When Joan Torres’ advertising job relocated him from Barcelona to Dubai, he couldn’t have imagined how the following few years would play out. He took benefit of his new location as a base from which to journey to lesser-visited locations. Nonetheless, he discovered himself annoyed by the ignorance obtainable on these international locations.
So, he got down to treatment that by beginning his personal journey weblog: Against the Compass.
His weblog did so nicely that he determined to department out and begin providing organized excursions to “locations your mum wouldn’t be joyful about.” In the present day his weblog is bringing in $5k+ monthly, and his excursions are incomes significantly extra.
Maintain studying to seek out out:
- The place he began touring to
- How he ready to give up his job
- How he realized about journey running a blog
- How a lot his weblog earns
- How a lot his excursions earn
- Which associates have the most effective payout
- How he approaches branding
- How he launched his journey firm
- His ideas about hyperlink constructing
- How he manages his e-mail checklist
- How usually he works on his enterprise
- His largest problem
- His principal accomplishment
- His best mistake
- The recommendation he would give different entrepreneurs
Meet Joan Torres
My title is Joan, I’m 35 years previous. I even have a 20-month-old son. We’re at present based mostly in Barcelona Metropolis, however we journey quite a bit.
In 2014, the corporate I used to be working for in Barcelona despatched me to their workplace in Dubai, the place I lived and labored for the next 3 years, working in 2 completely different European-based worldwide firms.
I give up my Dubai job in 2016, and I’ve been touring and working a web-based enterprise ever since.
My skilled background is solely advertising and model administration.
Why He Created Towards the Compass
Basically, Against the Compass is a journey weblog that focuses on offering helpful data, journey ideas, and actionable recommendation for barely visited locations similar to Yemen, Syria, Mauritania, and Pakistan.
I launched it in October 2016 after which, 5 years later, in 2021, I created a journey firm to supply excursions to a few of these distinctive locations.
As for the “why,” I’ve at all times had a way for journey, so throughout my keep in Dubai, I used to take a number of quick journeys to comparatively close by locations similar to Lebanon, Iraq, Kurdistan, and Iran.
I used to examine a number of travel blogs as nicely for all my travels, however I used to be stunned that, at the moment, there wasn’t any on-line content material on these barely visited international locations.
In the meantime, I realized that many journey bloggers had been making an precise residing from it, so in the future, I made a decision to give up my job and begin a journey weblog named Towards the Compass, whose principal goal was protecting that vacant area of interest.
As for the “how,” it’s vital to spotlight that once I give up my job, I had saved $40k. As a funds backpacker, that was greater than sufficient for traveling for 2 full years at the very least, shopping for correct digicam gear, and allocating a couple of thousand to create a journey web site.
It’s additionally vital to spotlight that I didn’t simply purchase a website and begin writing articles immediately. A few months earlier than quitting my job, I began to construct a advertising plan with the ultimate goal of changing into the weblog of reference for off-the-beaten-track locations.
The weblog wasn’t formally launched, however I had been engaged on it 5 or 6 months earlier than I give up my job.
The weblog title didn’t come in a single day however was the results of various weeks of brainstorming, looking for that title that impressed journey in a transparent however dynamic manner.
I signed up for a journey running a blog course (it doesn’t exist anymore) which was extraordinarily useful in displaying you the fitting steps to take from the start and getting fundamental information about WordPress, search engine optimisation, and journey writing.
I additionally realized that for those who ever wish to grow to be profitable within the running a blog enterprise, you will need to provide one thing helpful to your readers, one thing your readers can’t reside with out, and one thing your readers will wish to bookmark.
How A lot Joan is Incomes from Running a blog
When speaking about earnings, it’s vital to distinguish between running a blog and working excursions.
In the present day, my running a blog earnings is lower than what it was earlier than, and the reason being that I switched my focus from running a blog to working excursions.
Working excursions are a way more worthwhile enterprise, not solely by way of income but in addition as a result of that is one thing you’ll be able to hold doing in the long term.
In January 2020, my weblog was getting 240k web page views a month, and I used to be making as much as €7500 a month, relying on the month, however I’d say that €5000 was the common over the last months earlier than the pandemic began.
As much as once I began working excursions in November 2021, all my earnings got here completely from running a blog, together with issues like:
- Affiliate marketing online (40%)
- Adverts (35%)
- Hyperlink promoting (10%)
- Freelance writing (10%)
- Promoting ebooks (5%)
In the course of the pandemic, from March 2020 till June 2021, affiliate income was little or no, however I nonetheless made a good quantity on advertisements. Plus I started to get into freelance writing, particularly for Lonely Planet.
