Sharing her experiences, Ambica Gulati explains how having a journalism background gives her an edge over other bloggers.
Ambica Gulati talks about the wide scope social media offers to budding travel and food bloggers, divulging on her secrets to building a follower base. The shift from being a journalist to a blogger wasn't an easy one for her as she wasn't as well versed with technology. Here's more.
Looking back, where did it all begin?
Most journeys are either chosen or they happen by chance. This was by chance! Since I had been out of work for about two years, a young ex-colleague suggested that we start this. For a magazine journalist, this wasn’t an easy space. I knew zilch about technology. I had barely used the now-defunct Orkut and had just begun to explore Facebook in 2012. So, we got into the business of blogging and she did the tech part, while my focus was on content. The relationship didn’t last long but my tech learning speeded up. I developed my blog and since my mainstay had been travel magazine, Swagat (Air India’s in-flight), travel was a natural choice.
What’s in the name?
A Traveller’s Wish List — Well, we all love to explore the world. The open skies, the sunshine, the newness is all so refreshing. But we can’t be everywhere and do everything. So the wish list continues. I try to bring in guest posts and share as many experiences as possible.
What is your USP in this cluttered space? How does your content give you an edge?
I guess my journalism experience gives me that storytelling skill. It helps me craft and shares the maximum in this little space that I have created among the zillion content creators.
Please take us through your content creation process. How do you stay relevant and relatable?
The beauty of travel is that it is eternal. Most places haven’t changed a lot. There are some additions, of course. In terms of the business aspect of tourism, there are events and marts and then food fests and cultural events, which are also important to look at. I want the reader to always replicate the experience rather than feel FOMO.
How do you make moolah with your efforts?
Sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and some barter collaborations.
How do you maintain editorial objectivity with the influx of brand briefs?
This isn’t a new area for me. I have 20 years of expertise in crafting advertorials and editorials. The advertorial is purely based on their needs but it has to be quality content.
One instance/experience that made it all worthwhile
A trip to South Korea in 2015 with 80 foreign journalists, simply because I had been covering the Korean Cultural Centre in Delhi. I was the only one with a digital platform among them.
Weirdest brand brief/request ever
Can’t think of any!
If not blogging, you would be?
I'm a journalist. But now I would like to be a manufacturer.
Find stories, take pictures, try to decipher social media algorithms and sleep. Always have a backlog to clear.
Message/tips for upcoming bloggers
Be honest. Never share diluted experiences that could be potentially harmful. Write the truth, correct your grammar, add pictures and videos. Make it interactive as you would do with anything that has stolen your heart. Keep at it, for "Rome wasn’t built in a day."
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