As a global company, Tiqets cooperates with numerous partners around the world to ensure travelers get the best cultural experiences available. Part of its marketing strategy includes working with business affiliates, who help Tiqets tap into niche markets in their respective countries. We sat down with one of Tiqets’ affiliates and got the scoop on why working with business affiliates, ticket agents and bloggers offers mutual benefits to both parties. Meet Marta Rubio, founder of Barcelona met Marta, a travel blog catering to Barcelona-bound travelers from the Netherlands.
How did you get started online and come up with the idea for Barcelonametmarta.nl?
After arriving in the Netherlands ten years ago, I quickly noticed how popular my hometown was among Dutch people. I also realized how many of them were appreciative of my personal tips when they planned trips to Barcelona. Instead of making a special list of tips and recommendations each time a friend wanted to go there, my boyfriend pointed out that it would make more sense to have those tips online. That way, everyone could enjoy them. Thus, Barcelonametmarta.nl was born.
What’s the main factor of your blog’s success?
Authenticity. I was born and raised in Barcelona and I know the city like the back of my hand, so the blog’s visitors are getting the real deal. My goal is to let my readers discover Barcelona like a local, alongside the more well-known places they’d want to go to anyway. After getting a lot of positive feedback about the content I was sharing, I decided to monetize my website. Working as an affiliate with external partners allows me to work as a blogger full-time and make a living from my passion. By working together with different partners, I’m able to offer a wider range of relevant products on my website and better cater to people’s needs.
Can you give us a brief overview of how Tiqets works with affiliate bloggers?
Tiqets approached me with an offer to become an affiliate. I loved how they offered special deals on Barcelona’s most important cultural attractions, so I gladly accepted. They set up your personal account and landing page, which you can then link to your website, easily leading your readers to different products which they can purchase. You even get access to an affiliate portal, where you can see how your sales are doing. Their account managers have direct contact with you and are happy to help if you have any questions.
They’re also open to new ideas, and always listen to your needs. It’s a true partnership. I’ve also noticed that my conversion rates are pretty high. I attribute this to the variety and quality of the products they offer. Tiqets has very efficient customer service as well, which means less work for me. Lastly, it doesn’t matter where you’re located as an affiliate – Tiqets operates in almost 200 cities around the world.
What’s the thing you value the most about your partnership with Tiqets?
They really help you out with anything they can do to improve your sales. From special discount codes for your clients to constantly improving the products they offer. The affiliate portal really helps out with monitoring how your sales are doing as well. Payments are always on time and their excellent customer service support gives my clients the peace of mind that they’re purchasing a quality product.
How do you see the future for bloggers like you?
I think clever bloggers will keep growing as professionals, entering substantial partnerships and getting even more advertising investments. They will also become even more tech-savvy in terms of advertising and will keep improving their own websites, apps, and social media channels in order to stay relevant to their audience.
Marta’s tips and tricks to make your blog a success
- Gain knowledge about web building, SEO, conversion optimization, social media and marketing, and stay up-to-date with new developments. Make sure you’re writing about the things your audience wants to know about or might be interested in.
- Be unique. Not only with your content and strategy, but also by differentiating yourself from your competitors. Think about what makes you special and stick to that.
- Monetize your blog by using affiliate marketing (like Tiqets), promoted content or by selling advertising space. Become part of a bloggers network in order to get in touch with potential clients or brands more easily.
- Don’t depend on Google rankings. Create your own brand, use social media and start building your own e-mail database. Go networking and make sure everybody knows you’re out there.
- Stay up-to-date and relevant. Prepare to invest some money in your blog. This could be anything from web hosting to website design, content writers, a photographer or a videographer, depending on your needs.
