Writing articles and long form content has always been somewhat therapeutic for me even when I was in grade school. I always loved writing stories of my everyday experiences and also writing about a “make-believe” world where all these elements would co-exist. It wasn’t until in 2014, as part of our requirement for one of my electives while taking up my MBA in Ateneo, that I got introduced to the world of blogging and free-form writing.

We were given a choice as to what niche we would like to write about and come up with a nice design for our blog, which was due by the end of the semester. After putting in much thought to what niche I would like to explore and write about, I decided to stay true to my core and just write about my everyday experiences from checking out various food joints, reviewing the place, the food servings and how it fared in my own judgment.

This eventually blossomed and soon I got invited to other press launches and events here and there. I would cover the launching of a brand or a food joint and I would pen in my review on my site as part of bolstering the brands online presence.

Getting a head start on my day by penning out my deliverables at the beginning of every day.

Our start-up Collagen Supplement Brand, Collabears Gummy Bears

Fast forward to the present day where our mobility is heavily limited with all the restrictions in place, events have been relegated to purely zoom invites or article press seedings. Most of my friends have already moved on to create content on social using videos, posting static posts on IG/ FB or sharing their everyday lives on TikTok. This is not the case for me.

While I do dabble in sharing content regularly on my socials, I also juggle a multitude of roles from having a full-time 9 hour job, to packing orders and sourcing interesting Nordic inspired pieces for my business SBL, to starting up a collagen beauty supplement brand (Collabears) with my good friend, Sam. All these while managing our household, ensuring that everything runs smoothly, bills are paid on time, checking that all utilities are functioning in top condition up to creating a weekly menu plan and making sure that my toddler is well- taken care of.

Starting a blog or being a content creator isn’t easy. I will be honest with everyone that it is not a smooth road to take. I’ve been through ups and downs and even felt like giving up. 

Sad to say that some people base the success of their blog and content creation on their number of followers and readers. Well, guess what? It is being said that it is not and should not be all about the numbers. 

Do you want to know the secret in measuring success? To celebrate my 10 years of blogging and content creation, I would like to share with you some of the things I learned in those fruitful years:

1.It is about CONSISTENCY

You probably heard it many times that the most effective bloggers/content creators post regularly and routinely. When it comes to this, I make sure that I post 2-3 write-ups in a week or daily social media postings and even schedule my post ahead of time. It allows steady traffic throughout the week and generates good interactive discussion on most of my posts.

2.WRITING SKILLS

Well to be honest, when I started blogging, I was not that good at expressing myself and not even proofreading my post. It doesn’t mean that you need to be an expert or a journalist to be successful.

You need to be genuine from your heart and mind and write like an individual. To check my grammar, I always make sure to go to the app or site like www.grammarly.com  which helps me correct errors and grammar.

3.PATIENCE

It takes a lot of patience to see the result of a long journey. There are times that your blog has less traffic than the previous months or posts are not reaching enough people and get fewer likes and comments. Every journey starts with a step and gradually you’ll get to the peak. 

4. PASSION

I started blogging in 2013 but my first site was closed by Google and up until now, I still don’t know what happened to it. It didn’t stop me from doing what I love though. 

I created another blog and believed that it would grow and because I love what I am doing. It is funny nowadays that people advise you to find a niche that will generate income instead of something you are passionate about. Profit isn’t in passion, it’s in popularity.

5. PROMOTION

When you start a blog make sure that you also sign up for social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and other popular apps. These platforms allow you to update your audience and engage with them. It is also a great way to promote your blog and share with them your content.

6. FOCUS

Choose a niche for your blog and content creation. Find one that you truly love, and you’ll find yourself in a great position. Ask yourself why you are starting a blog? Why do you want to be in the social media world? Do you want to help people, inspire people or to make money out of it? You can start a blog behind your passion and make money on it, but I found it is easier to make money on niches that people are passionate about.

7. HARD WORK

A blogger must work day and night to find new ideas and he/she needs to be active on all the social networking sites to promote his/her blog. It is like a 24/7 job that requires a lot of effort and time. I’m quite amazed by bloggers who have a full-time job and are also parents  taking care of their children but still manage to be consistent with producing content.

8. WILLING TO LEARN

Blogging and Content Creation are a continuous learning experience. It’s nice to read a lot of other blogs to gain more knowledge. Most bloggers share their experience so that others can learn from them. So, to be successful, one should spend time reading blogs so that you can increase your knowledge.

