When we talk about freelancers, we’re talking about so many things. However, the one specific freelance job that we are going to talk about today, is the Social Media Influencers.

Social media has got a special place in our hearts, if you would admit. It’s often one of the first things we see when we check our phone in the morning, and the place we’ll go for either entertainment or education. Kids nowadays learn much more from social media than they do from school. References and ideas are everywhere if we know where to find them. It’s not so weird then, that many people use social media to make money. Why not? It’s easy and you get paid just for posting things on the internet.

Social Media Influencers, as they are named today, are people who do just that. In exchange with the effort they make of making quality contents, they receive money from the ads and products from brands seeking for media coverage. All these can be done from a small studio in their homes. Neat, huh? Now, let’s take it one step further. Travel Influencers. Who are they? These people are the ones who are lucky enough to make money from their travelling experiences. Instead of wasting money, these individuals actually get money from selling their pictures and stories on the internet. Feeling envious? So are we.

However, there’s also a dark side to this job. While most travel influencers have the ethics and healthy consciousness to always be respectful to the people and culture of whichever place they are in, some of them are nothing but brainless. Not too long ago, a picture of a foreign female travel “influencer” surfaced on the internet. She was pictured butt-naked while riding an elephant in Bali. Geez, if this is the kind of influence she wants to establish, we’re not sure we want to be influenced. First of all, it is very unethical to show your naked body in a public place. Not in Bali, not everywhere. Second of all, and then she has to ride a living animal. Poor elephant didn’t know what was happening on its back.

Rewind to a couple of months ago, there was also a case of US influencers who were deportated because they promote a luxurious lifestyle that they can afford here against the law. So many people were outraged with the case and started pointing fingers at Travel Influencers as ignorant; an unfair generalization as there are many of them who travel with respect and dignity, and are true influencers in the ways they do things.

So what really differ a good travel influencer with the bad ones? Let’s jump into it.

First of all, a good travel influencer is one who does travelling in order to learn about new things. They are genuinely interested in learning the culture of the places they set their foot on. When they come to a place, they mingle the local people and really talk to them. For a good travel influencer, learning is a continuous thing they can do everywhere, and anytime. They learn much more from the local people than they do from books and articles.

Not only interested in the cultures, a good travel influencer also show their respect towards the local culture and try their best to behave accordingly. They will not hesitant learning a few phrases in local tongue so they can show their respect to the local people, and would even take language lessons if they plan to stay longer in a place.

Lastly, with regard to the term of their profession itself, a good travel influencer actually try to give good examples in hope to influence more people into doing what they are doing. A good travel influencer, in short, is one who is influencing people to do good when they, themselves, are travelling.

Are you interested in being a travel influencer? What would you want people to learn from you? Let us know, and till next time. Stay safe, stay healthy!