Review of The Business of Travel Blogging| Superstar Blogging Masterclass

Updated January 4, 2021

PLEASE NOTE THAT WITH EFFECT FROM FEBRUARY 1, 2021 THIS COURSE WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER, ALL PURCHASES MADE BEFORE THAT DATE WILL BE HONORED AND THE COURSE WILL BE FULLY SUPPORTED INDEFINITELY.

Please note the new pricing and new name of this course which is now called:  The Superstar Blogging Masterclass

If you are from the ‘Evergreen’ Generation (get terms like ‘senior’ and ‘older adult’ away from me, please), then chances are you have dreamed about doing some travel when you left that job of yours.   It’s like the number one thing on the list of stuff to do when we retire according to many sources.  I agree!  Traveling is a huge part of the life that Philip and I lead.

If you are serious about traveling, yet hesitant because you are now on a fixed income, give some serious thought to becoming a travel blogger.  It is big business!

In this review of The Business of Travel Blogging|Superstar Blogging Masterclass I am going to give you an in-depth insight into this course which I have purchased myself.

What is The Superstar Blogging Masterclass

This is a course created by Matt Kepnes, known as ‘Nomadic Matt’, who has achieved great success in the travel blogging industry.

The Superstar Blogging Masterclass has 8 modules and is structured for you to complete at your own pace, taking as much time as you need.  It is a step by step platform designed to take you from being a complete beginner in this business to a successful travel blogger making an income from anywhere in the world (that has an internet connection).

Who Is The Superstar Business Masterclass For?

This is really important, folks.  

The course is chiefly aimed at those with little or no experience, however, it is for people who are truly committed to creating a successful travel blog that makes money.  If you do have some experience, you would also benefit from the strategies used, interviews, and marketing tips to take your business to the next level.

This course is not for people who simply want to update family and friends on their travels or think it would be fun to keep a record of their experiences for themselves.

This is a serious business that you can do online to create income for yourself.

As I see it, this is perfect for us Evergreeners who want or need to make money online and are dedicated to learning this business and taking the time to develop it.  Every business takes an investment in time, money,  energy, and patience to grow and become profitable, and the world of travel blogging is no different.

This is not a get-rich-quick, outrageous claim scam. 

Let’s take a closer look at this Travel Blog course.

Brief Details and Price

Name:  The Business of Travel Blogging | The Superstar Blogging Masterclass

Website:  Superstarblogging.com

Owner:  Matt Kepnes

What’s Included:  

• 8 Unit (Modular) Course
• Personalized Feedback
• Weekly strategy calls with Matt
• Writing Feedback from Matt
• Tech support
• Downloadable Cheat Sheets
• Monthly Q & A Webinars
• Expert Interviews
• Exclusive and Private Facebook Group
• Special Discounts
• Lifetime Updates/Access
• Opportunity Board – here you will find job offers, contests, and collaboration projects

Price: $49 per month

OR:

$399 per month

14-day money-back guarantee from Matt

Upsells: No

Overall Rating (out of 10): 9.4

Review of The Superstar Blogging Masterclass

Matt Kepnes (Nomadic Matt), is I guess what you would call a ‘guru’ on the subject of travel blogging.  He started out back in 2008 as a budget traveler with no experience, no résumé, and no audience of readers.  He had no idea how to turn his love for travel into something more.

In the ten years since then, he has created, developed, and refined a business that has grown into a high six-figure website that reaches over a million people a month.  He is a New York Times best-selling author and blogger and his writing has been featured in National Geographic, The Huffington Post, CNN, the BBC, and the Washington Post.

This course, The Superstar Blogging Masterclass, is essentially a toolkit that will give you all the training, tips, and resources necessary to create a successful online travel blog that earns you money so that you can travel and live a lifestyle that you may only have dreamed about.

Let’s get straight to the syllabus:

Week 1:  Setting up and Getting Started

• The story of Nomadic Matt
• Create the perfect blog name – you need something original, catchy and short
• Sign up for a domain name and hosting (tech support provided by Chris Richardson, who you can reach by email)
• Install and configuring WordPress (writing platform used by around 25% of the world’s websites)
• Set up your email account
• An overview of WordPress
• Picking and installing a theme on your website (think of it as your ‘storefront’ design)
• Using WordPress to add content (content is the posts or articles you write)
• Installing the best WordPress plugins (plugins are add-ons to WordPress that enhance functionality and allow you to do things such as making your posts easier to share on social media, help you to add images, or to check your spelling and grammar)
• Setting up Google Analytics and Search Console (with these tools you will learn about who visits your website and spot errors you may not even know to exist so you can correct them)
• Learn the basics of editing code (basic computer language) – actually much easier than you might think
• How to make your website SEO friendly – so that search engines Google, Bing, and Yahoo can find it (SEO = Search Engine Optimization)
• Read and study expert interviews – get more tips and advice from successful bloggers

Week 2:  Building a Brand

• How to look at the big picture – how to brainstorm, strategize and highlight your skills to steer your blog in the right direction
• How to create your ‘brand’ which is your unique identity- learn how to stand out from the crowd and get noticed.
• How to find your ‘niche’ – that is, essentially, the target audience you are trying to reach
• What makes a beautiful website – A tutorial will show you examples of attractive and ugly sites as examples
• How to design your website – then you will be shown how to do it the right way and design it to appeal to your audience
• Time management – how to develop the right habits to maximize your time and improve efficiency