I wrote a number of on-line articles for them and 5 chapters of considered one of their guidebooks, for which I earned €5400.
In the present day, I finished accepting sponsored content material and promoting hyperlinks and ebooks, and I don’t do any freelance writing anymore. Now, I simply deal with selling my prime 3 high-performing associates: IATI Insurance coverage, Booking.com, and ExpressVPN.
search engine optimisation remains to be an vital a part of my every day job since a lot of my prospects discover me on Google, so I nonetheless work on growing site visitors, which additionally interprets into extra earnings from Mediavine, the advert community I exploit.
In March 2023, I made round €4000 solely from advertisements, IATI Insurance coverage, and reserving.com.
How A lot Joan is Incomes from Excursions
That is too non-public. I’d relatively not say, however clearly, way more than with running a blog, and the way in which it really works is that often, you add a further % to the fee per individual, however you additionally must keep in mind your private bills and taxes.
In 2022, I ran 18 group excursions (averaging 12 individuals in every), plus dozens of personal excursions.
In 2023, as of April, I’ve already run 12 excursions solely within the first 4 months of the yr.
Whereas it depends upon the particular tour once I manage them, it often consists of:
- Lodging
- Native guides
- Transportation
- Predominant meal
- Visa help, LOIs, and so on.
- Airport transfers
They will final from 6 to 14 days.
It’s very time-consuming the primary time you manage one, however then it’s simple. You additionally want the assistance of an area individual to make all of the bookings.
His Prime Advertising Methods
In a phrase: branding.
Engaged on constructing and shaping the Towards the Compass model has been my #1 advertising technique, and that’s one thing not many individuals do.
Manufacturers are like individuals; they’ve personalities and feelings and create relationships with different individuals. Folks have opinions on manufacturers and like or dislike them based mostly on their private preferences.
I’m assured that at this time, Towards the Compass is a well-established model adopted by adventurous and accountable vacationers keen to get out of their consolation zones to journey to probably the most off-the-beaten-track locations.
There are lots of individuals who really feel recognized with ATC.
The model title suggests touring to unknown locations, and readers belief the knowledge discovered on the web site as a result of we’ve additionally labored actually, actually laborious on EAT by offering extraordinarily detailed and up to date trustworthy recommendation about a number of distinctive locations, protecting a journey area of interest that had at all times been fairly empty.
That is the rationale why Towards the Compass Expeditions has been fairly profitable since we launched it in 2021.
We launched a journey firm connected to a model that was already established, a model with important authority inside that particular journey area of interest. The explanation why all our excursions bought out is as a result of individuals already knew and trusted that model.
It’s additionally vital to spotlight that regardless of being a journey weblog, I’ve by no means been the principle protagonist however relatively the locations and the model, and this has been extraordinarily useful for working excursions.
Lots of our prospects joined my excursions due to Towards the Compass, not due to Joan Torres, and that’s invaluable and completely priceless due to 2 issues:
- I can delegate this job (main excursions) to different model representatives, which is what I at present do
- Sooner or later, it will likely be a lot simpler to promote the corporate, one thing which is already in my plans, however not inside the subsequent few years
Key phrase Analysis and Hyperlink Constructing
To be trustworthy, I don’t suppose I’m doing something actually distinctive right here aside from spending hours searching for key phrases by a device named KeySearch.
Hyperlink constructing has at all times been a vital a part of my search engine optimisation.
Within the preliminary levels of running a blog, I was fairly energetic in journey running a blog FB teams. These teams had been significantly helpful for hyperlink exchanging and collaborating in collaboration posts.
I used to do a number of visitor posting for high-authority journey blogs, too. This was helpful not just for getting some hyperlink juice but in addition for networking.
Nevertheless, I additionally imagine that for those who solely get hyperlinks from inside the journey blogosphere, you’ll by no means get very far, so at this time I modified my focus to getting extra hyperlinks from web sites outdoors the journey area of interest, which is what I’m doing as I reply this interview.
This 2023, I obtained very helpful hyperlinks from media shops like The Guardian and France24, hyperlinks pointing to my Syria content, my best-selling tour.
They only reached out or linked naturally, however once I get approached by a journalist, I make it #1 precedence. I imagine there aren’t many web sites/blogs/journey firms engaged on these locations, which means that for those who provide one thing completely different, hyperlinks will come naturally
My short-term aim for 2023 is to rent a link-building professional to do some correct media outreach to get extra hyperlinks.
