How do I Manage My Blog?

How did I manage my blog? Where do I begin? This new blog started in 2018. Fast forward five years, and I can safely say it’s going well. It’s not perfect, but it’s good. I’m taking this time to assess or “audit” how I manage my blog, and I’ve wanted to put this out there since last year.

But I’ve been busy.

You can freely take this post as advice or a warning when starting a new blog. Because today – I wanted to share how I started as a blogger, why I wanted to blog, how I keep up my website, where I get my inspiration, how I find time to write, and blogging in this new era of the metaverse.

FYI: I’m a blog writer, not really a social media influencer.

How I started as a blogger

I’ve been blogging since college (2008, using Blogspot). First, it was about fast facts about Mathematics, Science, and History – because I was a nerd. I needed an outlet for me to share my nerdiness with the world.

Then, I changed it to a lifestyle and travel blog. The posts were purely opinion-based articles and a few lifestyle tips just like my inspo magazine – Candy Mag. So, my first lifestyle blog was really about “how to take care of yourself,” “how to dress well,” and “how to get good grades.”

For the travel part, I remember writing about the Montinola Mansion and Central Echo’s journey to a Press Conference and competition in Vigan (sponsored by Makinaugalingon, with documents from Dr. Robles never to use the University’s money – I think). These articles were edited, updated, and posted here on You Create Iloilo.

Read here:

• Montinola Ancestral Mansion and the Lost Garden Café in Iloilo City
• Vigan Tour Itinerary and Laoag-Pagudpud Days (2020 UPDATE)

Sadly, I couldn’t keep up writing on my blog, so I deleted it and, as such, my Google Adsense account. Heck, I still earned Php600+, which Google sent via Western Union.

Joining bloggers’ groups in the early years

I remember joining a group post-college years – 2012/2013 – Couldn’t remember. I didn’t get to say much or join since everyone was always tense or fighting. They got disbanded, and I always get queasy with groups anyways. Now, I want to blog alone.

There are other blogger groups, but I couldn’t bring myself to it.

Actually, my main goal is really just to sit, write, and earn money. Not seeking groups or companionship. Though working with brands might be heavenly, I couldn't see myself that way - yet. Maybe soon?

By not going out and working in brands, sure, I have all the time for myself to write my articles. For example, if I leave the house to attend an event, that would be 3-5 hours waste of writing time. Ligo, bayo, lakat, attend, puli, rest, etc. I could have used the time to write and schedule my articles.

Maybe, when I have sustained my blog in some way, I could see myself going after brands. But first – I need to manage my blog well. I mean, it’s also a way to attract brands. Maybe soon.

(2016-2018) Before You Create Iloilo: there was Vibere and Vos+Creo

I continued blogging but didn’t activate my Adsense account. I used WordPress (a free account) this time and fell in love with it.

The first serious blog again that I had was “Vibere.” Vibere is a Latin word that means “to live.” I seriously got to manage a blog again about lifestyle and wellness.

The blog’s main theme was the “will to keep on living.” My posts were really about “stress management,” “how to make a decision under stress,” “how to be happy,” etc. I edited and published them around 2019. In case you want to read my old posts:

Read here:

• 5 Ways on How to Improve Creativity in Your Life
• 10 Best Foods To Boost Your Brainpower
• 7 Powerful Reasons Why It’s Okay to Give Up
• Things You Need To Know About Making Decisions Under Stress
• Inner Child: In the End, We’re All Just Children

Ung mga iba, parang seryoso, na-dedema ng mga ibang tao, or what…

Then, I wanted to be serious about it…

So, I got myself a self-hosted WordPress site (WordPress.org) via HostGator and got a 3-year lock-in plan.

I renamed Vibere to Vos+Creo, and again, it’s in Latin, which means You+Create. You can still find bits of Vos+Creo images and articles here. This rebranding was a means of getting profound in managing a lifestyle blog. My inspirations for this are the website and YouTube channels of Psychology Today, Lavendaire, Alexander Heine, Psych2Go, etc. Lifestyle bloggers and YouTubers.

