What’s my ADVOCACY?  This question has been lingering in my mind for the past weeks since I attended Blogging: The Formula for Success.  One of the most successful bloggers in our country, Mr. Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet, shared with us how he turned blogging not only into a lucrative hobby but more importantly into an advocacy that has sparked a movement.

Last July 13,  I was privileged to have been given a free seat to the workshop for having answered a survey by Manila Workshops more than a month ago.  Good thing I took time to answer that survey coz I wouldn’t have been able to squeeze the 4,5oo-peso fee into our monthly budget.  Mr. Anton Diaz shared so many insights and tips that was well worth more than the fee though.  Still, thank you to Ginger Arboleda of ManilaReviews.com for inviting us to join the workshop.

I’ve only been blogging for a little over a year and have not really taken time to understand SEO nor how to effectively monetize my blog.  Although the additional income I could earn from blogging was really what initially drove me to get my own domain and start a blog, it still remains to be just a mere hobby that allows me to voice out my thoughts.  Call it therapy for the crazy work-at-home mom. 😀  By happenstance, I am still able to get sponsored posts and a few advertisers even without marketing my site.  I credit this to my online mom-blogger friends who refer me to their advertisers.  Still, to know that a blog could actually earn tens of thousands (even hundreds, I heard) each month is incredible.  More than that, to know that you could actually affect and change lives through your blog is both inspiring and frigthening.  Frightening because you realize that you have a huge responsibility to your readers.

Mr. Anton Diaz taught us all the rudiments of running a blog, from creating timeless posts and sharing them on social networking sites to monetizing the blog and how much to charge direct advertisers.  Though there are millions of information on the internet about blogging,  learning directly from someone who has worked to make his blog be the awesome blog that it is now is so much better than reading articles.  Plus, you’re certain that the technique works because that’s exactly what he has been doing.  Among the many things I’ve learned from him that day are:

• I shouldn’t write just because I can or just because I want to,  I must write to EDUCATE my readers.  I must strive to write posts that empower and change lives.
• Have an advocacy.  I must figure out what I want to change in our society and make that my movement.  (This really is easier said than done.)
• Use “google insights for search” to know what people are interested in and write about those topics.  BUT, never to write about something I can’t relate to.
• Be an online friend to my readers.  This means replying to their comments and answering their emails.  Apparently, getting emails from readers is one way to know that you are successful in reaching out to your audience.
• Not all readers are alike.  Some are visual, some auditory, and some kinesthetic.  My blog must appeal to all types of readers.
• A blogger’s goal is to reach EXPERT status.  And, no, this is not something you can just claim for yourself, it has to be bestowed upon you by others.  Earn that status by building followers.

My 100+ pageviews per month is a loooong way from the 1000+ pageviews I should be getting if I want to move up the Blogging Evolution – from Artist to Advocate to Entrepreneur and finally to Maven. .  However, I’m still thankful for those 100 people who take time to visit this blog and read what I have to share.  Hopefully, I could eventually make a career out of blogging by applying the techniques I learned from Mr. Anton Diaz.

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