Kat Weiss Butler can hint her love of journey all the way in which again to 2012 when she spent a semester overseas in France as a part of her college research.
Bit by the journey bug, she had a really laborious time settling into her real-life accounting job after graduating because it took her away from her ardour.
Kat launched her first weblog again in 2017 and lived as an accountant by day and a journey blogger by night time. Though that weblog did not work out, she did not hand over.
A couple of years later, she felt impressed whereas planning her marriage ceremony and determined to present running a blog one other shot with a {couples}’ journey weblog known as World Wide Honeymoon.
When she began to get some traction, she launched a second weblog, France Voyager, so she might share her love of touring across the nation.
At present she runs the 2 blogs and a podcast and brings in between $5,500 and $6,500 each month.
Preserve studying to seek out out:
- How she navigated her job search
- How she managed work and her ardour for journey
- How she got here to begin her {couples}’ journey web site
- The place her revenue comes from
- How she pivoted throughout the pandemic
- How a lot site visitors her websites get
- Her major advertising and marketing methods
- Why she launched her podcast and the way she makes use of it
- Her ideas on website positioning
- Her method to key phrase analysis and hyperlink constructing
- How she grows her e mail lists
- Her favourite sources and instruments
- Her largest problem
- Her best accomplishment
- Her major mistake
- Her recommendation for different entrepreneurs
Meet Kat Weiss Butler
I used to be born and raised in Kentucky in a small, rural city about an hour southeast of Cincinnati.
I’m the youngest of three and found my love of journey again in 2012 once I spent a semester overseas dwelling in Grenoble, France. I traveled as a lot as I might, and even after I graduated from college, I spent 5 weeks solo backpacking round Europe.
At present, I really like touring around the globe with my husband, Chris, and I’ve 2 blogs: World Wide Honeymoon and France Voyager, in addition to a podcast devoted to {couples}’ journey known as the World Wide Honeymoon Travel Podcast.
In my free time, once I’m not working or touring, I really like figuring out and operating, watching interval drama exhibits and flicks, and cuddling with my cat, Professor.
I at present stay in Cleveland, Ohio.
Why She Created Her Website
It was again in 2016 once I was working at a Massive 4 public accounting agency and I spotted I hated it. I had simply come off the busiest “busy season” of my life, the place I used to be working upwards of 100+ hour work weeks. I used to be burnt out and drained.
I knew I couldn’t do it anymore, so I began interviewing for different jobs within the space. There was one which appeared interesting, however I actually solely needed it as a result of it supplied ample day off so I might do what I liked most: journey.
Once I sadly didn’t get that job, the recruiter informed me it was as a result of I didn’t appear that .
Whereas I felt horrible that I got here throughout that approach unknowingly, he had a degree. I hated accounting and wasn’t desirous about it. My then-boyfriend (now husband) inspired me to look into what I did love doing and take a look at pursuing that.
However I nonetheless felt misplaced career-wise. I had no concept what I needed to do.
I spent most of my life working as laborious as attainable to get scholarships, levels, and so on. to work at among the best accounting companies on this planet. Might I do anything?
Then, throughout my subsequent job interview, an individual requested me what my absolute dream job could be. I by chance blurted out that I needed to be an expert journey blogger. The man appreciated my honesty (as a result of who actually desires to be an accountant?) and I acquired the job.
Then, it hit me. If that is what I actually needed, why wasn’t I combating tooth and nail to make it occur? So, I might come house from work from my new 9-5 much less hectic accounting job to attempt increase my weblog from scratch.
And I began… Kat and a Backpack.
As you possibly can think about, making a journey weblog in 2017 about basic journey wasn’t going to work. Add on the truth that I had no clue what I used to be doing, and my site visitors was mainly family and friends.
However it was round this time that I acquired engaged and began marriage ceremony planning. I rapidly realized how costly that was and began journey hacking and gathering factors to have the ability to get enterprise class flights for our honeymoon to Southeast Asia.
It was then that the concept of a pair’s journey weblog and subsequent podcast (which got here out in 2019) was born. I needed to speak about romantic locations and nice concepts for {couples} that don’t essentially break the financial institution, particularly after marriage ceremony planning.