(1) TRUST THE BRAND/AGENCY

When a company/brand/agency reaches out to you and includes you their pool of influencers/bloggers/content creators, it just means that they trust your work, passion, and ability. Just like BRANDBUZZ PH, a PR agency with a heart which will be turning 2 years old this October 27, 2021. They commit and make sure that all deliverables are in favor of both parties. It will be a win-win situation wherein brands are able to promote their products/items in full swing and influencers/content creators are getting exposed and/or paid for their hard work. I am now almost 1 year with them and I can say that I am able to be exposed to different brands and gather a lot of learning and opportunity while staying with them.

To sum it up, it is not easy to be a blogger these days. Everyone thinks they can be one and that it’s easy to become one. The truth is, it takes a lot of passion to pursue blogging and sadly, not many people have the passion and resilience for it. It takes a special kind of person to pursue content creation and so I’m thankful that I have been one for more than a decade now.

XOXO, ZARRAH

During my stay at the hospital some of my followers were messaging me and asking me how I was. Since I am big on posting stories they noticed immediately when I wasn’t being active anymore, and was worried. I simply told them that I was taking a break or “busy lang” and wasn’t feeling well. If I don’t post anything in 12 hours they start messaging me and saying, “Ang tahimik mo today Mama Raq, I hope you are okay!”  They didn’t know I had to be hospitalized for eight days, which I kept a secret because during that time there was quite a stigma with people who were infected, as there is today.

After a few months I’m still having recurring nightmares about my stay at the hospital. I would dream that I was still confined at the hospital and suffering, or I would dream I was in an ambulance. I talked to my doctor about it and was advised that it would probably be a good thing to talk about it, hence this post.

So that’s how my Instagram followers became my friends and family, how I found friends in a time of quarantines and social distancing, and how I learned strangers are friends we haven’t met yet. Our relationship went from them being an IG follower and sending me DMs asking me where to buy stuff, and is it a good buy turned into, “I hope you are okay. I miss your stories. I did not know you were going through so much, I will continue to pray for you.” So really, my followers have become my friends and family at this point, and I am thankful for it. 

Also, I find this quote to be true, “ I find it really beautiful when someone prays for you without you knowing. I don’t think there’s any form of deeper and purer love.” God knows I sure am thankful for all the people who have prayed for me, and continue to do so, and I thank God for them, and for the gift of life, family and friends.

To my 17K IG friends turned family, I promise that the ring on my IG stories will continue to shine to not cause you guys any trouble of thinking if I am doing  okay or not. Let’s all just continue to hope and pray that this pandemic ends soon so that we can once again go out freely and meet these friends and family, until then stay safe, get vaccinated, and keep wearing your masks. God bless everyone and I am here  to share  more IG stories, promise!.

Xoxo – Raquel

What is a momfluencer?

A momfluencer is a mom who shares her experiences on being a mom, her reviews and opinions about products and services for moms and babies, and about motherhood in general, and she shares them on the internet through her social media, in the hopes of helping other moms as well.

Momfluencing means supporting other moms

Being a mom is challenging in its own right. Add to that the challenges of experiencing it for the first-time and raising a generation alpha (kids born between 2010 – 2020). You would know how overwhelming it can be.

Life today is very differently occupied and complex than it was in other generations. I believe that women today have it harder than ever because we pursue a career, raise the kids, and still do the housework. I realized every modern mom faces similar challenges as I do. 

So I started to share my motherhood snippets on my social media. Good day, bad day, big win or small win —I shared anything that can lighten the load and maybe even help a fellow momma like me along the way. This is what drove me to pursue content creation and being a momfluencer.

Being a momfluencer has its perks

One of the many perks of being a momfluencer is the opportunity to be tapped to work with brands, causes and advocacies that are aligned with your values and what you believe in. I’d say this for me is a total win! We all have a voice. If you get to use your voice to share and testify for your trusted brands, or causes and advocacies that you’re passionate about, wouldn’t that be awesome?

You can do it too, momma!

Being in this motherhood journey is one of my life’s biggest adventures, and I just had to share it. When there were other moms who resonated with what I shared and reached out to thank me for the tips, the advice, the inspiration and even the encouragement —I felt fulfilled and affirmed that I’m on the right track. This is one of the reasons that inspires me to keep pursuing this content creation and momfluencer role.

My motherhood journey is now even more fun and fulfilling because I feel like I have a whole momma community in BrandBuzz where we exchange lessons and experiences, and just help each other out.

If you want to be in the momfluencer journey, start by genuinely sharing your experiences as a mom. It can be a milestone for your child, a review on one of the baby products that you’ve tried, or even your hopes and dreams for yourself and your child. Most of all, don’t forget to have fun while documenting and sharing a piece of your motherhood journey.