For those asking why I like naming my blogs in Latin: We grew up in a Catholic household where praying the Rosary in Latin was a norm. I was in 4th year of HS when I first memorized basic prayers like “Our Father,” “Hail Mary,” and “Glory Be,” (Sign of the Cross also) in Latin.

Latin sounds cool. And it sticks with the family.

From Vos+Creo to You Create Iloilo

Unfortunately, I was forced (I guessed) to change Vos+Creo to You Create Iloilo because no one could understand what the frigg it was. People kept on asking me what is Vos+Creo in English, so – there you go: You Create. As in You Create + Iloilo. I was disgruntled at first because Vos+Creo was my unique branding. Now, I have to rebrand and redirect the framework of my website.

So, You Create Iloilo? It’s all about lifestyle, productivity, and Iloilo. How you create your own life, and what you can do about it to create the Iloilo you want.

But, in a way, I didn’t stray away much from when I started blogging (except for the Math blog). In the end, I still write about lifestyle and travel. However, it’s more lokal now and highly concentrated in Iloilo.

Oh, and I activated my Adsense again – yay!

You can read Google Adsense’s Policies if you want to know more.

How I launched my blog

TLDR: How I got my blog rolling. I think I should make a bulleted list for those asking how I started with my blog:

• Find a website you want to emulate (local and international blogs)
• Look around the market for a good website hosting
• Before purchasing your domain and hosting site, know your brand, tone, audience, etc.
• Scrutinize every page of your website on how it should look like.
• Create (beforehand) your possible texts, headlines, content, category, tags, etc.
• If you want Adsense approval, prepare to publish around 20 to 30 first – bonus kapag over 1,000 words sila. It’s better to write them before having your website na.
• It’s better to wait and gain traction or visits before applying for Adsense. At least that way, Adsense will know it’s been quality and organically made for the audience.

Launching a blog:

I’m a bit organized, so for those 2 weeks in 2018, I spent my time scrutinizing what I wanted from my blog. I must prepare every page I want (content), category, tags, headlines, texts, etc. What’s my inspo? This info is kept on MS Word, so I can open it anytime. I also had a drawing of what I wanted my website to look like – via Photoshop.

After that, it was all about looking for a good and affordable WordPress hosting.

Next, before locking in an official WordPress website, I wrote nearly 30 articles (beforehand) to be published daily (scheduled), and need to prepare what content I should publish next.

I had to publish 20-30 original 1,000+-word articles for a month to be accepted again by Google Adsense. After the initial posts, I’ve been posting at least 2 articles per week to keep my blog afloat. I also had to give it time for web crawlers to understand my posts – hopefully, to get clicked by searchers (yes, organically).

After 3 months and getting around 100 to 200 visits daily (SEO hacks I learned by Googling), I applied again for Adsense. Within 48 hours, I got accepted. Kudos to Adsense! Yeah, I remembered how fast that was.

How I manage my blog content now as You Create Iloilo

The next problem is how to manage my blog. What is the content I should write about regularly? During Vos+Creo’s formative years, it was more like: whatever I wanted to write about and whenever I wanted it to be. No content planning and scheduling at all! UGH!

But when I started with You Create Iloilo, I knew I needed to improve my game – though I failed a lot.

Categories, subs, tags, and content

I must rebrand and start out with different categories to manage my blog. I have to choose those that are compatible with new branding. That means adding culture, news, and icons about Iloilo. I must branch out to different lifestyle components, including home and living, finance, adulting, etc.

Here’s an example of what I’m doing:

Either you create your own with an MS Word or Excel Sheet, anything is fine.

