Matt Bailey, initially from Canada, set off to journey the world for a number of years along with his spouse, Karla, from Mexico Metropolis. Collectively they visited 35 international locations, and after they returned dwelling, they traveled round Canada.
This supplied the inspiration to create their web site, Must Do Canada. Initially it was only a facet hustle with no concrete plan, however little by little it began to realize site visitors.
Then Matt had a really intelligent concept for the web site, and he, Karla, and a videographer got down to create distinctive content material for the positioning. This actually set the wheels in movement, as they began to construct their authority on YouTube.
A couple of years later they went full-time with their website. Right now, Should Do Canada is without doubt one of the prime journey web sites and YouTube channels for Canadian journey, and so they’re incomes 6 figures a yr.
Preserve studying to search out out:
- How he began touring the world
- What different web sites he created previous to his Canada website
- What intelligent content material creation concept he had for YouTube when he began
- The place his earnings comes from
- How a lot site visitors his website will get
- His prime advertising methods
- His ideas on search engine optimisation
- His key phrase analysis method
- How he views hyperlink constructing
- His content material creation course of
- How he builds his e mail listing
- His favourite assets and instruments
- His important problem
- His most essential accomplishment
- His largest mistake
- His recommendation for different entrepreneurs
Meet Matt Bailey
I grew up in a small mining city in Northern Alberta known as Fort McMurray. My spouse typically refers to me because the quintessential Canadian, as I grew up within the north, performed hockey, and infrequently walked dwelling from events underneath the Northern Lights.
As a child, my dad typically introduced me quadding or snowmobiling into the backcountry, staying at random cabins and simply having fun with the outside.
My spouse has a very totally different background, as she’s from Mexico Metropolis, which is without doubt one of the largest and most populated cities on the earth. So her life didn’t function a lot wilderness.
Nevertheless, after assembly me and shifting to Canada, she completely fell in love with the outside and it’s form of cool that we are able to share totally different views with our viewers.
This yr, nonetheless, we additionally welcomed two twin women to the household, so as soon as they get a bit older, they’ll be becoming a member of us on journeys. In reality, we have already got a winter journey within the mountains deliberate for after they’re 6 months outdated.
Why He Created His Website
When my spouse moved to Canada, she wasn’t allowed to work for a whole yr as she wanted everlasting residence. This made life fairly boring for her, particularly after coming from the company world in Mexico Metropolis.
In the meantime, I used to be aching to journey the world, and my college was providing a semester overseas. So, as a substitute of ready round, I selected to do my final semester of college in Malaysia and we went to Southeast Asia for nearly all of 2012.
Though I had backpacked to Australia, Indonesia, and New Zealand in 2009, this journey with my spouse actually impressed us to maintain touring the world, which is what we did, touring to about 35 international locations over the following 4 years. We might mainly come dwelling for 5-6 months, work as a lot as we might, save as a lot as we might, after which journey once more.
On the similar time, I’ve at all times been thinking about enterprise and entrepreneurship, and after studying concerning the on-line world, I felt that creating a web based enterprise was the very best path ahead.
I already had a private web site known as Live Limitless the place I used to be sharing journey tales, bucket listing objectives, and issues like that. Then, as I received extra into journey, I received into the world of journey hacking, which is mainly studying how one can earn and maximize journey miles.
This led to what was actually my first on-line enterprise: CanadianFreeFlyers.com. The web site continues to be technically alive however the enterprise is now not lively. I used to be really the primary individual to launch a journey hacking membership website for Canadians manner again in 2012.
Mainly, for a payment, I’d educate them how one can earn a whole lot of 1000’s of miles and how one can redeem them for dream journeys world wide. My first “massive break” was getting interviewed in a full-page unfold within the Toronto Star, which landed me about $5000 in gross sales the following day. This was an enormous deal to me on the time and it was a little bit of an journey too.
I did the interview through Zoom from Laos and launched the course from a resort room in China. Sarcastically, my launch nearly received ruined due to the firewall in China. I wasn’t capable of see the article or entry my web site from there, however fortunately, it labored out.
Throughout these journey years, we additionally did a highway journey throughout Canada with my dad and mom. Since now we have household in Montreal and in Newfoundland, we received collectively and traveled for six weeks, experiencing plenty of Canada’s prime sights alongside the best way.
That is what impressed me to begin Must Do Canada in 2013. On the time, it was actually a facet hustle and form of a interest with no actual plan of what to do with it. However I stored writing for it at times, slowly rising the site visitors alongside the best way.
Quick ahead to 2016, we determined to finish “full-time journey” and get a profession in advertising, which is what we each studied. Sadly, the economic system in our metropolis collapsed that yr and there have been no jobs to be discovered.
