Creating back links

I have two Facebook accounts. Quite by accident. I hadn't intended to, but when I got my second smartphone and started setting it up I wasn't sure if I could be logged into the same Facebook account - in order to upload photos and video in real time which is important for a travel blogger - so I just created a new account.

But as a result of having two accounts, I'm able to give myself two backlinks per Wyoming in Motion article published, because I share it on both accounts of course.

Each account is a legitimate account, I hasten to add. I used my real name and contact details. It's possible to hire people (at Fiverr.com, for example) to share your posts on their social media, but I don't have the means to do that and I don't want to, anyway.

I want to see how far I can take my social media and the Wyominginmotion.com travel webzine legitimately, without employing any tricks.

That's not to say I may not pay to advertise the site in future...I am undecided about that. Right now I'm still building up the article base and attempting to recruit other writers - which is proving to be harder than I expected.

I posted an ad in Craigslist and, before it was taken down for some reason that was never explained to me, got 3 responses. But when I sent the info they requested, and pointed out that it was an unpaid position, I never heard back from them.

Which is silly. These days - in fact, any days! - most people don't get paid for what they write. You do not get paid to write for a blog unless you are a big name and it is a big blog that can afford to do so!

But what you do get, by contributing to such sites as The Daily Meal, Senior 55 Plus, etc., is exposure. Then, when you approach a venue about sponsoring you for free for a meal or a room or even airline tickets, they see your portfolio online and they say, "Sure, here's your comped trip."

But if you have no portfolio, no clippings, that will never happen.

So it just makes sense to contribute articles to travel webzines, even if unpaid, because you're building your portfolio online. And the publishers of those travel webzines (like myself) will then work to approach people on your behalf to get you those comped trips.

It's a win-win!