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• Why fun is essential for consistency as a content creator
• How to identify your content strengths—and ditch the rest
• Simple mindset shifts that reframe content as a creative outlet (not an obligation)
• How to embrace shiny object syndrome strategically
• The power of experimentation, co-creation, and gamifying your workflow
• Tips to beat burnout and create with joy (instead of dread)

☕ Coffee Break CTA:

Are you team coffee or tea while you're click-clacking on your content?
 📸 Snap a pic of your cutest mug or your $7 aesthetic latte and tag us on IG: @travelcontentwriting
💬 Tell us your go-to content fuel—because we need to know. Like, now.

🔗 Links + Resources:

• 🖥️ Free Website Audit from Merveille Creative Studios → Get Yours 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

What if I told you that you could build a full-time travel lifestyle without a huge following, an email list, or a trust fund? 🤯 Today’s guests, Kim and Isaac, did exactly that — and they’re here to spill all their systems-savvy secrets that let them work part-time while traveling full-time.

 In this episode, I sit down with Kim and Isaac, the powerhouse duo behind LocalFi, an award-winning SEO and digital marketing agency that helps locally-owned businesses get found online (think Google Maps, Yelp, and their websites).

Now, they not only run a thriving digital business, but they also created a second brand: Full-Time to Travel Time, dedicated to helping others break free from the 9–5 by building systems that actually work.

We dive into:

• How they only work 10 hours a week in operations (yes, really).
• The exact systems they use to run a business that doesn’t run them.
• How to start building systems even if you’re overwhelmed or solo.
• Real-life advice on delegating, working with VAs, and using AI to streamline your biz.
• Why you should not fill your free time with more work (guilty 🙋🏻‍♀️).
• Their favorite personal systems — including Kim’s game-changing calendar routine.
• And the power of knowing when you’re in the wrong seat in your business.

Book a FREE website audit  with Merveille Creative Studios 

• OH — AND THE COURSE!
  Kim and Isaac created a seriously powerful program called the Systems = Freedom Course. It’s a 4-week system-building bootcamp that helps you clone yourself in your business (dreamy, right?). Best part? As a listener, you get an exclusive discount just for being here 🎉.

WHERE TO FIND KIM & ISAAC:
🧭 For all things SEO & business systems:
🌐 LocalFiSEO.com

🌍 To follow their travels + tune into their podcast:
🌐 FullTimeToTravelTime.com Click "Work With Us" to access the course.

📸 @fulltimetotraveltime on Instagram (highly recommend for the hikes + systems inspo) 

• 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

Ever found yourself doing everything but the one thing you absolutely need to get done? Laundry folded, fridge organized, random Wikipedia pages explored—and your big project still untouched? You're not lazy—you're human. And in this episode, we’ll unpack why procrastination happens and how you can finally outsmart it.

🧠 What You'll Learn:

• The real psychological drivers behind procrastination (hint: it’s not just poor time management).
  
  
• How perfectionism and fear of failure feed the procrastination cycle.
  
  
• The concept of “emotional regulation” and why it matters more than willpower.
  
  
• Practical strategies to break the habit—and build momentum.
  
  

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Procrastination is an emotional regulation problem, not a character flaw.
  
  
• Avoidance offers short-term relief but compounds stress in the long term.
  
  
• Awareness is the first step—recognize your triggers and emotional responses.
  
  
• Tools like the “10-minute rule,” setting low-friction goals, and self-compassion can radically change your behavior.

📌 Resources Mentioned:

• Tim Urban’s Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator (TED Talk)
  
  
• “The Now Habit” by Neil Fiore
  
  
• Mindfulness-based practices for self-awareness

• 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

Dreaming of passive income through digital products, but don't know if it's actually possible? This episode is for you. 

Today we have Maddy Garrett, the UGC content creator expert back on to tell us how a simple $17 digital product catapulted Maddy into a six-figure business and why digital products might be the missing piece in your creator journey. Maddy breaks down her journey from creating UGC full-time to building a sustainable income with digital products that serve and scale. 

