Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Social Media Week Lagos; My Panel

So my panel at Social media Week was a raging success if I do say so myself.

I honestly thought we'd get about 15-20 people max but it was at capacity, the seats were packed! The attendees were so interactive, asked questions etc, I had a great time. 

I didn't take any pictures seeing as I was on stage the whole time but these are the few I managed to swipe off blogs and Instagram.



Six strand necklace from The Pearl Shop


ASOS wallpaper print dress; Salvatore Ferragamo peep-toe pumps


Like I said the venue was packed and it was extremely gratifying to look out and see people interested in what I had to say, paying attention, contributing....when I saw the first person taking notes it was truly surreal.



The panel was called 'Blogging My Way To The Bank: Blogging As A Profitable Business', myself and Abiola Aloba of Maestromedia were invited to speak about how we turned our blogs into lucrative businesses. It was moderated by Ijeoma Ndekwu CEO of Redrick PR and Style Editor at large of Bella Naija, and the session involved her asking Abiola and I various hard-hitting questions in order to demystify the methods we employed to ensure our blogs earned money for us. This was followed by a very lively Q & A session at the end, which got a bit heated at some point even.

It was held as a part of GUESS Fashion Day and all the events of the day were sponsored by GUESS.

At this point I'd like to say a massive thank you to Uche Pedro of Bella Naija and Ijeoma Ndekwu, their support for Third World Profashional has been constant and unwavering.

Truly marvelous!

I can't seem to find a video of the session anywhere but the minute I do I'll put it up here. In a nutshell I explained how I make Google Analytics work for me, how I employ affiliate marketing to earn commissions, how I develop several revenue streams as an offshoot with the central theme being the blog and fashion etc.

I don't want to give too much away here because I'm currently in the process of penning a "How-To" tome, not necessarily dwelling on how to make money from blogging though that will feature heavily but just simply how to find your niche and become successful in whatever blogging field you choose.

In concise terms, I'm writing a book on blogging, I haven't decided if it will be a self help book running into hundreds of pages or 40-50 page pamphlet style, bullet pointed, DIY mini book. As I go along the content I amass will determine the direction it will take.

And yes...it will be for sale. The general idea is the business of blogging :)


Don't know what I was explaining at the time to make me look so pained, must have been deep.



Ijeoma, Abiola, Me!



I had a real "woah" moment when at the end of it people came up to me wanting to take pictures and asking further questions, on the spot business proposals, that sort of thing.  I've had a lot of OMG moments when it comes to this blog but this experience was beyond.

I remember the day I decided to start Third World Profashional, I had just finished reading 'Fabulousity' by Kimora Lee Simmons (I'm a fan, don't judge me) and there was a little blurb somewhere where she said a blog was a good way to show your originality and discover hidden depths about yourself. I thought about it and in the next second was like naaahhh, no way I'd be able to talk about myself and post pictures up on the internet for anyone that wanted to see and criticize or admire, whichever the case may be. This was August 2008 and my close friends will remember 2008 as being a trying time and I was just starting to get over it, so a blog seemed like such a silly, flighty, childish thing to take on.

Fast forward a few months to October 2008 and I was in my room in Bwari on one of those eternally long weekends when law students don't escape to town and Friday to Sunday just seems to stretch interminably and I was texting my friend Nwabugo trying to describe what Bwari and Law School were like, and I thought  "why don't I just show her". So I powered up my computer and wrote this post, my first ever blog post. Going back to read it now it seems so immature and so funny, I can't believe that was me at some point.

Several times in the past four and a half years I've quit, taken breaks, blogged religiously but through it all I have loved it. I loved it in the beginning when the Nigerian blogging community was a small tight knit family with Naija Fine Boy, Bumight , Afrobella, Original Mgbeke, Afrobabe, Nigerian Drama Queen, Zena, Temite, RocNaija, Bombchell, Anya Posh the original Bella Naija. When I discovered my first Nigerian fashion blogs; Cranberry Glitz, Jadore-Fashion, Ovay West, Kemberley. When we all discovered Twitter and Blogville (as we called it) became ghost town, EVERYBODY was tweeting. When I used to write poetry and random snatches of fiction........

I've loved it up until now when its become a little more plastic and less fantastic, when every post feels like a competition; people racing to rack up comments and views and Facebook likes. Now that its slowly turning from a hobby to an actual viable business I love it still.

I'm very happy in the fact that I've taken several turns here and each one has being the right one, that I didn't lose the joy I get every time I hit "publish", that I've managed to maintain my own voice and my originality and that people like it *in Sally Field voice* they really really like me.

That has probably being the most surreal aspect because back on October 24th 2008 when I hit the first ever TWP "publish" I sincerely thought only my family and friends would read it but it has far surpassed whatever I thought it would be. Seeing the comments, the emails, people approaching me in all sorts of places to say they love my blog, even people I personally admired...the gratification I get from that is completely beyond. I know it happens to me on a ridiculously small scale so I wonder how celebrities cope,  my head will be turned permanently if I received the kind of adulation they must receive daily.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm happy I took the plunge, I'm happy I took Kimora Lee's advice, lol. The positivity I've received over the years far outweighs the random snatches of negativity that tries to sneak into my space.

This is turning into a Robin Williams type acceptance speech, I'm really sorry about that, I just wanted to illustrate how much this blog and the lovely people who support it mean to me.

