5 Tips on Making an Event for Bloggers

As more and more businesses make use of buzz marketing to promote their products and services and try to get good word-of-mouth, we get to see all kinds of gimmicks and come-ons.

Some fail dismally in this task- as more educated consumers see right through the more obvious efforts to put pearls on swine. Others cross the ethical borderline, striving to gain positive exposure no matter the cost. And then there are some companies you just can't help but support, solely for the reason that their corporate values naturally align with your own.

Having been a media person for 14 years, and now as a denizen of the local blogosphere, I can say that I've seen all kinds of companies employ all kinds of marketing tactics to get a good review or two out there. Some good, some completely forgettable, and some just downright wrong.

Of course, if your company chooses to make use of new media- blogs, podcasts, social networks, viral videos, etc- as a means to promote your latest line of products and services, you want to be remembered the right way.

I was in a bloggers' event last week, and it made me think about writing the post you're now reading. Let me share with you a few insights I had with that experience.

The Kawayan Cove Experience

Just a few days ago, several bloggers (myself included), headed off for Kawayan Cove in Nasugbu, Batangas. Kawayan Cove is a 68-hectare exclusive seaside residential community, located in Nasugbu, Batangas, a town 2 hours south of Metro Manila famous for its white-sand beaches and resorts. Edge Properties invited some bloggers to come check it out, and you can read the details of our visit on this other post of mine on another blog, The Life & Times of The Renzie Man.

Whether I like it or not, the side of me that's all media-and-marketing can't help but pay attention to how promotional activities- like this particular event for bloggers- unfold and run its course. I've managed a number of similar events in the not-too-distant past, so I have a few observations myself.

Here are some things we learned from our Kawayan Cove visit:

1. Set the expectations straight. Naturally, when we were given the invitation to event, I already had some preconceived notions in my head: is it going to be a sales pitch? Those real estate open house events are usually boring! Wait- blogging about real estate IS boring!

But the invitation explained it all: it's a workshop for bloggers into digital photography. Just so happens it's set in Kawayan Cove. Bring your camera- you'll want to take lots of pictures. Bring extra clothes- you might want to hang by the beach.

The organizers did a pretty good job in setting the expectations straight, and sticking to it. It was pretty much everything they said it was going to be, then they surpassed themselves by executing their plans very well.

2. Preparation is key. In any given event, even your best-laid plans can go awry. In this case, who would've known it would be raining half the day? Nevertheless, there was a Plan B in place- the venue for the talk was moved to a more suitable location (from the ampitheater to the pavillion by Bamboo Beach), there were vehicles on hand to shuttle us from place to place, even sandals for those who didn't bring any.

You have to admire the kind of preparation any company makes to ensure the success of any event. It's all about covering all your bases. And allowing yourself to be flexible when the situation calls for it.

3. Play the part of the gracious host. It's all about creating new connections and encouraging long-term relationships. Make your guests comfortable, encourage mingling with other guests, make yourself available for Q&A's.

In the case of Kawayan Cove, the Puyat family were all there to show us around, share stories and tell us what we needed to know about the property. I'm sure they've done this dozens, maybe hundreds of times, yet there they were, taking time to have a chat with each and every one of us.

The staff of Kawayan Cove was on hand to make sure we were well-attended to. From the welcome drinks, to the hearty lunch prepared for the group, even those nice little moist towels we got after the tour.

All that thoughtfulness and hospitality can only create a positive image of you and your company. For me, it shows how genuinely warm and welcoming the Puyat family is, and also how well Edge Properties trained their personnel. That's always a good thing in my book.

4. Provide lots of venues for interactivity. There were specially prepared food and drink arrangements, just for pictorial purposes, with Anton Diaz (of Our Awesome Planet) going around giving tips and pointers to all the bloggers, and the Puyat family sharing anecdotes about Kawayan Cove's history.

There was more than enough time to take pictures, work on a blog, do a podcast, or even shoot a viral video. Also lots of opportunities to walk around with fellow bloggers to compare notes and get to know them some more.

You want the interactivity because you want to give your bloggers a chance to soak up and appreciate the experience- in every way possible. It's good that they have a good experience about your products and services, and even better that you allow them to process all that information, and consider all aspects of whatever it is your promoting.

5. Content is still king. What makes your event so compellingly different from everybody else's? A promotional event like this gives your company an opportunity to create content relevant to your market. It doesn't have to be forced, nor does it have to be overly elaborate. It only has to be relevant and timely.

With all of Anton's experience as a photographer- he only stuck to what we wanted to hear: Travel and Food Photography for Bloggers. In fact, he only had ten or so slides, yet we already learned so much.

More importantly, we had the chance to put all his tips to practice for the rest of the afternoon as we toured the property. Two birds with one stone: not only do we get to appreciate the majesty of the natural beauty of Kawayan Cove, we also had a newfound appreciation for digital photography.

Bottom line: Make your event a memorable experience. For businesses who wish to tap blogs and bloggers as a means to promote their products, events, ideas or services, what they're really trying to accomplish is to get good online buzz- the kind of word-of-mouth that inspires the bloggers to tell their readers about their experiences, and share something unique about the activity.

As a blogger, The Kawayan Cove event was probably one of the best I've ever been to. I've learned a lot from it, made some new connections, and it gave me a fresh perspective on things (particularly on the topic of real estate, for me!).

As a media-and-marketing person, the activity was well-planned and equally well-executed. Businesses who plan on making use of blogs and bloggers would do well to learn from this exercise.

Cheers, everyone.

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A Step-by-step Guide on Writing a Resignation Letter

I've worked long enough to have seen dozens of resignation letters pass through my hands. Heck, I've written quite a few myself.

When it's time to leave the job you have right now, it's probably in your best interest to leave the company on the best possible terms, even if you feel otherwise.

A resignation letter has to accomplish two simple goals:

• It gives your employer a formal (and legal) notice of your intentions to leave the company, and
• It gives you an opportunity to make an impression that, yes, you are professional, yes, you are rising above the petty things others might otherwise fall into, and yes, you are respectable.

A resignation letter is not a venue to go emo and vent your frustrations, or air your opinions, wishes and grievances. It has to be concise and straight-to-the-point. That's all there is to it.

How To Write a Resignation Letter

1. Treat the resignation letter as a standard business letter. First, you have your name, position and department. The date comes next, two lines down after that. After two more lines, put in the name, position and department of your employer. Then two lines more, you can go into your 'Dear Mr. '.
2. On the first paragraph: State that you are leaving your position, and give the date of the last day you'll be working.
3. Second paragraph: Thank your employer for the opportunity you had working for them. If you want to, mention colleagues you enjoyed working with, or supervisors you want to thank for mentoring you.
4. Third paragraph: For your closing statement, wish the company continued success.
5. After two lines down, type 'Sincerely,' then your name after four lines.
6. Sign your resignation letter on the space above your name with a flourish.

There you have it. A short and sweet resignation letter. Hope this helps.

Cheers, everyone!