Nevertheless, 2017 was simply across the nook and Canada was closely selling its a hundred and fiftieth birthday. So, I got here up with the concept to do a 150-day highway journey throughout the nation to make a documentary about what makes Canada particular.
Since we had no concept about video in these days, we pitched the concept to a younger videographer we had simply met at a facet job. The thought can be to go to every province and territory, interviewing folks alongside the best way and experiencing the very best of every vacation spot.
I’d pitch it to corporations and attempt to discover a sponsor to cowl the prices, together with the price of hiring him to affix us for 5 months. He agreed and we shot our pilot episode in Lake Louise throughout the winter.
Sadly, we missed all of the grants that have been being given out, however I despatched the video and a pitch to a whole lot of corporations. A couple of expressed curiosity however the one one which ended up sponsoring the entire journey was Greatest Western Accommodations.
The timing was good as they have been trying to get entangled with the large celebrations and time was actually winding down. After making a tough plan, we flew to Newfoundland, purchased a used Honda Pilot, and commenced the journey on Might fifteenth, ranging from essentially the most Easterly level in Canada. Proper after we began, nonetheless, we determined to alter it to a YouTube sequence with one episode for every province.
This labored out properly, and by the tip of the highway journey on October eleventh, we had 12 episodes and YouTube turned our fastest-growing platform.
Though we had no plans to proceed, we didn’t wish to let the success go to waste, so we doubled down on it, discovered how one can do video ourselves, and it turned a pillar of our enterprise.
It took us a few years although, because the enterprise didn’t actually turn into full-time for us till late 2020.
Right now, now we have one of many prime journey web sites for Canadian journey, one of many prime YouTube channels for Canadian journey, the highest journey publication within the nation, and a neighborhood publication for our dwelling metropolis of Calgary as properly.
How A lot Cash He’s Making
It’s been climbing ever since 2020 and we now have income of round $150,000 or extra. After all, now we have some bills as properly, however general, it’s going up annually.
We’ve needed to take a little bit of a success this yr, nonetheless, as we simply had twins and couldn’t do as many movies, however we anticipate to be again in full swing in 2024.
On the similar time, I’ve grown the web site considerably within the final couple of years and added our Canadian publication, which now has 75,000 subscribers.
Though we do make some advert income from YouTube, most of our earnings comes from sponsors, that are often tourism boards or greater manufacturers like Canadian Tire and Toyota.
For the web site, many of the income comes from advertisements, however we additionally do sponsored posts from time to time. We’re additionally rising our affiliate income now and anticipate that to be one in every of our prime earnings sources inside a yr. For the publication, all of the income comes from promoting.
As for site visitors, this yr, we hit about 150,000 distinctive classes every month, in order that was an enormous factor for us. As a result of we really journey throughout the nation yearly and canopy numerous floor, we get numerous hyperlinks from reliable sources, so I feel Google trusts our content material loads. Nevertheless, we nonetheless have plenty of work to do.
Our YouTube channel at the moment has 95,000 subscribers and about 120,000 views every month. Our publication has round 65,000 subs with a 45-50% open fee.
Some weeks, I most likely spend 60+ hours on the enterprise. It fluctuates.
Once we journey, I spend much less time on the pc and extra time in entrance of or behind the digital camera. However I mainly at all times have my laptop computer or cellphone in case I must do one thing.
I additionally ship and reply to A LOT of emails. Between us, I’d say 100 hours per week on common. Proper now, although, we’re studying to do extra with much less time and likewise making an attempt to delegate extra.
There’s no manner we might work that a lot in the mean time whereas elevating two little women.
Matt’s Fundamental Advertising and marketing Technique
I must say search engine optimisation is the most important a part of our technique, each with the web site and with YouTube.
I feel additionally being centered on a distinct segment permits us to realize authority quicker. Our publication additionally performs an enormous position now that now we have a considerable amount of subscribers. Social media would most likely be our third.
His Ideas on search engine optimisation
search engine optimisation is essential. As soon as I discovered loads about search engine optimisation and began specializing in it, site visitors grew a lot quicker. I discovered search engine optimisation by studying quite a lot of weblog articles, resembling Digital Nomad Wannabe, in addition to signing up for a course like search engine optimisation Blueprint.
I additionally be part of Fb teams and ask numerous questions. Digital Nomad Wannabe presents an excellent one and it’s free. Usually, I simply discover key phrases that individuals are trying to find, deal with simply separately, and construct content material round that.
For instance, if we go to a sure metropolis, I’ll take that story and intertwine it with the key phrase(s) individuals are trying to find. Hyperlinks are additionally essential, however I feel we’re on the level now the place they don’t matter as a lot.
