Gabriella Knowledge, a journey influencer, conjures up wanderlust and sustainability by means of Postcards from Hawaii.
It was a chilly October night, and Gabriella Knowledge was feeling uninspired as she and her now-fiancé, Michael, tossed round potential names for her new journey weblog. Bodily, she was at house, looking over the damp streets of Norfolk, England. However mentally, she was on a seashore in Hawaii throughout an around-the-world journey the couple took in 2016.
“Have you ever ever been someplace, and it simply seems like part of you?” Knowledge requested. “Each time I’m going, I simply get all-over-body tingles. It’s like I’m rooted there in some weird and inexplicable method.”
The feeling returned as she reminisced about her time on the islands. That feeling, coupled with reminiscences of affection letters Michael has penned to her on postcards since they had been youngsters, served because the inspiration for what finally turned Gabriella’s ardour mission, Postcards from Hawaii.
Gabriella Knowledge’s subsequent steps to journey running a blog
Though the journey in 2016 turned the turning level for Gabriella and her determination to pursue a profession as a content material creator and journey blogger, Gabriella defined that she has been lucky sufficient to journey her complete life. From her first memorable journey to South Africa at 10 years outdated to a 12 months spent in Paris throughout her early 20s, Gabriella has all the time been smitten with faraway locations and immersing herself in a very new tradition.
Even earlier than formally launching her weblog, Gabriella collected suggestions to assist nurture an identical wanderlust in others. However the extra she traveled and the extra she shared, she started to comprehend that sustainable journey and life-style habits would change into important for future generations to benefit from the world’s wonders the identical method she did.
As her content material advanced, Postcards from Hawaii grew into greater than only a journey weblog and have become a useful resource for individuals who wish to “do extra on and for the planet.”
“The extra I traveled, the extra I noticed that I used to be simply form of banking a little bit of helpful data that I wished to share,” Gabriella stated. “And that’s what began Postcards from Hawaii—the will to assist others get pleasure from their journeys as a lot as I used to be.”
For life-style bloggers, the right partnership is well worth the wait.
Gabriella’s ardour didn’t instantly translate right into a dependable profession as a content material creator. In reality, it took about two years to achieve any important traction on her journey weblog.
“I undoubtedly acquired discouraged—fairly a number of occasions, truly,” Gabriella admitted. “I used to be pondering, ‘Oh my gosh, am I ever going to earn money from this?’”
However as a substitute of ready for somebody to strategy her with a chance, she determined to manifest her personal.
She began by wanting on the manufacturers she already used and cherished. And the one which instantly caught out to her was TouchNote—a UK-based card-making app used to ship personalised greeting playing cards.
“I’ve been utilizing them to ship my very own quirky Christmas playing cards for years,” Gabriella stated. “So, I assumed, ‘Hmm, possibly I can do one thing else with this.’”
Gabriella’s pitch to TouchNote got here on the good time. The model had not too long ago launched a line of journey stickers and agreed to a paid partnership that concerned Gabriella utilizing the app to assist doc her travels. The collaboration got here with three sponsored weblog posts, a few interviews for the model’s YouTube channel, and one big break for a gifted creator who, till that time, hadn’t discovered a option to generate income by means of her content material.
These days, Gabriella doesn’t have a lot bother discovering model companions. However one factor stays the identical: She solely works with manufacturers whose merchandise she truly makes use of.
“I believe it’s actually vital to be real in our area,” she stated. “I imply, how are you going to anticipate different folks to expertise one thing you aren’t keen to do your self?”
Constructing a neighborhood: When followers change into associates
Gabriella’s real nature isn’t misplaced on her viewers. By recurrently participating along with her followers and taking a vested curiosity of their lives, lots of her followers have change into associates.
She had an opportunity to satisfy a number of of them in particular person for the primary time in February throughout a visit to Maui. And when a COVID prognosis pressured her and Michael to cancel Valentine’s Day dinner plans, her new associates pitched in to convey the couple takeout from the restaurant and delivered it to their lodge.
“I’ve made so many associates on social media—simply great, attractive folks,” Gabriella stated. “And these friendships simply got here out of Instagram.”
These robust relationships don’t occur by chance. Gabriella pays shut consideration to who likes, feedback, and shares her content material and does her greatest to return the favor.
