30 Travelers Tell You How To Build A Travel YouTube Channel In 2021 (2024)

Everybody wants to do videos these days.

There are more and more people and business competing for views, likes, shares and subscribers on YouTube and pretty much any other social media platforms.

I know that first hand from the people I’m doing the video editing for.

Getting traction on YouTube is much harder than it was just 12 months ago. Not sure if that’s because of all the competition or it’s just how the algorithm works.

Some say you need to post 100 videos before you start to see results.

Some say it’s 80% luck and 20% work.

Some say it’s consistency.

Originality.

Quality.

You get the idea.

Now, I don’t think that the traveling niche is that different than other verticals, but since I’m working mostly with clients in this category, I decided to target the question specifically to this niche.

So I asked content creators what do they think it’s working right now on YouTube. What would their #1 tip for growing a travel YouTube channel be?

Before we move forward, please note that we reached out to content creators of all sizes. So in this post you’ll find people that have hundreds of thousands of subscribers as well as channels that are just starting out.

I think the input we got back was great and hopefully helpful.

And in case you’re just starting out on we created a list of the best YouTube video editing software you can try.

Big thanks to everybody who participated!

Here’s what we got back.

Kristin Addis

I think it’s posing a question that the viewer will want the answer to. It can be purely informational or an opinion, but take a stance or show your real opinion. What makes a video different is YOU.

Abi King

My number one tip would be…

Ah, I have too many to limit to one! Ultimately, be authentic and helpful. In practical terms, don’t neglect the text beneath your video!

Gabriel Morris

There’s no simple answer for how to grow on Youtube, which is actually a good thing because that makes it more interesting, challenging and open to your own creativity.

Success on Youtube depends on a lot of different factors: how much work you put it into it, your personality, your editing skills, your story-telling skills and oftentimes just plain luck.

But if it’s a travel channel, then the most important thing is pretty simple: post lots of travel videos.

You can’t grow a travel channel by talking about traveling from the comfort of your home.

You’ll get a few views that way, but you aren’t going to get nearly as many views as you will if you’re posting videos from the places you’re actually talking about.

Be consistent. The more videos the better.

Quality is important of course. But if you’re too much of a perfectionist to the point that you’re only posting a few videos per month, that probably isn’t going to be great for your channel.

Travel videos don’t often go viral and get tons of views, so it’s better to expect that you’re going to need to post more videos rather than counting on one really good video getting a lot of views.

Try different angles. Post about food, show how much things cost, post about the people, give city tours,post adventure videos, show the cheapest options for food and accommodation and the more expensive options and just see what works better for you and what doesn’t seem to go anywhere.

Put yourself in the video. Travel content is generally more interesting with a narrator who has a story to share, so weave your own story into the videos while you’re also talking about the place.

Be creative in your editing. Find good music that’s a little different from the norm. Find music from the region that helps set the mood of being in that place. And as they say, just keep uploading.

Good luck and happy travels.

Yannick

Listen to and do your research on what people need.

YouTube is the biggest video search engine in the world. If people are searching for it, they will organically find you in some way.

Jessica Festa

Whether you’re creating a blog post, video, Instagram share or another piece of content, there is value in creating what others are not.

Take inspiration from others and study their techniques, and then incorporate them into your own ideas.

This may mean taking some time to storyboard an idea.

For instance, if you want to create a video on traveling Italy, think about how you can talk about it in a new way while also having your unique personality shine through.

This is how you’ll stand out from the crowd.

Dev Footloosedev

I think the most important thing for making your YouTube channel stand in the crowd in 2019 is the uniqueness of the content, even if with the slightest degree.

I mean Youtube has grown exponentially in the previous few years, with more and more YouTubers entering the scene.

If there were 100 YouTubers talking about culture and travel in 2018, in 2019, there are at least 1,000.

So what makes you stand apart from the crowd is what’s going to matter.

Why should people watch you over the others?

Eg, when I decided to start Youtube and motorbiking and travel became my focus theme, I decided to differentiate it by adding cultural travel in it, because there were already hundreds of moto-travelers out there (especially if I talk about my home market India) but none of them were into local experiences and culture.

So that’s how I decided to differentiate myself.

Footloosedev is also a full-time blogger since 2016.

Mike Huxley

Build your own brand on your own platform first, or at least simultaneously.

And use YouTube (and any other social media) as a tool to bring an audience to your platform.

