I have been writing on Film Annex since April 2012, and this will be the 102nd blog on my main page. I've written an average of 6 blogs per month, addressing topics such as women's rights, sustainable education, digital literacy and the power of social media networking. I've used my expertise as a world traveler to reveal corners of the globe that tend to remain off the radar, and for this reason not particularly known to the general population. I've chosen to expose such locations mostly because they are often ignored by the international community. In my attempt to provide support, I've used my social media blogs to raise awareness about the people who live in these places, uncovering their problematics, and promoting social media campaigns to their advantage. To this purpose, I've utilized my digital citizenship to advocate for global digital learning and communication without borders, empowering women and men from the most diverse communities to take charge of their future.
Writing on Film Annex for me has been a cultural journey. Although it doesn't hurt to earn money while doing it, publishing articles on my main page has always been an entertaining hobby, and there's no way I would have lasted this long if I hadn't enjoyed every single blog I posted. It's true, being monetarily rewarded at the end of the month is a huge incentive to continue my work. However, Film Annex has given me the possibility to use writing in a different way, and the reward I've gained goes beyond what I can put inside my wallet: moral recompense. If I feel that my blogs can actually help other people, and trigger a chain reaction they can benefit from, there's no bigger reward than the feeling that follows. This is when writing becomes a vocation.
I've progressed from a simple blogger writing small essays to a writer for the Annex Press articulating more complex articles, and eventually got promoted to Senior Editor status. I owe Film Annex everything, no doubt about. The recommendations and suggestions I've received from Film Annex's CEO and founder Francesco Rulli have been - and still are - invaluable. Ever since I published my first blog, I took Mr. Rulli's advice very seriously. Eventually, his directions have been integrated and expanded by him team at Film Annex, and now you can find them on the following web pages. If you are eager to increase your BuzzScore and generate more revenue from your blogs, you should read those pages thoroughly, as they represent the playbook of how to be successful on this site. However, I do have additional suggestions to offer - my playbook - and the following strategies represent my advice on how to increase your BuzzScore. This is essential, because THE HIGHER YOUR BUZZSCORE, THE MORE MONEY YOU WILL BE EARNING WITH FILM ANNEX.
1) BIO. After you register on the Film Annex website (for which you will need to choose a user name and a password), take some special care filling out your biography. Nobody will ever take you seriously unless you can put a decent photograph of yourself, along with basic information of what you do and what makes you passionate. A well-written biography will also help you attract more subscribers on your page, which will translate into a higher BuzzScore and revenue. If you have a specific reason for not uploading a photo of yourself, put something else. There's nothing worse than leaving that space blank.
2) ORIGINALITY. After you log in, the "New Blog Post" link will give you access to a blank page you can write your article. Before publishing anything, pause for a second. The single most important aspect of this process is genuineness: your blogs must be authentic. If you submit blogs with material that was copied from the Internet - and continue to do so - Film Annex will eventually delete your account. Not a good way to start. On this link you will find all Film Annex regulations related to duplicate material, and the consequences that you will incur by posting duplicate content. Remember that if Film Annex finds out you're copying, your reputation as a writer will be ruined. Listen to your soul, and write what's in your heart.
3) EFFORT. Publishing a good blog also means embellishing it with additional tools to make it even more interesting and pleasurable to read. Film Annex gives helpful tips on how to enhance your blogs on this link. It's true, highlighting strategic keywords, and adding hyperlinks, pictures and videos to your article will multiply its value. However, if all you have to say on your blog is something everybody else could easily write, you will lose your audience. If all you publish is a couple of paragraphs of sterile information every now and then, you can't expect to receive a high rating, let alone being posted on the Annex Press Articles List. If your goal is generating high quality blogs, you need to write on a consistent basis. Your thoughts need to be elaborated, articulated and edited, and the end product must show that you care about what you just produced. If you want something, you need to give something.
