Apps for Ca$h: How freelancers can use

media to travel the world

Jilyian  Chappel-‑Couser  COM  7600-‑  Dr.  Hutchins  

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Freelance - or Bust!  A  few  traits  that  millennials  transitioning  into  the  realm  of  professionalism  have  in  common  are-‑  a  desire  to  travel  the  world,  social  media  proficiency  and  a  lack  of  fulfillment  from  desk  jobs.  More  young  adults  are  yearning  for  careers  that  offer  health  benefits,  decent  salaries  and  the  option  to  work  from  their  virtual  offices.  In  this  day  and  age,  these  demands  have  become  easier  to  meet  with  the  help  of  a  couple  of  a  millennialʼ’s  best  tools:  technological  

devices  and  social  media.  For  those  who  stand  firm  on  the  belief  that  the  9-‑to-‑5  life  is  not  satisfying,  the  choice  to  become  contracted  freelancers  has  proven  to  have  favorable  outcomes.  Due  to  the  need  for  flexibility,  entrepreneurship  is  at  an  all  time  high.  Individuals  are  choosing  to  express  their  creativity  not  just  for  one  company,  but  for  many  and  often  at  the  same  time,  travel  and  pay  included.  Emerging  global,  travel-‑based  positions  include:  Travel  Bloggers  and  Vloggers,  and  traveling  photographers.    

               

 

             

     

                             

   

                       

         

Blogging

Blogging  (short  for  web  logging)  started  off  as  a  way  for  individuals  to  express  their  inner  most  feelings,  experiences  and  thoughts  on  specific  topics  or  a  combination  of  subject  matters.  Today,  most  websites  are  formatted  as  blogs  or  include  a  section  solely  for  bloggers.  These  famous  blog  sites  are  typically  used  to  disseminate  information  in  entertainment,  political  satire  or  gossip.  Now  more  professional  companies  have  

employed  bloggers  to  boost  their  creative  edge.  For  potential  travel  bloggers,  blogging  for  sites  with  an  established  audience  almost  guarantees  a  paycheck  in  addition  to  the  thrill  

of  wandering  a  new  place,  or  the  excitement  of  revisiting  an  old  favorite.    But  what  happens  when  you  want  to  do  your  own  thing?  

 

Blogging Blogging Freelance  bloggers  have  the  option  to  become  guest  

bloggers  for  other  businesses  or  bravely  establish  their  own  blog  sites.    Like  all  choices,  there  are  

advantages  and  downfalls  in  choosing  either  of  these  paths.  Allowing  travel  blogging  to  be  your  sole  form  of  work  could  prove  to  be  a  major  task  that  requires  long  hours  and  dedication.  Travel  blogging  is  a  

highly  competitive  market,  that  is  funded  through  advertisements  that  are  garnered  by  web  traffic.    In  short-‑  You  must  sell  yourself!  The  adventures  are  endless,  but  travel  doesnʼ’t  always  pay  the  

bills.  

“[In travel blogging] You are not the

captain of the ship, you are the ship” -Robert Schrader  

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§ Your  readers  are  important!    The  traffic  your  blog  generates  will  determine  the  kinds  of  advertisements  you  could  be  offered.  More  advertisements=more  money.  

§ Your  passion  or  lack  thereof  will  show  in  your  work  To  be  taken  seriously  as  a  travel  blogger,  you  must  engage  your  readers.  Blogging  professionally  is  more  than  a  hobby,  your  love  for  the  craft  should  be  palpable!    

You should know…

Blogging

Start your own

Blogger.com

Tumblr.com

WordPress.com

Join a Team

TravelNoire

.com XoNecole

Huffington Post

§ It  could  take  years  to  break  into  travel  blogging  Professional  travel  bloggers  did  not  earn  their  titles  overnight.  Travel  blogging  can  be  tedious  and  takes  effort  to  evolve  from  a  hobby  to  a  career.    

§ Itʼ’s  not  a  cash  crop.  .  .  initially!  On  average,  bloggers  can  earn  between  $16K-‑$90K,  depending  on  popularity  

 

       

                   

Vlogging  (Video  Web  Logging),  has  become  a  popular  extension  of  traditional  blogging  due  in  part  to  the  creation  of  YouTube.  Much  like  traditional  blogging,  users  are  free  to  cover  whatever  content  their  heart  desires,  with  visuals  and  audio  to  boot.  When  video  blogging  peaked  in  2005,  companies  in  the  fashion  and  entertainment  industries  quickly  jumped  on  board  and  sought  out  individuals  who  were  the  most  influential  (highest  views)  to  endorse  their  products  and  services.  Service  and  product  endorsement  through  influential  vloggers  has  proven  to  aid  in  company  sales  as  50%  of  internet  users  ages  16-‑34  are  tuning  into  vlogs  at  least  once  per  month.    

