Splotchy: What is your blog?

The Food Travelist: Food Travelist

S: When and why did you start blogging?

TFT: Ten years ago, my wife and I wanted something to do together.

S: Did you stop blogging?

TFT: Nope. Although we have changed course a few times. During the pandemic, we focused more on recipes and bringing the taste of travel home. And again recently, we’re now focused on visiting destinations that are less visited and are committed to sustainability. 

S: Do you feel part of a larger community when writing your blog?

TFT: Yes. I feel like we’ve developed a community of like-minded people who like food and travel. 

S: Do you have people you regularly interact with?  How large a group is it?  Are they also bloggers?

TFT: Yes! We have a pretty active account on X (formerly Twitter) with 32,000 followers. We also have pretty good interaction on our Facebook page, too.  People also seem to like getting our newsletter. They frequently respond to us directly asking questions or giving feedback. It’s a mix of other travel writers, destinations, and just regular folks who like to travel and eat. 

S: What keeps you motivated to post?

TFT: Knowing that people are reading it (affiliate sales are nice, too) it also provides us the opportunity to travel to a lot of places.

S: How do you feel about social media? Does it give you the same feelings as blogging? Why or why not?

I loathe social media. I used to like it but my feelings have definitely changed over time. I now keep up with it to a much lesser degree. I know it’s important to destinations and brands we work with. Otherwise, I would stop completely. 

S: How do you feel about the state of the Internet in general?  This is a very broad question, so feel free how to answer as you see fit. 

TFT: It continues to change so it makes it difficult to keep up with all the aspects that are important to blogging. If you want to be found you have to be a search engine optimization expert, a marketing manager, a PR manager, a bookkeeper, a social media manager, and an expert on the topic you’re writing about. It’s no easy feat and it never stops it’s open 24/7.

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Thanks for your thoughtful responses!