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How to Write a Wedding Reception Script

Here's a post that originally came out on another blog of mine, The Life and Times of The Renzie Man. I came up with this post shortly after my brother's wedding last August, and has turned out to be rather helpful, particularly for those who need help in putting together a script for the post-wedding festivities.

So you're about to do emcee work for a wedding reception- how exactly do you come up with a script for an occasion like this?

Putting together a wedding reception script isn't all that hard, really. Bear in mind that as the evening's master of ceremonies, you also have to play the part of a good host, and pretty much fill in everyone on what's going on.

Here are a few tips on writing a wedding reception script.

1. Remember: this is the newlyweds' big night, so the spotlight should really be on them, not on anybody else. Everybody else- family, friends, colleagues- can get their share of the limelight that evening, but special attention must be given to your couple every single time.

2. Get with the Master Plan. Consult with the future husband-and-wife exactly how they want things to happen. If you are to set the tone for the wedding reception, you have to take your cues from them. Sitting down with them will enable you to find out exactly what's important for them:

• Would they want it to be done and over with as quickly as possible?
• Would they want to have lots of ballroom dancing?
• Do they want to incorporate particular wedding traditions on top of, say, the wedding bouquet and garter tosses?
• Maybe they want their reception dinner completely untraditional- so what other fun stuff can you think of working in?
  

Whatever the future husband-and-wife wants, it is your mission to essentially carry out their wishes. After all, it is their night- you want it to be as memorable and magical as possible for the newlyweds, as well as for their friends and relatives.

3. Remember that you're writing a wedding reception script. Which means that once you've worked out the general plan with the couple (and with the wedding planner/s, if need be), you're now off to a PC or a laptop somewhere ready to work your magic.

No need to go verbose and all wordy. Keep it simple, short and sweet. In fact, get straight to the point.

Get a draft prepared well ahead of time, touching all the pertinent events of the reception according to the couple's wishes. Submit the drafts to the couple (and the wedding planner/s, if need be) to get their input. If you've listened well and worked in their needs and wants, then you should do just fine.

4. The usual program flow:

• introduction of parents, principal and then secondary sponsors/wedding entourage
• introduction of the newlyweds
• dinner, as well as accompanying toasts and speeches
• traditional ceremonies, wrapped up by garter and bouquet tosses
• acknowledgments and thank you's
  

Modify elements according to how the couple wants their wedding reception done. For example, the bride would probably want a bouquet toss, but something a more out-of-the-ordinary, like tossing out multiple smaller bouquets instead of just one, or incorporating more cultural traditions into the program.

Ask the couple if there would be family members giving speeches or preparing toasts, or even friends who might be singing, dancing or otherwise have something prepared for our newlyweds that evening.

Once you got everything, go right ahead and work those elements right into the script.

5. Get to know a little bit more about the couple's family and friends. One of the more important things- pronouncing names. You'll be introducing members of the wedding entourage, acknowledging the presence of guests who may have flown in from some faraway country, or calling them out for a speech or a toast.

You might know who they are, and your other relatives (or friends) probably also do, but remember that other half of the room might not, so introducing them properly to all guests present would work well for everyone.

If anyone should know how certain names or surnames have to be pronounced, it's the couple. So go ahead and ask questions if you have to. If all else fails, look the person up yourself and ask him/her how to pronounce their name or how they want to be introduced. It's all part of the evening's fun, meeting new people.

6. Make the effort to get the story on the smaller details. Just enough detail to come up with the couple's story.

Maybe you can find out why the bride wanted the motif for the day's affair. Is there a story behind the wedding cake- say, any particular reason why the couple chose this specific design or make? Does the couple have a special song? There's always lots of stories behind songs.

Maybe the couple has a bunch of pictures flashing up on screen- you can use those as well to tell the story of how the couple met, or how he proposed, or some other significant event in their relationship.

Play up the little things that are special to the newlyweds, share their story, and convey that same warm and fuzzy feeling to your guests at the reception. Work those into your script as well.

7. Print out at least three copies of your wedding reception script- one should go to the couple, another to the wedding planner (or program coordinator, or whatever equivalent), and one for you.

As for your copy, you may want to come up with easy-to-use cue cards. You are going to glance at them every now and then, as you go about your hosting duties for the evening, so keep them handy. Also have a pen with you to scribble down notes and maybe some last-minute changes.

8 . Yes, you'll be reading off a script, but you don't have to sound as if you're reading it.

More importantly, you have to sound natural and as real as possible. The guests will be getting their cues from you, so your words have to radiate warmth, confidence and a sense of welcoming, but at the same time, deliver the appropriate level of formality for the affair at hand.

Make eye contact with your guests, inject just a little bit of personality, and be generally pleasant.

9. Even the best-made scripts are just guidelines. There may be some last-minute changes, or some sections you might have to do away with really quickly.

Regardless, you might have to make improvisations and maybe even have to adlib on the fly. Don't forget to get all your cues from the newlyweds- if anything needs to be changed, it has to be on their say, and you must be prepared to do so at a drop of a hat.

Don't worry about it- as long as you stick to the couple's Master Plan (see #2), everything will be just fine.

10. Bear in mind that you're also playing the part of a secondary host, someone who would be welcoming guests and keeping them engaged while the newlyweds are attending to other friends and mandatory photoshoots.

So take ownership of your role in the whole affair. Be cordial, be pleasant, be sensitive to the needs of your guests and of your newlyweds. Almost like hosting a party at home, only with more formal clothing.

There you have it. I hope this helps. I used to do a lot of wedding receptions and hosting gigs- mostly back in my earlier days of radio.

Hosting a wedding reception might be a little taxing, but they are lots of fun. It's a big night, everyone's all dressed up and in a festive mood, made even more memorable by the presence of family and friends- and particularly means so much more to the newlyweds.

Cheers, everyone!

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Renzie on the Canon Digital EOS 400D Rebel XTi

I picked up this baby a few days upon arriving in Los Angeles. I couldn't help but notice how much cheaper electronics are in the United States (compared to the Philippines), and since I wanted a step up from my old digital camera (which was an Sony 3.1 Megapixel I've had since December 2004), I thought the Canon Digital EOS 400D Rebel XTi would be a good choice for a digital photography amateur like myself.

After all, the reviews on the Canon Rebel XTi had been consistently great. A quick check online would tell a newbie like me that I should consider getting either a Canon, or one of those nice little Nikon cameras. In fact, I even wrote a few posts a couple months back.

In the end, I picked up the Canon Digital EOS 400D Rebel XTi at the Circuit City in Glendale. That, plus a 4Gb CF Card, and a nice little bag to go with it. For the duration of my month-long stay in Los Angeles, the Canon Rebel XTi has always been by my side, and it's one of my new favorite toys.

I've decided to put my amateur photography skills into good use by starting a food and travel blog. It's a work in progress- I'll announce it as soon as it's ready.

My Review of the Canon Digital EOS 400D Rebel XTi

The Canon Rebel XTi is a remarkable camera, and is a great choice for amateur digital photographers like myself looking to venture into more serious photography.

It's an extremely user-friendly camera, as it has a great range of fully automated picture-taking functions, so you can start using the Canon Rebel XTi straight out of the box, with just a quick review of the instruction manual.