 

Vlogging

With  hundreds  of  thousands  of  internet  users  using  vlogs,  itʼ’s  easy  to  see  how  it  became  an  imperative  tool  in  a  travelerʼ’s  belt.  Writing  about  the  beautiful  jungles  and  mountains  in  South  America  is  trumped  by  visually  documented  evidence.  However,  travel  vlogging  is  more  than  just  capturing  scenery-‑itʼ’s  encapsulating  the  essence  of  a  different  culture  and  itsʼ’  people.  

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Traveling photographers  Engagements,  Weddings  and  vacations;  events  that  now  require  that  pictures  be  taken,  

not  only  only  for  everlasting  memories,  but  to  share  with  virtual  friends  on  social  sites  as  well.  Due  to  the  need  for  instant  sharing,  companies  and  individuals  are  relying  on  

the  skills  of  photographers,  especially  those  longing  to  travel  abroad.    Recently,  the  popular  video  streaming  app,  Netflix  teamed  up  with  social  photo  sharing  app,  Instagram,  to  announce  a  job  opening:  paying  4  lucky  “Grammasters”  to  travel  through  Europe  and  the  Middle  East  taking  photos  of  future  Netflix  filmʼ’s  shooting  

locations.    Other  companies,  such  as  travel  curating  sites,  often  employ  photographers  with  the  caveat  that  travel  is  mandatory.  Destination  photographers  are  typically  responsible  for  

capturing  groups  of  travelers,  scenery,  country  locals  and  other  creative  shots.      

 

   

Be  Yourself    just  like  blogging,  you  have  to  stand  out  from  the  crowd.  Incorporate  your  personality  and  creativity  in  front  of  and  behind  the  camera    Use  social  Media  If  you  donʼ’t  promote  yourself,  who  will?  Sites  such  as  Facebook,  Instagram,  Twitter,  LinkedIn  and  more,  are  waiting  to  be  used  as  your  free  and  effective  campaign  managers.  Now,  more  than  ever,  future  employers  and  clients  are  using  social  media  to  locate  their  next  team  members.  Having  a  social  presence  as  a  freelancer  can  only  aid  in  the  journey  to  your  traveling  career.    Refresh/Learn  new  skills    as  photographers/videographers/vloggers,  itʼ’s  important  to  stay  current  in  an  ever  changing  world.  Stay  up-‑to-‑date  with  the  latest  editing  software  and  equipment  to  ensure  marketability.    Learn  from  others    Having  your  own  favorite  travel  vloggers/photographers  is  not  counterproductive,  it  allows  you  to  pick  up  tips  for  advancement.    

 

You should know…  

“Through videos, viewers get to know you and connect with you, in

my opinion, much more so than through writing.”

– Mark Wiens, Migrantology

Get out there. The only way to discover the rhythm of life in a

place, and to figure out what to shoot is to experience it.”

– Robert Caputo, National Geographic

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 Citations

http://theodysseyonline.com/hobart/5-‑reasons-‑to-‑travel-‑more-‑this-‑year/289142  http://expertvagabond.com/youtube-‑travel-‑videos/    http://theblogpress.com/blog/a-‑brief-‑history-‑of-‑blogging/  http://www.buzzfeed.com/nicolenguyen/netflix-‑will-‑pay-‑you-‑to-‑travel#.en7aQeOXk  http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/05/youtube-‑vloggers-‑popular-‑study-‑influence  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-‑schrader/is-‑travel-‑blogging-‑a-‑dream-‑job_̲b_̲1772221.html  http://thetravelhack.com/blogging/vlogging-‑tips-‑top-‑travel-‑vloggers/  http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-‑tips/travel-‑photography-‑tips/  http://xonecole.com/10-‑travel-‑bloggers-‑to-‑follow-‑in-‑2016/    http://www.adventurouskate.com/the-‑reality-‑of-‑being-‑a-‑professional-‑travel-‑blogger/    http://www.vlognation.com/vlogging-‑tips-‑new-‑youtube-‑vloggers/  

http://grammasters.netflix.com/  http://concreteplayground.com/sydney/design-‑style/technology/eight-‑time-‑hacks-‑to-‑make-‑life-‑a-‑little-‑more-‑convenient/    http://www.themesrefinery.net/best-‑hd-‑backgrounds-‑images-‑websites/    http://febfast.org.au/myselfie/    https://iso.500px.com/21-‑photographers-‑doing-‑whatever-‑it-‑takes-‑to-‑get-‑the-‑perfect-‑shot/    http://leicarumors.com/2014/12/19/leica-‑photographers-‑andre-‑d-‑

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