We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amy Gilbride. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amy below.

Amy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

When I started my travel blog in 2018, my goal was to share my travels worldwide and help others do the same. After a couple of years of blogging about adventures in Europe, Mexico and Hawaii, my international travels came to a halt when the pandemic started. I had solid blog traffic growth and I was sad to see it immediately plummeted in March 2020 when no one cared to read about travel. However, I did notice a lot of interest in local things to do and restaurants (especially for take-out), so I was able to switch gears that summer and focus on more local travel around Florida. It took me a while to recalibrate and it took a year longer than expected for me to hit the pageviews I needed to join a profitable ad network. I know a lot of travel bloggers who gave up during 2020 and though It was disheartening, I am glad I continued working on my blog. I believe my business model is much more sustainable now by focusing on the niche of Florida

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have always loved reading blogs, especially travel ones, but I finally decided to start my own in 2018. As an engineer, I found this side hustle to be an excellent creative outlet for sharing what I love to do. My blog compiles local area guides for locations across Florida, with recommendations for restaurants, attractions, hotels, and day trips. I also share tips for saving money traveling by earning and optimizing the use of credit card reward points. Through this blog, I hope to inspire people to find ways to travel more when they can and explore their own city when they cannot.

In addition to blog posts, I run an Etsy shop with travel planning templates and checklists for Florida vacations. I have also recently launched a custom itinerary service where I can help put together a personalized itinerary for your trip. And of course, I share both the good and the bad of my own travels on Instagram! One thing I did not expect when I started blogging was to become part of such an enthusiastic and supportive community. I have connected with so many amazing Florida business owners through my blog and I am so excited that I am able to promote women in business, especially in untraditional areas like craft brewing and the culinary arts.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Though I am considered a “micro-influencer” on Instagram, I am really proud of the audience I have built. I am constantly engaging with others and hearing different opinions regarding my content and recommendations. it has been helpful for me to learn what people in my niche are looking for and how better to cater my blog posts toward my target audience. When I started my Instagram in 2018, it was a lot different. Stories had just started and there were no reels or Instagram live. It seems a lot harder to get that initial following these days, but there are still some things I would do to grow a following. 1) Reach out to others in your niche! And don’t just like their post or reel, message them and engage with their stories, ask them questions, etc. I have met so many awesome people this way and a lot was able to share my stuff and help me grow in my early days. I also recommend connecting with people with a follower count of 10k or less, instead of trying to reach out to people with a big following.
2) Be consistent and authentic. I like posting a lot of stories and have found that the people who follow me also prefer that type of content. If you are more into videos or infographics or memes, stick with that. I spent a lot of time trying different things and though that can be good for creativity, it can get exhausting always switching gears. Figure out what you like from social media and do that.
3) Lastly, don’t only focus on social media. There are still some influencers who get a lot of business through social media, but it is dwindling. I recommend having some other type of business established first (a blog, Etsy store, podcast, etc.) before venturing to social media. You are completely in the hands of the algorithm and can quickly lose your audience on it if you get hacked. Relying on social media only for your business is not very sustainable in the long run.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My original goal was to monetize my blog so that I could have it as an income stream. However, my mission has now become so much more. Many think blogging is an easy way to earn money, but that could not be further from the truth. it takes so much time writing blog posts, creating a website, and finding people to read it! Now my goal is for my blog to be a complete guide for traveling anywhere in Florida. I would also love to write a travel guidebook. Now, I am also so motivated to share the amazing small businesses throughout Florida, while also helping millennials on a budget be able to travel more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thefloridatravelgirl.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefloridatravelgirl/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefloridatravelgirl/
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheFloridaTravelGirl

Image Credits
KATRINA POGGIO PHOTOGRAPHY (for Picture with me and puppy)