Blogger Talk: Nomadic Samuel

Can you introduce yourself?

I'm Samuel Jeffery from NomadicSamuel.com.  I've been living and/or traveling overseas for eight consecutive years with no plans of giving up my lifestyle anytime soon.  I love to experience new cultures through local cuisine.

When did you start traveling?

I've been traveling ever since I was a child.  My family would often go on summer vacations and I was able to visit a lot of different places in Canada and the US; however, my real foray into serious independent travel as an adult came in 2005 when I moved to Korea to teach English.  After saving as hard as I could I started backpacking around SE Asia in 2007-08.  It was a life changing experience and I knew at the time I wanted to make travel a big part of my life.  I've been trying my best to do so ever since.

When did you start blogging?

I launched my blog on July 1st, 2011, which just happens to be on Canada Day!  I only wish I had started sooner.  I didn't realize travel blogging was an actual industry until early 2011.  Although, I was late to the party I'm certainly glad I started my blog when I did.  I ended up meeting my partner in crime, Audrey Bergner of ThatBackpacker.com, through our blogs.

What was the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge starting my blog was learning everything from scratch.  I have no background in computers, SEO or blogging so I was like a wet sponge trying to absorb as much information as I possibly could when I first started.  I found it frustrating when I crashed my site, deleted posts by accident and a whole host of others things.  There were moments when I felt like quitting; sometimes I wondered if this was more of an obsession rather than passion.  However, I'm really pleased to have stuck around through the growing pains as I'm enjoying it more now than ever.

You have quiet a following now, when did it take off?

It certainly didn't happen overnight.  When I first started my blog I was guest posting every other day, exchanging links and commenting on other blogs like a madman. My initial 'obsessive' push helped my site gain a little bit of momentum that I've been able to ride ever since.  I've made a few business decisions that have really helped.  One of the best things I've done is to aggressively advertise on facebook to help my brand reach a larger audience. The second best decision I've made is to become active on YouTube.  My blog brings a new audience to my travel videos; moreover, my travel videos on YouTube send loyal followers to my blog.  They feed off of one another.

Any advice for new bloggers?

Be persistent and don't give up.  You kind of need to have the mentality of a junkyard dog.  It's not easy starting from scratch and these days the odds are stacked against you with so many established travel blogs; however, if you're passionate, willing to work hard and be consistent with your efforts you most certainly will see traction with your site over time.  I wrote a post about how to create a successful travel blog that I feel will help beginners.

Favorite country and why?

My new favorite country is Turkey!  I've only really had the opportunity to travel in Istanbul but I'm already consider Turkey as a base in the near future.  It's a combination of the food, culture and attractions that really stimulate me here.

I'm excited to be exploring a new region where I've never had the opportunity to visit in the past.  In the past I've fallen for Thailand, Argentina, India and Vietnam.  My favorite country is like the flavor of the day.

Samuel Jeffery is the wizard behind the curtain pulling the strings of Nomadic Samuel cultural travel blog. He's also the lesser half of Backpacking Travel Blog which he runs with his girlfriend Audrey Bergner of That Backpacker. You can connect with Samuel on his YouTube travel channel and on Google+.