I’ve had that weblog since 2017, and in 2021, I started France Voyager as a result of I needed to have a extra area of interest weblog, but additionally get to share my love of France journey with the world!
Now, each of those blogs are on Mediavine and are fairly profitable each in advert income and affiliate revenue.
How A lot She’s Making
Between each blogs, I make about $5,500-6,500 per 30 days. Nonetheless, I simply acquired France Voyager onto Mediavine in December, and haven’t acquired my first pay for that but.
I might say that my advert income is about 70% of my revenue, whereas my affiliate income makes up about 29%. I make a tiny little bit of advert income from my podcast (round 1% of my month-to-month revenue).
My affiliate income principally comes from Stay22, Amazon, CJ, Awin, Get Your Information, and World Nomads.
It will increase every year with extra work and weblog posts. I actually began to seek out my groove round 2019 after I used to be capable of give up my job and we might stay off my husband’s revenue for a bit.
It gave me time to study website positioning, advertising and marketing, and the way to write and edit, which made an enormous distinction in additional site visitors. This, in flip, meant extra money.
Clearly, in 2020 I took an enormous hit, however I pivoted to creating extra native and US journey which helped loads. And my revenue elevated additional after 2021 as soon as I began France Voyager and had one other weblog for adverts and associates.
Even in comparison with this time final yr, I’m up 35%. I’m hoping to interrupt 5-figures a month finally, however it takes time and there’s a little bit of a studying curve.
I work about 30-35 hours per week these days on my enterprise.
And once I’m on the street I attempt to solely test emails, take notes, and take pictures. I do most of my work whereas again house.
Earlier than I streamlined issues a bit, I used to be working between 40-50 hours per week.
How A lot Site visitors Her Websites Get
France Voyager will get round 40-50,000 pageviews a month, whereas World Extensive Honeymoon will get round 60-70,000 pageviews a month.
The podcast will get round 6-7,000 downloads per 30 days, with round 200-300 downloads within the first week an episode is launched.
Kat’s Essential Advertising and marketing Technique
website positioning is my major technique. I really like utilizing KeySearch for key phrase analysis and ensure I incorporate loads of my key phrases inside a publish whereas additionally maintaining it pure. I additionally attempt to present as a lot high quality content material as attainable.
It additionally helps to have a quick web site. Don’t get a theme that slows the location down, and it’s price it to pay somebody to sort things to maintain the whole lot transferring rapidly.
I’ve discovered that staying the course, tuning into website positioning ideas from locations like Mediavine, and going by way of outdated posts to replace them actually helps. Then, I can work out the way to make my posts higher in order that they’ll rank larger. Generally it really works, and typically it doesn’t. website positioning could be a little bit of a thriller at occasions.
However one other nice advertising and marketing technique I discovered by coincidence is my podcast. Podcast listeners get to know you personally in a approach that many weblog posts can’t do.
Most individuals coming to learn a weblog publish are coming in from Google and wish a solution to a specific query like “How do I spend 3 days in X.” They need helpful info and useful ideas, however not essentially your private tales.
Nonetheless, in podcasting, folks benefit from the private tales. They like attending to know Chris and myself and our banter backwards and forwards as we talk about journey ideas, embarrassing moments, and our private experiences touring someplace. This builds a bond and our listeners are our superfans.
They attain out probably the most, subscribe to the whole lot, and browse the weblog loads. That is nice as a result of if they’re contemplating going someplace, they take a look at the weblog and podcast first earlier than anybody else. Podcasting doesn’t earn a lot cash instantly for us, however we’ve been capable of construct the perfect relationships with our listeners and earn a living from the oblique site visitors it drives to the weblog.
Her Ideas on website positioning
For World Extensive Honeymoon, I get a number of site visitors each from website positioning and Pinterest. For France Voyager, most of my site visitors comes from website positioning, so it’s crucial.
Once more, key phrase analysis is essential. You’ll want to understand how usually persons are searching for your key phrase, what your opponents are like, and what your likelihood is for rating.
