How Travel Bloggers Use Artificial Intelligence * Anna Bruno

How Travel Bloggers Use Artificial Intelligence

In this post, you’ll find the survey results along with valuable tips and tricks that travel bloggers have learned through trial and error when using AI content tools.

Intelligenza artificiale

Artificial intelligence (AI) is trending and becoming increasingly popular in the world of content creation. Therefore, it’s no surprise that more and more travel bloggers are also turning to AI tools to help them write and create content faster and more efficiently. Travelpayouts conducted a survey among travel bloggers who use AI content writing tools. In this post, you’ll find the survey results along with some valuable tips and tricks that travel bloggers have learned through trial and error when using AI content tools.

Are travel bloggers using AI content tools?

Before we dive into the insights shared by various travel bloggers about AI content tools, let’s get a better understanding of how popular these tools are within the travel blogging community. During a webinar, Travelpayouts asked 34 travel bloggers if they have incorporated artificial intelligence into their blogging process. The results were quite telling, with only 3 out of 34 bloggers stating that they do not use AI content tools.

Why do travel bloggers use artificial intelligence tools?

When travel bloggers were asked why they use AI content tools, we received a variety of in-depth responses. Some bloggers had similar answers, while others offered unique perspectives. In this section, we’ll explore some of the main reasons why travel bloggers turn to artificial intelligence in their blogging processes.

Speeding up the writing process

Writing can be a time-consuming process that many content creators struggle with. This is where AI content tools come into play. By using tools like ChatGPT, Jasper AI, Copy.ai, and others, travel bloggers can speed up their writing process and produce more blog posts per month. As JJ Jordan, founder of About Travel Across The Borderline, said, “I use Jasper to speed up my writing process so I can publish more blog posts each month, create content pillars faster and, as a result, improve my rankings in Google search results.”

Tabitha Bailar from Travel Compositions agrees, saying: “I am a slow writer and AI has helped me write my posts faster, so I can publish content sooner“.

Some bloggers struggle with the actual writing process, preferring the research and planning work needed to create content. AI tools can help with this struggle. As Alice, founder of The Green Adventurers, observed, “Actually writing content is the part I struggle with the most. I enjoy the research and planning, but writing is tough. AI really helps me turn my weakness into a strength.”.

Increasing productivity

Travel bloggers have found that using AI writing tools is an effective way to boost their productivity and streamline the writing process. With the help of AI, these bloggers can free up their time for more strategic work, such as developing new ideas and exploring new destinations. Jessica, owner of CA Girl Travels, noted that using AI saves her a lot of time, saying: “I see AI as a writer on my team that I don’t have to pay“.

For many bloggers, starting an article can be a daunting task that often leads to procrastination. However, with the use of AI writing tools, this process can become much simpler. Maria, creator of Travelling Buzz, explained that she recently started using an AI writing tool in her content creation process and unlocked her writing productivity. “I’m very impressed by the quality of the AI writing tool I use. It really helps me skip the hard process of starting from a blank page. I still do the necessary research and create the article outline, but the AI tool helps me fill in the empty space and saves me so much time. Before using AI, I dreaded the process of beginning an article. That prevented me from implementing many ideas. AI has definitely improved my workflow by helping me turn my notes into full paragraphs.“.

Beth, a professional writer and founder of The Train Diaries, noted that she uses multiple AI writing tools in her content creation process. With a demanding job that requires her to write for 40 hours a week, she found it challenging to dedicate enough creative energy to her travel blog. However, by using AI writing tools to overcome the challenge of starting from a blank page, she has been able to publish more than once a month and make real progress with her blog.

These examples show how artificial intelligence can help bloggers with busy jobs and limited time create content, allowing them to achieve their goals and build successful blogs.

Overcoming writer’s block

Many travel bloggers have reported using AI writing tools to overcome writer’s block and get their creative juices flowing. According to Melissa, the owner of A Solo Woman Travelling: “If I’m stuck on how to describe something, Jasper AI generates ideas for me. For example, when I need help describing where a place is located, Jasper provides the basic answer I can work with and add my creative touch. It helps me with any writer’s block.“.

Tess, the voice behind Traveling Tessie, reported that using AI tools has helped her get through the initial stages of writing a blog post. “I tend to get stuck staring at a blank page when I’m at the beginning of writing a blog post, and using an AI tool has really helped me get past this hurdle. Now I can spend a couple of hours laying out the blog post outlines and creating first drafts using AI tools. Then I can focus solely on editing that first draft another day, which has immensely improved my workflow..

