IGOUGO Online Travel Journal. Why Every Traveler Needs an Online Journal

As an avid traveler I know that almost any real traveler keeps a travel journal. I mean what kind of traveler are you if you don't journal your adventures? I also know a true traveler is always looking for an easy way to make a quick buck. What if I told you there was a website that would pay you for your travel journal? Well, there's not, but I found the next best thing.

There is a travel journal website called IGOUGO that basically lets travelers post journal entries, travel photos, and reviews for points. The points then can be used to purchase anything from online gift cards to airplane tickets.

Not to shabby eh?

Online Travel Journal- Points

The points awarded work in a number of ways. Obviously certain types of travel journal entries are going to get more points then others. Your basic travel journal entry isn't going to get you many points, but some points are better than no points. If you build up a large amount of friends through the travel journal website you may earn more points because the basic travel journal entries get points based on how many people read your journal entry in the first month it is published.

The majority of your travel journal points are going to come from writing reviews of the places you stayed at and the attractions you may have seen or visited while traveling. I found it very useful to take notes on the places I was staying at or on something I did that day. The travelers on the IGOUGO travel journal website like details. They like to know how much a hostel cost, what you get for free at the hostel, is it safe, how clean is it, are there hidden costs, and that sort of thing. Think about what you would want to know about a hostel.

There are also some ways to rack up some really major points on this travel journal website. The best way to get a lot of points is also the hardest, publicity. The IGOUGO travel journal website awards major points for anyone who can get some major publicity for the website. Things like getting the travel journal website mentioned in the news, on major websites, or photos of you sporting IGOUGO gear in print will all earn you major points.

Online Travel Journal- Tips for Writing

As I mentioned before taking notes is a great way to make writing your review even easier. I made it a nightly routine to jot down some notes about my day while I was writing in my travel journal. I would make sure to keep track of how much things cost, how long it took to get to destinations, if there were alternate ways of getting there, and I would also make sure to compare what the travel guide book said with what actually happened.

When it comes to actually writing your review you don't have to be a professional. All the people who will be reading your reviews will be other travelers. They aren't looking for something that the National Geographic Traveler would publish. They want good insider information. When you are writing your article just think about things you would want to know about and write that. Make sure to write in the first person, but do so sparingly. This will make your reviews seem more real and easier to read.

Don't forget that you don't have to be traveling to write in your online travel journal. Your hometown might be someone else's dream destination. So if you find yourself needing some extra points, but can't think of anything to journal just look outside. Write about local attractions and destinations.

Online Travel Journal- Rewards

I know there are a lot of websites out there that offer points and rewards, but most of them have a very limited selection of reward. The IGOUGO online travel journal isn't one of them. They have tons of rewards to choose from. The biggest thing you can get is frequent flyer points to go toward a plane ticket. These obviously take a lot of points so make sure to save up. There are also gift cards for a ton of good online shops like Amazon, Barnes and noble, and more.