Don’t just rely on other platforms alone because you are never in control and it is always risky.

Your own brand and own website will grow a loyal and engaged audience that is there to see you and hear your message across any media, including YouTube.

And your YouTube channel will grow by default because of your in built audience.

Elaine Masters

Post great content regularly.

If I post weekly I grow faster but as I love to edit for better storytelling, that’s not always possible.

I don’t beat myself up about it.

I’d rather post something that can be a proud evergreen than poorly done for quick delivery.

Nora

I’m far from the world’s leading expert on how to grow a YouTube audience, but I will say that the most exponential growth I experienced has been whenever I have collaborated with other (ideally more popular!) YouTube vloggers and been featured on their channel.

Collaborations can not only be a great way to bring a new element and style to your channel and videos, but it can also be a wonderful way to introduce viewers to other amazing YouTube channels out there.

It’s a symbiotic relationship between vloggers.

Tamara Elliot

My tip for growing a YouTube channel is to use proper SEO and tagging when publishing videos, so that viewers can find them in Google searches.

It also helps to share videos on all of your social media channels when a new one is posted.

Kristen and Siya

Being specific with the topic of your channel.

When someone asks what your channels about, you should be able to describe it in one sentence.

Of course, make sure your passionate about the content you’re creating and you have enough video ideas surrounding your topic.

Also, consistency is key!

Uploading at least one video a week, on the same day and at the same time if possible, is highly encouraged if you want to build a loyal audience.

Joanna Kalafatis

My #1 tip for growing a YouTube channel in 2019 would be to really make your personality shine through – by now, people have seen amazing landscapes and drone shots of incredible places 1,000 times before.

They will tune into your channel to see YOUR take on a destination, not just pretty shots.

Make sure you highlight what you love about a place, and what you want your ideal audience to love as well.

Sabrina Iovino

Be yourself.

Don’t copy others.

It’s easier to stand out of the crowd if you so something unique, that no one has done before.

And make sure you’ll do it with all your heart, it’s hard to succeed if this isn’t your passion.

Heather Cowper

If you are new to making travel videos, it’s worth remembering that Youtube is a video search engine.

With that in mind, you are likely to get more views if you research the topics and keywords that people are searching for both within Youtube and more generally and then tailor your videos to meet those search queries.

Barbara Weibel

One of the best ways to generate traffic on a YouTube channel is with “Suggested Videos.”

YouTube automatically chooses other videos to “suggest” at the end of your video, and most times they are from a channel other than yours.

While creators have no choice about which videos are suggested when a video is viewed on the YouTube site, the situation is much different when videos are embedded into another site.

For instance, I create a video, upload it to YouTube, and create all my playlists and end screens, etc.

I then write a post on my blog about the video and embed it into that post, using the iframe code provided by YouTube.

However, I make one little change to the code.

At the end of the YouTube URL I add ?rel=0 before the closing quote mark.

This forces YouTube to show ONLY videos from my channel when viewers watch the embedded video on my blog.

An example iframe code would look like this, with the added code below:

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1234554321xyz?rel=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>"

Will Tang

My #1 tip for growing a travel YouTube channel is to keep experimenting to find out what sticks.

In a hyper-competitive environment, there are channels popping up left, right, and center and the way I’ve been able to continuously grow is just to keep trying different formats of videos, themes, content topics, and styles of video to see what resonates with my audience but also performs well in the YouTube ecosystem.

Once you find out what works, keep doubling down on that type of content and watch your channel blossom.

Besides his Youtube channel, you can also follow Will on his blog.

Katy Clarke

Our main tip is to stay focused and be consistent when it comes to planning and creating content.

Always have your end audience in mind and create useful material that helps your viewers solve their travel challenges or inspires them to visit someplace new.

But you should also never forget your unique voice and perspective on the topic you address whether that be exploring the streets of Rome or keeping your belongings safe on the road.

Shannon O’Donnell

To establish a presence on YouTube these days, you absolutely need to have something to say!

YouTube is—above all else—still a search engine.

The #2 search engine behind Google, actually.

And just like Google, people use YouTube to answer questions and get advice.

And sure to also be entertained, put the low-hanging fruit of getting established is to be helpful, and be interesting while doing it!

Alexandra Kovacova

I think that the best way to grow any social media following is to show unique places in a special way.

You need to be authentic and also don’t be scared to show your personality and more of your thoughts and feelings.