Content idea generation

Travel bloggers often use AI writing tools to help them generate ideas for content and inspire them to write about topics they otherwise might not have thought of. As Tanya Tailor, creator of Travels & Treasures, explained, “There are topics and content I might never think of otherwise, but using writing tools helps me expand on them in different ways (from main posts to top posts) .”

What types of content do travel bloggers create with artificial intelligence?

Travel bloggers have mentioned a variety of ways they use AI content tools to enhance their writing processes and create engaging content for their audience. They explained that they use AI content tools to write different parts of their blog posts, create social media content, set up newsletters, and update previously published content.

Writing blog posts

Post Outlines

Many bloggers have discovered that AI technology can be incredibly helpful when it comes to creating post outlines. The founders of The Wandering Hartz say they use artificial intelligence to create outlines, first drafts, and even introductory paragraphs when updating old content. “Artificial intelligence can help with outlines, introductions, and rewriting some of our existing posts. It can also help to form a structure and, to some extent, draft the original content. From there, we can add our own voice, experiences, and factual information“.

Titles

Bloggers also use AI technology to create catchy and engaging titles for their posts. Tanya Tailor, the founder of Travels & Treasures, noted: “I use AI writing tools when I need ideas for blog post titles for specific keywords or topics. I find it helpful when I have a concept but am struggling with a point of view or a new way to present the content.”.

Sage Scott, the owner of Everyday Wanderer, also shared her personal experience with using artificial intelligence for title creation, stating: “Since I feel really lousy at creating clever titles, I use the AI writer built into Frase.io to help me pinpoint the best title for my articles.” AI technology can provide valuable help to bloggers who are struggling to find titles that accurately represent their content and attract readers.

Post Paragraphs, Introductions, and Conclusions

Travel bloggers often rely on AI content tools to create engaging paragraphs, introductions, and conclusions. Paige from Paige Minds The Gap explains that using AI “removes some of the stress from writing those paragraphs that seem to fill a blog post; writing a good introduction can be really tedious when I just want to write about the destination and the exciting activities. So it can also help write new posts more quickly, so I can start working on the fun part of the blog first”.

Lisa, the creator of Waves and Cobblestones, agrees, stating that “AI is useful for writing introductions, conclusions, and overviews/lists. AI writing tools can give you a structure to work from rather than starting from a blank page”.

Meta description

Meta descriptions are vital for your blog’s SEO, but creating them can be a long and unexciting task. That’s why many bloggers choose to delegate the task to AI content tools. For example, Damon and Melissa, the creators of Parenthood and Passports, explained that they used artificial intelligence to create meta descriptions. “Creating meta descriptions and Pinterest descriptions are two small aspects of blogging that can feel tedious and uninteresting. AI has helped me create beautifully crafted descriptions with my targeted keywords without having to spend too much time on these tasks.”

Social Media Posts and Captions

Another way travel bloggers use artificial intelligence is to create social media posts and captions that resonate with their followers. As Paige from Paige Minds The Gap says, “I use artificial intelligence to help me write short-form content for social media, like Instagram captions and Pinterest descriptions. I find that AI usually works very well for this kind of post”.

Rephrasing and Updating Existing Content

Some travel bloggers have also stated that they use artificial intelligence to rephrase and update existing content. As the creators of The Wandering Hartz say, “We find that AI tools are useful for rephrasing some of our paragraphs that need a bit of tweaking.” This approach not only saves time but also ensures that the content remains relevant and up to date..

Emails

One of the many advantages of using artificial intelligence in content creation is the ability to personalize content for your target audience and generate content that resonates with readers. As a result, travel bloggers turn to AI content tools to create more effective emails and newsletters. Tanya Tailor, the mind behind Travels & Treasures, stated that, although she mainly creates content for niche blog posts, she’s now expanding her use of AI tools for emails and marketing, as well as customizing content for her target audience.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

By using AI writing tools, travel bloggers can quickly and accurately answer common questions about a destination. This not only saves time but also helps ensure readers receive accurate and helpful information. As Atiba and Ilse from Digital Travel Couple shared, “We use AI writing tools to answer frequently asked questions, such as ‘what’s the weather like in…’, ‘when is the best time to visit…’, and ‘what to prepare for…’. We write the rest of the blog posts ourselves, since they are about hiking, and we can share our experience with photos from the hike.“.

AI Challenges

While travel bloggers cite many benefits to using AI in their blogging processes, the technology also presents some unique challenges. Below, we’ll explore the challenges travel bloggers face when generating travel content with AI and how they manage to overcome these obstacles.

