Gabriella Knowledge, a journey influencer, evokes wanderlust and sustainability by way of Postcards from Hawaii.
It was a chilly October night, and Gabriella Knowledge was feeling uninspired as she and her now-fiancé, Michael, tossed round potential names for her new journey weblog. Bodily, she was at dwelling, looking over the damp streets of Norfolk, England. However mentally, she was on a seashore in Hawaii throughout an around-the-world journey the couple took in 2016.
“Have you ever ever been someplace, and it simply appears like part of you?” Knowledge requested. “Each time I’m going, I simply get all-over-body tingles. It’s like I’m rooted there in some weird and inexplicable approach.”
The feeling returned as she reminisced about her time on the islands. That feeling, coupled with reminiscences of affection letters Michael has penned to her on postcards since they have been youngsters, served because the inspiration for what ultimately turned Gabriella’s ardour undertaking, Postcards from Hawaii.
Gabriella Knowledge’s subsequent steps to journey running a blog
Though the journey in 2016 turned the turning level for Gabriella and her resolution to pursue a profession as a content material creator and journey blogger, Gabriella defined that she has been lucky sufficient to journey her whole life. From her first memorable journey to South Africa at 10 years previous to a 12 months spent in Paris throughout her early 20s, Gabriella has at all times been smitten with faraway locations and immersing herself in a totally new tradition.
Even earlier than formally launching her weblog, Gabriella collected ideas to assist nurture an analogous wanderlust in others. However the extra she traveled and the extra she shared, she started to understand that sustainable journey and way of life habits would grow to be important for future generations to benefit from the world’s wonders the identical approach she did.
As her content material developed, Postcards from Hawaii grew into greater than only a journey weblog and have become a useful resource for many who wish to “do extra on and for the planet.”
“The extra I traveled, the extra I spotted that I used to be simply form of banking a little bit of helpful data that I needed to share,” Gabriella stated. “And that’s what began Postcards from Hawaii—the will to assist others take pleasure in their journeys as a lot as I used to be.”
For way of life bloggers, the proper partnership is well worth the wait.
Gabriella’s ardour didn’t instantly translate right into a dependable profession as a content material creator. In actual fact, it took about two years to achieve any important traction on her journey weblog.
“I undoubtedly bought discouraged—fairly a couple of instances, truly,” Gabriella admitted. “I used to be considering, ‘Oh my gosh, am I ever going to earn a living from this?’”
However as a substitute of ready for somebody to method her with a possibility, she determined to manifest her personal.
She began by trying on the manufacturers she already used and beloved. And the one which instantly caught out to her was TouchNote—a UK-based card-making app used to ship customized greeting playing cards.
“I’ve been utilizing them to ship my very own quirky Christmas playing cards for years,” Gabriella stated. “So, I believed, ‘Hmm, possibly I can do one thing else with this.’”
Gabriella’s pitch to TouchNote got here on the excellent time. The model had not too long ago launched a line of journey stickers and agreed to a paid partnership that concerned Gabriella utilizing the app to assist doc her travels. The collaboration got here with three sponsored weblog posts, a few interviews for the model’s YouTube channel, and one large break for a gifted creator who, till that time, hadn’t discovered a approach to generate income by way of her content material.
These days, Gabriella doesn’t have a lot hassle discovering model companions. However one factor stays the identical: She solely works with manufacturers whose merchandise she truly makes use of.
“I believe it’s actually necessary to be real in our area,” she stated. “I imply, how will you count on different individuals to expertise one thing you aren’t keen to do your self?”
Constructing a neighborhood: When followers grow to be mates
Gabriella’s real nature isn’t misplaced on her viewers. By repeatedly partaking along with her followers and taking a vested curiosity of their lives, lots of her followers have grow to be mates.
She had an opportunity to satisfy a couple of of them in individual for the primary time in February throughout a visit to Maui. And when a COVID analysis compelled her and Michael to cancel Valentine’s Day dinner plans, her new mates pitched in to carry the couple takeout from the restaurant and delivered it to their resort.
“I’ve made so many mates on social media—simply fantastic, attractive individuals,” Gabriella stated. “And these friendships simply got here out of Instagram.”
These sturdy relationships don’t occur by chance. Gabriella pays shut consideration to who likes, feedback, and shares her content material and does her finest to return the favor.