Then, it’s about high quality content material. Create high quality content material that solutions precisely what the consumer is searching for and it helps. Once more, website positioning could be a little bit of a thriller, however I like to recommend buying a course or e-book to study extra about how one can higher use it to your weblog.
I liked Make Site visitors Occur’s books, however they’re sadly now not obtainable.
Additionally, having a distinct segment actually helps for website positioning. World Extensive Honeymoon was about journey itineraries with a lightweight sprinkling of {couples}’ journey ideas and honeymoon stuff. That doesn’t rank a lot, although, in comparison with greater websites.
As an alternative, I began focusing extra on honeymoon-specific issues together with my itineraries to rank extra.
So I knew going into France Voyager that I might stick to simply France and write some unbelievable content material about France to encourage folks to go there and plan their journeys.
Key phrase Analysis
I exploit KeySearch as a key phrase analysis instrument. My course of isn’t terribly sophisticated. I’ve an concept of what I’d like to put in writing about primarily based on my niches and the place I’ve traveled.
So I kind in key phrases and see which have the upper search quantity with much less competitors.
Then, I write down as many steered key phrase variations that KeySearch tells me and ensure to include as a lot of people who sound pure in my weblog publish as attainable whereas nonetheless offering high quality content material.
Hyperlink Constructing
I ought to in all probability do higher at this, however I principally simply use Fb hyperlink constructing teams the place folks will put out a name for collab posts. You recommend a vacation spot for the collab and also you write a 200-300 phrase blurb and ship a photograph for the collab publish and so they’ll embody a hyperlink to a related publish.
Is it the perfect? No, however it does construct hyperlinks again to articles, which is at all times good for Google.
I used to do visitor running a blog for hyperlinks to weblog posts, however I don’t try this anymore. To begin with, that’s a number of work for $0. Secondly, I might simply as nicely write that for my very own weblog and get the advert income and site visitors somewhat than have it go elsewhere for my laborious work.
Her Content material Creation Course of
I attempt to publish a brand new weblog publish every week for World Extensive Honeymoon and a couple of to three occasions a month for France Voyager. I checklist out potential article concepts and attempt to write the next month’s articles the month earlier than.
For instance, I wrote all of my articles for February again in January, edited them, and already scheduled them out. Now, in February, I’m engaged on March and a few of April, as I wish to have weblog posts go stay even once I’m touring, which I might be quickly.
I’ve 268 posts stay on World Extensive Honeymoon and 56 stay on France Voyager.
Her E mail Listing
I’ve nearly 1,000 subscribers on World Extensive Honeymoon and nearly 100 on France Voyager. To be truthful, I actually didn’t begin doing e mail stuff with France Voyager for a bit.
So far as rising it, for World Extensive Honeymoon, I do have a freebie folks can get after they subscribe. I additionally use Mediavine’s Develop subscribe widget. It mechanically inserts it into my weblog publish the place they assume it’ll do finest and it really works.
I solely use Mediavine’s Develop subscribe widget for France Voyager and no freebie. I discover that I’ll get extra folks unsubscribing to World Extensive Honeymoon after I ship out my month-to-month publication as a result of they solely needed the freebie.
As an alternative, nearly none of my subscribers from France Voyager unsubscribe once I ship month-to-month newsletters as a result of they signed up particularly for these updates.
I assume I additionally do use a Mailerlite subscribe type on the backside of my weblog posts, too, which does usher in subscribers typically, however not practically as many as Mediavine’s widget.
Her Favourite Assets
In case you’re attempting to construct a journey weblog, I like to recommend getting the Celebrity Running a blog Course. That’ll allow you to get your web site up and operating. And investing in an website positioning course is useful, too.
Then, I might attend journey conferences just like the Girls in Journey Summit, TravelCon, TBEX, and so on. This provides you an opportunity to get to know others, create pals and mentorships with different bloggers, and community with manufacturers and tourism boards.
Her Go-To Instruments
The three most helpful instruments for me embody KeySearch, Adobe Lightroom, and my planner.