The content is too generic

One of the biggest challenges travel bloggers face when using AI tools is that AI content can often be too generic. As Beth, the founder of The Train Diaries, stated: “When I first used AI tools, I felt completely frustrated because I couldn’t get it to spit out anything other than vague, generic, and boring content. I took my time looking at each platform’s resources, attending webinars, and watching YouTube videos to help me understand where I was going wrong. Since then, I’m getting much better results, and the tools are helping rather than hindering my workflow.”

Inaccurate information

Another challenge travel bloggers face is inaccurate information. As Sarah behind Costa Rica Vibes said, “I find that I absolutely need to fact-check the AI’s results. Sometimes, the long-form content for blog posts isn’t always completely accurate.

AI’s limited knowledge, particularly when it comes to writing about lesser-known destinations, can lead to the generation of incorrect information. As a result, bloggers need to be diligent in editing AI-generated content and ensuring all information is real. As Pam, the mind behind Our Adventure is Everywhere, pointed out: “I have to do my own research to make sure everything is accurate, but I would have done that anyway“.

Inaccurate information can be especially problematic when it comes to providing details like prices or opening hours. According to Paige from Paige Minds The Gap, her biggest challenge is making sure the AI tool gives her the right information. “For example, I might be writing about Blue Ridge, Georgia, and the AI gives me information about Blue Ridge, Virginia. That’s why it’s best to have direct knowledge of the place you’re writing about, so you can catch those errors. It’s also the reason I don’t use AI to write the more informative parts of my posts and only use the tools for writing introductory paragraphs..

AI content doesn’t match the personal tone of the blog

Although AI writing tools can be incredibly useful for quickly publishing more posts, they often lack the authenticity that many readers crave. As JJ Jordan, the mind behind Travel Across The Borderline, explained, “I found it difficult to get the AI writer to adapt to my personal tone, but by creating detailed outlines and learning to use the right prompts, I don’t have that problem anymore.”

It takes extra time to check, edit, and proofread

Although AI tools can be a useful way to speed up the writing process, they are not a one-click solution and require bloggers to spend more time checking, editing, and proofreading the content. As the creators of Travel In Missouri explained, “Everything needs to be verified. So, it takes time to check everything that’s important for the credibility of the article.”

Repetitive content

Repetitive content is another downside of using AI writing tools. As Tabitha Bailare of Travel Compositions explained, “I find that when I let the AI work on its own, it says many of the same things throughout the post. So, I have to go in and add my own flair or tell it to rephrase itself.”

While this repetitiveness can be frustrating, it also gives the blogger an opportunity to insert their own unique voice and style into their content.

Tips and tricks for using AI

Using AI content tools can save you time and help you create high-quality content more efficiently. However, there are some tips and tricks to keep in mind when using these tools to ensure you get the best results.

Use the right prompts and give precise instructions

When creating AI content, it’s important to use the right prompts and give precise instructions to the AI writing tool. While learning the right prompts and crafting your questions precisely can take some time, in the end, it will help you achieve better results and produce more relevant text. As recommended by the creator of andiamoplaces.com, “Try different ways to phrase your questions. Use more precise and unambiguous words.”.

Ask something specific in your prompt

To get the most out of AI content creation, it’s important to ask something specific. As Christina Belloge, founder of Melanin Travels Magic, advised: “Ask for something specific in your query, like the top 8 or top 10 of xxx, and edit anything the AI tool generates by adding more information to personalize the output.“.

Use SEO best practices

When creating AI-generated content, it’s important to keep SEO best practices in mind. This means doing proper keyword research and naturally including those keywords in your content so it reads smoothly.

This is how Jessica, founder and owner of CA Girl Travels, described her workflow for optimizing AI-generated content for SEO: “I start with SEO best practices when writing for my online businesses. That’s where I begin. I find a keyword I can rank for. I create an outline based on that keyword. I do some surface-level research and get a basic idea of the material I need to cover to rank in the top three results on Google (the only place to be). Then I move on to ChatGPT. I take notes on each section, and then I add my prompts into the tool.

What I think about Artificial Intelligence for travel writers

In the world of marketing, AI is already well established and a great support. As far as writing in general is concerned (this comment was not written by artificial intelligence and you can tell), and travel writing in particular, I believe the main problems are different:

  • content that is too generic
  • inaccurate content
  • sometimes completely wrong information
  • lack of personalization
  • it lacks the writer’s (fortunately) unique style
  • repetitive content
  • a limited vocabulary
  • the articles lack nuance
  • the articles lack emotion
  • the articles don’t tell the experience
  • various…
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