This week I’m going to mix it up a bit and post the top 100 Independent Travel Twitter-ers.  If you would like to be included in the list simply reply to this post and I’ll add you to the list.  Even if you are just starting out and don’t have many followers yet, add your name, you’ll be surprised at how few follwers you’ll need to make the top 100.  Right now it looks like you’ll need right around 250 to be in the top 100.

Also if anyone knows of a good table widget please, please, please let me know.  I have been hand coding all 500 lines of code for the table that is made each week. (which is why last weeks was late) It takes an enormous amount of time to do.

Well this took a whole lot longer then I had expected. This weeks list has a number of new additions to it. If you would like to have your site listed please a leave a comment and I will add it to the list I am keeping track of. This list is a list of independent travel bloggers or blogs in that same theme. For example the New York Times Travel column is not listed here, but Landlopers.com is.

This is not as of yet an automated list and I’m not sure I will. This list forces me to look at what everyone is doing. A couple things that help is having a Twitter and Facebook link of you homepage or about me page. One thing that will hurt your rank is if your link to twitter or facebook requires a reader to grant access to an app, that is your choice for your website, this list will give you a zero as your followers for that particular site. This only affects a couple websites and they are still in the top 100 even without getting credit for one site.

Travel Blogging Social Media Index

Well it’s been a long time since I’ve updated this. My health is much better, I’ve gotten more used to my dead kidney, even though it still gives me troubles every now and then. What I’ve been going in the last couple months is reevaluating whether travel is ever really going to be a reality for me. This list was intended to be released with a 50+ series I have mostly in the can. I’m posting this now because it may help out with the Blog4NZ (facebook page) project that will be happening later this month and I’d like to help out if I can.

This is a list of Travelpods Top 100 Travel Blogs reranked by social media ‘weight’, meaning this is a weighted index. More points are given for Facebook likes or followers then for Twitter. Why? Because people that click through from facebook stay around longer and are generally more engaged then the traffic that comes from twitter. There are only 88 sites on this list because not all sites have a presence on Twitter and Facebook.

The Travel Blogging Social Media Index

[EDIT]

If you think you should be on this list Please leave a comment with your website and I will add it next week.  I’ll update the list on Thursdays.

Scott

Ok I’ll admit that this isn’t going to be all that revolutionary to many people but here’s a little tip if your planning to attend MeetPlanGo next week:

Bring Business Cards

This is from personal experience.  When I went to TBEX this year I made the mistake of not bringing cards with me.  It was while I was outside waiting to get in that I realized just how much of a mistake this had been.  So early the next morning I ran down to the closest Staples and had them print me out some.

Even if you don’t have a site – bring something with your name on it to give to other people.  It could be your business card from work that you write your personal email on.  Better yet include your Facebook or Linkedin info.  If you have a website you’ll of course want to include it’s address and email, if you don’t have cards for the site made already.  If this is your very first step and you don’t have anything yet, you don’t have to get all that fancy.  You can buy some paper that’s a little thicker, type out some information in Word (formatting it to print business cards) and print them out.  If you’d like to have  fancier ones you can print them out on Avery 8476 (laser), 8371 (inkjet) paper that has business card sized perforations.

Your going to connect with other like minded people right?  Leaving them with your personal contacts strengthens that connection.

If your just coming for the drinks – you should still bring business cards to help the cabbie drive you home.  See, everyone needs business cards!

Another rather slow month posting wise.  There has been a lot of work in the background getting the hosting site up and some of the testing done.  It is still on track to launch here shortly.  There hasn’t been a firm date set yet.

Looking into a couple trips in January and February, possibly Argentina, Chile and Europe.  The hard part is finding a flight while using my SkyPesos.  It seems like there is only a couple seats available per country destination per month.  We’ll see how it goes.

For those who are going to TBEX11 in Vancouver next year, you may be interested in Chris Guillebeau’s  World Domination Summit the weekend before TBEX. Looking at the reply’s to the post there is huge interest in it.  I plan on going to his book tour event to see is it’s like a good business-brain-storming/networking event or if it’s more get-rich-quicky.   Work it into your calendar if you can.

