Beth Whitman

1. I’d love to know how you moved from website to book and then travel guide and now world-travelling speaker!  Was it intentional?  Do you have advice for others who want to follow that path?

I initially wanted to write a book to establish myself as the expert in the women’s travel market. I knew I had to launch a blog at the same time as the marketing arm but the site kinda grew out of control and I had to keep adding elements to it! The site first launched in late 2006 and the first book in early 2007. From there I started speaking and then started leading tours in 2008 (I now have 9 tours in 2012!). I launched WanderTours in 2011 to reflect the growing tours AND the fact that I was adding co-ed trips and I thought I was loosing men when they saw Wanderlust and Lipstick as the company name!

2. Whats next for you?

Oh boy. I think there are great growth opportunities with the Wanderlust and Lipstick website. And there’s less risk with it as compared to tours. So I may let the tours level off with 9 or 10 a year and then spend more time on growing the website. I really want it to be a place where women can find lots of information and inspiration before and after their travels. And I really want to help women with their travel writing and photography skills. I have a yearly travel writing contest now, but my wish is to actually be able to offer classes in travel writing and photography for women.

3. What role do your website(s) play in your business development?

They’re everything. They do my marketing and sales and the ads and sponsorships that come directly because of the site help pay the bills!

4. Do you have any advice for freelance travel writers? (or entrepreneurs in general?)

Plan to work long hours if you really want to build a business from your travel writing (or whatever business it is). You can’t sit still and expect that everyone’s going to find your great site, or book, or tour, or whatever it is your trying to get noticed for.

For more than 25 years, she has been traveling the globe as a contemporary Wanderer: combining her love for travel with volunteer work, adventure trips, travel writing and business. You can find lots of travel inspiration, tips and stories by Beth and her team of writers at Wanderlust and Lipstick or you can view the co-ed tours at WanderTours.

 What would you like to ask Beth?  Do so in the comments!

Spot #1 for Tips & Tricks & #4 for Overall Blog: Autistic Globetrotting, the baby of Margalit

Autistic Globetrotting

#3 for Family Adventure: Mara’s Mother of All Trips

MotherofAllTrips

Well done! And congratulations.  Its nice when all your hard work pays off with a little recognition!

Have you been featured in any top lists? Let us know – we’d love to feature you too!

LPM Blog with Beth Moore

The LPM Blog has been running since December, 2006 and averages 450 comments per post. Is your ministry or church interested in starting a blog? Perhaps the experiences of Beth Moore’s Blog team can point the way.  

Why did LPM start a blog so long ago?

When Beth stopped teaching her Sunday school class a few years ago, her daughter, Amanda, thought a blog might be a different outlet for Beth to connect with the ladies she served. At that time, blogging was fairly new but was becoming widely popular. Amanda was right, within a year the bloggers who participated and commented back, quickly became near and dear to Beth.

What role does the blog now play at Living Proof Ministry?

Soon after the blog was started, it became its own community. The LPM bloggers are lovingly referred to as Siestas. Anyone can be a Siesta, no one is excluded, and it just means that you read, comment and interact with the other bloggers on the LPM blog. With that said, it plays a very big role!

Has the feedback received from the blog changed or shaped anything that is currently happening at LPM?

I think it has shaped LPM in that we serve an entire group of online ladies that we dearly love. In fact, we’ve hosted a few events for Siestas. Twice we have had a scripture memory team where we’ve invited ladies to memorize scripture with us on the blog. When that particular year was up, we hosted scripture memory celebration for them in Houston. Every other year we also host a summer Bible study with the ladies! Without the blog, none of this would exist.

Do you have any words of encouragement or tips for ministries that might be thinking of starting a blog?

I’d say go for it, but don’t compare your blog to anyone else’s. What is your reason for blogging? If you’re going to use this avenue, then use it and keep it up to date. If you only post once a month, people may not be as committed to it, so to keep your audience committed, you need to stay committed. Also, don’t forget to just have fun with it!

Many blessings to you and your ministry, may Christ be honored and glorified through you!

Visit Beth’s Blog | Ministry Website | Facebook

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