{"id":22022,"date":"2023-08-10T18:38:07","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T15:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/?p=22022"},"modified":"2025-07-23T17:05:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T14:05:42","slug":"deal-burnout-pro-tips-from-shelley-marmor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/deal-burnout-pro-tips-from-shelley-marmor\/","title":{"rendered":"Busting Travel Blogging Burnout: Pro Tips from Shelley Marmor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What\u2019s the Secret to Blogging Success?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While Shelley thinks there are several <\/em>factors that contribute to blogging success, one of the most important to her success (and the success of other travel bloggers) is posting a lot of high-quality content regularly. However, there is just one thing that gets in the way of publishing content consistently \u2014 blogxiety!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shelley Marmor, the creator of Travel Mexico Solo and four other blogs, has learned how to develop a multi-six-figure business as a travel blogger despite
 <\/em>blogxiety.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shelley\u2019s Secrets for Publishing Content Consistently (Despite Blogxiety)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shelley says it\u2019s normal for all travel bloggers (herself included!) to experience blogxiety. However, instead of \u201ccuring\u201d blogxiety or waiting for these feelings to pass to begin travel blogging consistently, Shelley is a big believer in staying consistent with blogging \u2014 even when you are <\/em>experiencing blogxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our recent webinar, Shelley shared some of her best tips and secrets for publishing content consistently (despite blogxiety) \u2014 and we\u2019re rounding them all up below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip #1: Stop comparing yourself to other bloggers.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During a recent survey we conducted at Travelpayouts, we found that the top source of blogxiety for travel bloggers is comparing themselves to other successful travel bloggers. Can you relate? Fortunately, Shelley hit this topic on the head during our webinar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the webinar, Shelley shared these three practical tips<\/a> to help travel bloggers stop comparing themselves to other bloggers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Unfollow triggering content <\/strong>\u2014 Shelley said the first tip is a \u201chard stop.\u201d If you are following someone on social media who is contributing to your blogxiety, it\u2019s much better to unfollow this person than to continue to experience these negative feelings.<\/li>
  2. Use a website blocker <\/strong>\u2014 Website blockers keep you from being able to visit certain websites (like Instagram or TikTok) at certain times of the day (or permanently) \u2014 and they\u2019re super easy to set up on your own. Shelley recommends using BlockSite<\/a> (or another similar website blocker) to create blocks for websites that contribute to your blogxiety or prevent you from getting work completed.<\/li>
  3. Do something from your \u201ceasy\u201d task list <\/strong>\u2014 Shelley has an \u201ceasy\u201d task list that includes \u201cquick win\u201d tasks like keyword research, spell-checking posts, writing alt text, doing collab posts, and internal linking. Shelley encourages bloggers to create their own list of \u201cquick wins\u201d (or steal hers!) that they can turn to when they\u2019re having a hard day and just need to get something done to move the needle forward on a project.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Creating an \u201ceasy\u201d task list, like this list Shelley shared during the webinar, will ensure you always have something to do to move the needle forward in your business, even when you\u2019re combatting comparison, writer\u2019s block, or blogxiety.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Tip #2a: Stop the social media overload.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    During the same survey conducted by our team at Travelpayouts, we revealed that social media overload was one of the leading causes of blogxiety among travel bloggers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During her presentation, Shelley shared some information about how social media fuels the dopamine cycle \u2014 you open social media, perform an action (creating a post), wait for a reaction (likes or comments), and when the reaction is completed, it triggers the \u201creward\u201d in your brain, and the dopamine cycle is complete! However, the only way to keep the cycle going is to continue posting on social media, which leaves you caught in an endless (and often toxic) cycle of social media usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In our webinar, Shelley shared these three useful tips<\/a> to help bloggers break the dopamine cycle and the seemingly endless overload from social media:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Delete social media apps <\/strong>\u2014 Deleting social media apps, like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, from your phone (or using a website blocker on your computer) is a great way to keep yourself from scrolling social media instead of getting work done.<\/li>
    2. Turn to the \u201ceasy\u201d task list <\/strong>\u2014 Completing something from your \u201ceasy\u201d task list and physically checking that item off the list gives your brain the same<\/em> hit of dopamine you experience from social media.<\/li>
    3. Try the Pomodoro technique <\/strong>\u2014 The Pomodoro technique is a time-management method that involves 25 minutes of focused work time followed by a five-minute break. So, if you need to check social media during work, complete the full work session and then check your social media during the five-minute break. Shelley recommends Focus To-Do<\/a> \u2014 a time and task management application \u2014 to help you follow the Pomodoro technique to complete tasks efficiently.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Tip #2b: Decide if you even need<\/em> social media.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Shelley also wanted to remind travel bloggers that they do not need <\/em>social media to be successful. \u201cI\u2019m a multi-six-figure blogger, and I do zero social media,\u201d said Shelley. If social media is the primary cause of your blogxiety, Shelley encourages you to take a step back and ask yourself \u2014 \u201cdo I really need social media?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Shelley mentioned plenty of successful bloggers don\u2019t use social media at all. To understand why, it\u2019s important to understand the difference between a blogger and an influencer<\/a> \u2014 and while many travel bloggers are both<\/em> bloggers and influencers, juggling both titles (and tasks) is not essential to being a successful travel blogger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Shelley shared that a travel blogger needs just one thing: a blog. As long as you have a website that you\u2019re publishing blog posts on, you\u2019re a travel blogger \u2014 and you don\u2019t need to have social media accounts. However, as a travel influencer, you need<\/em> social media accounts to partner with travel brands. Shelley encourages travel bloggers to ask themselves: \u201cDo I want to be a blogger, an influencer, or both?<\/em>\u201d If you want just <\/em>to be a blogger, Shelley encourages you to feel the freedom to step away from social media and focus solely on your blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Tip #3: Learn how to overcome writer\u2019s block.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      In the Travelpayouts survey about blogxiety, we revealed that writer’s block is another significant source of burnout in travel bloggers. During the webinar, Shelley shared her six practical tips<\/a> for \u201cunblocking\u201d writer\u2019s block:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. Aim for progress (not perfection) <\/strong>\u2014 Shelley said there is no such thing as perfection, so instead of expecting the world, just expect yourself to get something done while blogging. You\u2019ll feel much more accomplished this way!<\/li>