(But it's always a prudent thing to read through the whole manual before reallly putting in a lot of play time with your new toy!)

The basic camera already comes with an EF-S 18-55mm - which is really a good all-around lens as it its. Later on, as you get the hang of the Canon Rebel XTi, you could purchase additional lenses for more specialized functions like give you a farther zoom, or the ability to shoot photos in dark or low-light, etc.

As I mentioned, the Canon Digital EOS 400D Rebel XTi has a lot of great fully automated picture-taking functions, with convenient pre-sets that allow you to specific shots with a quick flick of a switch- portraits, landscapes, close-ups, etc. This is really great for beginners, or for those who wouldn't mind letting the camera do all the work- which for me is something I could totally appreciate.

Much later, you could tinker around with the more advanced settings- an area which I have yet to figure out for myself, newbie that I am.

You'll definitely appreciate the Canon Rebel XTi a lot better with just a little more photography know-how- get someone to teach you, or learn from a book or online. With an interface that's easy to use and easy to familiarize yourself with, it's very encouraging for amateurs and beginners to make an effort to get into photography some more, and pick up some new theories, as well as new tricks along the way.

And the later on, you can buy even more additional accessories for your Canon Rebel XTi. Not only would you want a variety of lenses, but you might also want a Speedlite or two, a wireless remote and tripod, maybe even an angle finder and battery magazines much later on, depending on your needs as a photographer.

Thanks to KenRockwell.com for the Canon Rebel XTi photo. Check out his site for some great tips on getting the right camera and taking better pics. You may also want to visit the Digital Photography Review for more on the Canon EOS 400D Digital Rebel XTi, or the tech section on Yahoo!

Cheers, everyone!

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Getting Yourself A New PC

I've always believed that everyone should have a personal computer. Especially if you're into my line of work, a good PC is really more of an investment than anything else.

An up-to-date personal computer boosts your productivity, it's a repository of all things media, it's an entertainment center, and once hooked to the internet with a decent broadband connection, it's great for research, it opens opportunities for you and connects you with a massive online world.

Personally, I get a new PC every two years: mostly to upgrade on hardware so I could play the latest games, and to expand hard disk space to store more media files. This current machine of mine is still alright, since I could still play games like Bioshock and Call of Duty 4 on it.

But since I'm going to be spending a lot more time in Los Angeles, I figured getting a new PC should be a good idea.

How Do You See Yourself Using Your PC?

When figuring out what kind of PC to get, you have to figure out how exactly you plan to use it.

1. At the very least, you'll want to use it for basic word processing and office work. Doesn't matter if you're using a Microsoft Office or the open-source Open Office. Whether it's for school-work or for office-work, or both, this is what your PC's going to be all about.
2. Also, as a minimum, you'll want to equip your PC to be able to go online and connect with the internet. Going online gives you access to a massive online library, and allows you to network with just about anyone in the world.
3. Your PC will also act as a data storage facility. You'll be using it to store pictures, video and music. If you're big on gadgets (like I am), it means you'll be connecting all your digital toys- your mp3 player, mobile phone, digital camcorders, DLSRs, palms- to your PC.
4. Your PC can act as a home entertainment system. You'll have combo-drives available (which can read CDs/DVDs). Attached to a kick-ass speaker system, you can have a set-up that can actually rival any home theater system.
   
5. Your PC might be built around playing games (like mine). This would mean also getting the best possible video card (for better quality graphics), as well as getting more RAM (for better performance), maybe even better processors.
   
6. A lot of people use their PC as a desktop publishing suite- and install the latest graphics editing software on it- Photoshop, CorelDraw, Dreamweaver, etc. You'll need some extra hard disk space to store all your projects in.
7. Others might take it a step further and use their PCs as a digital audio-video editing suite. This is if you're a serious music or video professional, or if you're into podcasting and new media. Again, you'll need more hard disk space to store all your projects in, or at least a variety of removable storage media.
   

My New PC

As far as my new PC is concerned, it's going to have to fulfill all the seven roles I've enumerated above. This means it's going to have to be a serious piece of machine, ready to handle just about any task thrown at it short of making an omelette.

• CPU should be an Intel Core 2 Duo processor
• System RAM should be about 2 GB
• Video Card should be 100% Direct X 9.0c compliant with 512 RAM, like an NVIDIA GeForce 7900 or better
• Sound Card: Sound Blaster X-Fi series, which is optimized for use with Creative Labs EAX Advanced HD 4.0 or 5.0
• A lot of hard disk space- at least 300 GB of space, more if possible.
• A CD/DVD drive/burner
• As many USB ports as possible (at least 4)

You can expect me to look around online for the best possible deals. After I get me a new PC, then I can consider getting myself a new laptop.

Cheers, everyone!

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Lessons In Power: Avoid The Unhappy and Unlucky

Truly happy and successful people have a different aura surrounding them- a kind of infectious yet engaging vibe that makes you want to be in their presence and keep soaking up all that positive energy. You find yourself wanting to know more about them and you'd want to hear their stories, because it has such a profound effect on you.

As for the Unfortunate and the Unlucky? Well, without your knowing it, the effect is pretty much the same- you get sucked into their misery and negativity that you sympathize with them at first, and eventually blame the world for your own misfortunes rather than taking ownership of your situation and being proactive about it.

Law # 10 of The 48 Laws of Power tells us just that:

Avoid The Unhappy and Unlucky.

It's a very important law that has no reversal, no exception to it. No good ever comes out of associating with negative people.

There are basically two kinds of Misfortunates:

1. Those who were brought down by circumstances beyond their control. Like hurricane victims, for example. These people really need our help, and I say go out of your way to help them, if you can.
2. And then there are those who draw down misery upon themselves. They're not born into misfortune or unhappiness, it's just that by means of their negative view in life, and consequently their by way of their actions, seem to make the wrong choices, associate with the wrong kind of people, or just otherwise move in a path towards their own self-destruction. These people are the kind you have to avoid. Like the plague.
   

It's really very easy to let emotions or situations get the better of us. After all, it is human nature that makes us easily react and be affected by moods, emotions and the points of view of those within our immediate circle.

Those who are chronically unhappy, unstable and miserable are definitely worth watching out for. You'll recognize them because they portray themselves as victims of circumstance or victims of the actions of others. At first, you'll find it hard to see their misfortune as self-inflicted- after all, these people are trying to draw you into the whole drama that is their life, by gaining your sympathy and trust.

Unfortunately for us, we sometimes realize it until it's too late.

Remember the story of Lola Montez? How in her lifetime, managed to ruin the lives of several promising young men? Alexandre Dujarier. King Ludwig of Bavaria. George Traffold Heald. Pat Hull. Far more than her attraction or her wiles, the emotional attachment that she brings makes men want to help her out, but are instead sucked into her life drama.

Identifying with Lola Montez meant utter disaster. Heck, King Ludwig was a beloved ruler in Bavaria until his continued association with Montez took his country down the path of riots and the grips of civil war.

Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky.