Then people will be able to relate more to you and feel like you’ve been friends 😊.

At least I prefer to follow people who I can learn something about.

David Hoffman

My #1 tip for growing a travel YouTube channel in 2019 is to create and release great content daily.

The more you release, the more you will grow, period.

I remember when I first started, I saw Casey Neistat say “Keep releasing.”

If you look at anyone who is growing in this niche, the one thing they have in common is they release almost every day, and their content is always tied to the subject that they have built an audience around.

Also, do more of what you want and less sponsored content.

One thing I have noticed from YouTubers at around 250,000 subscribers is that they do a lot of sponsored content.

That can turn off viewers and even push your audience away.

I personally do very few sponsored videos, maybe 1-4 videos a month at the most.

The rest of my videos showcase what I love doing, which is eating and exploring!

Stephen and Jess

If you are wanting to grow on YouTube in 2019 you need to ensure you are keeping up with a strict upload schedule.

1 video every month or every few months when you finish a trip just doesn’t cut it on YouTube anymore.

Meet a minimum upload of at least 1 video a week, tell your audience when it will be and make sure you stick it to it.

We did over 500 videos before we hit our first 10,000 subscribers to put into perspective the consistent patience you need to succeed on this platform.

Macca Sherifi

What is in your opinion the #1 tip for growing a travel Youtube channel in 2019?

One of the things I’ve always struggled with is posting consistently.

Obviously, the nature of being a travel blogger is you’re on the road a lot.

That means making time for filming and especially editing can be difficult.

That’s why I’ve always focused on quality content, and it seems to have worked for me.

Instead of pumping out semi-decent content, I’ve only ever posted premium content.

Even though this means I’m posting less than other YouTubers, I’m always really happy with what I put out.

I think you’ve got to find a style that works for you and stick with it!

David Ways

Offer a formula that is refreshing, down to earth and exceeds in showing off your own character if you are in the video.

Otherwise, keep the video short with no long introductions.

Jump straight in – people already know who you are or what the video is about and if not – and they like you/it – will look around some more and subscribe.

Gareth Leonard

My advice would be to “make something that sucks.”

Yes, that’s right – make something that sucks.

With an emphasis on MAKE SOMETHING.

Too many people are crippled with the idea that their videos aren’t going to be very good at the beginning… guess what, they’re not.

I guarantee Michelangelo created some pretty terrible stuff before he found David.

The quicker you can get over this idea of being perfect and just start creating, the better you will be and the faster you can improve.

Brittany and Drew

Our #1 tip is CONSISTENCY.

Commit to 1 video a week and STICK WITH IT.

Do what it takes, build a structure around it, edit until your happy with the finished product and do not let yourself back out.

You only get better by making more videos and your audience needs to see you on a consistent basis in order to connect.

Dave

Be true to yourself!

Let your personality shine through in your videos.

Make people want to watch your videos – so add in some humor, offer helpful tips relating to the topic of your video and promote the heck out of your videos across all of your other digital platforms.

Natasha Alden

My number one tip for growing a YouTube is to make sure your content looks good.

Long gone are the days when grainy phone videos make for click-worthy viral content.

It’s a very competitive world nowadays, and it’s essential to produce a high-quality video.

I’m not suggesting to buy top of the line cameras, but putting extra care into your shots and framing can go a long way.

Whenever I am shooting and editing a video, I will think, “Would I want to watch this”?

If the answer is no, then I need to rethink the story and shots and rework it to make it exciting and beautiful.

Nicola Easterby

My number one tip is to find your niche and stick to it- don’t just create content for the sake of it.

Create content that is going to connect with your audience and build your tribe.

Anton Diaz

My #1 Tip in building a travel YT channel is to consistently hack the YT algorithm by doing a once a day raw and authentic vlog.

The topics and metatags should be focused on a certain domain in travel so that you stand for it and build your YT audience and community around it.

It’s getting harder and harder each day to build a following but consistently, authenticity and smart meta-tagging is the key in 2019.

Francesca Murray

I think the #1 tip for growing a travel YouTube in 2019 is to focus less on the number of subscribers, and more on the quality of your gear and ability to tell stories.

Invest in the right camera, editing software, and courses if need be to produce high-quality videos that will attract someone’s attention, and then hook them in with great stories.

As long as you’re doing it with passion, you’ll enjoy the ride and be less stressed along the way!