I used to spend so much of time making an attempt to construct out hyperlinks, however now I attempt to simply deal with the content material and let the hyperlinks come naturally.
Key phrase Analysis
Since we really journey the nation, I usually begin with the locations I’m visiting and search for keywords folks use about that place. Nevertheless, I additionally attempt to work down from the provincial stage.
We would begin with the province itself, transfer to the cities, then the cities, and so forth. We purpose for key phrases that we predict we are able to rank for, but when we really feel our viewers would love a sure matter, we’ll write it anyway, even when we would not rank.
We form of wish to stability it between key phrases and what we predict can be essentially the most useful to our readers.
Hyperlink Constructing
Link building, particularly at first, is kind of essential.
We usually begin by linking from all of our social channels and perhaps some running a blog associates now we have. Then, we’ll additionally attempt to work with bloggers in order that they’ll hyperlink to us when essential and we are able to hyperlink to them.
For this, it helps to produce other blogs. Our important website is Should Do Canada, however I additionally run Dwell Limitless, which is a private website I don’t spend a lot time on anymore. Nevertheless, it does have articles about world journey and different subjects, so it helps when linking to different folks.
In the end, the very best hyperlinks will come from web sites with a robust DA. If you may get hyperlinks from media shops or massive manufacturers, that may assist much more than a weblog.
These may be robust, however now we have had some luck with HARO, which lets you reply to queries from journalists. On the similar time, we don’t get a lot from it and these days, we discover it to be a waste of time.
Fortunately, since our weblog is 10 years outdated now, and since we’ve completed some cool tasks, resembling our 150-day highway journey throughout Canada, we’ve earned hyperlinks from massive platforms resembling CBC, Vogue, Globe & Mail, and so forth.
I’ve heard that hyperlinks begin to imply much less as soon as your web site is seen as an authority website.
Matt’s Content material Creation Course of
I began with massive listicle articles for provinces after which for cities, slowly going deeper into every place.
Since we journey throughout the nation loads, I are inclined to lean extra into writing concerning the locations I go to, however using key phrases to additionally get seen by Google. Different occasions, I simply dig as deep as I can into every vacation spot and proceed constructing out as a lot content material as potential.
As of now, I’ve 308 articles on Should Do Canada.
Since Karla is from Mexico and I’m from northern Canada, I feel that additionally creates one thing particular. Though our strongest viewers is Canadian, we get lots of people from different international locations consuming our content material and we get lots of people who really use our movies to immigrate to Canada.
In reality, we’ve been stopped on the streets of Calgary, in procuring malls, on mountain climbing trails, and even within the Vancouver Worldwide Airport by individuals who watch our movies and from individuals who thank us for serving to encourage them to truly transfer to Canada.
We’re not even that massive within the YouTube world, however perhaps due to our area of interest, folks acknowledge us.
We’ve additionally discovered that many lecturers of grade 5 and 6 courses use our movies for his or her social research courses to teach the kids on the totally different areas of Canada.
Throughout Covid, we really did a Zoom name with a classroom in Toronto and the children have been so excited to see us and to ask us questions. They have been additionally tremendous thinking about speaking to Karla about life in Mexico.
His E mail Record
Proper now, now we have two email lists. Our largest is the Should Do Canada Weekly Goose, which has about 75,000 subscribers and a 45-50% open fee. It’s largely a Canadian viewers and we’ve grown by doing giveaways, collaborations, selling it on our web site, selling it on YouTube, and so forth.
Giveaways can work properly, however they may also be stuffed with low-quality subscribers, a lot of whom received’t open emails. So, it’s a little bit of a balancing act and making an attempt to actually deal with an viewers that wishes your emails.
His Favourite Assets
I is perhaps a bit bizarre on this regard, however I don’t learn numerous entrepreneurial books or watch many entrepreneurial channels anymore.
Nevertheless, at first, maybe essentially the most life-changing e-book was the 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. That is actually what impressed me to construct a enterprise on-line and to begin eager about the approach to life I want to have.
I’m undecided if it’s outdated now, however the mindset continues to be very beneficial.
I additionally cherished Vagabonding by Ralf Potts for these thinking about long-term journey.
There are additionally fairly a number of books from Chris Guillebeau, who additionally runs the web site known as The Artwork of Non-Conformity. Whereas I don’t go to a lot anymore, he presents a lot recommendation on constructing facet hustles and fervour companies. He used to run an enormous occasion known as the World Domination Summit in Portland, Oregon, which we’ve attended as properly.