Week 3:  Writing Content

• The basics of writing content that is engaging to readers – how to write for your audience, not yourself
• How to write content that is original
• Learn how to write content that goes ‘viral’ (spreads like wildfire by being shared by lots of people on the internet)
• Learn how to edit your blogs
• Grammar – the do’s and don’ts
• Resources for your writing such as websites and books to help you hone your skills

Week 4:  Mastering Social Media and Networking

• An introduction to social media
• Snapchat and Twitter
• How to succeed on Facebook
• How to succeed on Pinterest
• Networking with Bloggers
• How to get media attention
• Pitching guest blogs

Week 5:  SEO

• Why SEO is important – an introduction
• How to get links to rank high
• An introduction to domain authority
• Advanced SEO – 5 tips to help you get ahead
• Keyword Research
• Updating old content
• Tools to help you succeed

Week 6:  Newsletters

• Introduction to newsletters
• How to set up newsletters
• How to set up your newsletter with Mailchimp
• How to set up your newsletter with Converterkit
• Broadcasts
• Autoresponders
• Using lead generation to grow your list
• What you should write in your emails
• Email marketing FAQ’s

Week 7:  Monetizing Your Blog

• An introduction to making money with your blog
• Affiliate Marketing
• Disclosing sponsored content and affiliates
• How to self-publish a book on Amazon
• Creating digital products
• Creating a sales page
• How to market your product

Week 8:  Partnering with Brands, Tourism Boards, PR Agencies, and More

• Should you be taking paid content?
• Consulting, doing tours, and other things
• Working with brands and PR
• How to work with tourism boards
• Making money via ads
• An introduction to Media Kids

How the Superstar Blogging Masterclass Course Works

Once you purchase the course, you click on the title or image and it comes up.  There, you will be taken to the content.  Each week, a new module (or unit) will appear which includes all the relevant lessons and homework assignments.

You will be able to access all the units for life once they are opened but you cannot skip ahead to the next lesson.  The course and homework are structured in such a way that you complete one unit before going on to the next as there is such a vast amount of material to get through.

You will be able to access the interviews with the many experts in the course and you will find them in the ‘Welcome Introduction’ of each module.  Also listed here are the homework and feedback assignments.

The community blog and webinars are accessed in the top navigation bar.

In the welcome email you receive when you join, you will have access to the exclusive Facebook group that will provide you with more support and interaction.

If you have any questions about the course or need direction, you have Matt’s email address so that you can communicate directly with him.  Should you need technical assistance, you have the option to email the technical expert, Chris Richardson.

NEW:  

• Enjoy weekly strategy calls with Matt.  This is a mentorship program and Matt has made himself available to answer questions and help you with any problems you are experiencing.  You can speak on the phone or communicate with him by email.
• Every month that you participate in the program, you will be able to submit an article to Matt for him to review for you.  He will refine your work and copy edit it for you to help you improve your writing.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Tons of detailed, step-by-step training and information
• Personal assistance from the owner and tech support
• Exclusive Facebook group
• Lifetime access
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• You are your own boss

Cons:

• Will require hard work
• Will take time to develop – not a get-rich-quick scheme
• Competitive market

My Conclusion About The Superstar Blogging Masterclass

As you can see, this course has a vast amount of information!  There is no doubt that it requires hard work and discipline as well as dedication to complete.

But hey, you worked for years for someone else, maybe even doing a job that you didn’t particularly enjoy that much. 

Or perhaps, like us, you had a brick and mortar business that was successful (or not) but now, after all this time, you just don’t have the energy that you used to have (I can tell you that we sure don’t) and you want to travel but you need to make money.

Maybe you want to stay engaged, working and busy because that’s how we roll in our generation, and you want to be your own boss in a way that gives you the kind of freedom you have never had before.

Whatever your motivation may be, I highly recommend The Superstar Blogging Masterclass by Matt Kepnes.  Not only for the quality of the information but because of the expertise, transparency, and authenticity of the author.

There is no doubt that this is a competitive market.  Many people are traveling and writing blogs.  There is free information on travel blogging on the internet.  Much of it, however, is out of date or just gives you some basic tips and advice.

To give yourself the best chance of achieving success, you need a course that will give you specific, task-based, detailed training and up-to-date, cutting-edge information ( the course is updated twice a year), to help you create a unique persona (or brand) that sets you apart from all the others.

I believe this course ticks all the boxes.

Travel blogging can be a business where you feel a bit isolated at times, so having lifetime access to the Facebook group and the owner gives you that ongoing, community support and personal connection that is missing so much in this 21st century online world.  This is a great feature of this program in my opinion.

If you are ready to become a serious travel blogger, CLICK HERE to get to The Superstar Blogging Masterclass.

Helpful Note:  You may really want to do this to create income for yourself but you may be worried that your typing ability is non-existent or that you are too slow.  Fear not, potential travel blogger extraordinaire because we have found the best course out there for brushing up and fine-tuning your keyboard skills or even getting you started with no experience.  You can read about this little gem of a program HERE.

I hope that my review has given you an insight into the exciting business of travel blogging and also what it takes to get there.  I would love to know if you are thinking of doing this yourself and where you plan to travel.  Who knows, we could meet up someday?

If you have any questions or comments about this course I would love to answer them in the Comments section below.

Colette

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” St. Augustine of Hippo

 Travel Blogging is a great way to make money online.  To see some other ideas read my post Money Making Ideas for Retirees.  To see what Philip and I do, CLICK HERE.