4) QUALITY. Producing blogs of high quality is essential if you want to see your BuzzScore go up. In this blog I recently wrote, I explain what it takes for a blog to be qualitatively good. When your blogs are high in quality, you will get a higher rating, which will allow you to earn more points. In addition, you'll attract the attention on more readers, which can potentially divulge your work to a larger number of people. This is crucial, because the more your blogs are shared on the Internet, the higher the BuzzScore. But there's more. If you produce blogs of high quality - following the above recommendations - they may be selected to be on the Annex Press Articles List. If that's the case, you will be exposed to an even larger number of readers. This will potentially generate a higher traffic on your social media, which means a higher BuzzScore and revenue. Ultimately, if your BuzzScore enters the top-10 list, you will receive an additional revenue, showing that Film Annex greatly values high quality content.
5) CONNECTION. Once you create an account on Film Annex, it's very important that you connect that account to the following 5 social media: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Tumblr. If you don't have an account on these platforms, you need to create one, and connect them to you Film Annex main page. This will increase your BuzzScore, and help you divulge your content online. In addition, you need to enlarge your base of support by adding as many friends, followers, etc. on those social media. Keep in mind, though, that more people on your social media network will not translate into a higher virtual traffic, unless you get actively involved on your social platform. You have to be dynamic with your network, and constantly communicate with your supporters. This will translate into a higher BuzzScore and revenue.
6) SHARING. You know it's important that people share your blogs on their social media. When they "like", "share" and "tweet" your blogs on all 5 social media (not just Facebook and Twitter), your BuzzScore goes up, and so does your revenue. What you might not be aware, though, is that sharing other users' blogs will also increase your BuzzScore. Most bloggers only think about themselves, and never share anybody else's work. That's a huge mistake, because they're missing a golden opportunity to earn more money on Film Annex. Sharing other people's content is very important, not only because it does directly increase your BuzzScore and revenue, but also because it creates connections with other users that will prove to be vital when it's your turn to have your blog shared on their social media. Again, if you want something, you need to give something, and not being selfish.
7) PASSION. There's nothing more motivating than doing something you enjoy. In my personal experience, writing gives me the opportunity to provide a service to others. For you it could be teaching something about your culture... anything goes, and as long as it comes from your heart there will be people in the world who will be interested in what you have to say. As I outlined on one of my previous blogs, "Nobody is going to read your work if you're not having fun writing it. When you put heart and soul into an article, this does show, and does make a difference. More people will get involved in the discussion, and you will be able to build a network of individuals with whom to share interests in common. Plus, isn't it more fun when you write about something you have knowledge, and actually care about?"
I've never being a writer. I've never been good at it. Not even close. More importantly, I've never enjoyed writing, which makes it obvious why I was so bad. Film Annex changed this. Because of the fact that I was taking pleasure writing on my blog page, I made the effort to improve my skills, and what used to be boring and pointless suddenly became interesting and valuable. As soon as I would finish a blog, I would immediately think about the topic for my next one. When more topics would come to my mind at the same time, I would write them down on a priority list... the same list I'm currently using. Writing became exciting and enticing, to the point that a day doesn't pass by for me without working at least for a few minutes on an article. I just can't help it... and this is the same kid who used to hate writing essays at school! My point is that you don't have to be particularly "gifted" in order to write. All you need is finding something you're passionate that you will be willing to talk about. The rest will come to you naturally.
You can find the most recent update on how to be a successful write on Film Annex on this link.
If you have missed my previous articles about this topic, please refer to the list below, and feel free to comment and share on your social media network. :)
HOW TO EARN MONEY BLOGGING: EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
CAN YOU REALLY GET PAID FOR WRITING BLOGS?
HOW TO MAKE MONEY THROUGH A WEBSITE? ONLINE BLOGGING
Giacomo Cresti
Senior Editor Annex Press
Film Annex
If you have missed any of my previous articles, you can find them on my personal page: http://www.filmannex.com/webtv/giacomo
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