“If I see somebody who’s coming again time and again and once more, then I’m going to place within the effort to get to know them, as nicely,” she stated. “I’m not on this to be placed on a pedestal. Like, I wish to get to know my viewers. They’re placing their time into me, and I wish to put my time again into them.”
Gabriella displays the respect she has for her followers within the merchandise and firms she promotes. Somewhat than pushing a product and showing “salesy,” Gabriella recommends manufacturers the identical method she would to another pal.
“I’d say one of the simplest ways to construct belief is to not bombard your viewers with infinite advertisements or merchandise,” she stated. “Watching different content material creators, I’m very delay by those who simply consistently share manufacturers that I’ve by no means seen them use earlier than, after which by no means see them use once more.”
As an alternative, Gabriella particulars her favourite manufacturers and explains what she loves about them. The aim, she stated, is to share that model’s story and speak concerning the good work they do for folks and the planet—not simply the services and products they supply.
“[Your audience] ought to be impressed by you and really feel such as you’re their pal,” she stated. “I wish to be somebody folks look as much as. That method, they are saying, ‘Oh, she’s real, and she or he trusts them, so I’m going to present them my religion, too.’”
Mutual respect forges robust model partnerships.
Gabriella seems for a similar genuine spirit within the manufacturers that attain out to her for partnerships. And one thing so simple as personalised outreach can go a good distance in nurturing a powerful working relationship from the beginning.
“I swear, it’s the only factor and the very first thing we’re ever taught in class or making use of for a job or something; a reputation,” she defined. “If it doesn’t have my title, I’m instantly delay. It’s not like I gained’t give them an opportunity, however that doesn’t really feel like they’re placing within the effort.”
From there, Gabriella must really feel like they’re desirous about her work, not simply fishing for somebody to promote merch. For manufacturers seeking to stand out, an amazing first step is highlighting a particular piece of that creator’s content material and explaining why they assume it will translate nicely to a specific marketing campaign.
For instance, if a shoe model reaches out, Gabriella desires to know which content material caught their eye and made them wish to contact her. Not solely does that make it clear the model has achieved its analysis, nevertheless it additionally provides her an concept of the form of content material they’re on the lookout for.
“It may simply be one thing like, ‘We see you carrying this model on a regular basis, and we love the way in which you shot [this particular shoe]. And we’d like to be the shoe that you just love carrying on a regular basis, too,’” she stated.
And whereas it’s vital for manufacturers to supply a blueprint for what they want, they need to all the time bear in mind the rationale they rent creators within the first place: to create. And whereas it hasn’t occurred typically, Gabriella has had experiences the place manufacturers attempt to micromanage her content material.
“It occurred with a weblog put up the place they had been pushing what they wished [me to say] slightly than why I used their app,” she recalled. “However I used to be very very similar to, ‘No, I do know why I exploit this, and I do know what I wish to say. I can say much less of it, however I’m nonetheless going to say what I wish to say.’”
However Gabriella considers herself fortunate to have principally partnered with manufacturers who give her the liberty to create the content material she is aware of will resonate along with her viewers, or on the very least, be keen to compromise, so the ultimate product advantages each events equally.
“If that’s what [the brand] desires, then we’re going to discover a method that we will do that, and each of us profit,” she stated. “That method, I’m not being disingenuous, and also you get what you want.”
Block out the noise, be your self.
Whether or not by means of promotions on her weblog or serving to manufacturers {photograph} their merchandise, Gabriella’s journey as a content material creator has supplied loads of alternatives to develop her private model.
However that doesn’t imply she hasn’t encountered her fair proportion of naysayers. Regardless of a loyal readership on Postcards from Hawaii, Gabriella has been advised that her modest Instagram following merely isn’t sufficient to compete with bigger creators in her area of interest.
“I hit 4,000 followers not too long ago, and lots of people assume, and have advised me, that that’s not sufficient,” she stated. “However I’m making an attempt to point out that you just don’t have to have all these followers to have success in content material creation.”
What actually issues is offering authenticity in your model companions and viewers—a useful asset that solely arrives whenever you keep true to your self.
“That’s one thing I’m actually targeted on proper now,” she stated. “I wish to empower others to comprehend that in case you focus in your expertise and place confidence in your self, different folks will acknowledge that, too.”