German artist Joseph Karl-Steiler's portrait of Lola Montez in 1847 appears to the right, courtesy of Wikipedia.

How To Deal With The Unlucky and Unfortunate

Even if you've realized it too late, the only way you can deal with the chronically unhappy and unstable individuals is to make the hard decision to cut them off completely.

Helping them will bring you no good; they will only bring themselves down again, and take you down with them if you don't let go early enough. It's the miserable state of mind that constantly blames others and refuses to see an urgent need for change that keeps them at a center of an emotional vortex that sucks out all that's positive and happy.

As for us, we have to remind ourselves the importance of being proactive. Stay true to your beliefs and values, and don't let things weigh you down. Take stock of the situation, take charge of your own life, and always strive to rise above. Bad things happen to us to test our resolve: we can choose to either we pick up the pieces and move forward, or keep wallowing in a pool of misery and self-pity.

Surround yourself with happy and successful people. Draw upon each other's positive energy, and always do something good, or something productive.

Remember this:

You can die from someone else's misery- emotional states are as infectious as diseases. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draws misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it in you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead. - Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power

I've always been a huge fan of The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. Lessons In Power is a special feature in my blog, Renzie Baluyut Online, that serves as a personal reminder that you can make the most out of life by looking at it differently, and having a completely proactive state of mind. If you haven't read the book yet, I suggest you get a copy for yourself.

Cheers, everyone!

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Choosing a Digital Camcorder

I'm gearing up for a trip to Los Angeles in a few days. I'd like to think that it's going to be mainly about business, but the truth is, I just might actually be spending more time hanging out with my mom and my sister.

Which is all good: I've been to Eagle Rock once before, but I never had the chance to have a good look around, so this time, I'd like to take the time to have fun and check out what Los Angeles has to offer.

So one of the things I'm considering getting myself a new digital camcorder. I suppose now is a good time to get one, as camcorders now are a lot more sophisticated and user-friendly than ever, and that it's also great for new media projects (like if I choose to do more video-blogging or build up my own YouTube channel).

It can be overwhelming at first when searching for a digital camcorder. So many great digital camcorders out there, with so many features, but which one should you get for yourself?

Our goal of course is to be able to sort out through all the useful (and useless stuff) to figure out which digital camcorder best suits your needs. From one person out to find a good personal digital camcorder to another, here are some things you should consider when getting yourself one of these babies:

What Do You Need A Camcorder For?

Lets get some needs assessments out of the way: how do you see yourself using your new digital camcorder for the most part? Apart from taking random footages, do you think you'll be using it for more family projects like weddings and reunions and holidays and stuff? Or maybe you're thinking of going professional some day?

Sorting Through The Spec Sheets

Now that you have a fairly good idea on what you're using your digi-cam for, let's check out what you might expect to see on a regular digital camcorder spec sheet. In fact, Yahoo Tech has a good feature on the topic, which is what we're also featuring here.

When reviewing a digital camera spec sheet, you must pay particular attention to these items:

• CCDs. Specifically, a 3-CCD camera, or a digi-cam with three charged-coupled devices. No need to get worked up on what it's really all about (but if you want to, you can read more about it here). All you need to know is that a 3-CCD camcorder provides better image quality, but it might be a little pricey. Great to have if you have a little extra cash, but not exactly mandatory.
• Progressive Scan. A feature that makes a world of difference in picture quality (again, if you want to go technical, you can read more about it here). Digital camcorders with progressive scan are what makes DVD-quality shots possible. Again, great feature to have if it's in your budget.
• Resolution. Remember, more is better. Some spec sheets list horizontal lines of resolution (say for example, 525 lines), others list the number of pixels (690,000 pixels, for example). When it comes down to comparing two digi-cams with the same features you like, it could come down to picking out which one has more.
• Optical Zoom. Remember, optical zoom AND digital zoom are two entirely different things, and are usually listed separately on the spec sheet. The optical zoom factor gives you an idea on how well the camera lens actually sees, which should typically be in the 12x-25x range. We'll talk more about digital zoom in a bit.
• Tape Format. Most digital cameras still make use of MiniDV- which is still a fairly common format. Then again, the newer digicams allow for the use of tape-free solutions: optical disks, hard disk drives and solid-state memory.
• Batteries. You'll also want to consider battery life, and the cost of getting additional battery packs for your digital camera. Here's a tip- get yourself a digicam that makes use of lithium ion batteries, versus those that use NiMH (or nickel metal hydride) batteries. Lithium ion batts last longer, are easier to maintain, and add to the overall usability of your digital camera.
• Microphone Connector. Most camcorders have a standard mini-jack connector for an external mic, but the more high-end units have a 3-pin XLR connector (or a balanced audio connector) used by professional-sounding microphones and PA systems. Eventually, you might consider getting yourself specialized microphones to suit your recording needs.
• Manual Control. Of course, the most modern digital cameras are all automated when it comes to focus and exposure control, but sometimes you'd like to fiddle around with the settings yourself. Control rings around the lens are easier to use than tiny knobs or switches on the side of the camera.

These items on the spec sheet would be great to have, but don't get led on too much by the salesperson pitching these features to you. Not particularly important are:

• Night vision. There are a number of camcorders that have an infrared mode or a low light mode that allows you to record in total darkness. It's not as useful as you think, unless you're going to be in the habit of exploring haunted houses or shooting nature videos at night.
• Still photos. Great if you don't want to lug around two cameras. Still, that's what digital still cameras and DLSRs are for.
• USB port. For digital video capture, you will be relying on FireWire. The USB port is mostly for transferring files into your computer- which you can then edit, store and burn into whatever media you wish. Don't rely on your USB port to capture digital video though.
• Bluetooth. It's great that Bluetooth allows various gadgets- computers, mobile phones, camcorders- to connect with each other using radio waves instead of cables. But you're practically not going to be using this feature at all for capturing video.

These items are going to be totally useless to you:

• Special Effects. I don't see any reason for this. If you're really into special effects, then the video editing software on your PC should be more well-equipped to get you what you need.
• Digital zoom. Remember how we mentioned digital zoom when we talked about optical zoom? Digital zoom numbers (200x, for example) are large, and can be misleadingly appealing. What the digital zoom feature does is crop the picture captured by the CCD and then makes each remaining pixel bigger to fill the screen, resulting in greatly reduced image quality. Test the zoom feature on your digital camcorder, and make sure that you can disable digital zoom.
• Built-in Light. Again, you're probably going to rely on other external lighting sources when shooting video.

Final Word

A brand new digital camcorder is great to have, and just like any gadget you own, is even better if you know what to look for and what you're going to be using it for.

Don't be carried away by hype and the salesperson's pitch. In fact, take some time to even go online and do some research of your own and check out a few top digital camcorder models, based on how others rate it.

In fact, I'll be doing that myself in a bit. We can even compare notes if you wish.

Pictures from Wikipedia.

Cheers, everyone!

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Words of Inspiration from Anna Quindlen

Here's the thing: I sorta take great pride in the fact that my friends don't spam me at all- no chain letters, or cheesy-cutesy nonsense, or crap forwarded dozens of times. For the simple reason that we ALL hate spam, and we all respect each other not to send junk to everybody else.

