Sponsored Travel & Using Instagram to Get Assignments with Yulia Denisyuk

This podcast and post focus on securing Sponsored Travel AND how to leverage Instagram to get assignments. We also chat about the catch-22 of not being able to book a media trip because you don’t have writing outlets and how to land writing gigs if you haven’t been on media trips. Also, learn how to become a part of the Instagram community for a destination, magazine or writing outlet and so much more!

My guest is freelance travel writer, Yulia Denisyuk.

Sponsored Travel AND how to Leverage Instagram to Get Assignments with Yulia Denisyuk

Listen to today’s episode where Yulia and I chat about securing Sponsored Travel AND how to leverage Instagram to get assignments. Yulia and I also discuss the steps she has taken to build relationships with tourism boards, PR reps, print, and online outlets to land media trips, paid assignments, and sponsored travel.

>> Listen to the full podcast; click here!

About Yulia:

Yulia Denisyuk is an award-winning travel photographer and writer with a special interest in stories about artisan crafts and ancient traditions. She was born in Kazakhstan, grew up in Estonia, and now lives in the United States.

Yulia has traveled the world extensively and turned to a travel journalism career after getting an MBA and working more than a decade for large organizations—first as a Navy Sailor, then as a brand manager at Fortune 500 companies.

Her work appears in National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveler, BBC Travel, AFAR, Lonely Planet, and more. Yulia is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and a three-time winner of Muster Awards, the SATW’s annual photography competition.

Yulia is the founder of NOMⴷD + JULES, a small-group travel company with trips to the Middle East and North Africa. She also runs Genius Womxn, a platform for womxn in travel media. Yulia is based in Chicago, but she is rarely there.

Julia and I chat about securing Sponsored Travel AND how to leverage Instagram to get assignments. Connect with Yulia on Instagram.

Break Into Travel Writing: A podcast and website designed to help you build a travel blog your readers love as well as help you achieve your goals as a travel writer or blogger.

In this podcast episode Yulia and I chat about:

- - Her time as a Navy Sailor in the U.S. military.
  - How she made the leap from corporate America to travel writer.
  - Yulia’s travel writing background and what inspired her to become a travel writer & photographer.
  - Yulia’s definition of sponsored travel.
  - Does sponsored travel mean a traditional media trip or a paid media trip?
  - Why sponsored travel is not a free trip. It’s an understanding that this is a collaboration and trade for content.
  - The various ways to arrange sponsored travel including media trips, FAMs and solo trips.
  - The importance to focus on niche topics as a freelance writer & photographer to land sponsored travel.
  - Knowing your niche helps to find stories to feature for a destination and helps the destination understand what you can feature.
  - The importance of understanding short and long term goals of a destination as a travel writer or blogger.
  - Yulia’s percentage of sponsored travel for freelance work vs. personal websites and writing vs. photography.
  - We chat about how Yulia secures her sponsored travel including freelance outlets or working directly with destinations or PR firms.
  - How sponsored travel differs for freelancers vs. bloggers who are only writing for their own website.
  - The steps Yulia has taken to build relationships with tourism boards, PR reps, print and online outlets to land media trips, paid assignments and sponsored travel.
  - Why building relationships is the time-consuming part of becoming a successful travel writer and building a portfolio & career.
  - Developing relationships is one of the most important aspects of freelance travel writing or blogging.
  - Why conferences are a great way to build relationships such as IMM, Tbex, SATW and more.
  - Yulia explains how many sponsored trips involve her reaching out to destinations vs invitations coming to her.
  - Yulia’s top tip for landing a sponsored trip and tips for anyone who wants to land their first press trip.
  - Why writing about your hometown is a great strategy for sustaining a travel writing career.
  - Protocols to prepare for a trip once it is booked regarding research.
  - Yulia’s advice about the best time to pitch a story to an outlet (before or after a trip).
  - How to get out of the catch-22 of not being able to book a media trip because you don’t have outlets. And how to land writing gigs if you haven’t been on media trips.
  - Why there is a purpose in the process of building a portfolio.
  - We also chat about how to leverage Instagram to get assignments. How to get noticed on the app today.
  - How to become a part of the IG community for a destination, magazine or writing outlet.
  - Yulia’s IG routine and her IG plans for the future.
  - Why “behind the scenes” fascinate followers & is a great way how to use Instagram for business.

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