What a year it has been for travel bloggers like me! This might not have been the easiest year, but there’s plenty to celebrate too.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know that every year around this time I write my blogging appraisal. It tends to be a bit of a juicy read filled with personal insights into the year. I think this year’s will be my seventh… although I’ll admit there was a little hiatus last year while I was on maternity leave! Cut me some slack guys, I had a baby glued to me!
December is the perfect time to look back on the highs and lows… the chaos and the triumphs… oh, and a few questionable decisions of the past 11 months. As a self-employed person, I don’t get one of those painfully awkward boss-to-employee appraisals where you sit across a desk, nodding and pretending you’re in agreement over the suggested ways you could improve.
But since I am my own boss, you guys have unofficially become my sounding board. You’ve been doing it for years so I’m hoping you’ll kindly fill that role again today. Don’t worry, I promise not to cry, unless you say something really nice!
2024 has been a bit of a ‘meh’ year for most people I know. It was a year of heavy news stories, penny pinching, and very little lightness. Perhaps, not back to Covid levels, but it felt like a lot of people have spent the year feeling hard done by.
This was definitely the case in the travel blogging world. With Google’s algorithms being updated left, right and centre, and the unnerving claws of AI creeping in, content creators like myself have felt unsettled.
In this post, I’m going to do a quick dive into how 2024 has panned out, and look ahead to what 2025 has in store. So, make yourself a cuppa, or a nice warming cup of gluhwein and let’s kick this off.
My Blogging Appraisal of 2024
Back to work
I went back to work in January after 11 months on maternity leave. I am grateful I was able to take so long to be with my son and get used to life as a new mum. But, I was also SO ready to return to work. I’d barely sat at my laptop in a year, or had a moment to myself. So, to be back working on my blog again felt amazing. It was also lovely to have some personal space and time.
For that first year, especially if you’re breastfeeding, you give everything to that little being. It felt good to start regaining a bit of ‘me’.
We threw ourselves into travel campaigns, I worked on my blog and other businesses, and I hustled again! We did several amazing trips this year, including two brilliant travel campaigns in Florida and another in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Being able to showcase family travel, through our eyes as a new young family, felt very special. It was also wonderful to see some of my previous clients still wanting to work with me and support this new phase of life.
As an aside, it’s hard taking time off in this industry. It’s fast-paced and transient, so you get forgotten quickly. There’s always someone ready to jump in your space. I was relieved to see I was back on the lists for press trips and events, but I have definitely noticed a bias towards content creators without children.
I am trying to remain grateful for the balance I have. I get to do some amazing trips (with and without my family), as well as enjoying this rewarding time as a new mum!
Awards season
I’m always amazed to be nominated for any awards, but this year it happened again! I attended the TravMedia Awards, where I was nominated for Influencer of the Year (an award I won two years ago).
It was a big boost for my self-esteem, after a year of being surrounded by nappies and babies, I felt like I was being noticed in my industry again. It was also hilarious to catch up with presenter, Rylan at the awards, who I managed when I was an artist manager in my 20s. I didn’t win, but I was happy to let my hair down. It’d been a while since I’d got glammed up, and wow did it feel good!
I was also nominated for Best Collaboration at the Traverse Creator Awards. This was for the travel campaign I worked on with Visit Sheffield. I know there were hundreds of applicants, so I was really chuffed to be shortlisted. It’s also cemented me as a go-to content creator for the team up in Sheffield, so don’t be surprised if you see me back in the north in 2025!
Google HCU and AI
I touched on the tough times we’ve experienced in my life update in May. If you’re a travel lover rather than a fellow content creator, you’re probably blissfully unaware of the ways Google has tweaked its algorithm over the last 18 months. Many people with blogs and websites watched traffic decline rapidly, some losing whole livelihoods and careers.
I’ve clung on, and while it’s been a rollercoaster (which may not be over yet), I’ve survived. It’s given me a new perspective on how to build a business that is financially secure and how to pivot when the going gets tough. I’m hoping we’re through the worst, and thankfully I’ve watched my traffic increase again since September. Fingers crossed for a more prosperous 2025.
The world of AI has been causing chaos too. I read an article this week which stated that in 2022, virtually no one was using AI. By 2023, 65% of bloggers were using it, and by this year it’s around 80%.
I’m guessing most of you have dabbled in using ChatGPT. I do find it helpful as one of many tools I use when I’m creating content, but I’ve been shocked to hear that some bloggers go as far as to let it write entire blog posts for them. What a lazy and unoriginal way to work. Travel blogging is amazing for telling original stories and imparting personal advice. It’s a shame if every blog starts spurting out generic content without and personality!
Also, seeing the way AI can scrape my written content and regurgitate it back to someone (usually without any real credit to me) feels frustrating. I don’t know how to fight it and it’s yet another reason travel blogs are losing traffic.
I don’t want to moan about this stuff, as I know it’s important to embrace new tech. But, where does it end? If these bots are essentially scraping content written by people like me, and in turn, putting us out of business… what will they scrape in the future if there are no more bloggers?! These beasts need to be fed with original, quality content in order to be useful. I still can’t figure out where this will lead.
Personal life
Breaking news… we’re moving house! After four lovely years in Ealing in London, we’re heading a little further west. We’ve outgrown our two-bedroom flat. I mean, that happened when there were just two of us, but with a toddler it’s even more cramped. We’ve been living in London flats for so many years now, it’s going to be a huge novelty having stairs!
I’ll share some more all of this in 2025 as we settle in. No doubt there will be some home decorating content featuring on my channels soon! And numerous visits to Ikea. Wish us luck…!
To any of you who love reading blogs and watching content on social media, please remember to support your favourite creators. The landscape is changing fast and it’s been a tough year. It means a lot to know you’re there.
Hey, why not take a moment to send a message to your favourite content creator right now, and say how much you like what they do? It’ll put a big old smile on their face!
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
See you in 2025 for more travels and adventures.
Chloe x