So when the occasional email on some random topic comes in, it's usually worth checking out. This afternoon, I got one such email from a good friend of mine (hello, Sasa!) which had the heading:

This read is worth the 5 minutes of stopping your work :)

OK, if she says so. I read on, half-expecting something hilarious. We all love well-crafted bits of wit and humor. As it turns out, it's an inspiring speech made by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen at the graduation ceremony of an American university where she was awarded an Honorary PhD.

Little background: Anna Quindlen started out as a journalist in the 70's, started out with the New York Post, and eventually worked her way to several positions with The New York Times. By mid-90's, she became a full-time novelist, churning out five best-selling novels (in addition to children's books, and other works of fiction and non-), one of which was the basis for the 1998 Meryl Streep movie One True Thing.

I've always admired novelists and authors- here I am just struggling to carve out a niche for myself, so people who have managed to find their own place as writers and storytellers rank high in my book.

Anyway, instead of sending it to everyone in my inbox, I'd like to share this same speech with everybody else reading this blog. Check it out:

"I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank accounts but also your soul.

People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good.

Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out. But I call them on the phone, and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, at best mediocre, at my job if those other things were not true.

You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay cheque, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast?

Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water, or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger.

Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.

It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.

I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this: Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the back yard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived."

Soak it up and think about it for a minute.

Cheers, everyone!

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Blog-Fixing: Fixing The AddThis Button on Blogspot

On one of our featured Blog Tools portion, I recently posted a recommendation for using the services of AddThis.com and how plugging it into your site helps with building your blog's community and readership.

Having the AddThis.com button at the end of every post gives your readers the option to conveniently share your articles with their friends on just about every single social networking and social bookmarking service.

But just last weekend, somebody informed me that the 'Share' service of AddThis.com wasn't working right. I noticed that it worked alright for some blogs and there were indeed a couple whose AddThis.com buttons weren't working.

After spending a frustrating afternoon trying to work the kinks out myself, I ran a quick search on Google, and found another blog talking about the same problem. More importantly, said blog offered useful advice on fixing my AddThis.com issue, and it worked like a charm.

So for that, I'd like to thank Frank Gualtier of the fine blog, Touring The Indies. Frank was able to write a code to fix the AddThis.com problem. Taking internet public service a step further, he wrote a little Do-It-Yourself to fix the AddThis.com issue.

You can read the rest of his post here and get the code to fix your blogs on Blogspot.

Like I said, it worked great. And it seems I've fixed the AddThis.com issue on my Blogspot blogs.

Thanks again, Frank!

Cheers, everyone!

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Online Entrepreneurship with Renzie

With this blog, I formally begin my career as an Online Entrepreneur.

I've been blogging for a little over a year now (as of this writing), but it wasn't until November of 2007 that I have realized the potential for blogging to be a legitimate online business. Later I found out that it's not just blogging: there are quite a number of ways anyone can make money online- legitimately, safely, without having to sell yourself short, or resort to shady dealings or anything of the kind.

That being said, welcome to my latest blog, "Online Entrepreneurship".

Though I admit, I'm learning as I go, just like everybody else- this blog is meant to document my ongoing Quest for Financial Independence. I'm more than willing to share tips and advice to anyone else willing to walk the same path as I am.

So "Online Entrepreneurship" is a learning blog. I'll post my realizations and discoveries as they all happen. There's a lot to be learned out there, and just about any real-life business can translate well into an online asset. And just like any successful endeavor, it's going to take patience, discipline and time.

All this is probably in connection with my desire to start a new life, which I blogged about elsewhere.

So what's there to learn in here?

• Tips on being a better online entrepreneur. Management concepts, time management, marketing, and staying in the entrepreneurial mindset.
• Guides to online learning, recommendations on what podcasts to listen to, blogs to read or websites to visit.
• Building better blogs; how to start one from scratch, how to market it, and make the most out of your traffic.
• Internet Marketing; something every online entrepreneur should know. Stuff on SEO, using social media, buzz marketing, etc.
• E-commerce and the growing digital marketplace.
• And other topics that I haven't thought about now, but may want to dig into much later on.

Feedback is definitely most welcome. I would appreciate questions, requested topics you'd want me to touch on, and opinions on all things Online Entrepreneurship.

Cheers, everyone!

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The Path of the Online Entrepreneur

Online Entrepreneurship seems to be a hot topic these days. With a recent and ongoing shift towards New Media and User-generated Content comes a variety of ways one can monetize any given online effort.

On another blog of mine, I wrote about my so-called Quest for Financial Independence. In early 2008, I figured I had enough of the 9-to-5 workday- and decided to walk the Path of the Entrepreneur. I've been blogging since March of 2007, so I thought, why not make money out of blogging?

It's not easy. There are literally thousands of posts, forums and blogs talking about the pros and cons of making money online, or more specifically, through your blogs. Most of them are all about personal experiences, but there are still many others trying to "persuade" you into signing up for a program you don't even need.

In fact, a lot of people out there are misguided into thinking that it's easy to make money through blogs. Just like any business venture, you have to seriously put time, effort and even money in developing blogs. But more importantly, if you don't have a passion for writing and a discipline for regularly coming up with quality content, then you're just wasting your time.

Online Entrepreneurship is not easy- there's no sure-fire way to success, no step-by-step formula to make lots of money. The truth is, you might even fail in a few efforts before tasting just the smallest bit of success. You have to treat it like you would any other business venture. There will be risks, there will be losses, but ultimately,there will be rewards.

The Path of the Entrepreneur is different for all of us- some do blogging, others do more search engine optimization, others focus on buzz marketing, and you have a whole new set of skills for a digital marketplace- digital photography, digital audio and video editing, graphic design, etc.

Your success as an online entrepreneur really depends on your ability to quickly capitalize on the new opportunities presented by a rapidly growing digital marketplace- both online and off. Your journey begins with a single step: start learning new skills, learn as much as you can about new trends in digital and online media, translate your real-world competencies into online assets.

Your journey as an Online Entrepreneur starts now.

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Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Blog?

I picked up a story from a couple of posts in the local blogosphere. A local TV show ran a feature on blogs, and called it "Beware of the Blog". No, I haven't seen it (sorry, no time to watch local TV these past several months), and everything I know is pretty much from what I've read from the blogs of some friends of ours- Noemi and Juned, in particular.

"Beware of the Blog" supposedly had some guests, and from what I gathered, the show's host tosses an issue, and the guests give their two cents' worth.

Here are some issues I'd like to comment on.

1. It seems that the guests believe that (according to Noemi's blog), "blogs are not reliable sources of information unless they come from respectable bloggers".

Who's to say a blogger is respectable or not? Who's to say a blogger is legit or otherwise. Apparently, one of the guests defined an illegitimate blogger as one who has a fake identity.

Here's how I see it: a blogger is a blogger. You have a blog? Then you're a blogger, regardless of whether you choose to use your real name or not.

