The Economics of Blogging

Haven't started a blog yet? A blog was known as weblog in the early days when one of its main function was like a personal diary or to jot down important events or notes for reminder purposes. As time progresses, more people are being exposed to blogs that are hosted by a number of blog platforms.

In Taiwan, blogging is already on a different level. Of course, socio-political bloggers were there long time ago and still around but Taiwanese bloggers are going full time nowadays. Not only that, money is rolling into their bank accounts for blogging.

What do the Taiwanese bloggers do? They worked hard to promote instant food, cosmetics, 3C, travel trips and anything that can be sold. To the extent that in the recent launching of the McDonalds Taiwan new hamburger in Oct 08, there was a need to get three well-known bloggers to taste and blog about the hamburger which was not an option.

The internet advertising agency that handled the McDonalds Taiwan's new hamburger advertisement recruited hundreds of writers to blog about the hamburger to spread the news in a much faster pace.

A known Taiwanese food blogger, 迴紋針, took the opportunity to write about the hamburger but wrote a blog against the product instead. As her blog was well read, the advertising agency has to call her to revise her blog post to which she declined to do so. Personal blog, so personal comments about the hamburger.

Such marketing tactics are known as "blog marketing" or "blog economy" where it is one of the most popular jobs in a time of recession.

Interactive Communications, one of the top five communication agencies, is helping their clients to promote their products via bloggers. End results, sales was twice as much as the initial target. Why blog marketing? Reason number one is that the costs are low and the effects are directly measurable. It was estimated that there are about 200 'blogging spokesperson' campaigns every year.

In Malaysia, there is already a column in the Star newspaper reserved blogger columnist Nicole Tan who usually writes about her travels, happenings around Malaysia, internet shopping or about the blogosphere and bloggers. This is just the beginning for bloggers.

I know of a number of bloggers who are usually invited to attend product launches, events or opening of restaurants or boutiques. The bloggers do not receive payments but free trial products instead. Of course, some full time bloggers do get paid for writing about those functions. Taiwanese bloggers do get paid up to NT$10,000 per blog post. Not too sure what's the market rate in Malaysia.

The world is changing and direct marketing efforts are considering bloggers as the new media era. I have something up in my brain already and have spoken to a hotel in Kuala Lumpur in which bloggers could assist. Can't do much as I'm in Sudan right now.

Besides having a Public Relations Department, companies should be thinking of Bloggers Relations Programme in time to come. Mark my words!
(some of above info was sourced from China Times)
Tags: Weblog, Full Time Blogger, Freelance Blogger, Taiwanese Bloggers, Blog Marketing, Blog Economy, Interactive Communications, Nicole Tan, Bloggers Relations Programme, Internet Advertising Agency