During the summer, we experimented with a new platform for bloggers and influencers in our community that allows you to work with destinations and travel brands in a new and unique way. We found that many of our clients are still actively recruiting influencers for media trips, press events, and product launches that requires you to be in a physical location live-posting your experience.
What started out as an experiment quickly turned into a platform and we are launching the beta next week for the rest of our community. The name of this new platform is called Crossroads launching next Monday, September 26th. If you’ve ever been on a media trip or FAM trip, or would like to go on one, we want to make that process easier! This post by Julie Smith on Travel Blog Success shows the ins and outs of showcasing your skills and talents as a content creator and influencer to destinations who are open to working with bloggers and influencers. We hope to make this dream a reality for more and more bloggers who can tell amazing stories about the places they travel to!
What is Crossroads You Ask?
What you’ll see when you log into Crossroads every weekday
A new way for bloggers and influencers to work with the destinations you love and are already traveling to. Every weekday for the next few weeks, you’ll get a new destination when you log into your Publisher Dashboard and click “Crossroads” in the upper right-hand corner of the toolbar. You’ll see details about the destination, new events and promotions the tourism board is planning, and also what they are looking for from influencers. From here, you can “pitch” the destination by writing a quick few sentences about how you would collaborate with the destination; whether it’s a series of Instagram posts or blog content. How we think this will help you:
- If you’re already traveling to the destination, great! Tell us your travel dates and we’ll help you get on the next media or press trip
- Your pitch gets sent straight to the PR and marketing teams for that destination
- Your stats, profile, travel plans, and pitch will all be included so your brand will be front and center
- We showcase you in the best light possible so that you get to work with destinations and tourism boards that actively support bloggers and influencers.
IMPORTANT: Log into Crossroads at www.cooperatize.com/crossroads every weekday starting on September 26th to see what new destination will be featured for that day and apply if you are interested!
We’re Still In Beta Baby
We’re a startup, and Crossroads is an experiment! Thus, there may be some bugs and glitches here and there, but our team is dedicated to making this platform work for you and your skills as a content creator. Since this platform is still in beta, Crossroads will only be available to bloggers and influencers who meet a few criteria:
- Integrated your blog’s Google Analytics with your profile and have at least 5,000 monthly unique visitors
- Integrated your blog’s Twitter account with your profile and have at least 1,000 followers
We know not all of you may fit this profile, but we hope as this platform gets out of beta we’ll launch it to the broader community. If you have any questions, feel free to message us at publishers@cooperatize.com!
I’m really excited about this! I need to take my travel blogging to the next level.
Thanks Stacie! Hopefully we can help you take your blog to the next level :).
Crossroads is not showing on the dashboard!
Hi Meg, Crossroads is launching next Monday (9/26), check back next Monday 🙂
I can not get into the crossroads tab at all! I’ve tried everything. Can I please get some assistance?
Hi Brenna! Apologies we updated our blog post Crossroads is launching next Monday (9/26)!
I did not see the Crossroads tab today. Any thoughts?
Hey Maggie! For now you need to have your Google Analytics (at least 5,000 UMV) and Twitter (at least 1,000 followers) accounts linked!
Can you see the previous days on only the “opportunity of the day”?
Hi Elizabeth! The Daily Destination changes every day, so you can’t see the previous days. However, if you forget to check one day, it won’t skip to the next one. You’ll just see the day you skipped the next time you login!
I just see a sign saying Saturday. The one and only opportunity I saw was Waco.
Yup we’re off on the weekends. When did you first log on to Crossroads? Send us an e-mail at publishers@cooperatize.com so our team can better help you troubleshoot the error, sorry about the technical difficulties!
Hi,
Just curious to know what are the things covered under these media trips? Are there international trips too?
Hi Shaan, it depends on what the destination or tourism board will provide. Our goal is to help you get noticed by these destinations as much as possible!
That’s nice… I hope that they sponsor the whole trip. Had few like that earlier 🙂
That’s great! The destinations will view your profile so make sure your numbers are up to date!
I don’t see a Crossroads link at all – I’m in California. Does that mean there is nothing in CA?
Hi Meg, the Crossroads link will only show up if you meet the following requirements: integrated GA and Twitter, and have at least 5,000 Twitter followers and 1,000 monthly uniques.
I meet the requirements, I blog about travel and have taken many media trips but still do not see Crossroads on my dashboard
Hi Carolyn, make sure you’ve integrated your blog’s Twitter account (at least 5,000 followers) and GA account (at least 1,000 monthly uniques) into your profile. Please e-mail us at publishers@cooperatize.com if you’re still having issues!
Is there a way to see previous days? I just read yesterday’s email that said there were opportunities this week featured for Belize, Charleston, Cape Town, Rapid City, West Hollywood, but when I log in I only see Cape Town. Thanks!
Hi Chrysa, currently you can only see one Daily Destination. This is a new platform so we are working on a feature to let you see previous days as well!
It would be great if you could send a daily newsletter with the highlighted daily destination and other infos.
Hi Inma, we are definitely thinking about sending out a daily newsletter, but we don’t want to inundate bloggers with the tons of e-mails they already receive every day! For now, we are sending out a weekly newsletter with the destinations in the newsletter.
But when you send that newsletter is there any way to get to the forms for the destinations listed that are already passed?
Unfortunately, we don’t have a way yet for you to access destinations from previous days, but we’re working on it! For now you should just log-in every day to see the new Daily Destination!
We have 5,233 followers on Twitter and our account is only showing 317? This is making it to where Crossroads is not showing up. Please help
Hey Jeremy, try disconnecting and reconnecting your Twitter account on your profile, that should do the trick. If you’re still have issues send us an e-mail at publishers@cooperatize.com.
Hi there,
Are these destinations putting their information on the platform for open press trips? My friend works for a featured destination and had no idea what I was talking about when I told her about Crossroads.
Thanks.
Hi Caroline, no we are doing our own research on destinations that are potentially hosting media trips. Some of the destinations are just places we think are interesting so we plan on sharing data with these destinations through the platform eventually!
I appear to qualify but I see no way to apply ….
Hi Stacie, make sure you have integrated your Google Analytics and Twitter to your profile. If you have further questions please e-mail us at publishers@cooperatize.com