I suppose some blogs can be treated more seriously than others- therefore, respectability may vary from one blog to another. Ultimately, however, it is the individual reader that chooses to see the blogger as an authority figure, or as just another waste of time.

Blogging gives anyone and everyone a voice. It's the great equalizer. I don't need my own TV network, radio station or printing press to get my message across anymore.

But a blog is only as powerful and as effective as its number of readers. The internet allows you to read or access virtually anything you want. If your blog has the numbers, then it means for some reason, people choose to read what you have to offer, rather than read something else.

I'd like to think that your readers and subscribers are fairly intelligent people- not easily cowed, swayed or even impressed. The fact that they keep reading your blog, and tell other people about it, does give you quite a degree of authority, and therefore, a fegree of respectability.

2. One of the guests said that blogs are like social rods and are used for social control.

Well, that's one way of looking at it- though it's not entirely true. Blogs can serve a number of purposes- and it doesn't necessarily have to be for social control. Some can be whimsical, others can be fun, many can be deeply serious, or informative and educational, but the vast majority are really just personal diaries and scrapbooks that just happen to be online.

But just like any form of media, blogs are all about keeping things honest. If someone feels that there's a story worth blogging about, and sharing about to the world, then it probably does have some value to it.

If a lot of people seem to be flocking into gossip blogs, then yes, it probably means something. Could it be that people take delight in the downfall of others? Or perhaps they're just in search of good story? Sheer curiosity perhaps? The reasons are many, and not necessarily definite or easily apparent. So just like a social rod, it can be an indicator of sorts.

But blogs aren't all about social control all the time.

3. Beware of the Blog?

Just a tad bit sensational for a title, isn't it? But seriously, why do you have to be afraid of blogs?

Blogs are wonderful tools for communication and interaction. But just like any other form of media, it can be subject to abuse and misuse. In fact, put a blog in the wrong hands, and you can have trouble easily brewing.

Again, blogs only have power if readers choose to give it power. Juned put it rather well, I think. If you don't like what you read, you may choose to:

a> ignore the blog altogether, and dismiss it as a total waste of time,
b> write back and leave a comment, and voice out your disagreement,
c> flag the blog as offensive, particularly if your blog is hosted on free blogging services like Blogspot or Wordpress.
d> sue their sorry asses, in particularly extreme cases, and I hope it never has to come to that.

Again, Juned put it nicely: Caveat Lector. Latin for "Let the Reader Beware".

Have any of you guys actually seen that TV feature? What do you think?

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Blogging Full-time Now

Yep. I suppose you can call me a professional blogger now. And I couldn't be happier.

I've started blogging a little bit over a year ago. Though I may have already learned quite a bit about blogs and blogging since then, I still feel like I have much more to soak up on.

This one particular blog of mine- "Blog. Blogger. Bloggest!"- started it all for me. At first, it was a catch-all kind of blog that had a little bit of everything. Then it wasn't too long until I've decided to position them towards a certain niche. So now I got at least eight different blogs right now, each about a specific topic.

I was really just having fun sharing whatever I knew- at first it was just among friends, then friends of friends. Then I was being sent CDs and DVDs to check out, just so I could write about them.

I never considered it seriously at first, but then the money started trickling in. Not even through Adsense just yet, since I haven't even made a serious effort promoting any of my blogs. It was usually more of companies asking me to help them set up their blogs, or to write for them.
And it wasn't much- first a couple bucks here, a few more there. Then just within a few weeks, I've noticed that the rates were going up, and I was actually getting more writing jobs through my blogs.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I thought I'd let go of my day job to take on a couple of contracts which were, needless to say, very much worth my while. How often does it happen that you do get a job offer that pays a lot more than your current job, for you to do exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life?

It doesn't happen that often to me.

So here I am, happily blogging from the comfort of my own home. Plus I have all the time to do whatever the hell I want- go to the gym, do more business, read a book, travel, blog some more or just laze around at home.

It's all very exciting, really.

Again, I know I'm not the best blogger there is out there, or one with the bb-ranking blog, or even someone with the best content, but I think I'm in a better position now to help other people do more with their blogs. Heck, it's the wave of the future.

To all my fellow bloggers and friends who have been blogging, and to everyone who's read any of my blogs- thanks for inspiring me to blog better. This bold new step forward could never be possible without you.

We keep blogging, and we'll help others keep blogging as well.

Cheers, everyone!

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What dSLR Does Veronica Mars Use?

While we're on the topic of digital single-lens reflex (dSLR) cameras, let's find out what kind of cameras Veronica Mars used on her CW show a year or two back.

See, I've been a huge fan of the TV series (one of my guilty pleasures, actually), and I have to admit, I was sorta impressed with that big-ass camera she slings around. Of course, it's fairly obvious that a set-up like that doesn't come cheap- but it made sense- since they run a small detective agency, it's all probably used for work.

At any rate, I've had a renewed interest in dSLR's recently. I figured that since I'm blogging professionally now (and full-time, I might add), it might actually make sense to get myself a better camera. By better, I mean, something that would be a step up from my handy 5.1-megapixel Sony Cybershot. So in an earlier blog entry, I actually did some homework.

Here's What I Found Out About Veronica Mars' Cameras.

Apparently, there's been a discussion on a VM fansite on Livejournal as to what kind of dSLR's were featured on the show. As far as we can tell, Kristen Bell's character had used three different cameras, all of 'em Nikons.

1. A Nikon D2H with a huge-ass zoom lens (possibly the 70-200 f/2.8 VR), used in the series premiere.
2. Then she also had a the Nikon 8800, as seen in an episode mid-season (of Season 1). It ain't no big deal, but a point-and-shoot that still has a lot of great features.
3. By Season 2, we see her wielding a Nikon D70 with the relatively cheaper, but still impressive 80-200 f/2.8D zoom lens.

Seems like a product integration deal for Nikon, but it's probably not (then again, they probably should have!). The fansite suggested that the show's director of photography, Victor Hammer (who might have a personal preference for Nikons) may have had a few spare cameras lying around, and therefore used one of his toys for Veronica Mars to play with. Nice.

You can watch the UPN/CW drama series over again on DVD, or just catch Kristen Bell on season 2 of Heroes, or as the omniescent voiceover on Gossip Girl, this time without the cool cameras. :)

Cheers, everyone!

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What's A Good dSLR for A Newbie?

Blogs and digital photography go hand-in-hand, just like Hall & Oates, Tango & Cash and Dungeons & Dragons.

I was at this one local bloggers' event not too long ago, armed with my trusty Asus EEE PC and 5.1 megapixel Sony Cybershot- my standard loadout pretty much wherever I go. Now when they start coming out with mobile phones that pretty much out-pixel your own compact digital camera, then I say it's time to get a new camera.

Incidentally, it was Fritz's Nokia N82 (yes, that's his phone pictured to the right) that made me realize it's really time to get me some new hardware. Juned had a hand in that too (a few months back), but the urgency was just driven home with the realization that my three-year old Cyber-shot can easily be obsolete in a couple of weeks. What? Oh, it's obsolete already? Well, so much for that.

