Why I want to be a #BlogOPPOlis Creator Scholar?
A scholar, by definition, is a “learned person”, someone who has already had a grasp of things but is continually learning. Scholars are also those who receive support or aid in order to further their understanding of their craft.
Content creators can provide useful knowledge to their readers. They can entertain and remove the stress of readers and followers and really awesome content creators can elevate, empower, and encourage readers into trying new things, going to new places, experiencing what life has to offer and even help to reach their dreams.
In that sense, one of the reasons why I want to become a #BlogOPPOlis Creator Scholar, sponsored by OPPO Philippines, is because I want to continually learn about being a content creator & I want to hone my blogging skills by attending Nuffnang Philippines’ Blogopolis “The Digital Journey” this April 14, 2018 so I could learn from top content creators and in the future, become an awesome content creator myself.
However, as I look and reflect upon my blog, I think that the real reason why I want to become a #BlogOPPOlis Creator Scholar is so I can be more inspired and become more focused on which direction I should take.
Lately, I haven’t been that serious about blogging but I do have a lot of ideas and goals that I haven’t been able to reach. The creativity is always present but what I really lack is an inspiration, focus, follow-through, and consistency so I want to be inspired by other content creators’ accomplishments so I’ll be able to set clearer and more realistic goals.
Becoming overwhelmed and disheartened comes so easy when it comes to blogging which is why there are a lot of abandoned blogs out there. I’m afraid that I might lack the interest to continue blogging which is why I want to be able to learn from the speakers, guests, and panelists their secrets so that I can find the “real blogger” inside me. Once I truly grasp the essence of becoming a good content creator, I would be able to share the knowledge I’ve gained to my co-bloggers/co-content creators.
All of us have goals and aspirations and as a blogger, I really want to become one of the best content creators in the Philippines and in Asia.
Below is a brief history of my blogging career. I’m sharing this so you would know the internal struggles of a blogger like me.
BRIEF HISTORY OF MY BLOGGING CAREER:
I’ve been blogging since early 2001 and have tried platforms like Xanga, Friendster blogs, and other forms of blogs but most of them were just personal blogs or online diaries.
It was in 2013 when I started a “public” blog meant to be read by other people. I joined Nuffnang and was able to experience a lot of perks as a Nuffnanger, such as joining events, watching special movie screenings, etc. I even won some contests sponsored by Nuffnang and other big brands in the Philippines and those really boosted my confidence as a blogger and content creator. Some people even sent me messages how I inspired them to begin blogging too and I was really happy because I have never experienced inspiring others before so it was an overwhelming feeling.
However, my happiness was short-lived as I experienced becoming a hacking victim, wherein all the contents of my blog was deleted from the server and no matter how much I tried to recover it with the help of my hosting provider, the content I’ve tried so hard to build up vanished like the wind and I became depressed after that. Because of this, I stayed away from blogging for a while but the important thing was, I did not give up. I also learned how important it is to have a backup of all online content. Lesson learned, so it was time to move on.
In September 2015, I once again tried blogging and content creation. I registered a new domain and used a different email since I was afraid that the previous one was already compromised because of the previous hacking incident. I reactivated my Nuffnang membership and joined their contest for the first time since the hacking incident. I wasn’t sure about the outcome and my confidence level was at an all-time low that time so I didn’t expect to win anything. Luckily, I won and it boosted my confidence so I started winning again. That was the sign that I was waiting for. Since big brands are able to appreciate the content I provide for them as a blogger, and since there were a lot of followers and readers on my blog even without much marketing, I decided to try blogging again.
Blogging gives me the opportunity to share my thoughts and connect with readers online, both locally and internationally. When I see people sharing my blog posts and mentioning my blog on their social media sites and blogs, it feels good because people acknowledge my hard work. I don’t have a lot of friends and being acknowledged by other people is like being given a seal of approval and it gives meaning to my main hobby, which is blogging. I am thankful that I never gave up on blogging because it serves as a great outlet to reach out to other people and to use my skills freely.
