You’ve been directed to this page because you have expressed an interest in some form of advertising or collaboration with Travel Addicts. Welcome!
By way of introduction, we’re Laura and Lance. We’re the Travel Addicts. Since 2008, we’ve been sharing our personal travel experiences to over 60 countries on 5 continents. Because we can’t take months off to see the world, long weekend getaways in the U.S. are just as important to our travel style.
We seek out interesting, unique, and fun destinations for authentic adventures. And we share those experiences with the 250,000 people who read this blog every month. Here are some sample destinations and experiences:
Since you are interested in collaborating, please read this page CAREFULLY. It fully explains exactly how to work with us. We receive hundreds of requests a week and don’t have time to respond back to each and every person individually until they have read this page. It should answer 99% of your questions.
Travel Addicts does work with industry partners. However, after more than a decade of blogging, we’ve figured out exactly what we want on our site and how we want to work with potential partners. We have a lot of policies and standards to make all relationships more productive and mutually beneficial.
We’ll say it again. Please read this page carefully. If you send us an email about something already addressed here, we will ignore it or send you this article page again. We just don’t have time to answer hundreds of questions over and over again.
Because of the huge volume of e-mails we receive, we’ve developed this page to answer all of the questions. Trust us when we say, if it is written here, we mean it.
Guest Posts
Travel Addicts occasionally accepts guest posts, but ONLY from travel journalists, photojournalists, and travel bloggers we know personally. This means, if we are not on a first name basis, if we haven’t traveled together, and if you don’t know everything about us, we will not accept your guest post. It also means you are probably looking for a sponsored post (see below).
Individuals and companies looking for marketing do not fit in this category. In the 12+ years we’ve been blogging, we’ve heard it all. From the “new blogger looking to get her foot in the door” to the person who claimed to have traveled with us through Africa. You won’t fool us. Don’t waste your time. We won’t respond to your request for a free guest post. You are looking for a sponsored post (see below).
This means if you are a travel brand, a hotel or resort, a tour operator, a travel app, the manufacturer of a product used by travelers, a public relations agency, a marketing agency, an SEO expert, or an individual with a website exclusively focused on affiliate revenue, we will not publish your guest post (you want a sponsored post – see below). We will not publish your brand video. We will not publish your infographic. We will not add your link or native advertising into an existing post and call it a guest post.
If you are a business and want to reach out audience, that is possible. Please review the sections on Sponsored Posts or Advertising Collaborations below.
If you are a travel writer, travel journalist, photojournalist or travel blogger that we personally know and you still want to submit a guest post, here are our guidelines:
Travel Addicts focuses on the travel goals of the working professional. We focus on culture, food & wine, and unique experiences around the world. All articles have an eye to what is worth the time/money and what isn’t. Articles should be written for a reader who is professional/affluent, but who is “time poor” and has only a limited amount of time to travel.
To that end, all guest posts on Travel Addicts fit into our theme of The Local View. Each writer should write about the place where they call “home.” These posts go beyond the guidebook and the obvious. Everyone knows about the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Empire State Building in New York. But where would a local go? Where would they eat? What would they do? We all know those amazing local spots that haven’t been discovered or might be under appreciated – this is the chance to tell the world about it.
The technical specifications for the article are:
Guest posts on Travel Addicts should be a minimum of 2,000 words. Most articles on Travel Addicts are between 2,000 and 4,000 words, so be prepared to add additional information during the editing process.
During the article development process, we will work together on the angle, keywords to include for SEO, and also required information to include.
Articles on Travel Addicts are very photo heavy. Each article will have at least 12-15 photos, all in a minimum of 300dpi set to 1200 pixel width. You must own the copyright for every photo you submit to us. As part of the submission process, you will also sign a letter attesting to the ownership of your copyright on both the text and images.
If you need an image you don’t own, they can be sourced from Creative Commons, Pixabay, etc., however, you will need to provide both the image and the corresponding image license as a screen capture to prove the images a Creative Commons.
You must include a bio approximately 75 words in length, plus a headshot of yourself for inclusion in the bio.
We will include a maximum of two contextual links back to your personal blog or media profile in the article, plus a single, domain-level link in the bio. Links will only be to non-competing stories.
If selected, your article will be shared on our site, promoted in our popular newsletter, and shared on our social media accounts.
