Hi everyone, so it’s been a really busy 2 weeks launching Framework Travel. I’ve had to launch a brand new Instagram, a business page on Facebook, a new blog and I’ve even attempted Pinterest which is still under development as far as I’m aware. Doing this feels right but there’s obviously apprehension every step along the way. Will people care about a small local business offering advice and tips on travel? And the bigger question is, do the channels of social media allow enough time on people’s news feeds for posts anymore?
What seems to happen is the same posts keep being shunted to the top of news feeds and then you lose posts in the hustle/bustle. Some days on Instagram I end up doing between 5 and 8 posts a day because you need to keep up that momentum. You can’t rely on the people that follow you because Instagram is such a huge unknown, it relies on who can see what on their news feed and how much time they have etc. But the beauty of Instagram is the hashtags, they promote your post so much wider than you could imagine. So I can be talking about an Australian rainforest and can tag Australian sites into it but then I can also tag Essex and UK travel companies in and also a tagging that includes touring or walking tours or guided explorations. The idea is that you’re putting so many different bookmarks on your post so people that have those interests have got easy access to it. The trick is that those people who like your posts etc will then make their way to your profile and hopefully follow you and you gain attention that way.
The unfortunate thing on Instagram is there are millions of people trying to do the same thing they will follow you hoping you follow them etc. The main issue with that one is I’m a firm believer in following what I like not what I should have to do in order to gain and retain followers. Integrity sucks!
There are some lovely people out there who say keep going and I’m going to be easier on myself at this stage because I am only entering my third week. I believe the content I used to go out with was too information filled and Instagram is purely a photo site so you wanna be quick, you wanna be snappy and you want to just inspire. Which is ultimately what I’m here to do, I want to inspire people to travel, and it’s a common enough dream, but not a lot of people think it’s achievable.
There are people I know that would go to Benidorm every year or summer in the UK and, please do not get me wrong, Spain is a gorgeous country and the UK has so much to offer but people often fall into the trap of going back to comfort zones because they do think that their dream destinations are unachievable.
What’s happened since I’ve launched Framework travel is I’ve had to go through old photos of my various travels throughout the world and really identify what travel means to me. I’ve been to some really spectacular places and I’ve seen nature at its best. I’ve seen tiny little penguins run up the beach on Phillip Island just below Melbourne, I’ve swam the Great barrier reef, I’ve been in the freezing cold winter’s of Paris in the rain and it’s been beautiful, my lips turn blue and I didn’t care. Travel takes who you are and puts it in the foreground, when you’re working or looking after kids or looking after a household you often become this masked person. You are mummy/daddy, you are a worker and you are a person that has a role to play. When you go anywhere, even a day trip in the UK those roles fall away and that’s why I travel because you get to be the person you are just in your head and you become the real you.
The other reason I travel is to share places I’ve been with others. When looking through photos to share on Framework Travel I’ve been particularly conscious that I don’t want to share photos with my family or my friends in, that is private to me and of course to them. But it also isn’t about me sharing my life with other people on my business pages it’s about sharing the places I’ve been to and the feelings that you get when you’re there.
I found one particular photo of a trip to New York 10 years ago and it’s of my brother in Central Park and he’s sitting on a bench and to the right of him is the expansive Mall , one of the most iconic locations in the park in my opinion. You can see the huge elm trees, which are famous in their own right, and my brothers not looking at the camera he’s just sitting there and it’s one of my favourite photos. He looks in thought and relaxed. As I started looking back, I realised I’ve never really sat with anyone I’ve travelled with and asked what did you think? I always just let them come to me if they had any impressions or things to discuss but since doing this, family (especially) have told me how much travelling meant to them and the places I went to them with really meant to them.
And ultimately that’s what I hope to achieve I don’t want to go on holiday with you all, as lovely as you are, a girl needs time to do the everyday stuff. I’m not saying I won’t take up an offer now and again, but the point is, if I can help someone achieve their travel dreams or open their eyes to new experiences in places they’ve been before or suggest tips that make their travels just that bit better, then I’ve already succeeded at what I set out to do. And that is to help people be the people they actually are.
I truly believe people are at their best when they encounter something new as it’s like they’re a child again and the old phrase is, wouldn’t it be great to see the world through a child’s eyes?
Framework Travel 