That’s why Stay22 teamed up with Nomadic Matt for a webinar focused on what’s working now – from data-driven strategies to AI-powered tools that help creators earn more from their content.
The travel blogging landscape is changing fast. With traffic patterns shifting and traditional monetization methods becoming less reliable, creators are looking for smarter ways to grow their income.
Here's a quick recap and key insights from the session with Felix Contant, Partnerships Manager at Stay22. You can watch the full webinar here:
Why Data Matters More Than Ever
Nomadic Matt kicked things off by pointing to a major industry shift: creators are seeing reduced traffic and affiliate revenue. Stay22’s tools offer a solution – giving bloggers and publishers access to smarter, automated affiliate tools that generate higher commissions.
What Top Creators Are Doing Differently (7:15)
Earlier this year, Stay22 partnered with Travel Massive to publish the 2025 Creators & Travel Industry Research Report. One of the most eye-opening findings: over 60% of creators earn less than $25,000/year from blogging – and only 14% make more than $75,000.
🔗 Download 2025 Creators & Travel Industry Research Report
The top revenue sources? Sponsored content and partnerships, professional services like writing and photography, and affiliate sales. This data highlights a clear divide: the highest earners are not just relying on traffic volume but are diversifying their income and treating their blogs like businesses.
Felix highlighted common traits of high-earning creators.
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They diversify revenue streams, blending affiliate income with sponsored content and services.
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They adopt a business mindset, using data and strategic positioning to appeal to brands.
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Most importantly, they embrace technology, including AI tools, to optimize performance and save time.
Passive Income with AI-Powered Tools (09:14)
Stay22’s AI-enabled product suite, especially Nova, helps creators monetize not just commercial-intent pages but also early-stage research traffic (think “where to go” or “what to do” articles).
Nova intelligently places accommodation options based on user behavior, no need to manually add links.
The result? Even lower-converting content starts to generate affiliate revenue. Creators using Nova have seen a 30–50% increase in bookings.
Understanding the Funnel: Informational to Transactional (12:07)
Felix broke down the travel planning funnel:
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Informational: General guides and how-tos
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Navigational: Searches like “Spain beaches”
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Commercial: “Best hotels in Barcelona”
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Transactional: Booking sites directly
The webinar emphasized optimizing content across all stages, especially informational and navigational – where most blog traffic comes from – to reduce bounce rates and boost conversions.
How to Use Stay22 Data to Sell Yourself (18:12)
Stay22 offers detailed analytics on:
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Page-level earnings
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Click-through and booking data
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Audience geography and behavior
Creators like Allison Green (Eternal Arrival) have used Stay22 data to transform their media kits and pitch tourism boards with verified metrics. This approach helped her stand out to DMOs and secure partnerships.
4 Data Pillars That Matter to Brands (24:34)
Most creators focus on vanity metrics like total followers or monthly traffic. But the reality is that DMOs and brands need to justify their spend. They’re asking: “Who are we reaching? Will this drive bookings? Is this creator aligned with our market goals?”
To bridge that gap, Felix outlined four data pillars that consistently help creators stand out and win partnerships, even against larger competitors. These are the metrics that matter when you want to turn a casual brand conversation into a signed collaboration.
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Audience reach and engagement
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Geographic relevance
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Conversion signals and commercial value
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Seasonal trends and long-term ROI
By presenting real data that matches a brand’s target audience, creators improve their chances of landing partnerships, even if their site isn't the biggest.
Key Takeaways (40:34)
Here are some quick takeaways from the session to help you apply what was shared and start optimizing your content and partnerships right away.
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Start using affiliate tools early, even if your traffic is low.
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Focus on optimizing high-performing pages using Stay22’s analytics.
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Use Stay22 data to pitch smarter, not harder.
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Travel blogs still convert better than social media for high-decision purchases like hotels.
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Nova works behind the scenes, boosting bookings without disrupting your content.
👉 Ready to start earning with Stay22? Join today!