“If I see somebody who’s coming again repeatedly and once more, then I’m going to place within the effort to get to know them, as properly,” she stated. “I’m not on this to be placed on a pedestal. Like, I wish to get to know my viewers. They’re placing their time into me, and I wish to put my time again into them.”
Gabriella displays the respect she has for her followers within the merchandise and firms she promotes. Moderately than pushing a product and showing “salesy,” Gabriella recommends manufacturers the identical approach she would to some other good friend.
“I’d say one of the simplest ways to construct belief is to not bombard your viewers with countless advertisements or merchandise,” she stated. “Watching different content material creators, I’m very postpone by people who simply continuously share manufacturers that I’ve by no means seen them use earlier than, after which by no means see them use once more.”
As an alternative, Gabriella particulars her favourite manufacturers and explains what she loves about them. The purpose, she stated, is to share that model’s story and speak in regards to the good work they do for individuals and the planet—not simply the services and products they supply.
“[Your audience] must be impressed by you and really feel such as you’re their good friend,” she stated. “I wish to be somebody individuals look as much as. That approach, they are saying, ‘Oh, she’s real, and he or she trusts them, so I’m going to present them my religion, too.’”
Mutual respect forges sturdy model partnerships.
Gabriella appears for a similar genuine spirit within the manufacturers that attain out to her for partnerships. And one thing so simple as customized outreach can go a great distance in nurturing a robust working relationship from the beginning.
“I swear, it’s the best factor and the very first thing we’re ever taught in class or making use of for a job or something; a reputation,” she defined. “If it doesn’t have my title, I’m instantly postpone. It’s not like I gained’t give them an opportunity, however that doesn’t really feel like they’re placing within the effort.”
From there, Gabriella must really feel like they’re all in favour of her work, not simply fishing for somebody to promote merch. For manufacturers trying to stand out, an ideal first step is highlighting a particular piece of that creator’s content material and explaining why they suppose it will translate properly to a specific marketing campaign.
For instance, if a shoe model reaches out, Gabriella needs to know which content material caught their eye and made them wish to contact her. Not solely does that make it clear the model has executed its analysis, nevertheless it additionally provides her an concept of the form of content material they’re in search of.
“It may simply be one thing like, ‘We see you carrying this model on a regular basis, and we love the way in which you shot [this particular shoe]. And we’d like to be the shoe that you simply love carrying on a regular basis, too,’” she stated.
And whereas it’s necessary for manufacturers to offer a blueprint for what they want, they need to at all times have in mind the rationale they rent creators within the first place: to create. And whereas it hasn’t occurred typically, Gabriella has had experiences the place manufacturers attempt to micromanage her content material.
“It occurred with a weblog publish the place they have been pushing what they needed [me to say] somewhat than why I used their app,” she recalled. “However I used to be very very like, ‘No, I do know why I take advantage of this, and I do know what I wish to say. I can say much less of it, however I’m nonetheless going to say what I wish to say.’”
However Gabriella considers herself fortunate to have principally partnered with manufacturers who give her the liberty to create the content material she is aware of will resonate along with her viewers, or on the very least, be keen to compromise, so the ultimate product advantages each events equally.
“If that’s what [the brand] needs, then we’re going to discover a approach that we will do that, and each of us profit,” she stated. “That approach, I’m not being disingenuous, and also you get what you want.”
Block out the noise, be your self.
Whether or not by way of promotions on her weblog or serving to manufacturers {photograph} their merchandise, Gabriella’s journey as a content material creator has offered loads of alternatives to develop her private model.
However that doesn’t imply she hasn’t encountered her fair proportion of naysayers. Regardless of a loyal readership on Postcards from Hawaii, Gabriella has been advised that her modest Instagram following merely isn’t sufficient to compete with bigger creators in her area of interest.
“I hit 4,000 followers not too long ago, and lots of people suppose, and have advised me, that that’s not sufficient,” she stated. “However I’m attempting to point out that you simply don’t must have all these followers to have success in content material creation.”
What actually issues is offering authenticity in your model companions and viewers—a useful asset that solely arrives once you keep true to your self.
“That’s one thing I’m actually centered on proper now,” she stated. “I wish to empower others to understand that in the event you focus in your abilities and think about your self, different individuals will acknowledge that, too.”
