If you’re off on holiday this summer, whether it’s Barbados, Benidorm or Bude, chances are you’ll want to write about it on your blog. But with so many accounts of bloggers’ fabulous family holidays out there, how do you make sure that yours stands out from the rest? Here are some tips from freelance journalist Catherine Cooper
Construct a narrative
Tell a story – but don’t start at the beginning and finish at the end. Even your closest family and friends probably aren’t interested in what you did every single day. What was the highlight for you? And for your kids? Start in the middle with something that people want to read about. Imagine you were writing an article for a newspaper – would you recount the five hour traffic jam and ensuing car sickness? Probably not (at least, let’s hope not….)
Be honest
Write about the bad as well as the good – but don’t whine or moan. Your readers will probably be more interested in how you dealt with a jellyfish sting than the fact that you found some old socks under the bed in your holiday cottage. Your blog isn’t TripAdvisor, but neither is it a showcase of how fabulous your life (and holiday) are. Be honest, but self-edit.
If you’re on a very active holiday and/or travelling around a lot with lots of interesting stuff to say, consider writing several shorter posts about the places you’ve been and the things you’ve done rather than one long one. Being faced with a huge post can be off-putting for readers, plus shorter ones are usually easier to write (and can help you to attract regular readers).
Don’t overshare
Think about what you enjoy reading on other blogs and keep this in mind when planning what to write (while also remaining true to your own style, of course.) Would you want to know what a stranger had for dinner every day? Well, neither do your readers. They’d probably be more interested in hearing about a particularly special meal, a restaurant which really goes the extra mile for kids, or even maybe a meal which went spectacularly wrong.
Be specific
Don’t be afraid to include some very specific tips and recommendations. If you found a fabulous café or waterpark, say so. If you’ve thought of a travel hack other parents might not have thought of, share it. Include links – if someone likes the look of your holiday, make it easy for them to find out more information.
Strike a balance
Make your posts personal – include some anecdotes about thing which you did while away – but not too personal. Try to strike a balance between your own experience of a resort or area and things that would be common to and useful for anyone going to the same place. Your two-year-old’s comments about his first taste of squid might be hilarious, but your readers don’t want to know about every single “funny” thing he said, or too much about how cute and squishy he looked in his little trunks. For the latter, why not post a picture simply captioned “awww!” or similar?
Be search friendly
Give your post a straightforward title such as “A family holiday in Benidorm” or “Bude Palace Hotel Review” rather than something clever and cryptic – this way readers searching for tips on your holiday destination will be able to find it more easily.
Share widely
Don’t forget to tweet a link to your post and Instagram your pictures. Include the name of the location or, even better, the local tourist board’s Twitter/Instagram account and they might even share it for you and help grow your audience.
Catherine Cooper is a freelance journalist living in France. You can read her blog at https://catherinecooper.wordpress.com/