Let’s connect

If you’d like to get a glimpse of my adventures in my momfluencer journey, check it out on my Instagram @jaycelleplayda and our website at https://ofaph.com.

The changed influencer

As an influencer, I also immediately felt the change in the air.  In contrast to the previous clamor for deets on the hottest events and trendiest spots, now there is the cry for help on how to manage this new normal.

 

Thankfully, I am able to take inspiration from my co-mommy influencers in BrandBuzz who have shifted their content to cater to the changing needs of today’s audiences.

In the Hierarchy of Digital Exposure, there are 5 stages where you can see how effective your post is. These are the stages from lowest to highest with a brief explanation for each:

Impression – people saw your post
Engagement – people liked / commented / retweeted
Lead – people visited the website of the product/service that you posted
Sales – people actually bought the product/services that you posted
Loyalty – people frequently buys what you post

I bought that placemat for only Php 95 in Shopee. I also took advantage of the morning light for a nice effect.

See the wooden table? That’s not actually a wooden table. That’s a background paper that I got for Php 199 also in Shopee. It has a different design on the other side so the price is very sulit already. I angle the camera in a way that the plants can be seen together with a part of our house to make the photo a homey feel. Investing on nice pieces for your photos need not to be expensive. You can buy affordable decors online and you can even recycle what you have at home.

You can use BeautyPlus to enhance your photos. Use it carefully nga lang because if you overdo it, baka hindi ka na makilala ng viewers mo sa personal.

It is advisable to be grammatically correct in your captions. Viewers take note of this. Most of them get turned off with bad grammar. You can use the Grammarly app to check your captions. Also, never copy paste from the product brief. Hindi siya mukhang natural.

Never pay for followers. Companies and PR firms know how to spot influencers with bought followers. You can actually see this with the number of engagements. It’s suspicious if you have 50,000 followers but only have less than 20 likes in your posts. It’s not authentic and it’s like cheating your future clients.

Schedule posts properly. A lot of my followers have told me that they like me because my blog and IG account do not always contain product endorsements. May kwento daw ang feed ko. Make your feed organic by making sure you space out your posts properly. If you are posting everyday, you can alternate your product placement post, entertainment post, life posts etc. Nakakaumay yung laging may endorsement post.

Juggling work and house chores is not an easy feat for someone who doesn’t have a nanny. Emotional distress of having a full-time job and being a full-house wife as well caused me to eat more and more until I gained more weight and was categorized as obese.

However, everything has a turning point. Early last year, I stumbled on interesting IG posts of some Brandbuzz Mommas and thought of joining the tribe too. When I browsed my phone album, I felt jubilant seeing my gallery flooded with my kids’ pictures. Evidently, I was able to document almost every milestone of their childhood. The sad part is, I didn’t have a single photo  of myself on my own mobile phone. I realized that at some point, I neglected myself and lost my confidence along the way.

So, how do you find yourself and fall in love with you again?

The first thing I did was acceptance.

I accepted the changes motherhood has done to my body. To be an ideal mom doesn’t mean to have a supermodel figure. Loving myself doesn’t equate to loving my family less. I realized then that the key to regaining self-confidence is to accept my imperfections and knowing my self-worth.

With all these realizations, I started to dress up, put on light make-up, and take selfies. I’ve come to fully understand that to become a momfluencer, I have to be proud of the woman I’ve become so I can empower other moms. To be an influencer, I have to feel good about myself so that the narratives I share on social media will be positive and celebratory.

Eventually, I was accepted to Brandbuzz’s roster of influencers and I started to join campaigns. Every time my followers engage with my posts, it gives me validation that I am on the right track.

So, how do you find yourself and fall in love with you again?

The first thing I did was acceptance.

I accepted the changes motherhood has done to my body. To be an ideal mom doesn’t mean to have a supermodel figure. Loving myself doesn’t equate to loving my family less. I realized then that the key to regaining self-confidence is to accept my imperfections and knowing my self-worth.

With all these realizations, I started to dress up, put on light make-up, and take selfies. I’ve come to fully understand that to become a momfluencer, I have to be proud of the woman I’ve become so I can empower other moms. To be an influencer, I have to feel good about myself so that the narratives I share on social media will be positive and celebratory.

Eventually, I was accepted to Brandbuzz’s roster of influencers and I started to join campaigns. Every time my followers engage with my posts, it gives me validation that I am on the right track.

