Wanted - Entrepreneur Blogger
Over the time I’ve been working here at Blogtrepreneur, I’ve always wanted to continually expand my business and blog to make it more accessible to a greater audience and range of people. I’ve always thought that this would come with increased postage and commitment. However with school and time pressures from a hectic life it becomes difficult to manage a popular blog.
Reading Yaro Starak’s series of posts on sustainable blogging got me thinking. The only way I’m going to get this site to see more rapid growth is an increase in posting. Unfortunately there is a circular effect. More posting generally means more traffic (through search engines), which means more subscribers and generally more income. Whilst I enjoy meeting new entrepreneurs and others who share similar interests, income is a factor in the running of this site and the time I don’t spend writing is jeapordising the growth of the blog.
However, I also understand that people may only read my blog due to my particular writing voice or my method of writing. This is why I will always continue to blog at Blogtrepreneur - I just feel its time for some fresh blood, some new ideas, and some new experiences that we can draw on.
This is why I’m opening the doors for the very first time here on this site and calling for writers who want to help me take my blog to the next level.
So here’s the criteria:
- Bloggers must have experience in writing their own blogs or creating content for other media streams. If a portfolio is not available then business-related writings must be able to be sent to me.
- Bloggers must have had experience as an “entrepreneur”, in the offline world of business or (preferably) as a netpreneur.
- Bloggers must be willing and keen to get to grips with Wordpress as a CMS.
- Bloggers must post 4-5 times every week, with no more than 1 post everyday.
There are a few more little tidbits but these will be talked through. In terms of benefit for the blogger, I’ll primarily be able to offer great publicity from a PR4 and growing blog, which is currently ranked 76,000 on Alexa and is around the 18,000th most popular blog on Technorati.
UPDATE: Before I wrote that revenue shares would be considered in the future. However, after thinking it through this morning, I realise that my site still may not have that much authority and publicity to offer the author. So revenue cuts from whatever I earn through this blog will be implemented immediately once you start writing for me. Figures will be discussed privately. Thanks for helping me to clear that up Stu.
I really hope that I can get some more people to work alongside me who have a sound knowledge of the business world that I’m yet to experience. I really think that this will give more depth to the blog and will help with the theoretical practices of an entrepreneur. Of course, I will be around as usual posting my progress as an interpreneur and sharing any major facts picked up along my journey. Finally, I have the final say in who and who I don’t choose to blog with me.
If you feel you’ve got the necessary qualities, then shoot me an email through my contact form so we can start the ball rolling. I’m so excited about getting this blog into the top echelons of the blogosphere where it should be - I just wish I had more time to get it there myself. In the mean time, I look forward to your responses.
So let me see if I got this straight:
You want people to write five posts a week for you, with all the quality criteria that you have laid down, and you “may consider” paying them sometime in the future?
Not being picky, as I love this blog, but good luck with that!
Hi Stu.
I wrote this post last thing last night and after thinking it through in the morning, I realised that I needed to change what I wrote (see update). I won’t make that an excuse though.
My reasoning was that I thought that the publicity that would be driven through my blog to the author would have been sufficient, especially if they were new to the online world and wanted quick and loyal followers.
By showing that I would be willing to offer revenue sharing I thought would emphasise the need for writing to be of the utmost quality - and thus seperating the fairly good writers, from the excellent ones. I know understand that these criteria just may have been a little harsh.
Thanks for pointing that out Stu and for giving me some much needed guidance and a poke in the right direction ;).
I’m not applying for the blogging job, at least not now, but I came looking for your blog because I just came across something that I thought was of great usefulness for you to mull over.
You may recall we had a conversation in t6he forums a while back where I talked about writing targeted to ads and you, frankly, kind of weaseled out by taking the “I’m young and therefore have little to write about” escape hatch. That is true, if you want it to be true, but it’s bogus as anything can be if you want to own up to and acknowledge your own abilities.