I also love blogging contests because it challenges me to become better. If not for those blogging contests, I wouldn’t be able to challenge myself to create better content. However, I don’t want to be defined viewed only as “contest blogger”. So I decided to become more active in blogging about events as well as accept sponsored posts from time to time in order to have some funds to keep this blog running.
I also found myself blogging about things I love such as movie reviews, movie comparisons, travel, KPOP, KDrama, etc. I want to concentrate on these topics when I start my blog redesign and restructuring which is happening really soon.
Blogging is a continuous journey. The road won’t always be straight and flowery. At some point, you would seem to get stuck in a muddy road but it’s up to you whether to dust yourself, pick yourself up, and continue blogging. That’s my blogging journey so far.
To help further answer why I want to be a #BlogOPPOlis Creator Scholar, I prepared the “ABC’s of Why I want to be a #BlogOPPOlis Creator” below:
A – Aspire to be one of the best content creators. As a blogger I’m aspiring to become a good content creator and BLOGOPOLIS: The Digital Journey is the perfect event and channel towards that goal. I want to learn the latest and newest trends in social media and blog creation.
B – Become a better content creator. Since Blogopolis is all about learning, I expect to learn and develop my craft better. Researching and watching videos online is good but actually being there in the flesh, listening to actual people behind awesome blogs and online content and learning from other bloggers and content creators who are attending the event is definitely better.
C – Create blogs that educate and inspire others just like the BlogOPPOlis panelists and speakers. After Blogopolis, I want to be able to create more inspiring and noteworthy blog posts that will inspire and educate others just like the #BlogOPPOlis panelists and speakers. I will try to emulate what they do so I can achieve better traction and interaction with my blog readers. Anyone can create content but to have worthwhile content that people would actually read and share is something that we should all learn about.
D – Determine what kind of content creator I want to be. There are so many types of content creators nowadays and it would be better for me if I would have a peg or someone that I want to emulate so that I could have a better direction with regards to blogging.
E – Encourage myself to become a better content creator to become an example to others. In the future, I want to become an example to others. I want to experience that feeling again, when someone says that they picked something up or they learned something new, like a blogging style or something from me. When I was blogging on my previous blog, I had people ask me from time to time how I did some graphics especially the gif’s or the “moving graphics”. Also, some people sent me messages about my blogging style and how I won some contents. Honestly, I’m very shy when it comes to interaction but when people ask me something, I do my best to share what I know. I believe that the panelists of Blogopolis would be the same so I really want to learn about their techniques as well. Before I can become an example to others, I need to become a follower first and learn from the best. That is why I want to become an OPPO BlogOPPOlis Content Scholar.
F – Find focus and concentrate on my target niche. It’s so easy to be lost when it comes to blogging. I seriously need to put some kind of direction when it comes to blogging. I plan to do a major overhaul on my blog so joining the Blogopolis 2018 will be a good start for me to truly find the niche I want to target for my blog.
G – Gain knowledge and tips to help me become a better blogger. I want to listen to the panelists and guest speakers, as they share their tips and best practices so I can apply them on my blog.
H – Have a good time while learning with co-content creators and bloggers. Learning doesn’t have to be boring because NUFFIES, panelists, and co-bloggers will make sure the Blogopolis event will be exciting and worth it! I want to be able to enjoy the event and learn at the same time.
I – Inspire myself by viewing other content creators/bloggers’ accomplishments and successes. What better way to inspire myself than to see accomplished bloggers and content creators share their success stories and humble beginnings? I would definitely get a lot of inspiration from Blogopolis so I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve had my own share of trials and success so I’m also looking forward to sharing these with my co-bloggers.
J – Join a group of other content creators on the quest to become better content creators. I am very shy and can’t socialize much but I would definitely love to socialize and talk with other bloggers and content creators because they share the same passion as I have.
