It’s certainly no secret that I make a portion of my income here in the Philippines by blogging. Many other successful foreigners do as well. And many Filipinos do also, although it often makes me wonder why so few Filipinos really get into it and make something out of their natural advantages.
Advantages you say? Absolutely. They were born here, raised here, schooled here, have gained a whole life time of experience here, yet a great many of them seem to act as if this is something only a foreigner could do. Or that only a foreigner can write to engage other foreigners in thought, conversation or commerce. This is self-defeating nonsense.
There are some Filipino bloggers who have cracked this code. Two of them I follow regularly are www.yugatech.com and www.carlocab.com. These are both real-life Filipinos, born and educated here and they don’t have an “old family” name, foreign wives or any of the other things some people think of when they hear about a successful Filipino.
Basically, they took advantage of the online world, learned enough to get the basics accomplished, and (here’s the part many of you are going to gloss over) they did something, and then stuck with it!
An article or two ago I used this quote and I am going to shamelessly use it again today:
What would you say is the biggest single reason for your success?
The biggest single reason for our success is that we got off of our butts and took some action. It’s really tempting to remain on the sidelines and endlessly gather information but at some point you have buckle down and tell yourself, “Alright, let’s do this”.
A lot of you reading this article were caught by the title and have read this far because many people believe “There is money in blogging”. And you know what? There is. But it doesn’t come by magic and it doesn’t come without starting, sometimes revising, building more, and then building still more and above all, sticking to it.
A year ago or so, this bog was nothing but a veritable digital dustbin. I think I used to get … on a good day .. 10 visitors, if that. My income was on the order of not even pennies per day, pennies per week would be more accurate.
In November of last year, after I had been writing for my friend Bob for a while (thanks Bob) and taking advantage of a few other free helps that people kindly offered me, this is what my readership looks like since I got serious enough to put statistics tracking on the site:
By the way, I use www.statcounter.com (totally free, no affiliate link here, just a good tool I recommend).
The climb since last November may not look like much, but then again, how many other people get even these figures. Many people haven’t even stuck at it that long, so I feel I have nothing to be ashamed of … and this chart looks a lot better than the profits of General Motors or Bear Stearns … with no government money needed to make up for executive greed and incompetence 
.
Each time a page loads here on PhilFAQS, where you get real answers about retiring in the Philippines and supplementing that retirement, I make a fraction of a cent. I intend to grow this income substantially. But assume I don’t? This little site alone already pays my rent here in the Philippines …and free rent is something not many of you are going to find.
The real secret? As Nike says, “Just Do It.”
Okay Dave, I’ve been reading both from you and other blog sites about how I could supplement my income. Yet, no one has yet to explain the mechanics to me. Without answers to these simple questions I can’t see some young person in the Philippines ever getting started. And the answer is “NO!” I’m not in the market to start a Blog, these questions were just an observation I have made on all the sites I’ve visited .
1. How does one start a blog?
2. Where do you go to find out?
3. How do you get readers for your blog?
4. The income I assume, is derived from the AD’s you carry, or is there other?
5. What are the startup costs?
6. What subject should you go with?
7. Should your subject match your “BLOG Title?
Hi Paul. (and anyone else with similar questions) That’s about a 3 year college course’s worth of information you are asking … I’ve been at it night and day, or that is the way it feels at times. But potential is certainly there. This guy has been earning $xxx,xxx (at leat in Aussie dollars) for years … one of the most generous folks around with information, but there is an encyclopedia of information to plow through:
http://www.problogger.net/
This guy is also an authority whom I feel can be trusted. A great many of your questions are answered honestly in one simple book. Free, of course..
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/
Sign up for his newsletter and get his Blogging Blueprint eBook, free. You can always cancel the subscription later if the news annoys you, I find his news is sent not all that often and has often been helpful. You might also look at some of the free pogcasts he offers … some interviews with people who have actually done something.
Sorry to answer with a reading assignment, but there is alot to those questons, and these guys are all way, way more successful than I.
You might alos look at what I do here in terms of experimenting. This blog willnever be abig money maker but I often do things with it to ‘poke around’ and get an idea of things that work and don’t work.
Thank you Dave, It’s as clear as mud, but it covers the ground. (LOL) As I stated before,
I have no need for any type of employment. Simply explained; Out of the 62 years I’ve been on earth I’ve been married for 18 years. 3 to the first and 15 to the one I have now.
In Between, it was just me and my Bank Book, and we had a lovely time together, always faithful. But if someone needed the extra income, and our lifestyle then I also would recommend an online career. But if a person is past fifty and still needs “substantial” outside help to live, and not just a little extra pesos to keep themselfs busy, then they missed the boat. (In the Navy or Merchant Marine that’s a serious offence.) We both worked hard for our pensions, and earned our retirement!
One of the words I like to use is empowerment. Like you, I don’t _need_ anyhting, but the act of learning, expereimenting, making a good move here, a bad ove there and watching over my tiny ‘empire’ offrs considerably more fun than the mere dollars involved. And here’s one of those strange things. Just minutes ago my wife came and mooked over my shoulder when I was checking a copuple income reports. Last month was by far my best month ever with my little ‘money hobby’ and this month is shaping up to be even better. last month we also spent some unplanned money, by mutual agreement, on a couple family things. Nothing that anyone asked us for, I’m extremely lucky that no one in my family ever comes pestering us … but these were things we saw needed doing and they amounted to a couple hundred bucks. We just spent and said nothing. I know, though, that my wife felt uneasy about going over budget. Well guess what? The extra we spent came back several times over .. almost as if that ‘karma; thing they talk about was real. So not only did some issues get taken care of, our bankbook (which I admit to being quite attached to myself) came out better than expected after all. It’s truly nice to have a little something that one can draw on without ever feeling pressure.
A Hobby is a much better term than I used. I know what you’re doing with your blog (or might think I do) as I’ve spent the last nine years fully retired, and boredom will set in if you just vegetate in the house all day. Worst is to start drinking every day, which I’ve seen altogether too much of over here in the Subic Area. I’m no teetotaler, and am quick to have cocktails with friends (never by myself) and I limit that to once a week. My Father who retired at 55, and lived ‘till 85, was like un-governed engine and ran all the time, trips around the world and visits to me where ever I was stationed. I, like you have things to do every day and it makes my day fun. So blog away as I enjoy being a small part of it.
I share your thoughts on the drinking. I drink very, very seldom. Can’t stand the drinking culture, foreign or domestic here. And regards online ventures, there are two prime keys to a hapopy retirement, in my view. keeoing the body actiave and the mind active. I’ve been lagging on the body part, that’s aprime reasdon we are getting into the farm venture. On the mind side, I like to take heart from this BBC article
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7667610.stm