Jayne Gorman is an affordable luxury travel blogger and Founder of Girl Tweets World.
WHAT LED YOU TO START WORKING IN DIGITAL/MEDIA PUBLISHING?
I started blogging 10 years ago as a way of keeping in contact with friends and family on my travels. A few years later I saw an advert on Twitter from a travel agency looking for someone to join their marketing team as a blogger and social media manager. I used the blog I’d created in my spare time as an example of what I could create and they hired me to take on this brand new role. A few years later and my team of 1 (i.e me) had expanded to include 2 social media managers and 2 content writers and together we created and implemented the social media and content strategy across 7 different travel brands. I kept up my travel blog in my spare time and soon (much to my surprise) it was generating enough income for me to leave my role at Flight Centre. I now work on my blog full time alongside a handful of freelance writing contracts in order to diversify my income.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
It varies massively depending on whether I’m on a blog trip or working from home. In the case of a blog trip, the day usually starts around 6 am with replying to readers and social media scheduling from the bed. During the day I will visit a number of attractions and restaurants I’ve researched in advance and will snap gazillion photos, make notes for later content and perhaps broadcast live if wi-fi coverage permits. Overnight I will edit photos and schedule some more social media updates and then when I get back home the serious writing starts as I work on a number of blog posts that will have been agreed in advance.
WHAT’S YOUR WORK SETUP LIKE?
I blog on WordPress and use a number of tools to help me with social media scheduling and reporting. I use Buffer for Tweets, Tailwind for Pinterest, Planoly for Instagram and Facebook pages manager for all Facebook posts and advertising.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET INSPIRED?
I don’t just create a lot of travel content but consume it too! I read blogs, magazines, books and watch anything vaguely travel related on Netflix. (Most recently, the hilarious Travels With My Father by Jack Whitehall.) If I’m struggling to get a story started I leave my desk. I also meet up with fellow freelance writers and bloggers on a regular basis as human interaction is so important when you work alone.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR WRITTEN PIECE?
Anything by my idol Bill Bryson!
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM THAT YOU’RE PASSIONATELY TACKLING AT THE MOMENT?
The constant battle of getting eyes on the page. My heart lies in writing but these days good stories alone are not enough, you need to work hard to make sure they get read too. I’ve recently initiated a new Pinterest strategy and am working on old posts (I have 600+) to improve SEO. It’s a massive project that I need to juggle alongside writing new content that is both useful and connects with the reader.
IS THERE A PRODUCT, SOLUTION, OR TOOL THAT YOU THINK IS A GOOD MATCH FOR YOUR DIGITAL PUBLISHING EFFORTS?
As someone who lacks design skills and cannot use Photoshop to save her life, Canva is a lifesaver.
ANY ADVICE FOR AMBITIOUS DIGITAL PUBLISHING AND MEDIA PROFESSIONALS JUST STARTING OUT?
I know the idea of having a niche is bandied about often but I do believe with the amount of content that is now online you have to think long and hard about why yours is different before starting out. Something I didn’t do when I started (but should have) is think about who my ideal reader is and how I plan to help them. This will help give your content focus. But apart from that, I’d say have fun, inject your humour and personality into your writing and don’t be afraid to experiment.