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Ask Carmen
What makes a travel creator good at what they do?
Q: I want to improve my content. What do you think the travel creators who are at the top of their game do differently or better?

A: What separates the average travel creator from the exceptional travel creator? ⁠
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In my opinion, a travel creator has three main duties: to inspire, to inform and to entertain. In order to do these things effectively, a travel creator needs three elements in their content: aesthetics, information, and storytelling.⁠
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When I say storytelling, I don’t mean that every piece of content has to tell a literal story, complete with a plot, character arc, conflict and resolution... Though if it does, that’s awesome! I’m using “storytelling” as more of a catch-all term for giving the content humanity, for showcasing your personality, sense of humor, being vulnerable, sharing funny behind-the-scenes moments, and things like that.⁠
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Think of it as a three-legged stool. If one leg is a lot longer than the others, things will feel off-balance. But if all three legs are even, the stool feels solid. The best travel creators are those who are good at all three things. ⁠
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If I were to do an honest assessment of our own YouTube and Instagram content, I would say that we do OK on the aesthetics. I’m not the world’s best photographer or videographer by any means, but I think we do a reasonably good job presenting the places we travel to in a visually appealing way. ⁠
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When it comes to information, we’re very strong. I can confidently say that this is one of our biggest strengths. ⁠
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And storytelling is probably the area where we could use the most improvement, frankly. This is a big focus for us this year.⁠
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So, if you’re already a creator, this could be a good exercise for you to do. Take stock of your content across all of the platforms and see how you’re doing in each of these areas.

Here are a few ways you can make your content better.

1. Figure out what makes you different.

What’s your niche within travel? For example, ours is luxury family travel. Yours might be adventure travel or solo female travel. Be honest with yourself about what you most enjoy when traveling. Don’t pick something just because it’s trending. People can tell when you’re faking it, so be authentic. 

2. Identify your unique point-of-view.

Think about what specifically you bring to this niche. For example, we’re not the only creators focusing on luxury family travel, but our content will always be different because our approach to travel is influenced by our family’s unique background. That we are people of color; that we are a multiracial and multicultural family; that our families come from countries heavily shaped by colonialism, just to name a few, are facts that give us a specific point-of-view when we visit a place. How does this apply to you? What unique perspective or contribution can you bring to this niche? What is missing from the existing conversation? What types of people, experiences, or destinations are underrepresented? 

Once you nail both your niche and point-of-view, your content will become much more specific and unique.

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Take care,

Carmen Sognonvi
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Insta360 GO 2

If you want an action camera that is super unobtrusive, the GO 2 is a great choice! The stabilization is amazing, and because it's so tiny, it allows you to get some really creative shots!
GoPro Hero 10

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Insta360 ONE X2

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13-Inch Macbook Pro

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Tascam DR-10L Audio Recorder

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