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Hello again! Join me in this month's newsletter as I update you on an unusual month—quiet on the Google front, but dominated by the news of TikTok's (short-lived) ban and Instagram’s moves to capitalise on the moment.

Also in this edition, I'll share some resources for making the most of ITB Berlin, one of the key travel industry events just around the corner. Happy reading, Kieren (more about me later).

GENERAL NEWS

📣 Matador announce a new podcast - Matador has announced CREATOR, The Podcast, in which their CEO interviews top travel creators about how they got started. The first episode is live featuring travel photographer Chris Burkard. Add it to your podcast library here.

📣 Klook launched a portal for creators - Kreators' Pick is the new creator portal from Klook with a catalog of sponsored activities in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Australia, and the US. Klook Kreators with 5k+ followers can apply for any activity. View the portal here (best viewed on desktop).

BLOGGING & AFFILIATE NEWS

🌐 Google stops SEO tools from accessing search results - SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, KeySearch, and UberSuggest will no longer have access to scrape Google's search results. This is likely to impact their accuracy and usefulness in the future. More on this here.

📢 Have you heard about the travel blogging summit? The virtual event, hosted by Laura of Scale Your Travel Blog, is set to return from 21st-23rd Feb. Speakers include Katie Diederichs (twowanderingsoles.com), Millie Austin (staywildtravels.com), Alisha Preece (outandbeyond.com). and more. Get your ticket here.

SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS

🔔 TikTok lives on... for now - After a 16 hour outage, TikTok returned for Americans with a 75-day extension. But its long-term future is still uncertain. This story is quickly evolving - view a full timeline of events here.

🔔 Instagram announce new features and bonuses - With TikTok's future in limbo, Instagram doubled down with a flurry of announcements. This included changes to your profile such as new image ratios and grid re-ordering, increased reels length to 3 minutes, a Capcut alternative called Edits, a breakthrough bonus program offering US creators up to $5,000 for exclusivity, and improved reels analytics.

🔔 Platforms share content calendars for 2025 - Both X (Twitter) and TikTok have released calendars of key events for business owners and creators to capitalise on in 2025.

TIPS & TRICKS

💡 Behind the Paywall: An Experiment to Try & Save My Travel Blog - After seeing continued traffic declines on her travel blog, Valerie explains how she implemented a paywall and provides an update on how it's going after three months.

💡 Most YouTubers Suck at Thumbnails - YouTube strategist Rory Marles shares 11 tips to create killer thumbnails, giving viral examples from the likes of Mr Beast and Joe Rogan.

💡 The Success Story of Jen on a Jet Plane - Travel creator Jen Ruiz (jenonajetplane.com) speaks about how she gained 100M+ short-form video views, won 6 travel writing awards, became a bestselling author, and delivered 3 TEDx talks thanks to her blog.

💡 How Instagram's Algorithm Works in 2025 (from the man behind it) - Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, shared a series of videos outlining how Instagram surfaces content and tips for success in 2025. View a quick summary here or watch the full series on his profile.

TRENDING TOPICS

🔥 How Google and AI are Killing Travel Blogs Like Mine [blog by Amanda Williams]

🔥 In 2025 You Are Getting Terrible Blogging Advice [reddit thread]

INDUSTRY EVENTS

📅 10th Feb - Meet the Media, Dublin (media applications via email)

📅 13th Feb - IMM Australia, Sydney (media applications here)

📅 17th-18th Feb - IMM UK, London (media applications here)

📅 3rd Mar - IMM Germany, Berlin (media applications ​here​)

📅 4th-6th Mar - ITB, Berlin (media applications here)

📅 12th Mar - IMM France, Paris (media applications here)

📅 14th-16th Mar - Travel Con, Arizona (tickets onsale here)

📅 9th-11th Apr - WTM Africa, Cape Town (media applications here)

📅 11th Apr - IMM Brazil, São Paulo (media applications here)

📅 14th-16th Apr - WTM Latin America, São Paulo (media applications here)

* ITB Special *

One of the biggest industry events, ITB Berlin, is only a month away. For those planning to attend, here are some helpful resources:

⭐ ITB Match & Meet - Check out the ITB YouTube channel for tutorials on using their Match & Meet platform to connect with key contacts and schedule your meetings in advance.

⭐ Travel Massive ITB Party - On 4th March, Travel Massive will host a mingle and dance at Generator Berlin Alexanderplatz with travel influencers, tourism board reps, and industry professionals. Sign up to attend here.

⭐ Travel Dudes x Budget Traveller ITB Meetup - On 5th March, Kash, Sabrina, and Melvin will co-host another creator and destination brand meetup at Generator Berlin Mitte. See the 'save the date' here.

⭐ The Ultimate Guide to Travel Blogging Conferences - In this article on Medium, Travel Creator Coach, Daniella Schoeman, shares her tips for making the most of blogging conferences.

MONTHLY POLL

📊 Result of last month's poll: What will be your biggest focus in 2025?

📊 This month's poll: What's your current approach to social media?

WHO'S BEHIND THIS NEWSLETTER? Hi, I'm Kieren, I've been travel blogging for 6+ years (full-time since 2021). I love nerding out about all things blogging, SEO, social media, and AI. I started this newsletter to connect with fellow content creators - whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro. Hit reply to chat!