Look at this guy’s admittedly ugly and over-advertised Blogspot effort:
http://entrepinoys.blogspot.com/
I was taken by the similarity in names. The ATBP in his title, by the way, is Filipino for etc. or “and other things”. I do not know his monthly income but I can assure you it’s pretty impressive as attested to by some of the non-blogger media folk who have sought him out for his story.
While this guy may be older he certainly has no experience directly in many of the things he writes about. Heck he’s not even an entrepreneur, he’s working for wages. but he found a niche … Filipino Overseas Foreign Workers (OFW) looking for ways to become financially independent and he’s filling it.
How many budding teen entrepreneurs are out there? How many overseas foreign workers making money and wondering how to invest it wisely? (IIRC correctly you have family connections with Egypt, a country with thousands of OFW’s, my Filipina sister in law in Saudi had a ton of Egyptian OFW friends.
Point is, forget about the mechanics of blogging authority … you are already doing more along that line than many, just hold the line with that and find your niche and your market. You are not handicapped by your age and inexperience, you are empowered by it.
And think three times or more before you take on other voices on more than an occasional basis. “Your blog” is pretty much a dead subject but the other things you know and the others you can find kinship with are priceless.
Dave - thanks for voicing your opinions and as always, I appreciate your honesty and guidance.
First - I don’t have any family connections with Egypt.
Second - in retrospect I suppose that my quote about me being “young and unknowledgeable” may have been naive. However, I still feel that I lack experiences that other adults may have had which may shorten the trail of expertise which I can give out in my blog posts.
But you’re right through the rest of your post. It really makes a stark contrast with another post I wrote about age discrimination. Sure, in the real world I may be disadvantaged, but here on the internet, the opportunities are so varied that I can be successful in anything if I put my mind to it.
More importantly, thanks for sharing your stance on me hiring writers for the blog. Due to your comments and others and a rethink, I’ve decided not to ask for writers simply because as you said this blog is a “dead subject”. My voice is what makes this site, and Im not gonna sacrifice it for some extra articles.
I’m not sure if the mentioning of the EntrePinoys chap was relevant, but thanks for the other info and insights because it helped to make up my mind. Cheers for stopping by mate.
Hi Adnan,
Sorry for not replying to your email earlier.. slipped my mind until I read this post.
I would suggest getting guest bloggers to come over and put up one post a week. You can probably choose one or two bloggers which will add value to your blog.
Paying someone for content seems a little hasty to me. I would personally only do it when the blog is really churning in some real profits so it naturally becomes a magnet for more established bloggers.
You can then leech off their audience, which is a win-win strategy.
Hey Maki - no problem mate, I understand you must be really busy.
I do actually have 2 people who are interested, but in the end I’ve decided not to take on some more bloggers permanently (due to some different views and opinions on the matter and a rethink). However, I have asked the 2 bloggers to contribute in the form of an article so they can get more exposure for their blogs.
Thanks a lot for the advice though, it may come in handy in the future.
Cheers,
Adnan
Glad to see you thinking through alternatives. Sorry i mis-interpreted vis a vis the Egypt reference. You’ve made mention of a trip to Egypt and your Islamic faith and I have a near unerring talent for adding 2 plus 2 and coming up with 5 ;-).
My point, and my point with the Pinoy-related reference was that everybody has something they know about, can find out about, have a passion for.
Actually, although you may not have a great success with advertising clicks from “your” demographic, you are already in and moving deeper into a huge market. Mid-teens through mid 20 year-olds (those just past university and not yet tied into heavy family commitments) are the freest spenders in the world. They are the tend setters/trend makers as well. Perhaps you could explore focusing youth, enthusiasm and knowledge of your particular demographic as an advantage rather than a weakness.
“Become a success while still in school …. Bill Gates did, Michael Dell did, this guy did:
http://vancouverbiz.net/pages/326 there are literally dozens and dozens of similar stories to be written, analyzed, emulated.
Every weakness is also a strength, best of luck in finding yours.