CATEGORY	SUB-CATEGORY	SUBS and TAGS	EXAMPLE TITLES/ARTICLES TO MAKE
Life	Relationships	1. Dating > date ideas, gifts for him/her, breakup, etc. 2. Parenting > maternity, nursing, post-natal, etc. 3. 4. 5.	1. Date Night Ideas on a Saturday Evening 😉 2. Best Nursing Pillows for Your Newborn (What I’ve recently done for a client) You can make a lot!
Home and Living	Outdoors	1. Gardening and Landscape > lawn care, layout, how-to, etc. 2. Pool > tiny pool ideas, how-to, pool care, etc. 3. 4. 5.	1. XX Ways to Decorate your Garden 2. How to Change Your Swimming Pool Pump Google is your friend!

How to find ideas for your content

Since we’re talking about lifestyle, it’s a broad range of subjects. It can be messy if you don’t know the branding of your blog, but, generally speaking, with lifestyle – there’s a lot you can talk about.

For instance, we will use the category for home and living. You can discuss interior decorating, organization, maintenance, accessories, kitchen, bedroom, outdoors, etc. Let’s say we want to blog about home interiors. You can brainstorm a lot of topics, such as:

Interiors:

• Living room
  • What Paint is Best for a Living Room?
  • How to Make a Small Living Room Look Bigger
  • XX Living Room Accessories to Spice Up the Space
  • Tips to Make My Living Room Look Chic and Boheme
  • How to Decorate the Living Room During Christmas That the Family Will Love
  • and more, more, more, more, more! You can think many more, I’m sure.
• Interior Lightings
  • Importance of Lighting in Interior Design
  • What Type of Lighting is Best for a Kitchen?
  • The Best Type of Lighting for Work Areas
  • Is LED Lighting Good
  • What Lighting can Keep my Bills Down
• etcetera
  • etcetera
  • etcetera
  • etcetera

This formula works in whatever niche you choose, too, actually.

If you can create 100 blog post titles and possible articles to write, at least now you have content you can create and publish every 3-4 days. And, malaki naman ang saludo ko sa into kapag mayroon kayong 365+ titles and articles to post!

Other ways to find inspiration for your website’s content

Go to Google Search and type anything you want to learn. Sometimes, you can see the “People Also Ask” section below. You can also find the “Related Searches” section below the page, just above the number pages. USE THAT. A lot of digital marketers often spend money to find the perfect keywords or article ideas for their blogs. Meanwhile, the Related Searches are just for FREE.

Next, you can find inspiration for your website’s content by following your ideal blog/website. As for me, I like reading GritPH, Moneymax, and The Balance Money for finance tips.

For travel, lifestyle, and leisure, I like 8List, Spot.Ph, When in Manila, and NoliSoli. Meanwhile, Real Living PH is best for home living ideas. Yummy and Panlasang Pinoy is best for food-related inspo.

Remember though: BE INSPIRED. DON’T COPY!!!!!!!!

Another idea is to create content based on the season and holiday. Basta January – Dinagyang. Kung February, date-date, Paraw (changed to March) or Arts Month. Pagsugod March naman – SUMMER na ta. Kung April, Kuwaresma. Samtang kalabot na ta May or June, rainy season naman.

Of course, other content can come from press releases, city events, city news, etc.

How to find the time to write your article

I’m guilty of listing down “what-to-write” articles and scheduling them on selected dates on Google Sheets, and then ending up not doing it.

This is what I mean 🙂

One time, I wanted to publish at least 3 times daily. So, I wrote some articles beforehand and had them scheduled on WordPress. That lasted only for one week. Boo.

But, I have to pat myself on the back for it because I could publish at least 3 times daily on my blog. At the same time, it was reckless and ambitious of me to do it. I don’t have the time or the motivation to do it.

Then, I tried publishing blog posts at least 3 times a week instead of 3 times a day. But, that was stupid of me as well. It only lasted for a month. When November came, I wasn’t able to publish anything because I was busy with Bata Ako Ph.

I chose to publish again every week, but that dipped my website to an all-time low.

Finding the right time to write articles was pretty hard for me. First, I have an 8-to-5 job, and then I’m finishing my Masters too. I have government consultancy projects yet again, as well as handling my NGO, Bata Ako Ph. Other than that, I have other side projects to cater to.