My first Brandbuzz campaign. I also gained confidence in cooking and plating

My first Brandbuzz campaign. I also gained confidence in cooking and plating

Another thing that helped me gain confidence is joining different social media communities of mom influencers where we can freely share tips on safe motherhood and becoming good content creators. I became active on other social network platforms such as Viber and Telepod because virtual catch-ups became a part of my daily routine.

Together, we discover new products and learn recipes from each other with every project we join. Influencing has given me a sense of belongingness and fulfillment. It is indeed gratifying to know that I am not alone on this journey of content creation.

Being a mom influencer has not only given me confidence. I’ve also gained companionship, renewed faith, and a new purpose in life – something I am proud of and grateful for.

I was in my first trimester with my 3rd pregnancy when the pandemic all started. The stress that it gave me was overhead. I had to deal with my pregnancy with a brave heart. I already knew that we could be in danger because of my age but the situation made it harder for me, with no regular check-ups and cluttered mind, I didn’t know what else to do but pray that everything will be okay.

Fast forward to the big day, July 2020, I was right. It was quite a challenge. I had pre-eclampsia and had to be in the recovery room under medication for more than 5 hours after giving birth.

The moment I felt better I requested if I can already be transferred to my room and just continue with the medicines that I still had to take. 15 hours later, I was able to have my baby roomed with me. Thank God!

I did all my best to get discharged the next day despite having to go through severe pain after Csec and ligation. Luckily, my OB agreed and gave me a go.

It felt good to be finally home, with fewer worries that I could get infected in the hospital and be a carrier of Coronavirus at any moment. The girls can finally see and hold their baby brother!

Until… a week later, I received bad news from my husband who works overseas. He was tested positive – Covid positive!

I felt so bad… really bad and useless. I can’t do anything to make the situation lighter ‘coz I, myself, still need to recover badly from my operation. But you see I’M A MOTHER! I can’t continue to be weak and hopeless with whatever the world is going through. I had to find an outlet! Something that even my kids would enjoy doing with me. Something which has already been in my system for years. I’m a CONTENT CREATOR so why not take it to the next level?

The next thing I know, I sent my application to BrandBuzz Ph a week before Christmas of 2020. But of course, I first did my homework and was touched by this story written by a fellow mommy blogger.

The question “Why BrandBuzz when I can try with other PR agencies who pretty much do the same work? There are lots of Blogger Groups where I can find the same opportunities.” that I had in mind quickly changed.

Why? DAHIL MAY PUSO. It’s a PR with a heart. In the midst of the chaos, BrandBuzz does not only focus on seeding the market with what the brands they work with have in store for everyone but, this PR agency inspired its community to start lending a hand to those in need,

Mommy Influencers in particular. “These mommies came together and fed disadvantaged families in Tondo until it turned into a huge food assistance program for hundreds of Frontliners fighting COVID-19”, Mommy Madz also mentioned here.

Weeks after my application was sent to BrandBuzz’ Viber, I got added to their Viber Groups. Did my first two projects with them in the last week of January, and the rest is history.

Indeed, it’s a PR with a heart. I also gained so much confidence in front of the camera, and in fact, has improved my “photography” skills over the months that I have been content creating for them and the brands they work with. It has also opened more opportunities for me and pushed me to be more creative and confident in what I do.

The countless tips that I get from fellow BrandBuzzers, new friendships gained with BBMommas, guidance from Sir Marco and Ms. Gie, quality moments that I get to spend with my kids for every photo shoot that we have to do, patience and assistance from the Project Leaders, continuous projects ARE ALL PRECIOUS TO ME. I can go on and on but definitely, CONTENT CREATION with BrandBuzz, and its community played a big role in how my stress was reduced during this pandemic.

Just like what this pandemic did to us.

It’s been more than a year and this has become the new normal. Many lives were affected including businesses, economy, governments, frontliners and the list goes on. The painful reality is we don’t know when it will end.

It hurts us in so many ways but at the same time teaches us so many things in life. It made us realize the importance of reaching out to others and clinging more to God in this season of our life.

One of the good things I encountered during this time is seeing how each mom in our community became closer to each other, supporting and building each other up despite the situation we are all facing in. This mom community became a way to help those affected by COVID-19 financially, spiritually, and emotionally.

Simple prayers and encouragement mean a lot to those affected because they can feel that they were not alone in this battle. They found an extended family with the support provided by fellow moms and this encouraged them in fighting their own battle against the virus.

Our BB Momma community became a responsible social mover not only within its community but extended it outside the community as well through BBHelps and BBCooks.

Some of the moms in the community become part of the BBCooks and offer their time to cook food for our frontliners and some informal settlers that needed food to survive their day.