Travelling has become a substantial part of many people’s lives and the number of adventurers embarking on long moto-trips is increasing rapidly. Blogging, in many forms has become a new trend… but why do people do it?

Some share their experience hoping to inspire others, others for breaking stigmas on certain countries and cultures (this in fact, was one of our main reasons when we set up Wild Feathers)… others to attract sponsors by offering brand visibility and first-hand reviews of using various equipment. I believe that in every scenario this offers some level of satisfaction, especially when one manages to get a good reach, but is it worth the time and effort?

Michnus and Elsebie - PikiPiki Overland Blog

Before getting into all the brainstorming of finding a name, and taking the time to set up everything, you might want to consider the following Pros and Cons. I got further insight from Michnus and Elsebie from PikiPiki Overland Blog. Born and bred in South Africa, this awesome couple have been travelling together since 2010 on their DR650s. The first thing that I asked them was to explain why they had decided to share their travels online.

“Originally we just wanted to share the information on our preparations for Africa we gathered to help other people plan their journeys. At that stage we were not on any other social media such as Facebook, so we started using our blog to ‘update’ to friends and family on our travels. Now we use it again more as an information and general update blog.”

Solo traveler, Robert Matt and his Honda Africa Twin

On the other hand, I discussed this with Robert Matt, a solo traveler from Liechtenstein I had met in Iran. He has been on the road travelling on his Africa Twin for more than two years and has no intention on sharing his adventures online. Robert had set up a few pages, out of pressure from his family and friends, but never pursued them further.

“At the end I am doing this journey for myself.” He continues to explain that he started his journey because he wanted a life change and wanted to learn to be further in touch with himself. Blogging and ‘enlarging’ his journey would have hindered his freedom and flexibility.

“I don’t like to present myself especially in social media and I am also not a good story writer. For me it’s much more freedom to have no pressure to post stuff, so I can be more in the moment. I prefer to be in contact with my family and friends directly.”

• The PROS

Being present online connects you to people. From other travelers who are on the same route, to locals wanting to host you, sharing your story online will bring you closer to people and can present surprising opportunities.

PikiPiki Overland explained that since they prefer to take less travelled roads, if it weren’t for their online presence, they would have missed out on meeting a lot of people.

“We got to know a lot more people that we would have ‘missed’ while travelling. We love taking the lesser travelled roads and a lot of times this leads to us missing fellow enthusiasts. Our online presence gave us not only new friends but an easy way to communicate and share with them.”

However, they also point out, that you don’t need to be a professional blogger to benefit from this. Robert, on the other hand, doesn’t feel he misses out on such opportunities.

“During my travels, I got in contact with so many locals and had very nice experiences. I always try to appreciate if someone is interested and I do take time to answer their questions, even if I am completely tired. I also met many travelers on motor bikes and bicycles and it was nice to share the experiences with them directly. Some of them I also met again in other places or even different countries or I am still in contact with them.”

Potential sponsors are constantly looking for bikers that can become their brand ambassadors. Whilst this means hard work, and being able to give something in return, blogging can be a good way to acquire free gear and equipment. Although this works out well for many travelers, it is very important to keep a balance and maintain a fair outlook when posting reviews. Elsebie points out the following:

“To think that a blog will automatically grant you access to funding and deals might not be a good reason to start. People enjoy the ‘true travelling’ experiences and can quickly see if a blog is just changing into a ‘look at me and donate’ site.”

If taken seriously and done in a manner which appeals to followers, your blog can help you generate money. There are a lot of affiliate and advertising opportunities that can earn you commission. Moreover, big sites such as Google can pay you money for using your platforms to run ads.

You get more connected to the motorcycle community and you can help others. When we were preparing for our trip, we used to read a lot of material from world travelers; from simple routes and itineraries, to useful data such as what tools and spares to carry with you and we wanted to do the same throughout our experiences.

Although Robert doesn’t do so online, he points out the following:

“There is a network between travelers anyway. If anyone has a problem, the chances are very high, that a traveler knows another traveler which has knowledge in this and can help. I shared a lot of information with others but was also helped many times. I also sent summaries to contact persons or agencies describing procedures in detail and shared helpful contacts. I was told from many people I met on the road, that for them it is an inspiration to see what I am doing and if this is the case I am happy.”

• The CONS

The extra time spent at a guesthouse/hotel to get the work done is indirectly costing you money in accommodation and food.

Whilst blogging, you are missing out on other things that you can do in the same time during your trip.

It can be stressful, and you can get caught up – unless you are very self-disciplined and can control how much time you spend glued to your laptop or phone, blogging, especially when you reach a level of popularity and engagement becomes demanding, you can easily get caught up in replying to comments, monitoring activity and thinking on how to make it bigger and more successful. Unknowingly, you might find yourself leaving your job at home, for another one on the road and it might not be worth all it takes unless you are happy with the return you are getting from it.

When I asked for their opinion about this, Michnus and Elsebie said “I think if you are not careful this can easily become true. Luckily, we have time. We do not travel for a period only, it is our ‘lifestyle’ so blogging is more than just an update site for us.”

In my experience, since both Daryl and I left our jobs back home, and have no fixed plan on returning, the Wild Feathers blog gave us an opportunity to continue to practice our passions in an environment that we love. Being a professional photographer, Daryl continues to practice his work, through an adventure that he’s been dreaming of doing for years and in my case, it has given me the opportunity to practice my love for writing—something which I did not have the time to experiment with in my busy schedule back home.

To anyone that is still unsure whether to set up a blog or not, PikiPiki Overland suggest:

“Truly take time to consider what your ‘purpose’ is with your blog as it is very time consuming and for a lot of people we know it became a cumbersome task. Also, take into account that internet connections in some countries can lead to much added annoyance and time wasted. So, do make sure you understand the long-term commitment you are getting yourself into.”
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Daryl and Deborah: @Wildfeathersblog
Michnus and Elsebie from PikiPiki Overland Blog: Robert Matt