I’ll break up what I tried to do to make up time for my blog. It was really all about time and attention management. Here’s a day in my life as a blogger.

Glory’s Little Diary and To-dos (weekdays)

This is just an example of my schedule during weekdays. It’s not really fixed. Sometimes, I do research work at home (often the culmination of my fieldwork) or be outside interviewing for research. Likewise, it depends on how busy work gets me. There are days when everything is slow and chill, and there are days when you can’t just leave work.

Time	Activity
5AM to 5:30AM	Wake up, stretch (or exercise), drink water
5:30AM to 6:15AM	Bath
6:30AM to 7AM	Breakfast
7AM to 8AM	Fix-ups / field travel / prep virtual work
8AM to 12PM	Block time for work
12PM to 1PM	Lunch / rest / co-extracurricular activities (like blogging, planning for Bata Ako Ph, books, consultancy, Masteral thesis, etc.), Netflix
1PM to 3PM	Block time for work
3PM to 4PM	Work often slows down at this hour
4PM to 5PM	Travel home / finalize work documents
5PM to 6PM	Bath / rest / or time to travel home
6PM to 7PM	Dinner
7PM to 9PM	Blog, school, Bata Ako Ph, side hustles, or everything outside of work, I often do this at this hour. Sometimes it extends up to 10pm-11pm
9PM to 9:30PM	Slow down exercises / rest / netflix
9:30PM –	Bed – sleep

When days get too chill at home (writing research with no deadlines around the week), it’s another different schedule for me: this includes exercising from 10AM to 12PM. Sometimes, we end work at 3PM, and I get a head start on my blog or other side projects.

Then, there are Fridays which are a bit too peaceful, that I have to leave out of work. Ssshh.

When I’m out for research (like documenting at Miagao, San Joaquin, etc.) I always make sure to visit some sights, take photos, or list down places I might get to visit again someday, leisurely speaking.

Also, it doesn’t mean that I always sleep at 9:30PM. Sometimes I sleep early at 8PM+ or around 11PM.

Glory’s weekend activities

As I said earlier, I simply want to sit down and write as much as I can on my blog because… that’s me. I enjoy writing.

In that hindsight, I don't go out and connect with brands as much as I want to.

An advantage to not having a brand partnership is that I get to save time during weekends and write as many articles as I want. I can schedule and publish them later on WordPress.

However, a disadvantage to this point, is not having your blog get recognized by most people (or brands, for that matter). Take my website’s social media account – it’s dead.

Here’s the thing: I CANNOT do both. I know my limitations and restraints with time. So, I have to choose an option on what works best for my website.

I always choose to stay at home and write everything I can for the week. If it takes me 6 to 10 hours worth of writing (sacrificing both my Saturdays and Sundays) to have a daily post for the next two weeks – I’m down, Alicia. This will make writing easier in the future.

Anyway, like I said above – I’m a blog writer, and I prefer writing down and not going out as much as possible. That might change in the future, so, let’s see.

Of course, I hang out at special times if I feel like it.

Since I’m too tired of doing another table, here are some tabs about my weekend life:

• Grad school, I’m well over my thesis now
• Bata Ako Ph, my NGO
• Books and illustrations (I write and I draw)
• Freelance writing works
• Blogging, this one
• House, chores
• Exercise, working out yes
• Photo walks, to ease my mind
• Hang out with friends
• Family
• Rest / Sleep
• Attend events
• Personal audit – budget, taxes, FS

For example:

How long will it take to finish a blog post?

I don’t time myself on how long it’ll take me to finish a post. That’s because I write, I also close down MS Word to watch Netflix. But, I think a 500+ word simple and generic article will take me around 1.5 hours to 3 hours – with Netflix or YouTube, give and take. Concentrating on writing a simple 500-word article on my blog alone might take me 45 minutes to 1.5 hour.

