Matt Barker, CEO at Horizon Guides, talks about the 'enshitification' of the travel content world - how for the past 10 years every brand and company has tried to become a media company and publisher on the side, with disastrous results. His company Horizon Guides uses specialist writers and niche topics to offset this, trying to expose people to unsung places and experiences, rather than the tired and over-subscribed ones.
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Also covered:
Trying to stand out by being blisteringly honestThe niche benefits of being a small publisherThe commissioning policyWhen and how to use ChatGPT in travel writingHow Google's algorithm affects travel publishingHow 'information gain' can help with SEOWriters and the need to create a 'knowledge graph' with GoogleUsing email lists to offset Google's changesUsing intuition, not playing the SEO gameOne project that didn't quite die
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Keywords: travel writing, travel blogging, travel content creation, demand generation, niche travel, honest travel reviews
Want to stand out as a travel writer? This video explores unconventional content creation and the power of honest reviews in the travel industry. Our guest, Matt Barker, founder of Horizon Guides, shares his journey from marketing to travel writing and the challenges of today's travel media landscape.
Key Points:
The "enshitification" of travel media: Most travel content focuses on marketing destinations, neglecting the downsides. (10:00)
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