The Little Babog Family is a family of four from the Philippines who moved to London, England in 2016. We have been traveling around Europe as digital nomads since March 2017 and will be taking you along with us as we document our adventures!
Our kids are currently 9 and 5 years old, so you can expect lots of fun activities that are safe and entertaining enough for them to do!
Our background
The Little Babog is a family lifestyle travel blogging website, which has been running for 4 years. It was created by us as a way to document our own travel adventures and inspire other families to get out and see more of their world. Although we are now based in Central Thailand, we have worked as volunteer development workers in Nepal, Botswana, and South Africa.
All three of these countries provided a cultural learning experience that played an important role in shaping who we are today; it’s our hope that through The Little Babog you can get a glimpse into some of our favorite places on earth. We want you to be able to share the memories with your children or grandchildren while they're still young enough to believe they'll grow up just like us.
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How we started traveling
Like most people, we used to think that traveling was something only rich people do. We used to love going on holidays but they were expensive and we never had enough money.
Then one day, after dreaming about it for a few years, I quit my job and found some freelance work which allowed me to travel a bit more than usual. After a while that turned into making a living online and by mid-2016 we didn’t have a home base anymore as we were traveling full-time with our little dog Babog.
If you want to make your dream of traveling come true too then read
on! First off, what does traveling mean? It means spending time outside of your
hometown. It doesn’t matter where you go or how long you stay; if it isn’t
within walking distance from where you live then it counts as traveling.
Secondly, what is the point of traveling? When we traveled before (e.g., went on vacation), the main purpose was to relax or just see new places – not necessarily to experience other cultures or eat new food or learn different things. That changes when you are a digital nomad – now the point is exploring and experiencing life in other parts of the world.
How we got in front of brands
I started by getting a list of clothing brands that were already posted on Instagram. It was mostly streetwear brands and a few athletic apparel companies. I looked up each brand on their website to find their social media pages, contacted them, and pitched my story idea (which is how I landed my first clients).
Most of them replied back saying they weren't interested, but one or two did respond asking for more information which lead to an interview over Skype! In addition to landing my first clients, that gave me a nice portfolio of social media posts that I could use as examples when trying to land future clients!
Getting in front of brands has become much easier since then with me doing it for about 6 months now and having clients work to show other businesses.
We have a good time while traveling
If you’re not having fun, there’s no point in traveling. Sure, a vacation is about seeing new things and absorbing new experiences, but it should also be about spending time with family or loved ones.
That might mean some serious sightseeing and deep conversations at times, but it should also include plenty of laughter and ridiculous (and often pointless) activities to keep everyone entertained throughout your trip. As much as possible, don’t forget to enjoy yourself while on vacation; after all, that’s what a vacation is for! After spending two weeks exploring the Caribbean and Central America, we had a lot of adventures along the way.
We saw beautiful waterfalls, got adventurous climbing
through the jungle, learned how to make cheese in Costa Rica, hiked volcanoes
in Guatemala...and the list goes on. It was one unforgettable adventure we'll
never forget!
Every day my little babog family travels around the world meeting people and learning about different cultures which has helped them grow so much as individuals by learning about themselves and others.
Engaging content on social media
We’re not going to lie—social media can be a time-suck. (Even we confess to getting sucked into its vortex from time to time.) It’s easy to get lost in Pinteresting or scrolling through your feed for hours on end, especially if you’re using social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
But there are so many ways you can use social media for good. You just have to know how! Even though our typical tweets, pins, and posts are casual and fun, a lot of businesses actually use these mediums as an opportunity to engage with their customers in a more meaningful way.
For example, Domino’s Pizza uses Twitter to
promote new specials and encourage customer feedback. They even created a
customized pizza called the Pizza Noid, named after one of the chain’s most
famous critics.
What
are some other companies that use social media well? Check out some great
examples below:
1)
Everlane uses Facebook Live videos to give customers a behind-the-scenes look
at their design process.
2)
Levi’s used Snapchat stories about fashion shows to reach younger consumers who
might not otherwise be interested in traditional advertising formats.
3) Nestle released a mobile game where users play as Nesquik Bunny collecting cups of milk around the world—all while learning about different cultures!
Community over competition
The classic misconception about blogging is that it’s an isolated hobby or career. The reality, however, is that blogging works best when it’s a community activity. If you’re willing to help others and share your knowledge, then you’ll soon find a group of loyal followers who appreciate your input.
Look for ways to work with other bloggers in your niche or those who are new and need help navigating the waters.
For example, you could write a few posts on some foundational topics in your industry or get involved with social media groups where you can answer questions or recommend resources.
It takes time to build
these relationships, but they will ultimately reward you over time by
increasing your reach, generating traffic back to your site, and helping build
credibility within your field.