Posting and scheduling on WordPress make it a lot easier for evergreen lifestyle posts. All I do is copy and paste the format on MS Word. Looking for photos made it easier also since Pexels and Openverse Images are embedded in WordPress via Jetpack.

On work weekdays, I can finish writing 2 articles. I can write 3-4 articles at best if I squeeze in enough time. If I add my Saturday articles, I can have around 10-14 worth of original articles, written solely by me. If I sacrifice my Sunday rest day to write my blog, then I can have more days just to lounge and relax. Or, plan more blog posts in advance.

• Generic, simple, evergreen article = 45 minutes to 3 hours
• Articles about Iloilo = 4 hours (shortest) to 12 days (my longest)

In short: Sacrifice some days to fill up content for your blog. It’s not good or sweet. Heck, I don’t know if that’s healthy, but it’s really up to you. But, that’s how I manage my blog. Suffer now, enjoy later, just to work easier next time.

But despite sacrificing my time for my blog, there are other content pieces I wasn’t able to finish writing. They’re all stuck under the DRAFTS portions of WordPress. Most of them are about Iloilo.

Can you fill up an entire month’s worth of content? Can you publish daily? Do you write all the articles?

I can list down what I want to write for the whole month and when to publish it. But, do I have the capability to write a lot of articles on my own and have them scheduled to be published daily? NO.

I can’t do it on my own. My solution? Welcome writer friends who you are comfortable with. Emphasis on the COMFORTABLE. You can discuss and establish how they may want to write on your website or how often.

Do you think I wrote these articles?

• Chef Tibong Promotes Heritage by Making You Hungry
• Road Trip Story: ‘A bright future ahead for Iloilo City’
• Prevent Fire in the Home, Office, School and Community

Check again. Because, we are legion. Char. Yes, I manage my blog, but I have other writer friends, too.

PRESS RELEASES are very much welcome (about Iloilo or Western Visayas). You pretty much save up my time!

How to write fast for your blog

I’m not even sure that’s possible. I know and acknowledge the privilege I have with my writing experience kasi. But, I really suggest you start writing with daily prompts you can find online. Set aside a writing hour where you can practice writing 500 words or more.

I understand that most bloggers are already writers and use their blogs as a platform or portfolio to attract clients with their writing skills.

But if you ask me, I have to credit it to my writing experience. I’ll share it here (not to brag), but to let you understand my writing experience.

My writing experience dictates how I can write fast

Elementary and High School

I was part of our campus newspaper, writing news and features. I had the pleasure of being trained by the Philippine Information Agency and garnered some awards along the way. That includes photojournalism also! Which kinda died inside me. I’m hoping to revive it, but that skill just got lost.

College

I joined my college paper, until I became the Editor-in-Chief. Afterward, I joined the university’s campus organ – The Central Echo.

During college

After shifting from Accountancy to Advertising (despite passing Accountancy, being on the Dean’s List, and being on my way to Cum Laude before studying Law), many people were angry with me. My parents included, and, yes, teachers also. Because of that, I was cut off financially – for a short while. They thought this “punishment” would teach me a lesson, but, heck, I embraced it. And I loved it.

I started looking for jobs online as a writer. I landed with Essays.ph (later rebranded to Scribbloo, then Yonnipp).

That was really the platform that taught me to write fast. Why? You need to write 5 x 500-word articles within 24 hours. Plus that and school – I need to amp up my time and focus management skills.

Other odd jobs I did writing were for video scripts and undergrad students’ research (I knooow, it’s academic dishonesty).

But, it was Essays.ph who taught me to write fast.

BONUS: Most of my declined (or late submission) works are now part of You Create Iloilo. I edited them and kinda improved them. And, I have scheduled them to be published!

Saves me time.

And, as mentioned above – I started having a blog at this point in life!

After college

I became a journalist after college. Well, that took me to write faster than I could ever have. I mean you have to write news after the incident. You have to travel and attend groundbreaking ceremonies, interview people, and send all articles before the day ends. That’s the one thing I actually miss – the rush of writing fast.