KeySearch is my go-to in terms of performing key phrase analysis. It helps me see what my likelihood is for rating and compares the competitors together with their key phrases, their area authority, what number of hyperlinks they’ve, and so on.
It provides me an concept of how I can create one thing higher and the way I can get it to probably rank.
It additionally provides me associated key phrases to make use of as nicely.
Adobe Lightroom is a should for modifying pictures. I take pictures each on my iPhone and Olympus Digicam, and pictures from each at all times want a contact of modifying to make them look pretty much as good as actuality.
I don’t wish to overedit, however I do wish to make my pictures sharper and fascinating.
And lastly, I stay by my planner. I’ve a giant weekly/month-to-month planner the place I write my targets for the yr after which divvy out what I wish to do every month primarily based on these targets.
Then, I work out what to do every day to achieve my month-to-month targets. I really like having one thing to scratch off on the finish of the day, it’s so satisfying. And I checklist out the whole lot I have to do the following day so I can absolutely flip off and never give it some thought that night.
Her Largest Problem
I really feel like the most important problem is making the primary greenback on-line. It took me a full yr to earn only a single greenback, and after that, it acquired loads simpler.
Throughout the strategy of studying the way to earn a living on-line, you discover ways to good your abilities as a author, marketer, planner, and so on. There’s a number of progress that comes with simply attempting to earn that first greenback.
When you’ve carried out that, it’s simpler to maintain incomes extra.
You discover ways to develop your viewers and month-to-month viewers till you possibly can lastly get on an advert community, you determine the way to correctly incorporate affiliate hyperlinks to generate gross sales, and also you study to create worth for readers.
However the time-frame from saying you’re going to begin and getting to some extent the place you really earn cash is a problem.
Her Biggest Accomplishment
Oh goodness, I really feel like all time a reader or listener reaches out and thanks me or says they took my recommendation. I really feel so grateful. The truth that somebody really took the time to learn the issues that I wrote or hearken to the issues that I produced means a lot.
I actually wouldn’t be doing this full-time with out their help.
Getting optimistic suggestions means a lot to me and retains me going, even when issues get robust.
What She Needs She Knew When She Began
I want I had identified that this isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme by any means. It really is a labor of affection.
I’m simply now surpassing the revenue I made in my outdated profession, and I’ve been doing this for 7 years! Issues simply take time.
However not simply that, your success shouldn’t be measured by another person’s. If somebody began across the identical time as you and is doing much better, that’s okay. Belief me, there are many different individuals who aren’t in that spot, too.
It’s like operating a race. There’ll at all times be folks forward of you and folks behind you. Nonetheless, in the event you simply hold going, you all can attain the tip objective!
Comparability is the thief of pleasure. The one factor you need to be evaluating is your present self to your previous self. Examine how a lot you’ve grown and also you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come!
Additionally, have a good time each win! Have a good time each new subscriber, a rise in pageviews, extra revenue coming in, and so on. It helps hold you going to have a good time each accomplishment, each tiny and enormous!
Her Essential Mistake
Beginning a enterprise that earns zero {dollars} is a weak place to be. And sadly, there are lots of people who wish to make the most of that.
I wasted fairly a bit of cash on a “life teaching” course, and I nearly acquired sucked right into a pyramid scheme-like factor that didn’t look that approach at first.
I even paid for a course on the way to develop my Fb web page, just for it to be mainly the way to purchase followers, and by the point I spotted it, I had all these random followers who weren’t my audience in any respect. I’ve nonetheless not been capable of clear all of them out.
Whereas I do suggest investing in programs and books that can allow you to develop what you are promoting, please do your analysis, ask round, and make sure the folks promoting the course really know what they’re speaking about.
Don’t buy a course from somebody who is simply profitable of their enterprise as a result of they declare to make you profitable in what you are promoting. Be certain they’re profitable previous to their course.
Her Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs
Don’t hand over! Generally issues don’t work out and also you’ve acquired to pivot a bit, however don’t hand over!
Keep on the course and also you’ll get there finally. Simply be keen to study out of your errors and course appropriate alongside the way in which.
