Why do bloggers get free stuff?

MynameisQUE;

"Why do you blog? Blogging is a waste of time". 

I get that often from alot of people. It's amazing how people have such ill perception of bloggers. They'll call us beggars. They'll say we're blogging for fame. They'll say we cannot be trusted. Really. Who says? 

In Singapore, we're always restricted by rules. I think by now you'd realise that some countries don't really like us because of the way the government runs the country. Oh, you know.... By implementing 100000000 laws like, no chewing gum, no drugs, no smoking at this and that places. Yeah, Singapore is THAT fine country. With that, the internet gives us all a voice. If you realise, the blogging culture in Singapore is very different from what you'll see in the west. An example will be that most western bloggers are more niche and they don't reveal so much personal information of their personal life online. In Singapore, majority blogs are lifestyle blogs. Bloggers who write anything under the sun. About school, relationships, food etc. The list is endless. We see the internet as a platform we can seek solace in. When we're angry, sad, disappointed, when we just have something to rant, we'll do it online. 

Why do bloggers get free stuff? 

Well, firstly you need to understand that bloggers do not get paid when they do product reviews unless it states that "Advertorial". When you see the word "Sponsored", it means that the company provided the blogger the product for him to test/review. Still, not paid. When we're invited to an event, we are not obliged to write about it. Personally for me, it really depends whether I like the product. If I think it'll provide value for my readers, I would write about it. If the product is good, yes it will be featured on my blog. Most importantly, I'll keep it real. It's all about editorial integrity. You may not know this, but people who write for magazines also get to try out new products every now and then. If they're good, the product will be featured on the magazine. Isn't that the same concept like blogging? Except, magazine writers get paid by their publication. Bloggers.... I think we're the poorest people. Haha :P

Why do you think more PR companies are working hand in hand with us bloggers? It's cus our readers trust us because we're real. We state our opinions about a certain product based on our own opinions. 

This is in consumer trust. As compared to traditional media like TV, newspaper and radio, consumers trust the people they get to know online more. This includes people you get to know through Facebook, Twitter and even bloggers. 

(This survey isn't really that recent, can't seem to find anything recent.)

Why? Because when we befriend someone online, we know alot more about his/her life therefore we trust him/her more. It's all about building relationships online. 

There was a time I was out with my friend and she saw a Guess slipper at Tangs. A pretty simple looking pink one to be exact. I asked her why she wanted to buy it and she said, "Oh, I saw Tika Sherra wearing it and I think it looks nice". 

And I was like............ Uh... Yeah that was my reaction. 

I'm not sure if she minds me mentioning her on my blog but if you don't know her, she's this petite girl who is very sweet looking. I think she's a model too. I'd call her an internet sensation. I can name you other girls like Anna Chan and Paula Elizabeth who are pretty popular online. These girls aren't really bloggers, but I see them as Thought Leaders. Many girls look up to them because they're very pretty. I follow Anna on Twitter and girls are always asking her for beauty tips etc. It's quite interesting how they have such an influence online. 

Yes, that's shift of consumer trust for you. 

Bloggers are not beggars, we're just writers that can help you promote your brand. We're not famous but we are thought leaders. We don't blog for fame, we blog because we just like sharing the good stuff. If we get recognised because of our high readership then that's a bonus. 

Sidenote: Blogpost done for a school assignment.

Xoxo, 

RynaQUE

Have you ever wondered how the world will be without murder?

MynameisQUE;

Have you ever thought what it would be like for the world to be free of murder? Honestly, it has never crossed my mind. Is it because in Singapore, with crime rates are low and there probably isn't many murder cases here and we take it for granted that Singapore is a pretty safe place to live in? Perhaps that could be the reason. 

A few weeks ago, I watched an old movie which was produced back in 2002, which is about 9 years ago and I was extremely impressed. I'm thought that I was not the sort of person who's interested in movies like this, but I was proven wrong. It's a fantastic movie! 

In the movie, there was a specialised police department called Precrime which arrests criminals based on imageries seen by the 3 psychic called “Precogs”. The imagery that they get apparently determines what will happen and not what you intend to do.  


Think, That’s so Raven! 

Here's Agatha, one of the Precogs.  The most talented of the 3. Without her, the whole system shuts down and even with the other 2 Precogs, the system wouldn't work. 

Using this new technology, the Precrime departments uses the imagery the Precogs get to piece clues together to prevent crime from happening. With the system in place, Precrime has managed to stop murders from being commited, the murderer gets caught and the citizens are safe. 

Also, in the movie, turning on and off the light, switching on the computer and say "wall" so that it's projected on the screen. Think Siri everyone. It's amazing how this movie was produced 9 years ago! Can you imagine coming home and all you have to do is say, "Door open". Technology's so advanced now that it has made us human beings so complacent and lazy. It does make our life so much easier though. Not complaining. :) 

It's amazing how Tom Cruise, who plays Captain John Anderton, kept 3D videos of his late son. I thought that part was extremely touching.


In the movie, there was also stuff like Targeted Advertising. In a session in school by a classmate, seems like this service will be coming to Singapore for interactive TV very soon. 


Did you know that Facebook has something like this too? It's called Instant Personalisation and it can be found under your Privacy Settings. Basically FB has worked with a few websites and based on your info on FB, they'll customer the content on the page for you. I normally do not click "enable instant personalisation on partner website". 

What do you think? Do you prefer ads which cater more to your interest? I would honestly be very interested too. It would also be a bonus if I could opt out of advertisements from services/brands which I'm not interested in. This would mean that I no longer have to see ads that do not cater to me. I always feel annoyed when some blogshop owner tags in in photos of clothes that obviously do not fit me. 


How do you think the future of Journalism will be? Do you think there'll still be newspapers? My team and I discussed this with the class and we think we'll go digital in perhaps 10 years. There'll no longer be newspapers but maybe electronic devices that will double up as e-newspapers. In fact, this is already available in some countries. Can you imagine the device updating itself when there's a breaking story? Well, that was what happened when Captain Anderton tried to escape from the Precrime team. Basically, he was apparently going to commit a murder so they had to hunt him down. According to Anderton, "Everybody runs". 


With Precrime, it eliminated the need of conventional detectives. It kept the nation safe from murder. But 1 thing still stands, it's a man-made system and there could be a flaw somewhere. Would you rather implement the system and keep the nation safe from murder? But at the same time, those people charge were charged for a crime they did not commit. Yet. Were they REALLY going to commit murder? This system might seem impossible for now, but wouldn't it be amazing if someone invented a system which could predict the next person who would commit suicide at the reservoirs? Once caught, send them for counselling and at least we're doing good. Food for thought! 

Sidenote: Blogpost done for a school assignment.

Xoxo,
RynaQUE