If you feel like this is a fit, send your 2-3 paragraph pitch to us via the contact form on our site. Remember the criteria above – we are absolutely serious about everything mentioned here.
Sponsored Posts
Travel Addicts does not focus on publishing the work of others. However, over the last 12+ years, we’ve had thousands of requests to publish sponsored posts and reach our audience. Reluctantly, we’ve agreed to publish them if they meet the following criteria.
Please read this carefully. We will not answer questions or even respond to e-mails that ask us about something that is included here.
Our manifesto: We believe Travel Addicts has a unique value in the market. And every month, over 250,000 people agree. They come back to our site again and again because we offer something good and something unique. And you are here because you recognize that value.
That said, we do not promote companies, businesses or promotional websites for free. You are in business…and so are we. We don’t work for promises of “exposure” to your incredible audience. Over the last decade, we’ve seen every scam, promise, and pitch. You can save your energy. We’re not going to spend hours working on something for you for $50. We’re not going to work for free.
Given that, if you are still interested in a sponsored post on our site, please review the terms & conditions below.
Advertising Collaborations
If you are a serious business and you want to have a serious conversation, let’s talk. We offer packages and campaigns that could include sponsored posts, social media posts, newsletter sponsorship, videos, and even using us in your company’s marketing campaigns.
Specifically, we offer:
Sponsored Posts/Storytelling. Through compelling articles and social media coverage, we create personal stories based on our experiences with your destination, tour, or product. ALL sponsored posts are created by us to meet our rigorous quality standards. We do not accept marketing content from you. The content we develop will be between 600-1200 words, include 4-8 photos, and will include one link to you/your client’s website (valid for one year).
Social Media Promotion. We offer seamless and thoughtful integration of your brand’s content within our social media channels. Opportunities exist across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Social Media Takeovers. We provide independent authority to your social media channels through takeovers. We take and edit appealing photos, write engaging captions, and provide insightful tips based on your specifications and goals.
Photo Licensing. The award-winning photography on Travel Addicts is highly sought after and our edited, high-resolution images can be licensed for a variety of uses from advertising to websites to displays and beyond. Our photography can be licensed from some third-party image brokers, but we offer the opportunity to license our images directly from us.
Advertising. We are happy to discuss advertising opportunities with destinations, brands, or products to reach our target audience.
Newsletter Sponsorship. Reach our audience of travel addicts through your branded messages in our monthly newsletter.
Terms & Conditions for Advertising and Sponsorships
Travel Addicts abides by all legal and regulatory requirements in the country where we operate, as well as adheres to Internet marketing best practices. We take the long-term view of our partnerships and collaborations. We will not accept short-sighted partnerships that hurt the long-term viability of our platform. And we will only behave with the highest ethical standards. Therefore:
- All sponsored posts will include a statement, “This post is brought to you by…” or “This article was developed through the support of….” or similar language. We will abide by FTC rules and place a high value on transparency and integrity with our audience.
- We don’t have “rates” or a “rate card.” There is no “price.” We aren’t Walmart or Tesco. Instead, we are open to accepting proposals from you that meet your needs and allow you to reach our audience of avid, wealthy travelers.
- All payments must be made via PayPal in advance of the sponsored post being published, with an additional 5% administration charge to cover the cost of PayPal fees, or via ACH Direct Deposit. Unless otherwise agreed and stipulated in our contract, all content will be removed within 24 hours of non-payment.
- All content, including articles, images, links, and banners, must be pre-approved by Travel Addicts.
- All links unless otherwise stated are “nofollow” and valid for 365 days (one year). We do not offer permanent links under any circumstance (don’t even ask).
- We do not offer advertising collaborations or sponsored posts to companies affiliated with pornography, sex, gambling, online casinos, bingo, lottery, smoking, vaping, illegal drugs (including CBD/THC), pharmaceuticals, religions, or politicians. No exceptions.
A final reminder, please re-read this carefully. We will not respond to request that has ignored our terms & conditions. Please see our full privacy policy here.
Moving Forward
If you have read this, send us an e-mail telling us that you’ve read and understood these terms, and then outline specifically how you want to work together, including your time frame, budget proposal, and any other relevant criteria. When developing this detailed message to us, please include your campaign’s objectives, desired tactics, and budget information/your offer.