      2. Take a short break from writing <\/strong>\u2014 If you are struggling with overwhelming writer\u2019s block, Shelley suggests stepping away from writing altogether and turning to your \u201ceasy\u201d task list to get something else done. She says sometimes it\u2019s best even to take a break from work altogether to go for a walk, make a snack, or call a friend.<\/li>
      3. Write an outline <\/strong>\u2014 Since writing an outline isn\u2019t actually <\/em>writing, Shelley mentioned that completing an outline is a great way to feel accomplished. Who knows \u2014 it may even inspire you to get started on the post itself!<\/li>
      4. Visualize yourself writing <\/strong>\u2014 If you\u2019re struggling with writer\u2019s block, Shelley suggests closing your eyes for one second and picturing yourself typing on the computer. Sometimes, this thought process triggers your brain to start the writing process.<\/li>
      5. Work on \u201cfree\u201d writing <\/strong>\u2014 Instead of writing a blog post, take some time to write something else. You can write poetry, start journaling, or even write gibberish. Start working on anything but a blog post (or \u201cwork\u201d) to see if it gets the wheels turning.<\/li>
      6. Think of topic post clusters <\/strong>\u2014 Shelley encourages bloggers to come up with topic post clusters from previous content to get inspiration for new content. She shared an example in the webinar<\/a> about how to create content clusters for a blog post about the \u201cBest Tours in Paris.\u201d Shelley came up with the subtopics \u201cBest Food Tours in Paris,\u201d \u201cBest Walking Tours in Paris,\u201d \u201cBest Boat Tours in Paris,\u201d and \u201cBest Bike Tours in Paris.\u201d She said you\u2019ll likely have one or two tours from each subcategory in the post, which is an excellent starting place for a newer and more targeted post.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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        Shelley shared this diagram of affiliate post topic clusters during her presentation to explain how to use an existing blog post (like the \u201cBest Tours in Paris\u201d) to come up with another more targeted blog post (like the \u201cBest Food Tours in Paris\u201d).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        In addition to Shelley\u2019s excellent tips, you can also read these tips for overcoming writer\u2019s block as a travel blogger<\/a> from our team at Travelpayouts for further inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Blogxiety Q&A with Shelley Marmor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Shelley answered a few questions during our Q&A<\/a> about overcoming writer\u2019s block, making money as a travel blogger, and building trust and community. Here are her answers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Q: Do you believe that specific writing schedules or routines help to prevent writer\u2019s block?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        I don\u2019t prefer working on a writing schedule or routine, but if that\u2019s what works for you \u2014 you should go for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Q: Should bloggers be relying on affiliate posts or advertising revenue to make extra income?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Bloggers should focus on both <\/em>affiliate and advertising revenue for their blogs if they want to make money \u2014 and the most successful travel blogging businesses have multiple income streams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I make the most money from affiliate marketing on affiliate marketing platforms, like Travelpayouts<\/a>, but I also have three of my websites on Mediavine<\/a> (an advertising management platform). I encourage bloggers to have as many income streams as possible, including affiliate income, advertising income, and other creative income streams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Q: How do you create a community without being on social media?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Creating a community is \u201cinfluencer stuff,\u201d while search engine optimization is \u201cblogger stuff.\u201d Since I\u2019m a blogger, I\u2019m not as focused on creating a community, but instead, I am focused on ranking my websites as high on Google as possible to answer travelers’ questions about traveling to Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I encourage bloggers who don\u2019t <\/em>want to be on social media but still<\/em> want a community to start creating a community through an email list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Q: How do you build trust with your audience?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        I establish authority at the beginning of my posts to build trust. In the first paragraph or two, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I tell my readers I have been living in Mexico since 2018, have traveled extensively through the country, and only <\/em>blog about Mexico \u2014 therefore establishing credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Start Earning with Affiliate Marketing to Combat Blogxiety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        During the webinar, Shelley shared that affiliate income is her largest income stream as a travel blogger \u2014 and we know that earning consistent revenue is a great way to stay inspired and avoid travel blogging burnout.
        If you\u2019re looking for a platform to get started with affiliate marketing, we would love to have you join the         Travelpayouts Partnership Platform<\/a>. After joining, you\u2019ll have access to hundreds of well-known affiliate programs, including Booking.com<\/a>, GetYourGuide<\/a>, and Viator<\/a>, so you can start earning an income from travel blogging without feeling burnt out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Shelley Marmor, the creator behind Travel Mexico Solo<\/a> and five other successful blogs, including Travel Blogging 101<\/a>, shared her tips for how to overcome blogxiety and how to start making money from your blog in our recent How to Avoid Travel Blogging Burnout: Blogxiety Webinar<\/em><\/a>. Shelley grew her travel blog into a multi-six-figure business in just three years \u2014 which means she knows a thing or two about gaining success as a travel blogger while battling blogxiety. Let\u2019s dive right into what Shelley shared with us during the webinar!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":22032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[604],"tags":[357,204,603,639,646],"class_list":["post-22022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogxiety","tag-bloggers","tag-blogging","tag-blogxiety","tag-burnout","tag-tips-for-bloggers"],"acf":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/72"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22022"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28206,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22022\/revisions\/28206"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}