As a journalist

My first job was really being a journalist. So, my life was writing news and feature articles. We get to travel, interview people, and attend events or groundbreaking ceremonies. At the end of the day, we all would submit our articles for editing and publishing. As a journalist, writing fast matters, especially if your job is on the line. If you happen to be a freelance journalist, you’re often paid by the number of words. Writing fast (quality-made articles also) matters, especially if you want to get paid.

As a freelance writer / online news writer

I take freelance writing positions also, but it’s more of quality content rather than time-specific. Maybe I can say a 500-word article will be submitted within 24 hours. Likewise, a 1,000-word article would be submitted within 48 hours.

“Oh, I thought you could write fast?” One – we’re talking about my very loose blog – I’m okay with grammatical errors, light writing, and little research. Two, if it’s a news article, I have a different framework and response to it.

Sending articles for 24 hours means editing them vigorously and searching for academic research to support the claim. Plus, they aren’t the only ones asking for my service.

Nest, as an online news writer, often you’re taught the format of how to write so that you can submit all 3 or 4 articles by the end of the day.

Will there be new plans for You Create Iloilo?

As of writing, I just want to survive. I want to manage my blog in a way that is sustainable. I’m happy that I can publish every day now. Though, I have a hard time doing it. I feel like I’m just hanging on.

It’s like if I’m going to roll out something new to the blog, I’ll stop writing every day.

Other ways to publish my posts fast

I had a couple of articles published on my old blogs. What I had to do was EDIT, UPDATE, and OPTIMIZE them for my new blog – You Create Iloilo. I already gave you an example of the Montinola Mansion and Vigan Tour articles. Other articles are those short evergreen pieces I wrote, like “10 foods to boost brain power,” “boost creativity,” and more.

Next, I have a couple of failed (and unpaid) articles from clients. For this, I have to make sure the client did not post them on their site (again, unpaid, ugh!). At least these articles found a new home rather – my website.

Find some inspo websites and their article contents. AGAIN, don’t copy. Just be inspired. What is also important is to observe how they break up their articles with their sub-headings.

Sometimes, I also write when traveling or going out. I use my simple mobile app notepad (every phone has a built-in version) to write everything down. I can also jot down important details about the article I’m writing. Picture this: I’m at Robinsons Bo’s Coffee sipping my cuppa tea and tapping away the keys to write a new article. So, what if I’m away from my computer? I can be just anywhere – cafe, mall, karinderia, etc. When you find me tapping on my phone, it means I’m writing.

Oh, for those who are subscribed to my blog and FB page: If you see me not posting anything new on my website (like in 20+ days and more), it means I’m writing like heck. Bulk write the articles before publishing them on my blog.

So far, those are the ways how I was able to publish fast (and every day) on my blog.

Blogging in the time of AI

In the age of AI, everyone wants everything to be easy. I see most bloggers and digital marketers – Manila and Iloilo, use AI writing tools to create articles within seconds.

As writers, we are scared that AI will take over our jobs. There are tons of digital marketers who stopped hiring writers because they have AI accounts. I have issues with the writing community about it. I saw a post on Freelance Writers Philippines on FB on what writers have to think about AI.

These are some posts in the group. There are writers who are using AI, but not to a full scale. Meanwhile, yung mga iba, bawal.

I struggle to write and publish posts every day. My friends chipped in to write on my blog, also.

If I use AI writing tools, my friends won’t be writing much on my site. And, that would mean I can publish 3-5 posts every day – and I might have scheduled all my posts right now way into the second half of the year to December.

It’s tempting, noh? Not my style, though.

As a blogger

First, I can honestly say I blog to escape reality. I blog about Lifestyle and Trends because, i someway, it’s a personal issue for me. It makes me feel good because it’s therapeutic AF. AI will take out that happiness in my so-called “safe space.” As a blogger, I also believe that Google won’t accept any AI-written content.

