BITW 131: How to Collaborate with Brands and Build Partnerships with Caz Makepeace

Caroline (Caz) Makepeace is the co-founder of yTravelblog.com, one of the world’s biggest travel blogs. Caz and yTravel, have been featured by publications such as Lonely Planet, The Today Show, Forbes, Travel & Leisure and Cheddar TV.

yTravel has partnered with some of the world’s biggest travel brands such as Allianz Global Assistance, Canon, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Skyscanner and multiple tourism boards around the world. Their blog was recently awarded a Modern Entrepreneur award for their excellence in publishing. She and her husband, Craig are currently road tripping around the US with their two daughters

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BITW 131: How to Collaborate with Brands and Build Partnerships with Caz Makepeace

In my interview with Caroline (Caz) Makepeace, she shares how she turned 10+ years of travel into a business by starting a travel blog. We chat about the importance of vision and purpose for your blog as well as the best ways to build and communicate with your community. We also discuss why the quality of engagement is more important than follower numbers. This is “How to Collaborate with Brands and Build Partnerships with Caz Makepeace”.

Your travel blog isn’t going to survive if you aren’t satisfying the dream and desire you want, and if you aren’t also contributing something good for other people. — Caz Makepeace

Caz, Craig and kids in Channel Island, CA

In this episode we also discuss:

Understand your vision and purpose for your blog.
Why Caz’s purpose is helping people through travel become better people.
How Caz & Craig involve their kids in the blog.
How Caz & Craig divide their tasks.
Why Caz says their blog is their most important asset as a brand.
Why the blog, email, and video are their top 3 areas of focus.
Why social media has become too unstable to count on.
The best ways to communicate with your community.
How to land brand sponsorships and partnerships.
Why reaching out to brands too soon can kill your opportunities.
Until you build influence, community, and value, you won’t be able to work with brands.
Build your value and worth before you reach out to brands.
Why you’ll need to prove your value.
How to communicate with your community.
Why you must screenshot all positive community feedback.
Why the quality of engagement is more important than follower numbers.
How to bring your readers into your journey.
Participating in pods and threads is not presenting an authentic story or building community.
Why you must assess how you are spending your time vs. the return on investment.
Why brands you love and use are the best partnerships.
Why a relationship must come before pitching a brand.
The proper way to negotiate with brands.
Why you’ll most likely get more no’s than yes, but each no is bringing you closer a yes.
You have to be willing to show a brand how you can help them reach more people and share their message.
Professionalism is a must. Listen to all of Caz’s tips for this at the end of the interview!
BONUS: Pinterest tips!

Full episode >> Listen to Episode 131 Now!

Episode Resources

Travel Media Showcase

Connect with Caroline (Caz) Makepeace:

Caroline (Caz) Makepeace’s website; YTravel
YTravel on Facebook
YTravel on Pinterest
YTravel on Instagram
YTravel on Twitter

Connect with Alexa, Break Into Travel Writing & My Travel Blog
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
52perfectdays.com
The Aspiring Travel Writer, the Facebook group

Tweetable:

Loved the interview with Caz Makepeace from @ytravelblog on the Break Into Travel Writing #podcast @writetotravel

Hope you enjoyed this episode and are inspired to think about building your blog brand so you can land brand sponsorships and partnerships. Please join me in thanking Maria for sharing such awesome information and actionable tips on today’s show! Interested in hearing the full podcast? Click here to listen now!

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