Joan’s Content material Creation Course of
That is easy: I journey to a brand new place and write journey guides about it, based mostly on what individuals seek for on the web.
This could possibly be something from journey tricks to a sure vacation spot to “greatest motels in X.”
I don’t journey to a spot based mostly on what individuals search. I journey the place I wish to, after which I write based mostly on what individuals seek for or no matter content material is beneficial.
I don’t have a aim of publishing a certain quantity of content material; my solely technique is to have all content material totally up to date.
His E mail Checklist
I’ve an e-mail checklist of just about 8500 subscribers. Whereas this won’t appear to be quite a bit for sure on-line entrepreneurs, I do have an engaged e-mail checklist with a median open charge of 63% and a click-through charge of 8.41%
As a rule, a few of my excursions promote out with one single e-mail, which signifies that a couple of emails could make me hundreds of euros.
I used to have a a lot bigger e-mail checklist, however I’ve been trimming it over time, eradicating unengaged subscribers, and the outcomes have been passable.
Now I get round 500 subscribers a month, and this 2023, I wish to improve it to 1000 a month. I’m engaged on that as we converse.
To handle my checklist, I exploit ConvertKit and types throughout the web site with lead magnets, similar to downloadable itineraries not discovered on my web site.
How A lot He Works on His Enterprise
It’s very random.
After I’m touring, which is round 6 months a yr, I work 1 hour per day, simply to reply emails and observe up with excursions, however I don’t do any running a blog or technique.
Nevertheless, once I’m touring with my household, we’ll cease in a sure location each X days for two or 3 days, so I can get some extra work achieved, however I don’t observe any sample.
After I’m in Barcelona, there are particular weeks once I work not more than 20 hours and weeks once I work greater than 60. It simply depends upon my motivation and particular plans for that exact week.
Joan’s Favourite Sources and Instruments
I don’t use any particular sources these days, however once I was very a lot into running a blog, Digital Nomad Wannabe was a superb supply of data for me.
As for instruments, I exploit ConvertKit for e-mail advertising, KeySearch for locating key phrases, and Google Analytics for website site visitors and demographics.
His Largest Problem
My largest problem was taking the large step of being a blogger who spent his time posting journey ideas on the web to organizing precise journeys the place a few of these readers may be part of.
It was one of many scariest issues ever, that form of worry you’ve got, like when it’s essential current or give a chat in entrance of tons of of strangers, however manner worse.
Thankfully, every little thing went nicely, and 6 out of 8 individuals from that first tour joined me on different expeditions.
Joan’s Predominant Accomplishment
My best accomplishment is having the ability to have freedom.
I’ve been informed by many individuals that working a enterprise on the one factor you like probably the most should be extraordinarily rewarding.
It’s true that touring is my no 1 pastime, and imagine me, I like what I do, however on the finish of the day, running a blog, writing articles, answering emails, and working excursions is simply work. Like everybody else, I’d relatively be touring around the globe with out a laptop computer.
Nevertheless, I don’t work a number of hours, I work every time I really feel prefer it, I take a number of months a yr of holidays, and I’m location unbiased, and people are probably the most helpful issues for me.
What He Needs He Knew When He Began
Effectively, I’ve had an e-mail checklist from the start, nevertheless it’s solely not too long ago, round 2021, that I started making use of a correct technique.
I want I had achieved this from the very starting! My checklist of subscribers could be large by now!
His Largest Mistake
The largest mistake I’ve ever made was not giving sufficient significance to social media.
Whereas I strongly imagine that relying solely on social media is the most important mistake one could make as a web-based entrepreneur, we will’t ignore the ability of social media as a device for speaking your model and, most significantly, as a device to achieve a very new viewers and get further publicity.
My excursions promote out due to a correct search engine optimisation technique and an engaged e-mail checklist. Nonetheless, I barely make any gross sales from Instagram or Fb, not solely as a result of I don’t have an enormous checklist of followers but in addition as a result of I’m not per it, and this can be a massive mistake.
His Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs
Do have a correct advertising technique and, if in case you have promoting concept however have zero advertising information, do spend money on hiring advertising guide that can assist you outline your model, goal, and technique.
Except you discover a very distinctive, comparatively empty area of interest, most markets are oversaturated and, until you create an interesting voice that sure customers might establish with, constructing a enterprise may be powerful.
In fact, advertising technique received’t be very helpful until you provide services or products, work laborious, and are constant.
