Blogging for "Filipina" Advocacy

Multi-awarded blogger Noemi Dado believes that blogs and other user-generated content are the latest tool for communication today and can be an effective tool for advocacy. "Blogs enhance social online networking, where a campaign can be generated exponentially through a limitless number of ways well, limited only by the number of bloggers who are willing to write about it, and then link to each other and generate a buzz. A blog should bring a positive tone and quality that aims to engage bloggers in long term community and change, and only then will it be effective."

Blogs have played an important role to the success of the Filipina Image campaign and contributes to the growing number of Filipina content available online today. Although Noemi admitted that Filipina content is not easy to measure . "What is measurable is the search engine page results (SERPs) of the keyword "Filipina". Based on findings of Philippines and USA Google SERPs, the sites that we wanted to rank has made it to the first page of the SERPs. When we renewed the Uplifting the Filipina Timeless Campaign (the Filipina campaign existed as early as 1998) in August 2007 and renamed it "Reshaping the Filipina Image Online", the first 10 sites showed only dating sites. Two months after, filipinaimages.com already showed in the first 5 sites of Google SERPs in the keyword results of "Filipina"."

Noemi encourages bloggers and even non-bloggers to contribute to the Filipina Campaign. "Even if they have already blogged about the Filipina. We need fresh content all the time. Second, Link to FilipinaImages.com. Turn every mention of the word "Filipina" into a link. Third, If you are a woman of Filipino descent, be proud to be a Filipina. Identify yourself as a Filipina and not just as a "Filipino" or "Filipino woman" on your blog or website. If you don't own a blog or website, encourage those with blogs or websites to join the Filipina campaign."

"We still have a long way to go. Google SERPs in Europe does not show FilipinaImages.com in the first page. Same with MSN and other search engines."

Noemi is one of the speakers in the recent iBlog4: the 4th Philippine Blogging Summit. She shared her insight on how can blogs be used for advocacy such as the Filipina image campaign where she is one of the proponents. Here's her presentation and talk.

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