Nele Landero Flores and her husband Jalil weren’t ready for the traditional nine-to-five work arrangement. Offices, commutes, and strict hours just never appealed to them.
“My husband and I were always certain we wanted to do something different,” says Nele. “After we got married, instead of a regular honeymoon, we took a sabbatical for half a year and just traveled. During that time, we were thinking back and forth on projects we could start that we could support ourselves with. And then all of a sudden at 6:30 in the morning — in the lovely country of Spain — I woke up and was like ‘Let's do a camping magazine.’”
Nele and Jalil decided to make the site they had always needed during their travels. While researching where to go next, they were often greeted with ugly websites or unhelpful social media groups. The tone and discussion on these sites was rarely friendly or fun — so what if they created a site that was easy on the eyes, welcoming, and inspiring for young people in need of adventure?
Their answer? CamperStyle, Nele and Jalil’s vibrant, entertaining guide to the world of camping. “While our site has evolved over the years, the concept has remained the same,” says Nele. “We know the German camping industry can be a little ‘dusty’ and gray — we aim to make camping colorful.”
CamperStyle’s mission is to guide camping enthusiasts through their entire camping life — from choosing and buying the right vehicle to purchasing the right basic equipment and useful accessories. The site is full of DIY tutorials, technical guides, sustainability tips, checklists, campsite recommendations, route suggestions, recipes and much more.
“We knew the idea had potential, but we didn't know how to turn it into a business just yet. We didn’t yet understand the need for digitalization when presenting content online. So for the first two years, it was difficult gaining a bigger audience and making it into a business.
Then they met Sebastian Vogt, an online marketing expert who talked Nele and Jalil through the technical SEO best practices that would transform their business. “When we met him, we immediately connected on a personal level and a business level. It was very clear that we wanted to do this together.”
“I could tell right away Nele and Jalil wrote great content,” says Sebastian. “But like most journalists just starting out, they struggled to get found on Google and other search engines. And I think this SEO know-how was the skill I brought to the table when they hired me — and it’s helped them continue to reach new readers.”