So, back to our topic on great dSLR's for beginners:

In an article published on CNet.com.au a little more than a year ago, we get ourselves a helpful little look into getting our first dSLR. Sure, there may be better ones out in the market now, but when you know absolutely nothing about these babies, I'd say this article is a good place to start. In fact, I'm del.icio.us'ing/Digg'ing/StumbleUpon'ing it right now.


Why You Would Want To Get A dSLR

Maybe you don't have to. In fact, a compact digital camera (like my CyberShot) works just fine. But if for some reason, you'd want to take your photography to a higher level, then maybe it's time you start investing in a digital single-lens reflex (dSLR) camera.

I'm only geek enough to want to get into geekier things, so if you want to read up more on what a dSLR is all about, you may want to start Googling it up, or reading all about it here on Wikipedia.

According to CNet's Mary Lojkine:

An SLR is more responsive than a compact, allowing you to take photos more quickly; it gives you more control, so you can be more creative; and it's more flexible, allowing you to change the lens or use accessories such as flashguns and remote controls.

There you have it. Thanks, Mary.


Recommended dSLRs For Beginners

That same CNet article generally recommends these four entry-level SLR's, each has its own pros and cons, just like a Detour on The Amazing Race. But why these four? According to Mary,

...these entry-level SLRs are designed for people who are used to pocket-friendly compacts, the manufacturers have kept them small and light. Experienced photographers may scoff, telling you that larger and heavier cameras are easier to handle and hold, but if you're used to a compact, you won't want anything too big.

That being said, let's check out our four recommendations:

1. the Canon EOS 400D. The Canon EOS 400D ships with 18-55mm zoom lens. It has a 10-megapixel sensor, and it gives you great customization options with a wide range of lenses and accessories you can attach to it, depending on what you need. Has a good balance of auto, semi-auto and manual controls for you to explore as your skills improve.
2. the Olympus E-410. The Olympus E-410 is the smallest and the lightest of the four- great if you want to carry around less camera. It also comes with a 10-megapixel sensor. Compared to the Canon and Nikon, it comes with a better zoom range out of the box- with a twin-lens kit with 14-42mm and 40-150mm lenses, or 28-84mm and 80-300mm in 35mm terms.
3. the Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 . The Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 also has a 10-megapixel sensor, and is a relative newcomer in the dSLR market, using the tech it got from Konica-Minolta. It has a built-in image stabilization option (whereas you have to get special lenses for the Canon and Nikon). It also has auto focus, anti-static coating and 21 compatible lenses.
4. the Nikon D40. Just like the Canon, the Nikon D40 also ships with a zoom lens, but only comes with a 6-megapixel sensor. Still not bad, and will still produce better pics than a regular compact, but you might feel you're lagging behind with this one. On the plus side, the Nikon also has a lot of accessories and lenses you can get later on, so in that regard, it's just as customizable as the Canon. That said, it's still a great transition camera as your first dSLR.


The Final Word

As far as CNet has presented, you have a good variety of transition dSLRs too choose from, depending on how you see yourself using your camera in the more immediate future. But here's what they have to say:

...it's a close-run thing, but for our money, the Canon EOS 400D has a slight edge. It costs a little more than the Nikon D40, but the extra megapixels will keep you happy for longer.

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. I hope this helps you out as much as did for me. Still, don't stop looking around and checking out other cams. There might be other, newer models out there that could be better than the ones presented here. I'd sure love to hear about it if you do find any.

Cheers, everyone!

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Blogs Give You More Bang For Your Buck!

Here's an interesting read on Abe Olandres' Yugatech: a blog entry on how advertisers might actually be getting a better return-of-investment on their media buy with blog advertising.

In a recent presentation he made, Abe compared the performance of ads on his blog (YugaTech) to four other sites that carries the same advertising: two news sites (which he designates as sites A & B), a forum (site C), and a portal (site D).

With this mix of websites, he stacked them up against each other and compared the following five attributes:

• Total Traffic Contribution. Percentage traffic share (leading into the advertiser's landing page?) from each site, considering the total combined online traffic of all five.
  
• New Visitors. The percentage of unique visitors on a blog clicking an advertiser's ad.
  
• Page Views Per Visit.
  
• Average Time on Site.
• Bounce Rate. The percentage of people leaving the referred site right away.
  

Here's what Abe had to say about the Total Traffic Contribution:

Of the top 5 referring sites, my blog (YugaTech) was the 3rd highest referrer with 19.33% of the total traffic contributed by all five. The first two were the news sites that sent in 39.05% and 23.88%, the forum site sent only 11.56% and the portal 6.19%.
To think that one of the news sites had (at least) 192 times more number of monthly pageviews than this blog, placing 3rd in terms of referrals ain’t bad at all. Too bad, I couldn’t get any click-thru-rates.

According to the blog entry, what surprised Abe more were the results of the other metrics: New Visitors, Page Views per Visit, and Average Time on Site.

New Visitors

Site A - 80.5% new visitors
Site B - 69.5% new visitors
Site C - 64.5% new visitors
Site D - 78.0% new visitors
YugaTech - 45% new visitors

Depending on how you look at it, either this blog doesn’t refer more unique visitors or visitors keep clicking on the ads more than once (which is good right?).

Page Views per Visit

Site A - 2.17 pageviews
Site B - 2.06 pageviews
Site C - 1.78 pageviews
Site D - 2.64 pageviews
YugaTech - 6.12 pageviews

Average Time on Site

Site A - 2.24 minutes
Site B - 2:38 minutes
Site C - 1:35 minutes
Site D - 3:07 minutes
YugaTech - 10:17 minutes

It only means one thing — the blog drives more quality traffic because they actually use the referred site more. The figures above shows us 3 to 5 times more site usage by visitors coming from the blog.

Lastly, Abe shares a little more about Bounce Rates:

Site A - 60%
Site B - 60%
Site C - 75%
Site D - 56%
YugaTech - 34%

Bounce rates indicate the percentage of people leaving the referred site right away. So the lower the bounce rates, the better since it means visitors are sticking to the site. Here’s two words to describe that — targeted traffic.

Now that's interesting- more compelling reasons for just about any company to invest more in blogs- for quality content that hits your targeted market segment! Abe's final word on the subject matter (for now):

I do not know how much advertising money was spent on all the 5 sites (including this blog) but from the limited data I gathered, this blog only got around 2% of the total ad spendings (I’m pretty sure it’s lower).

If we just go by the raw number of visitors, spending 2% of your ad budget to get 19% of the traffic (and high quality traffic at that) is a great ROI.

The hard numbers above will show you that blog advertising has a much higher Return of Investment (ROI). So next time you’re thinking of doing online advertising, do consider blogs in your budget. =)

Thanks for that highly informative post, Abe. You can check out more on him on YugaTech.com, for more of Technology news and reviews in the Philippines.

Hope you all found that useful as much as I did. Cheers, everyone!

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Podcasting: Fun with Digital Audio and Video.

