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The Importance of High-Quality
Travel Content.
So you need some fresh ideas for travel content.
Why should you contact me, of all people? Consider my client list and experience, for starters. I'm a full-time freelance
copywriter, project manager and editor, working with a variety of travel industry clients. I’ve got more than 15 years
of experience as a writer, editor and manager, including two stints with American Express Custom Publishing Solutions and
nearly nine years at Northstar Travel Media, the nation’s largest travel trade publisher. My range of media outlets
has increased exponentially in the past year, thanks to articles published in the following categories and media: • Consumer (Business Traveler, Caribbean
Travel + Life, Gay Times, Hispanic Magazine, LatinFlyer.com, LatinFlyerBlog.com, Latin Trade, Miami Herald, Passport Magazine,
Splendid Magazine, Travel + Leisure Mexico)
• Inflight (Aeromexico's Clase Premier, AirTran
Airways' GO, LAN Airlines' IN Magazine, Mexicana's Vuelo, TACA's Explore Magazine)
•
Trade (TravelAge West, Meetings Media, PMG's Vacation Agent, Agent@Home, Travelpulse.com)
My biggest new project is the pending launch
of LatinFlyer.com, the first English-language site focusing on general and niche travel to Latin America, including Mexico, Central America,
South America and the Caribbean. The site's companion blog, LatinFlyerBlog.com, is already garnering a faithful audience, who sign up for regular updates, insider travel tips and experiences, and plenty
of inspiring photos and videos. My
work has also appeared in Travel Weekly, Meetings & Conventions, the Boston Herald and other consumer and trade publications
and Websites (check out the client list page for more). I also maintain a growing library of stock photography and video footage
for editorial and commercial use.
I can also talk your
ear off about trends in the travel industry. I’ve moderated and participated in panels at a number of travel and journalism
conferences and workshops, including the New York Times Travel Show, TravelAge Magazine, The Learning Annex, Passport Magazine,
the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Assocation and the International Conference on Lesbian and Gay Tourism. I’ve
also been quoted and interviewed in a variety of media, including Air Transport World, PBS’s “In The Life,”
Detroit Free Press, San Francisco Chronicle and other daily newspapers nationwide.
My experience with niche markets includes years of covering Latin America and working with clients
in the region (I can conduct meetings and correspond with clients in Spanish). I’m also the author of The Gay Vacation
Guide: The Best Trips and How to Plan Them (Kensington Books), which is already in its second edition. And I’ve co-authored
an educational Lifestyle Specialist Course on the gay and lesbian market for The Travel Institute.
A partial list of my industry clients, editorial outlets and public speaking experience is on
the next page. Interested in seeing samples and references? Just let me know.
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Three ways to make reporters and editors love your Website.
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1. Maintain
a separate press section. Don’t make journalists jump through hoops when they want to give you free publicity.
Put a press section on your site, even if it’s just one page. That’s the place for news updates, press releases,
factoids, story angles and interesting tidbits that could spark a story. Date everything, and keep it in chronological order.
Include a library of low-resolution stock images depicting your product, destination or service, and be ready to respond promptly
to requests for higher-resolution versions for publication (you can place a watermark on each low-res image with your copyright
to protect against misuse, but the high resolution images must be watermark-free).
2. Make the press section easy to find. Your site
should have a clearly visible place to click that says “Press Relations,” “Media Center” or something
like that. If you have a completely separate Website (with a different address) that serves as your online newsroom, include
easy-to-find links throughout your main Website.
3. Don’t force reporters through forms. Journalists shouldn’t
have to register for access to the press section. After all, the information inside is public, so why make it hard to use?
You can, however, offer them an automated form where they can register to receive updates — but don’t make it
mandatory. And above all, always include a press contact name (a real-live person), a phone number, an e-mail and mailing
address. A “submit” form is not sufficient, as reporters may need to speak by phone, or send an e-mail from their
own address.
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