Femme Power

Archive for the ‘Blogging’ Category

Have you stumbled upon Globe Broadband’s new and exclusive add-on, Gloo?  Gloo is an online scrapbook collaboration website wherein users can chat, send SMS and MMS messages, doodle, share notes, videos, and pictures in REAL TIME.

Yes, finally there’s an online space where you can do all these without having to open several other applications or social networking sites. No, it’s not anything like Facebook, Sandbox,  or Twitter but it’s more of a real-time online collaboration website that is ideal for virtual group discussions (be it with friends, family, or business partners) because it is not only interactive but is also peppered with helpful tools that let you upload and share images and videos, scribble your thoughts and illustrations, and send MMS and SMS to your online contacts, all in one web application.  All these amazing features make a convenient and practical website if you’re having an online business meeting, or brewing a barkada gimik, or simply hooking up with your family.  While other platforms limit you to chatting or sending short online messages, Gloo lets you do more with all those mentioned features to aid you in your online presentation in a virtual business conference or a casual group discussion.  You can even listen to your favorite tunes and share them with friends and add things-to-do list and post-it notes on your page.

It’s practically handy as a collaboration tool for planning events, business meetings, barkada and family updates, or anything where virtual communication applies.

I’m a self-confessed technologically-challenged mom but using Gloo didn’t give me a hard time at all.   That’s my Gloo page’s screenshot you’re seeing at the top.  I just created an account for free and there I was concocting a reunion party with a friend who’s currently based in Dubai.  She said she could even view my notes, reminders, and pictures on my page while we were chatting so she was amazed.   Those “post-it-notes” could actually hold the discussion agenda and other important information about our reunion plan next time.

Interested? Inquire about Gloo and start enjoying its practicality for free.

I’ve been keeping tab of my visitors coming from Entrecard and Adgitize but I wanted to do more.  And that’s by showing my visitors’ links right on my homepage whenever they drop by.  So I recently added a widget by  TheBlogFrog on my left sidebar where anyone can link up by just adding their URL in it.  Just click on the line “Want to show up here?” and add your site or better still, join the BlogFrog community.  It’ll not only grow your blogging network but will also give your visitors good chances of getting clicked on, hence generating more traffic for them.  I believe it’s a good way of giving back to my frequent visitors and commenters.

I put a premium on quality traffic - those who don’t just drop and run but stay a while to read posts as well.  I usually leave comments on other blogs that interest me regardless if they comment back or interact with their commenters.  The reason why I don’t get to drop on 300 (Entrecard) blogs a day is because I take time to read a lot of the blogs I visit, though honestly, not all.  And I do appreciate those who take time to leave me comments so I usually leave them comments too.  But that’s not really because I feel like I owe them but it’s because their blog posts are worth commenting on, if you just read them instead of dropping and running.

I love my visitors and I feel that it’s high time to give back through this link love via TheBlogFrog.  I’ll be happy to see your links on my sidebar. *hugs*

By the way, you may have noticed that I changed my blog’s theme and most of the pictures are quite in disarray.  I’m still on the process of tweaking it.  I’m trying to do a blog makeover and hope that I could find a better-looking template very soon.  I’m also doing the same attempt on my other blog, femme.news.views.  That’s about it for now.  I’m about to scour the Net to find new ways to grow traffic and earn online.  Will update you about it soon.

For now, check out my TheBlogFrog widget at the left sidebar and show your links on this blog for free.

I’ve been blogging (and earning) for more than a year now but I do believe that I still have a lot to learn about blogging.   So last Sunday, sans the opportunity to watch the world-renowned Cotto-Pacquiao boxing match on TV, I tagged along a friend and went to attend a blogging 101 seminar at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.   And it was a good thing we did.

The iBlog mini summit discussed the basics in blogging for the benefit of those who are yet to start blogging and for the “newbies.”  But as one speaker pointed out, “There’s no such thing as newbies and professional bloggers. Once you blog, you’re a blogger.”  One of the points given emphasis was the blogging mantra “Content is king.” While everybody knows that, not everybody gives their best to provide quality content on their blogs all the time. (Ooops, guilty as charged!)

But the very topic that I went there for was traffic generation.  Surprisingly I’ve been practicing what were mostly discussed there except for one thing: SEO or Search Engine Optimization.

Wikipedia defines SEO as “the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” or un-paid (”organic” or “algorithmic”) search results as opposed to search engine marketing (SEM) which deals with paid inclusion. Typically, the earlier (or higher) a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine.”

While I’ve known its meaning and importance in traffic generation several months ago, I’ve never given any attention in optimizing my blog through it.   Mainly because I didn’t (and still don’t) know how.  The speaker said she finds out the key words that drive the most traffic to her site and in the process, she was able to come up with several niche blogs that are now generating thousands of traffic daily. Traffic is fundamental in monetizing your blog.  Higher traffic yields higher ad revenues.  And SEO helps bring in traffic.  Sadly, she wasn’t able to discuss the nitty-gritty process of optimizing one’s site.  So let me quote Wikipedia again to supplement some information, “SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website primarily involves editing its content and HTML and associated coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.”  So since it involves editing HTML, I’m afraid it’ll take me some time to optimize my own blog. Wish me luck! *Wink*

Anyway, here are some photos of the event. My friend, whom I dragged to the event, was lucky to win a Philips Rice Cooker during the raffle.  I, meanwhile, almost had the chance to win a Crocs limited-edition camera if I was just fast enough to run to the stage for the “Bring Me” game.  It broke my heart to see the cute pink camera go to the faster guy. =(

Generally, the iBlog Mini Summit was well-handled.  The program went smoothly, the speakers were knowledgeable and the participants were served with ample snacks while listening to the talks of real bloggers.  Kudos to Ms. Janette Toral and her team!