I’m happy to say that You Create Iloilo has a wonderful high organic search ranking of 88 to 95 organic rankings (it changes). And I’m proud to say that our efforts – that all posts were written by my friends and me – were not in vain.

I gave all my effort into writing my blog posts. Yes, I may have 10+ years of writing online for clients, but that doesn’t make me a pro. I still suck at some point. But, at least I suck as me. If this blog becomes suckish at some point, I’m proud to say it’s all me and not some AI writing behind it.

And if it did succeed, at least I’ll be ecstatic to know that all of our hard work really paid off.

Other bloggers may use AI, but that’s against what I see for me, and You Create Iloilo.

As a freelance writer

There’s always this scare: AI will take over writers’ work. Other industries hiring writers will have them required to use AI writing tools to make the job FASTER. Not even quality-made. The write-up ended up sounding too machine-like without an ounce of humanity in them. Other writers accepted the job, while others stray away from it.

I’ve seen a lot of requests in Upwork and Freelance Writing groups on FB saying, they’re hiring freelance writers with knowledge of using AI tools. But, these hiring companies often pay writers at a low rate while producing 2-5 x 1,000+-word articles a day with AI. I get it – companies can save $$$s if they have AI tools rather than having a writer. But, for the writer – whose sole income is writing, I don’t think this would work.

For example, a 2,000-word article will cost the writer $10 when using AI. Other writers like me may protest, but to the writer (especially, if the money is highly needed), it may sound tempting. Since they’re operating AI machine to generate an article within seconds, it’s okay to earn the measly $10. It saves time and brain dump anyway.

The limelight for freelance writers…

I’m happy to say that there are still companies out there battling the usage of AI. They don’t want us writers to use AI when writing an article. Sure, daw medyo laka nlng ka maka kita sang mga companies, but, what they want is a more humanize article, quality-made. Because they’re paying so much for it.

One client wanted me to check and manage our other writers if they’ve used AI. So, he told me to use Originality or Contentscale. I’ll be talking more about it below, since the tools can be wonky. If someone can explain it to me, that would be better.

The test: the rise of AI detectors

As I mentioned above, one client wants me to use AI detection tools to run articles if they were made by AI or by human skills. We’re going to use one of my recent posts: Best Hairstyles for Hot Days. You can run it yourself if you feel like it.

Under https://gptzero.me/, “my text is likely to be written entirely by a human.” Then again, I did write it all by myself.

Likewise, under https://copyleaks.com/ai-content-detector, my article is entirely human text. No doubt, no doubt.

I did the same for Originality and Crossplag, and got the same results. So, I checked another article of mine. This time, we’ll be using the 2023 Best Times for Stargazing in the Philippines are from March to May with ContentScale and Originality.

Most of my articles were derived from their press release, so you can imagine my surprise when Contentscale said the line was unclear whether it was AI-generated – given that the content was taken from the said press release. So, how can they tell if it’s AI-generated or human? Was it the tone of voice? Was it too scientific or robotic to tell their own kind?

The comment from Contentscale says, “You can likely make this more human-sounding simply with some different word choices.”

With Originality, they said: A score of 90% original and 10% AI should be thought of as “We are 90% confident that this content was created by a human” and NOT that 90% of the article is Human and 10% AI.” So, it’s based on confidence with the wording?

We can see that AI is ever-growing, so, what will be the case for other bloggers and writers in the future?

As an author

I’ve seen on my newsfeed how one guy created a children’s book using AI within a day, which hurt the writing community. I, myself, am an author of 6 children’s books. I have been a registered and certified author/illustrator by the National Book Development Board since 2016/17, and a member of SCWBI in 2016. What’s more, I became a BDAP member in 2018.

Of course, I’m not perfect or “there” yet, but I’m happy with my book-writing career.

As writers, as an author – we live through our emotions, and we live by integrity. Why would AI dictate one to be an author?

Just last March 9, Thursday, I received a referral letter and was invited to attend the “Coaching Program for Young and Future Writers and Publishers.” At the end of the session, there was a question regarding AI and how some “authors” use it to publish their books.

