Me, myself and blogging

Mar 8, 2007 10:42

Please allow me to talk about myself on this occasion. I already decided to quit from my existing job as a journalist with Tempo, Indonesia's most respected general affairs magazine, and turn independent writer and full-time blogger.

Beyond my expectations, news of my departure hit the country's blogosphere and got a lot of positive responses from other bloggers, with some even naming me "Indonesia's first full-time blogger".

Many of them asked me why I decided to be a full-time blogger. My colleague, a Jakarta-based Malaysian blogger, Unspun, invited me to write a guest posting on my "controversial decision".

Here, I republish the full version of the posting:

Unspun's introduction:

One question that perplexes many bloggers is how to make money from what they enjoy doing. "If only I can make money from blogging," they think. "I'd do this fun stuff all the time."

As others ruminate, journalist and blogger Budi Putra is springing into action and making history as Indonesia's first professional blogger. He already contributes to or maintains the blogs CNET Asia, Asia Tech, 3GWeek, The Gadget, Indonesia Tech and Blog Jurnalisme.

Unspun thought it would be interesting, not to say inspiring, for readers to read what made Budi take the leap from the security of writing for Indonesia's most respected general affairs magazine into the fledgling world of the professional blogger. So Unspun invited Budi to be a guest blogger. He agreed and this is Budi's story of his passage from traditional to new media and a new livelihood:

Blogs killed the media star
With millions of voices being heard and engaged, the revolutionary medium called the Weblog or blog is now rapidly changing the face of business and the landscape of industry, including the media world.

In the space of just a decade, the number of blogs have leapt swiftly into millions. Blogging has become a social and commercial phenomenon, taking traditional Web site publishing to a new level where anyone can start their own publishing.

The Gadget

I agree with blog researcher Rebecca Blood who stated that Weblogs may not be as innovative as some claim, but they do have real potential as a form of personal publishing and many opportunities will depart from that.

"But while many people still think of blogs as online diaries or journals, a small handful of forward thinkers, leaders in the march to tomorrow, have recognized the more profound impact on the world of digital communications," wrote Dave Taylor from The Intuitive Life Business Blog.

Moreover, blogs have become so hot that some mainstream media reporters are quoting the more popular blogs in their headline news items.

Yes, blogs now present an exciting world for those who are convinced the days of traditional media are numbered.

Perfect. I am one of them.

The Asia Tech

My passion
I fell in love with blogging a few years ago. I started blogging one day in March 2001, but it was just for documenting my writings and essays online.

Then, I did not expect much from the world of blogging, but I kept on as I was convinced there was something interesting about this phenomenon that would show itself some time in the future, even though I did not know what exactly it would be.

In the meantime, many mainstream journalists--over 300, according to CyberJournalist.net's J-blog list--had begun writing their own blogs. So I decided to join in and maintain a serious journalist's blog.

I have become more serious about blogging over the past three years. Apart from trying to post frequently, particularly on technology issues, I optimized the social networking aspect of blogging: Finding new friends, sharing information and sharing each other's experiences.

Finally, I became passionate about blogging when I discovered what the blogosphere calls The Conversation.

3G Week

Blogs allow you to have more powerful conversations because what is said "comes from a real person", said Robert Scoble, author of the world's best-read business blog.

Yes, we can enjoy the power of blogs when we can discuss anything with our readers.

When I post an article, it is as if I am sending a clear message to my blog readers: "Talk with me."

And that's how the community of blogs began. By 2000, the importance of the blogging community increased rapidly. Anyone can be the star of his or her own community that he or she could have built up from scratch. There are no popular blogs without their own community and no celebrity bloggers without their own fans.

In blogging terms, a community is not just a group of readers who frequently visit and read your postings or leave responses in your comment sections, it can be more than that: The source of revenue streaming for you and your blog. How is this so?

Indonesia Tech

The most common and simplest method is to accept targeted ads and referrals. By using programs like Google Adsense, AdBrite, TextLinksAds in his/her blog, a blogger can generate a decent amount of money. The larger a community you have, the more ads you'll get clicked on and the more money you'll earn.

Others write for sites other than their own. Blogging networks have appeared where bloggers are paid for generating content on a network's site.

Others have tried a click-to-donate model. According to Wikipedia, prominent political blogger Andrew Sullivan claimed at one point that accepting voluntary donations to his blog was more lucrative than his magazine work for The New Republic.

I have tried targeting ads and paid posting "business models" for the past year--and it works!

Blog Jurnalisme

My decision
Since I maintain my blogs during my after office hours, I could not optimize the revenue that thee blogs generate. I could not write high-quality postings frequently, too. Why? Because I didn't have enough time to do so. Sometimes after work I am not in the mood anymore. So I need more time to write and maintain my blogs.

The only solution to this was to quit my existing job. So I decided and resigned from Tempo, Indonesia's most respected print media group.

Which brings me to the present--a new era either as a full-time blogger or an independent writer to some print and online media--to maintain my network.

In brief, here are some additional points as to why I decided to be a full-time blogger:

• Need more time to explore blog. As I mentioned earlier, I need more time and space to write and maintain my blogs.



• Need more opportunity to build a community. I need more opportunity to approach and connect to my readers as well as possible partners to run the "blogging businesses".



• Goodbye print media, hello new media. Print media is increasingly less significant in its ability to change today's business landscape. In terms of cost, print media products will no longer be profitable in the future. Where journalism is concerned the print media in the future will no longer be able to accommodate the journalists' aspirations as well as the new media.



• More full-time bloggers. There are only a few professional bloggers in the country so far. I don't know exactly who they are because they don't publish or reveal their acitivity. So let me start the process by declaring myself publicly as a professional or full-time blogger in the country.

So, what should I be doing in my new career as a professional blogger?

• Optimize targeted ads in my blogs. There are 3Cs for the professional blogger: Content, Community and Click-through. Good content will draw a larger community and, the same time, will boost revenue through click-through and popularity.



• Write paid postings. Since my core competency is writing, I will write postings-related-technology on some sites. A few paid-writing service providers have already approved my proposal.



• Become a consultant and adviser. I will help some people, institutions and companies to develop and run their blog.



• Run a blogging business. I am preparing a business-related blog that will be launched in the near future. I will let you know the details prior to the launching day.

My vision
For me, being a professional blogger isn't just a matter of changing my profession or career. It's about being a pioneer and if you want to do this you have to lead rather than follow. For instance, if I remain in print media to advance my career I would have to do better than, for example, Kompas Daily's founder Jacob Oetama, Tempo's Goenawan Mohamad or Media Indonesia Group's Surya Paloh.

They are too big for me. If they are of the latest Windows Vista operating system-like caliber, I am just the old-fashioned DOS!

So, it's better for me to develop a new field, which, to some extent, can in the future be a challenger and disruptor to the country's traditional media. Yes, there is more opportunity for me and my other fellow bloggers to be the pioneers of this country's blogging business. In this area, we own the moment, guys!

My big asset and capital in this new "industry" is passion!

My other asset is social networking. During my five years in Tempo as technology journalist and editor, I have developed legions of friends who work as IT vendors, operators and companies. So I can still keep in touch with them since now they have more curiosity about blogging, Web 2.0 or "user-generated content".

Some of them told me their regional and headquarters bosses have already asked them to find out what they can do regarding the blogging businesses in the country.

I suggested just one thing to them: "Talk with me."

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