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• How to find and validate your digital product idea before creating it
• Why saturation in the market is a good thing
• The behind-the-scenes of Maddy’s first $17 PDF and how it earned her $3,800 in one month
• Content strategies that actually convert — including the power of Instagram Stories and chat automations
• Why low-ticket info-only products may not work anymore, and what to do instead
• The truth about the “pit of despair” in business and how to climb out of it
• How to build a funnel and eventually run ads for passive income
• A realistic breakdown of time and effort needed to scale as a digital product creator

DM @travelcontentwriting for a special discount code for Maddy's UGC Program

🎧 Listen to Maddy’s New Podcast:
👉 Paid to Travel — Podcast is out May 12th 2025! 

📲 Connect with Maddy Garrett:

• Instagram
• Website 
• 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

Imagine waking up to an engaged audience that actually sees your content—without battling social media algorithms. 

That’s exactly what a newsletter can do for your travel content business. In this episode we’re breaking down why email marketing is the secret weapon for content growth and how you can use it to grow your newsletter, strengthen your content strategy, and create a loyal community.

Episode Highlights:

• How newsletters help travel content creators build a loyal audience 📨
• The 80/20 content strategy to make email marketing easy ✍️
• Why newsletters outperform social media for engagement & monetization 💰
• How to create content growth by repurposing what you already have 🔄
• Why owning your audience (vs. relying on social media) is a game-changer 🚨

• 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

Everyone is chasing passive income, but how do we achieve it with digital products?

Whether you’re a content creator or a travel content creator, adding digital products to your income streams can help you create passive income and more financial freedom. 

But here’s the thing—most people make one huge mistake when launching their first product. In this episode, I’m exposing my entire 2025 digital product strategy so you can avoid the pitfalls and start profiting faster.

📌 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ The BIGGEST mistake most content creators make with digital products
✅ My step-by-step strategy to validate, create, and sell digital products
✅ How I use newsletters as the foundation of my digital product funnel
✅ The exact automation tools I use to turn followers into paying customers
✅ Why coworking sessions and accountability are game-changers for productivity

• 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

In a world where Instagram Reels and TikToks dominate, is long-form content still relevant? 

Spoiler alert- um yes!  As a travel content creator, mastering content strategy means going beyond quick clips. Podcasts, newsletters, and YouTube videos create deeper connections, build trust, and make your content work smarter, not harder.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why long-form content is essential for growing your brand
✅ How to repurpose one piece of content into multiple Instagram posts
✅ The easiest way to start long-form content without fancy equipment
✅ Why newsletters are a must-have tool for any content creator
✅ A 7-day challenge to launch your first newsletter

• 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 I told you that going viral might actually hurt your brand more than it helps? 

If you've ever chased virality only to feel stuck afterward, this episode is for you. Today, we're breaking down why going viral isn’t always the best strategy for content creators—and what you should focus on instead to build a loyal, engaged audience that actually wants what you have to offer.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ The hidden downsides of going viral as a content creator
✅ Why viral followers aren’t always your ideal audience
✅ The impact of virality on engagement and content strategy
✅ When going viral actually makes sense (hint: physical products vs. digital products)
✅ How to build a sustainable, engaged community instead of chasing trends

Key Takeaways:

• Virality brings in everyone and their aunt—not just your target audience.
• A surge in followers doesn’t always mean long-term engagement or sales.
• There’s no blueprint for what happens after you go viral.
• Building a loyal community matters more than chasing fleeting attention.

Resources & Mentions:
🎙️ Listen to my episode on what happens after you go viral- Ep 37

• 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

Should you turn your passion for travel and content creation into a freelancer business?

Today our guest Emily from @emilywhoexplores gives us the real tea about  standing out in the digital space, securing brand deals, and managing the ups and downs of self-employment.

• Learn how to transition from freelancer to full-time travel content creator.
• Discover business strategies to land brand partnerships and steady income.
• Gain insights on work-life balance while traveling and creating content.

Connect with Emily

Instagram

Resources Mentioned:

Check out the podcast Entrepreneur Honestly for more honest business tips!

@entrepreneur.honestly

• 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