I’m looking forward to future gatherings like this because I can never say I know enough about blogging. While I enjoy writing down my thoughts online, I also love the financial benefits it brings.  Even though my current  monthly income from blogging is just enough to buy me some groceries, it’s a big help to augment the family income and definitely better than nothing.  Isn’t it just wonderful to get paid for doing something that you love? Hopefully the next seminar I’ll attend to would be about monetizing one’s blog.  And I mean monetizing BIG TIME! Lol!

Yes, the voting officially closes tonight for the country’s most promising bands who could be the next big thing in the Philippine music industry.   MTV Emerge is a platform for unsigned music talents in the Philippines who are given the chance to show off their craft and win a 1-year recording contract for themselves under Jeepney Music plus a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be mentored by Apl.d.Ap of Black Eyed Peas.  MTV Emerge is also an online music community which is a haven for new Filipino music and wanna-be-recording-artists.

This project is an MTV, Jeepney Music, and Department of Tourism collaboration, which aims to give a shot for emerging Filipino artists to be discovered.  This gives underground bands the  opportunity to be the next big name in the Pinoy music scene and who knows, even worldwide.   Jeepney Music is Apl.d-Ap’s record label which also aims to give back to the Philippines and the world with its music.  It’s a vehicle for those new artists from any genre to be heard.

Having worked as a radio DJ for almost seven years, I’ve supported a number of local bands in the past by playing their self-produced records on my show (which was at that time top-rating, modesty aside).   Until now, I haven’t lost the heart for supporting emerging music talents because I do believe that all they need is just a chance —  A chance to showcase their talent, a chance to be heard, a chance to make it big one day.  And you, yes, YOU have the power to give them that chance.

There’s one entry from Mindanao that struck me the most entitled “God Bless Philippines,” written and performed by Rapnophobia.  Unlike other entries, “God Bless Philippines” is a fusion of rock and hiphop and the lyrics revolve around social issues that matter.  I’m impressed by their brand of music and their individuality.   May I also say that unlike other entries, they don’t sound like a copycat for a foreign band.  I also wanna give credit to their video for being well-edited and their recording clear.  Obviously, they gave their best shot in it.  Any fellow Mindanaoans and Pinoy “hardcores” (die-hard, nationalistic Pinoys) out there?  Vote for “God Bless Philippines” now or any music entry of your choice here.   These young, underground bands need your support.  Cast your votes now.

I’m humbled to receive another blog award and this time, it came straight from the UK.  Thanks, Wiggy of Wiggy’s World for this Best Blog Award given to Femmepower.

What, with all the thousands (or millions? Who’s counting?) of other cool sites in the blogosphere, it’s flattering to get handpicked for an award like this.

Now it’s my turn to scour for blogs that I deem deserving to receive this award.

Rules and mechanics are very simple, to wit:

1. An awardee must pass this “BEST BLOG” Award to 15 bloggers who he/she thinks have the best and great blogs.

For the new awardee…
2. To receive and accept this award.

• Copy and save the award.

• Make a post in your blog (like this one and write in your own words).

• In your post, mention the name of the blogger who awarded you and his/her blog link/URL.

• Please do leave a comment in this post.

And oh, remember to contact the 15 bloggers to notify them that they have been chosen for this award.

In my case, I picked 10 new Best Blog Awardees and here they are:

• Traveling Suitcase
  
• All Stace, All The Time
• Mom’s Place
• Coming Back to Life
• I Love/Hate America
• The Sweet Life
• iTravel
• PJ’s Prose
• SpicyBugz World
• Proud Mommy

Congrats, fellow awardees! Keep the torch burning.

Being a blogger requires me to have a reliable and fast internet connection that can support my online requirements.   But lately since the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy, I’ve been having problems with my internet connection at home so I’ve been frequenting a mall with a free Wifi internet access just so I could go online.

The thing is, it’s eating much of my time and effort going to and fro.   Plus the speed (or the lack of it) is such a headache.   Then a friend introduced to me Globe Tattoo Broadband.  I immediately got attracted to the Globe Tattoo Broadband New Skins but I got even more impressed with its performance.  To get the best browsing experience, adjust your settings to “WCDMA only” or “3G only” by double-clicking on the Globe Broadband icon on your desktop.   Click Tools menu, Options, Network, then choose “3G only”  This is best when you’re consistently getting 3G signals in your area.

You can also choose to configure your SIM to either time-based or KB-based charging depending on your online requirements.  If you want to get the most value from your prepaid or postpaid Globe Tattoo service, just text TIME to 1111 using your Globe Tattoo SIM.  But if you’re only into quick browsing, you may find it more prudent to switch to KB-based charging.  Check your SIM’s status by texting STATUS to 1111.

I also got a little too nosy to browse the Globe Tattoo Broadband Gallery online.  If you have what it takes to create a cool skin design for Globe Tattoo USB stick, head on to the gallery link for more information.  Globe not only gives me the convenience in blogging and surfing anywhere I go but surely they got me under their skins.

I haven’t been updating this blog since the devastation of Typhoon Ondoy but I’m so floored to see loyal visitors patiently coming back despite my lack of opportunity to reciprocate.

Thanks to all of you who continue to drop by from Adgitize and Entrecard and to all the other surfers from around the globe. I can easily trace those who are at Entrecard (and some Adgitize bloggers too) and visit them back. I can also visit back those who left comments and encoded their links. Those who are non-members of these two online communities, my warmest gratitude goes out to you all. I honestly hope I could trace every visitor I had since that ill-fated day of Sept. 26 so I can visit all your blog sites.

For now, I hope my BIG THANK YOU will suffice.