Technology today has come to a point that user-generated content is now a very easy and cost-effective effort. Anyone with a PC, an internet connection can have a blog these days. Got a digital camera? Put up a photo-blog! If you have basic audio-video equipment, you can have your own series of viral videos and podcasts, if you feel like it.

As a dude who's been in radio for the past 14 years, it's supposed to be a natural transition of sorts, going from a show on an actual FM radio station to doing something along the lines of New Media- specifically, a podcast.

According to Wikipedia:

A podcast is a collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet, often using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers. The term "podcast", like "broadcast", can refer either to the series of content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The term podcast should not be used to describe individual files. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster.

These days, anyone can have his own radio show on the internet- you can say whatever you want, put whatever content you like, without the restrictions of having to deal with the management of a radio station. Heck, you don't even have to be connected with a radio station!

Whether you're just a regular dude with a desire to speak out and share your knowledge on particular subject matters, or a small business looking for a great new way to promote yourself, then you might want to consider podcasting- which is what I'm considering now.

I've been looking into having my own series of podcasts- and man, there are just so many things you can talk about! Just in the same way you can put up a blog on just about anything, really. Only that a podcast is media in spoken word format, usually on mp3, while a blog is written for all to read.

Here's what I have so far: my current favorite site is this really useful Podcasting News. I say it's a good place to start, for anyone who wants to at least listen to a few podcasts, just to have an idea. Since last Friday, I've been listening to a number of em- some good, some bad. Look to the sidebar on the left side of the Podcasting News website, and you can find some recommendations.

Also, on top of news in the world of podcasting, they also have features and resources to help you on your way. Definitely a great place to start, if you ask me.

Other great reads on podcasting:

• The Creative Commons' Legal Guide To Podcasting. Might as well make it legitimate, right?
• Podcast.net has a whole LOT of podcasts for you to go through. Pick a subject matter and give it a go! Alternately, you can check out Podcast Alley, or Pageflakes' Mother of all Podcasts.
• Another great site for beginning podcasters here, on K12 Handhelds. Also, check out O'Reilly while you're at it.
• If you have time, you may also want to check out Podcasting Tools for some more detailed info on gear, directories and even trade shows on podcasting.

So there you have it- hope this helps you as much as it does for me. Let me know how that podcasting project of yours comes along. I'll post the links to my own podcasts once I have enough content.

Cheers everyone!

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Blogs and Blogging: New Media for SME's

One of the biggest challenges I've noticed, is getting a traditionally set-up Small- or Medium-sized Enterprise to get into New Media. A lot of SME's (particularly here in the Philippines, for example) are family-owned, and therefore is run by the family, with the patriarch/matriarch right on top of things.

For a variety of reasons, these SME's haven't quite picked up on the idea of using New Media to market their business- they might feel that whatever little resources on hand might be better allocated on more lucrative activities. Or maybe there's just a pervading atmosphere of technophobia, or maybe management just doesn't care at all.

Unless of course, you have a say on using New Media for your company's marketing communications efforts- then hey, good for you.

At a time when businesses are struggling with the rising costs of traditional media (TV, radio, print), and the proliferation of other avenues for promotion (events, outdoor media, etc.), at a time when there is just so much ad clutter, and at a time your audience is more averse to being advertised to, what's a Small Business to do?

This is where New Media comes in. It is way, way cheaper than traditional media, and if you use it right, it can be the most effective online tool for you and your growing business.

YouTube is such a massive online hit- so why not make a series of viral videos instead of an expensive TV commercial? Podcasts are the new radio- and you can talk about whatever you like, and even have your own show. Blogs take the place of magazines and newspapers- with loads of informative, entertaining or even scandalous posts that can launch full-blown discussion threads when written well.

Blogging for Small- to Medium-sized Enterprises.

I've picked up quite a bit of information on the subject matter- through my own experiences as a marketing exec, through my interaction with other blogs and bloggers, and attending these highly informative workshops on blogging.

Jayvee Fernandez, general manager of The Blog Bank and channel editor for b5Media, has given a particularly thought-provoking talk in one such workshop not too long ago.

He's pointed out a number of reasons why growing businesses should get into blogging:

1. Blogging is way more cost-effective than traditional media.
2. A well-executed blogging campaign can easily quantify word-of-mouth marketing.
3. Blogs give us access to honest consumer feedback.
4. Here's a good one- bloggers are more passionate than your entire marketing team.
5. Bloggers are self-aware and are concerned with their own development.
6. A new wave of SME's are already doing it- so isn't it about time your company should too?

Definitely worth a closer look, don't you think? I'll use the rest of the weekend to dig deeper into the subject matter.

So what do you think? Don't you think it's time to hop on the blogging bandwagon?

Cheers, everyone!

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Blogs Make For Great Business!

More than ever, companies are looking for more cost-effective ways to promote themselves. Traditional means of advertising are alright- but modern-day marketing practices say that there are so much more non-traditional ways to get that brand message across, and cut through all the ad clutter.

As somebody who does IMC for a living- what Jay Conrad Levinson preaches in his book, "Guerilla Marketing", is pretty much spot on: no single advertising medium works on its own, but marketing combinations work.

And here's something that can synergize very well with just about any promotional campaign you have on hand: blogs.

Blogs are the new magazines, newspapers and books; thanks to more easily accessible (read: free!) user-friendly publishing tools such as Blogspot (which hosts this particular blog), Wordpress, LiveJournal, and so many others, anyone with a PC, and internet connection, and a desire to share anything can now be author, publisher and editor.

Just like FM radio, it easily synergizes with just about anything- of course, one huge advantage is that New Media (blogs included) costs so much less than traditional media. Plus, blogs are paperless. And I'm for anything that uses less paper. Much less paper! Save the environment, everyone!

Which is why blog networks are all the rage these days- we've seen a number of them come up over the past couple years: b5Media, Weblogs, Inc., The DailyPixel Network, Know More Media, Creative Weblogging, Content Quake, and locally, here in the Philippines, The Bayanihan Blog Network.

In fact, now's a great time to start blogging- just check out all the job listings here on Problogger jobs, or you can go ahead and just Google it. You'll find lots of jobs out there if you're considering a career as a pro-blogger. Go ahead and pick some, why dont'cha?

The BlogBank is the Philippines' first blog advertising network- it's so new, they've just launched this week. If you check out their webpage, they have this to say:

The largest circulating newspaper in the Philippines produces 250,000 copies a day. Assuming a pass–on rate of 3 per copy, a newspaper ad gives you 750,000 impressions.

BlogBank gives you one million ad impressions.

This is great news for Advertisers- particularly those targeting the internet-friendly Philippine market. Also great news for publishers- those who blog- because it means that there's actually a market out there for quality content and quality blogs.

So keep on blogging! If you're someone who just started getting into the blogging lifestyle- it pays off (at least it can, eventually), as long as you're passionate about sharing your thoughts and your experiences, even more so if you write well, and write regularly.

If you're running a business, you now have something new to consider when developing your promotional campaigns for the next several months- now is also the time to maybe get into blogging yourself; start putting up your own corporate blog and attach it to your website, and see how much it can do for your business.

See you around in the blogosphere! Cheers, everyone!

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