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Alexa rank 1,074,237

Posts 4 (including other sites 15)

Upcoming events

Sept

Meet Plan Go – Sept 14 (at Honey in Minneapolis)

Oct

The Unconventional Book Tour -  Oct 3 (Chris Guillabeau’s book tours’ MSP stop)

Nov

Wordcamp MSP – Nov 13 (Eagan Community Center)

Only 700 days until the start of the London Olympics!  Today I received and email stating that this fall the prices will be announced for all of the events and that they would go on sale next spring.  If you live in the UK or in Europe.  Dang.  Earlier I had signed up for the volunteer list which is why I keep getting their announcements.

Over to the US Olympic committee page I go, to see if they have anything about London yet.  Not much really. It’s actually rather poor in regards to London 2012 currently.  What they do have is the countdown (that’s where I go the 700 from) and you can also find a donor page that:

…includes exceptional seating at competitions, accredited transportation, fine dining and a reception at the USOC’s exclusive USA House. Meet remarkable athletes and USOC Leadership, tour historic London and share in the camaraderie of the Games!

all for only $150,ooo! But wait!  That’s for two.  All payable over the next 4 years.  OMG what a deal!  Sign me up.

Hold on.  Is there an affiliate link for that?

New York City from Ellis Island

Taken during TBEX10, 2 images.

To travel the world. Many people say they would like to travel the world, but in actuality few do. The conventional media knows not everyone can, for various reasons. They know we as consumers are all to eager to snap up the little morsels of ‘secret getaways’, tips on quite hidden gems, or deals of any kind. So month after month we gather them up. Tucking all of the tips into our little mental folders of ‘someday’ or ‘if only’ for the day that we have worked for all of our lives. To travel the world.

I call this:
The Rube Goldberg Inspired Plans for World Travel in 32 Steps.

Go to school.
Get good grades.
Buy car.
Go to college.
Get tattoo.
Get good grades.
Repeat as needed.
Meet significant other
Get first real job.
Get engaged
Have little wedding
Do everything not to repeat as needed.
Work to save up for vacation/holidays.
Buy house.
Cram 4 week itinerary into 2 weeks of vacation.
Get better job
Have kids.
Regret tattoo.
Advance in your career.
Buy bigger house
Take kids on vacation.
Get braces for kids
Get kids through school.
Give kid car.
Pay to fix said car.
Send kids to college.
Meet kids fiance.
Have big wedding.
Help get kids on their feet.
Meet grandkids.
Retire
Travel the World

Wait a minute! Is it just me or is that just damn crazy?!?

The sad fact is, for many it’s fairly actuate. For those of us that it’s not, sign up for Meet Plan Go.

July ended up not not being the greatest month posting wise.    Although I did get a great deal done.  Much of the month was consumed getting everything set up for a new website I am building that should be ready in early Sept.   I’m starting a hosting company that will initially be geared to new helping new bloggers get started blogging.  One feature I’m working on is no caps; if a new blogger gets the smallest package and they hit a bandwidth or storage cap, I’d automatically upgrade them to the next package (only if they opt in for this feature).  I’m also working on no cpu usage caps for other packages, but that will be at a later date.  More on this later.

July numbers

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Alexa Rank 1,614,757

Posts  2

Upcoming events and meetups

Sept

Minnesota Blog Conference – Sept 11 (CoCo in St Paul)

Meet Plan Go – Sept 14 (Chiang Mai Thai in Minneapolis)

Oct

The Unconventional Book Tour -  Oct 3 (Chris Guillabeau’s book tours’ MSP stop)

Alright, no more posting what my posting schedule is. From now on I’m going to just wing it. Every time I make plans for rolling a series of posts I end up needing morphine or it’s more easily prescribed cousin codeine in order to get back on my feet.

Thankfully this time it’s not anything major like a kidney, it was just a tooth that broke down the root that had to get pulled. Then didn’t want to heal.

It’s been a long miserable month.

I’ve learned that when I’m under the weather the last thing I want to do is be on the computer for any period of time. I really need to get a moleskin or something else to doodle with.

</whining>