Thanks you guys, for everything.

Love and light xx

ps; You can check out more photos from the GUESS Fashion Day over on Maestromedia.

photocredits: maestromedia,blogspot.uk; social media week lagos instagram page
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30 comments

  1. Wow!!!!! I'm so inspired, Adaku. Thank you for being selfless enough to share this.

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  2. Omg! I get a shout out? I'm now a blogger bigz gehl! *putting it on my blog resume*
    Really though, blogville has been fun, I remember when I first discovered your blog..I'll reserve my comments. Hehehehe
    Your blog has definitely grown by leaps and bounds! I don't know how you unAnonymous bloggers do it, but...

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  3. You are adorable / fabulous Adaku bn following your blog now for what more than a year now, and your style is 1 I covet . Can't wait for your book , I adore kimora . Hoping to start a blog someday.

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  4. best blog post ever, in the entirety of ever and all.

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  5. Aww I am happy for you! Its so funny how something we start out of "boredom" can become so big beyond our expectations! Continue to do your babe! Your blog is one of he originals out there..:)

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  6. Linda Ikeji didn't show up? O___o

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  7. aww but this post warms my heart.. so much ≥. congrats on everything . you really deserve it . OMG i miss Kemberly!

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  8. "I loved it in the beginning when the Nigerian blogging community was a small tight knit family with Naija Fine Boy, Bumight , Afrobella, Original Mgbeke, Afrobabe, Nigerian Drama Queen, Zena, Temite, RocNaija, Bombchell, Anya Posh the original Bella Naija."

    -where did some of them go? I miss those days. I actually spend my weekend on blog posts from the 07s and 08s for nostalgia sake.

    So glad you've gone so far. I remember when I discovered your blog my junior year of college (2008), I was too happy someone was finally blogging about Abuja and not anonymously. Good to see you haven't stopped.

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  9. Aww, i like the fact that you did what you wanted to and you are still able to work and also blog. What made me like your blog is your realness(if there is ever a word like that), confidence and style. Am so happy for you, i believe there is more to come.

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  10. I am so happy. You are so intelligent and this shows in your blogpost. I started my own blog recently too. You are one of those that inspired me to take the plunge. I really love it and now hope to give a speech like you too soon. lol!

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  11. *meant to say I am so happy for you

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  12. Inspirational!!!

    its Amazing that you did it for the love of blogging/fashion and other nice things followed :)

    Well done

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  13. You go girl! Discovered your blog in 2011 and I read from the then recet post to your very first post, I noticed the improvement too. We shall till meet during the FEC meetings in future. Yes I believe!

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  14. Congratulations dear! I remember discovering your blog and our blogging conversation back in NYC...you have really come a long way. I love blogging and the opportunities that come with doing what you love is amazing. I miss the 2008, 2009...days when people blogged because they love what they were doing. Now, everybody wants to blog to become a celebrity, Bryan Boy or Rumi. Keep up the good work. We should talk business soon ;)

    By the way, do you have two twitter accounts or am I having pregnancy brain??

    xoxo
    Stella

    p.s. Blushing on the shout out...dalu! :)

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  15. great work! Much love all the way from Zimbabwe, keep it up & you deserve every success x

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  16. Well done TWP! I remember the early days and I loved reading your trip down memory lane! As always I have to say I wish you all the best and more in everything you do!!!

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  17. congrats to you. am glad u intend to write, really like the way u write and also 1 thing i love is how u take time to respond to ur readers. keep shinning!

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  18. congratulation! really glad you intend to write, you def have that skill and i love that you take time to respond to your reader. keep shinning.

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  19. congratulations Adaku...
    this is awesome

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  20. I really really enjoy your blog...

    But it's been not being :):)

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  21. Such an inspiring post! I shared it on my facebook. Love this blog and always knew I was in the hands of a very capable writer. After you write the book on blogging can you please write something fun about being single in Nigeria or something like that? Just a thought.

    More power to you.

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  22. Kudos. It pays to be yourself and share with the world!

    http://blog.chichaven.com

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  23. clap...clap...clap! loved your blog from the first day, keep up the good work!

    http://dressed2dnines.blogspot.com

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  24. Caramel His & HersMarch 5, 2013 at 11:30 AM

    Why I love ur blog and J'dore blog is people's comments are more matured unlike Linda ikejis blog u have people always insulting there selves and using very deep abusive words. Keep it up. Not all comments should be posted.

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  25. This is amazing and I love your blog! Congratulations and good luck in the future, (not that you need it!)

    x

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  26. congratulations! this gives me hope for my own blog/brand aspirations ;)

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  27. Daks, I gats give you props on how you've built this TWP brand. When I saw that you were going to be speaking at SMW, I was like big things popping! I remember when you used to blog way back in the day, and was just a regular ol' blogger like the rest of us...now you've really built the brand and I'm loving it! Much props to you, and I wish you ever bigger and better things to come in your future.

    Meanwoos, your winged eyeliner is seriously giving me life. Lavv it.

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  28. Awwwwwww, congratulations.
    I'm always happy for everyone who has turned their blog into a brand, some of us have refused to say yes and continue to be lazy.

    Maybe i'l run into you one of these days and ask for an autograph.

    All the best.

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  29. About time you had a book coming. You are a talented writer.

    Xx

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