So, what was the stance of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines-Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights (IPOPHL-BCRR)?

Worldwide, it’s an ongoing discussion.

Under Philippine Laws, an author cannot be called an “author” if AI was the one who wrote the work.

In this dynamic age, still, AI cannot replace writers and authors.

The greater the effort, the greater the glory.

Pierre Corneille

I get rejections?

I’m here to enhance my writing skills, and to perfect and celebrate my craft. Meanwhile, other “authors” are using AI tools to publish a children’s book within the day.

Year 2017. A rejection? I don’t know, but I’m cool with it since my story wasn’t that great. There were lots of revisions that needed to be done. I’m actually happy that they have read my work and critiqued it. I only worked on my manuscripts five (5) years later and got them published, which is why I’m so happy with them!

We published the said book last December 2022 and had a small, intimate book launching. I’m glad it was a success, and the sales were amazing. Higher than my previous books. I did not expect the publicity it garnered, so I was really floored with emotions!

I think it’s important to be true, authentic, and original. It’s really great to put in so much effort, because you’ll learn to appreciate its wins afterward. “The greater the effort, the greater the glory.”

IT TOOK ME FIVE YEARS TO PREPARE MY NEXT BOOK.

Social sharing of blogs

My social media page is…dead. Okay, reviving. As of writing, I only have 2,000+ followers and likers on my blog. I’m trying to populate it with my posts and articles here, but it’s hard. While other bloggers have well over 50,000+ followers, mine is not really moving anywhere up.

I published photos that garnered some traction, but my articles didn’t respond well to followers. So, it’s really about finding which content bodes well with social media users and readers but not sacrificing my brand.

On my Facebook page – You Create Iloilo – I can see that people respond well to tourism and everything about Iloilo culture rather than brands and food (on my blog).

It mirrors my searchers here on my website, which pointed out that culture and arts are the top clicks and views.

So, it’s really about your niche and branding that brings together people who are and will be interested in your blog and social media. I’m no FB guru and still swim around my socials on what works well with people.

But, other than your usual FB, Instagram, and TikTok social, I discovered more readers on Reddit and Pinterest.

On FB, I did the usual sharing of posts and ran FB ads. And that’s it. If I get to keep up my traction on my social page, maybe I can end up with 3k to 5k followers and likers by December 2023. I do that, share my posts, invite friends, and run FB ads.

No, I don’t cheat with my numbers and likers. It’s stuck at 2,000+ and not getting any bigger. No, I won’t buy fake followers and likers on FB. I like experimenting with content that can garner organic engagement among followers. At least, that’s how I know my branding works and what content I’ll be whipping up next.

How much would I rate myself

How much would I rate myself when I manage my blog? I’ll whip up a table of scores.

Description	Score	Notes
Consistent writing on my blog	6.5/10	“I think” I can write every day. Although, not really. I had help from friends. But, I still want to fulfill my wish of publishing three (3) times a day. Sadly, I still can’t see myself doing that, honestly.
Planning new ideas, making time, and writing content for blog posts	7.5/10	I’m glad to say I’m doing fairly well. I can prepare a whole year’s worth of lifestyle content, but I need something that can capture the interest of my Ilonggo audience. On Google Analytics and WordPress dashboard, the people from Manila (specifically from Quezon City) are more interested in Lifestyle content.
Brand and events	na	I’m about to say NA, but I may be in the future. We’ll see. The fact that I don’t go to events and brands means I can write every day on my blog. But, maybe one day, yes.
Social sharing	6/10	I have 2000+ followers/likers and organic posts that people like. While my page is…reviving, I do hope I can stay consistent in posting stuff.
Future plans for the blog	4/10	I’m at this stage of surviving. So, I don’t know.
TOTAL	6/10	I feel like I deserved it!

I’m not sure how you find You Create Iloilo, but I do hope you like it 🙂 And that’s all – how I manage my blog.