A buddy of mine additionally has a publication known as Creator Growth, which sends out plenty of nice assets every week for these trying to create a content-based enterprise.
One thing I’ve completed loads is attain out to folks doing issues I wish to do. I like to ask them how they did it and attempt to be taught from them as finest I can.
His Go-To Instruments
My laptop computer might be my most essential software. I can’t think about doing work with out it.
For us, the cameras as properly, though I’d most likely put the cellphone forward of them, simply because they form of double as a digital camera and a mini laptop computer.
Utilizing a key phrase software, resembling KeySearch, has been very beneficial as properly.
Matt’s Fundamental Problem
Specializing in Google has been good however it’s additionally a unending recreation. Mainly, there can solely be one winner for every key phrase. Most individuals click on on the primary hyperlink. So, think about all of the blogs on the market, hundreds of thousands actually, all competing to be first in Google.
I feel there’s numerous danger to this, identical to there’s numerous danger to constructing a enterprise solely on a third-party platform like Fb or Instagram. So, coping with that day in and day trip is actually a problem.
One other one is discovering sponsors. Now that we’ve constructed our model for a number of years, it’s actually simpler, however doing the entire gross sales as a one-person staff in the mean time is starting to be a bit a lot.
Oh, and discovering time for all the pieces. The place can I purchase extra time?
His Most Vital Accomplishment
I feel that the preliminary 150-day highway journey was the #1 accomplishment for us. It was actually only a easy concept, however the actual problem was really following via with it.
After I assume again, it’s nearly laborious to think about all of the work that went into it.
We needed to discover sponsors, plan out a 150-day journey, work with a whole lot of native sponsors for resorts and actions, and coordinate all of it by way of movies, articles, and social media, whereas additionally reaching out to get interviewed in nationwide information such because the CBC.
We needed to drive 27,000 km and time all of it with the climate and the actions and massive occasions like Canada Day in Ottawa. It was a extremely insanely massive factor that the three of us did.
We drove collectively for 5 months and we by no means actually had a day without work. After I assume again, it’s fairly outstanding that we pulled it off as a 3-person staff.
I am additionally happy with the truth that we received the TIAC (Tourism Business Affiliation of Canada) Journey Media Award in 2022, which was an enormous occasion in Ottawa.
What He Needs He Knew When He Began
I want I had centered on the enterprise loads earlier. Beginning is at all times good, however with out having a plan, resembling search engine optimisation or no matter, years can go by with no outcomes. I’d like to have these years again, however maybe I wanted that lack of time to be taught this lesson.
Even when issues change, it’s a good suggestion to create a roadmap from the start. It doesn’t need to be sophisticated. Simply decide what you’re promoting or creating and who it’s for.
The place can you discover them and what’s going to you promote? If it’s content material, I’d even construct out a content material calendar proper from the start after which keep on with a schedule of when to publish it. That is what separates amateurs from professionals.
Resolve to be an expert proper off the bat.
His Greatest Mistake
Losing time at first by working and not using a objective, or making an attempt too many issues is my largest mistake. I’m nonetheless responsible of the second.
I’ve so many concepts, however and not using a massive staff, it’s very easy to unfold your self too skinny, which is one thing I’ve completed many occasions. I’m a lot better now, however I nonetheless catch myself doing it at times.
His Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs
First off, one thing that I feel applies to something you wish to try this’s essential, whether or not it’s a enterprise or a health program, is sticking to it. Oftentimes, the most important deciding issue of success is simply sticking with one thing lengthy sufficient to see it via.
This doesn’t simply apply to enterprise.
Again in 2008, I did a 12-week health problem. I feel I discovered extra about perseverance and willpower from that problem than I did from anything. It was actually laborious, however simply by sticking to it and making myself go irrespective of how drained I used to be, I dramatically modified my way of life and my physique. The identical factor applies to something you wish to obtain.
On the similar time, you really want to find out what you need. In all honesty, entrepreneurship could be very laborious and isn’t for everybody. There’s actually one thing good about working with a staff and getting a paycheck and being chargeable for one job position as a substitute of 20.
For those who do resolve to go down the entrepreneurship route, I’d say two extra issues.
Try to do it as a facet hustle till you construct it as much as be sturdy sufficient to overhaul your job. Second, create a easy plan as to what you’re going to do. I want I had completed this at first.
Who’s your viewers? What’s your product? Who’s your competitors? What are you able to do higher? What are you promoting? The place will you discover your viewers?
Issues may change alongside the best way, however you’ll nonetheless do higher if in case you have a roadmap to comply with proper from the start.
Oh, and don’t be shy to succeed in out to folks doing what you wish to do. You’d be shocked what number of of them will reply to you.
