Learning from the Best: Perfect Simplicity by PsychoTraveller

What does it take to become a successful blogger? There is no easy answer. A carefully designed vlog strategy or a single video that goes viral are equally capable of making you famous. However, while the latter option is hard to predict and implement, the first is all about research and commitment, meaning anyone can do it. Including you. 

It’s best to start by analyzing what others have already done to become successful, what’s worked and what hasn’t, and what you can learn from them. Take, for example, travel blogging.

Ever felt envious of all those social media stars who manage to make money from traveling? Ever wondered if you could do the same? If the answer is yes, there is good news and bad news. The good news is, this goal is perfectly achievable. The bad news is, the competition in this field is fierce. Luckily, there are some examples out there to prove that you don’t need a ton of money or exceptional creativity to be a great travel blogger. Meet PsychoTraveller – a very down-to-earth vlog by a British girl called Aly. The blog currently has 205K subscribers – not a huge number when compared with other digital nomads like Lost LeBlanc, but it is a solid number for a low-budget travel vlog that uses little or no special equipment. 

Here’s why Aly’s channel is worth every viewer.

The Channel Is Topical

Let’s face it: traveling is the new black. Or so it seems, judging by social media. Globetrotting has clearly come into its own in recent years, and consequently the demand for relevant content has been on the rise. The downside is that there are hundreds (if not thousands!) of bloggers and vloggers offering travel content that is super easy to get lost in. The good news is that the market is huge. As long as your content is worth watching, you will secure your slice of the audience. Aly the PsychoTraveller chose to specialise in something that is interesting and appealing to the audience by default: all she had to do is make her content stand out. And so she did. 

Passion and Expertise Combined

No one starts travel vlogging without a true passion for travel, that’s for sure. It is highly unlikely that Aly ever questioned herself about the topic of her vlog. She started telling the world about what she was passionate about – that’s it. But that’s not enough to make your content interesting to the world, is it? What’s great about PsychoTraveller is that the channel spends a lot of time analysing and summarising the author’s experiences. You don’t just get a glimpse of each country she visits, you get to really immerse yourself in it. You see it, you feel it, you learn everything you need to know about it to plan your trip – including budget, destinations, transportation, and so on. Basically, viewers get all their pre-travel research in a neat, concise bundle for them. 

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Real Answers to Real Questions

Aly doesn’t just sit there telling us the fun stuff. She addresses the questions we’d actually ask Google. Everything you need to know about planning a backpacking trip, the best devices for travelers, surviving long flights and layovers, saving on accommodation, and much more – PsychoTraveller has it all. This channel is almost like a digital encyclopaedia for travel enthusiasts – especially for solo wanderers like Aly herself. 

She Is One of Us

Aly is very natural. She looks nothing like those glamorous travel bloggers (who have seemingly invaded Instagram!). She doesn’t use much makeup, her hair is often in a mess, and she speaks in a clear conversational language – just as she would with her friends. She is in the shot most of the time, filming herself in selfie mode, which creates the personal presence effect. It’s almost as if you were standing next to her in the videos.

Evolving Over Time

The internet changes rapidly, and so do social media platforms. Vloggers and bloggers come in and out of fashion, and many successful projects fade into insignificance over time. No, PsychoTraveller doesn’t have as many viewers as it had four years ago when Aly was just starting out. But it retains a stable and loyal audience (up to 25K views per chapter), and she puts out new videos regularly. Aly keeps experimenting with new formats like entertaining Hotel Horrors, the frank RealTalk series, insights into her non travel-related lifestyle, and much more. 

Blasting Titles

All the titles on the channel match the videos perfectly. They are very precise and accurate while still short and catchy. Magic. Well, to be fair, not all of them are short, but the longer ones have such an intriguing beginning that you may want to click on them just to find out the ending. Something we can all learn from. 

Organized Outline

All the videos on the channel are organized into themed playlists, which makes it very easy to find what you’re specifically looking for. There’s a whole series on travel expenses, a separate block on tips for first-time travellers, and designated destination-based playlists. PsychoTraveller is very easy to navigate – that’s why even its oldest videos still get views. 

When Simplicity Works Best

It’s easy to see that there is no expensive filming or post-production equipment involved. Everything you see can be filmed just with a smartphone. The editing is very basic, too: the footage has been cut, the audio might have been tweaked to sound more even, and some graphic titles have been applied here and there. A perfectly reasonable compromise for someone who is always on the go. To make the editing fast and easy, use a tool that is easy to operate and light enough to run on any regular laptop – we strongly recommend Movavi Video Editor (no pressure, just saying!). No filters, no expensive stabilizers, no advanced graphics – there’s nothing to stop the viewer from thinking “I could be there. I could do the same.” And people do like a little inspiration to point them in the right direction.

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