Dying Bloggers Currently In, Situation Not as Bad in the Philippines
By Rico, 12:12 pm Mon Apr 7 2008 - News - 3 Opinions
So everyone’s currently buzzing about that NY Times article (here) which calls blogging the new sweatshop industry. But we’re pretty sure that blogging will continue to attract local talent.
Still a Good Option in the Philippines
The NY Times may profess horror at some bloggers earning “as little as $10 a post,” but the fact remains that $10 is still a lot in low-priced Philippines. Some local bloggers make even less than that, but it’s still enough to be treated as a full-time job. It also helps that many Filipino bloggers are competent in English and net-savvy, so they have no problems navigating the predominantly English Internet.
The article does have a point though:
One of the most competitive categories is blogs about technology developments and news. They are in a vicious 24-hour competition to break company news, reveal new products and expose corporate gaffes.
Too Lucrative to Ignore
There’s a reason why tech blogging is ultra-competitive. It is still the most popular topic, and thus carries the most potential for profit.
But as the “quality-over-quantity” blogging mindset insists, it’s still possible to gain exposure and potentially a decent income by focusing on topics that are less-competitive yet still notable. Copyblogger’s entire section on Keyword Research details an entire process of discovering which niches carry significant appeal for readers online.
That’s not to say that anyone should just starting writing about anything just to make money. We at Technograph believe that while blogging may be a very demanding job, it will continue to appeal to many Filipinos, particularly those who like writing in English. Even with the weakened US dollar and the apparent lack of protection for the blogger, the local economic realities of the industry are simply too lucrative to ignore.
Reggie
9:09 pm Thu Apr 10 2008
me thinks NYT sensationalized the story. Mr. Shaw and Mr. Orchant (I am a fan of the latter, used to listen to his podcast with James Kendrick about Tablet PCs and had great respect for the man) are both bloggers from the same company (ZD Net) and it’s just a coincidence that they both died.
$10 per post? hell i’ll take that offer! it’s nice to get paid for the things you’re passionate about. i miss those times when i was still writing for those tech magazines back home.
Technograph
12:12 am Fri Apr 11 2008
Why don’t you try looking for a blogging job? Your experience in the mobile industry is sure to be useful.
Reggie
9:09 am Fri Apr 11 2008
i actually might. if there’s an offer, i’ll surely grab it!