Saturday, November 24, 2007
In my position as Chief prawn of Nuffnang Pte Ltd, I have been privileged to meet many bloggers. The blogs in Nuffnang are not just a statistic, they represent real people.People, with jobs, people with opinions, people with ambition and people with expectations.
Fulfilling the expectations of 13,000 bloggers is no mean feat (Thats not to say I do not feel up to the task, on the contrary, I relish it). To me, the main issue is education and communication. It is always about setting expectations at the right level so as not to dissapoint.
Let's say you own a shop space. Now a shop space at Takashimaya (on orchard road), which draws alot of human traffic might command a very very high rent, and will always be in demand. Good times or bad.
If you own a shop space on the outskirts of Singapore, perhaps in a not so popular Suburban mall like Sembawang mall for example, you might struggle to find a tenant, and at the same time, the rent will be very low.
This is unfortunately exactly how everything that involves money in the real world works. The blog advertising world, is no different. For your blog to be in demand, you've got to have an audience. The bigger your audience, the more advertisers notice you, the more likely you get chosen for an ad, and the more you earn.
While on the one side of the coin, I've met bloggers like the types Su Ann has denounced. Complaining for example, the low state of their earnings at $1.40 per ad, even pouring scorn on advertiser's money, claiming they can earn more by begging on the streets, I have also met many bloggers who are proactive, understand what they need to do, keep their head down, and get it done. I am glad to say I believe these people are in the majority.
One such blogger is
Ylva. I had the privilege of meeting Ylva only quite recently. She applied for the Nuffnang mini community initiative, and she got it. Some people, ask me how do people get selected for these events? Well, to me, I guage interest level. Ylva's email back to me that day, touched me, and made me think, "This is a Nuffnanger, who wants to learn, wants to improve, wants to grow. I've got 20 other applications, and 5 tickets, but she deserves it."
Anyway, this is the email she sent. Unedited.
"Dear Ming,
I joined nuffnang when i saw the link at xiaxue's blog.. surprisingly, i got my 1st ad in May and i earned $1.40 as my blog did not have much visitors at that time.. slowly, i learnt how to blog in a more interesting way, so that visitors will love my blog and come back to me. During these times, i had ads running too and now, my ad paid per week is amounted to $7.09.
it is not the money, is the process on how i learn to blog to attract my readers attention that count and it is priceless.
i am still working very hard on how to blog. there is so much to learn and i am learning from fellow nuffnang-ers.. everytime i see new bloggers who joined nuffnang, i would tag them to welcome them for joining this big family. I even link most of them. Check out my links section under "nuffnang-ers"
anyway, i have to thank nuffnang -- for the experience of blogging and making friends who loves to blog." I have been invited to speak at an Event called "How to make money without even trying". The illustrious Kennysia, and Mr Miyagi will both be there too. At that event, perhaps I will take Ylva's email out, and flash it on the screen.
I will then say, "How do you make money without even trying?" Truth is, you can't! BUT and here comes the big BUT, if you do something you truly love and are passionate about, throw a little magic into the pot (i.e., pray somebody starts Nuffnang, hehe), the rest should fall in place.
Now Ylva, in the short term, has increased her earnings, and maybe she'll get a couple of hundred bucks, in her blogging lifespan, maybe more. In the long run though, what I'm particularly proud of is her attitude, that the process of getting there is more important. She is eager to learn, and with that attitude, I believe she will do well in life. Not just in blogging. Ylva, well done, keep it up!
