Karen Bryan of Europe a la Carte
February 26, 2008
I’m Karen Bryan of Europe a la Carte a UK based travel website which focuses on European travel. I started my online travel business in 2002 as I believed that travellers were looking for something different to the traditional package holiday. Low cost airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair were expanding fast and it was easy and cheap for consumers to book their own flights to Europe. I wanted to create a site to promote less well known destinations in Europe, in the belief that if you venture, even slightly, off the well worn tourist track, you will have a more authentic experience and get better value for money.
I planned to make money by commission on accommodation featured in my destination guides, through direct agreements with suppliers. However this model was too slow with me contacting suppliers and then getting back to the potential customer and I’d some problems with suppliers not paying commission. I decided to go down the affiliate route where although I earn less commission than with a direct supplier agreement, the potential customer can immediately check online availability and make a booking and my commission is always paid promptly.
I started a blog for my business in October 2006 . I received an email from a business studies student doing research about travel business blogs for her dissertation. This email prompted me to look into business blogging. After reading about all the benefits a blog can bring to your business I took the plunge.
It’s been a bit of balancing act writing for the blog. I always have to bear in mind that it’s a business blog but as I’m the sole author the blog is bound to be, to some extent, personal. In a small business that can be a positive thing as it makes your blog unique and more human than a blog from a large corporation. A business blog has to be an asset to your business, not just a channel of your ravings.
I try to write posts that will inform, interest and entertain readers while simultaneously promoting my business by creating brand identity, increasing brand loyalty and increasing sales. Readers will soon tire of blatant sales copy but if I invest time and effort researching and writing blog posts I need to see a return on that investment.
I love working in the travel industry but it is challenging being a small independent in such a competitive market.
Comments
Got something to say?
Event Sponsors
Global Sponsors