K – Know more about content creation. Learning about content creation techniques and trends is the main goal of this year’s Blogopolis so I really want to join the said event.
L – Learn from the best content creators. This year’s speakers and panelists are Cat Triviño of Jollibee, Abe Olandres of Yugatech, Tippy and Pong Go, Michael Josh, Nina Terol, Lloyd Cadena, Bella Racelis, Arisse De Santos, Jako De Leon, Martha Sta. Barbara, Kaycee Enerva, and Aryanna Epperson. I’m sure that I would be able to learn a lot from these top content creators and social media leaders.
M – Make a larger step towards the journey of becoming one of the best content creators. I’ve been doing little things these past few years and I really want to make a HUGE step towards becoming a good content creator and I’m hoping to learn really cool things and great tips from this year’s Blogopolis.
N – Network with other bloggers and content creators. Blogopolis is a great avenue to network with other bloggers and content creators. I want to be friends with people I can grow and learn with.
O – Open up opportunities such as collaboration, etc. Aside from networking and gaining new friends, Blogopolis will definitely help me collaborate with other bloggers pertaining to collaboration, media connection, event invites, etc.
P – Pick up pointers & Practice to become a better content creator. I want to learn and practice immediately what I’ve learned from Blogopolis. I want to relaunch my blog into something greater.
Q – Quickly absorb ideas and best practices shared by guests and speakers. For sure, the panelists and speakers have already experienced hardships and problems on their way to greatness and I’m hoping they can share those so we can avoid those problems. I also want to learn their techniques on how to become a good content creator.
R – Reconstruct my blog so that my target niche and direction is better defined. I’ve been meaning to redesign, reconstruct and relaunch my blog for quite some time and after I’ve learned a lot by joining Blogopolis, I feel that I would be better prepared to do so.
S – Share my blog journey with others as I slowly develop my own blog. Similar to how the panelists and content creators on Blogopolis would share what they’ve been through, I want to share my experiences as well, pertaining to the relaunching of my blog. I want my readers to learn what I’ve learned and realized after several years of blogging and what I’ve gained by becoming part of this year’s Blogopolis. After all, sometimes the JOURNEY is more important than the destination.
T – Think outside the box and create a fresh take on things. I want to discover new things and techniques, take in other people’s techniques and learn something new from them so I can use them to create my own thing.
U – Use graphic designs to express myself better in terms of blogging. I want to know how other bloggers use graphic design, photography techniques, etc. to better enhance the viewer experience.
V – Visualize the direction I want to take with my blog & draw goals around it. By listening to the content creator’s digital journeys, I hope to be able to realize and visualize what direction I want to take with regards to my blog.
W – Watch intently & blog about the whole experience. I want to be able to share the whole OPPO #BlogOPPOlis Content Creator experience if I’m lucky enough to win and take part of it.
X – X-factor search so I can use them as inspiration. I want to spot great content creators which I can emulate and use as an inspiration when I’m ready to redesign and relaunch my blog.
Y – Yearn to become one of the best content creators after learning from the best. My goal is definitely to become one of the best content creators and I will gladly and humbly start from the ground up by learning from the best.
Z – Zest & enthusiasm should be applied to future blogs & content. Skills are important but even if you have the skills, if you don’t know how to use those skills, you won’t be able to become the best. Consistency and Persistence is the key. In order to have consistency, there should always be zest and enthusiasm when blogging. Practice makes perfect and the more you write, the more you develop your craft. So if I’m lucky enough to be selected as an OPPO #BlogOPPOlis Content Scholar, I promise to be enthusiastic and enjoy the whole experience.
Blogopolis: The Digital Journey is on April 14, 2018 (Saturday) at Dusit Thani Manila, Makati City from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm. Blogopolis 2018 tickets are Php 500 each. You may purchase it online or win free tickets from their sponsors such as OPPO and GLOBE. For more information please visit Nuffnang Philippines Facebook page.
