I wanted to write to update the community that we just recruited a new author for Bernos; for which I’m very excited about. Her pen name is Adey Abeba and she is located in the boonies of the US somewhere in the Northwest!
Although I do not know her in person, I’ve worked with her for over a year on a different project. She is a woman’s woman, with a lot of experience in writing as well as blogging. Some of our female readers felt that the balance of the content was tilted to be male-centric! Although I disagree, this should balance my extreme opinions a bit more.
I once read that managing a multi-authored blog is hard depending on the level of commitment from contributors. Well for me it’s been a pleasure. The level of support I personally have been getting the past couple of weeks has been great. It gives me more time to work on other aspects of Bernos from the management of the business to improving the interface.
The most important aspect of the contribution is that over time we will improve our content while keeping the posts consistently coming. At least 2-3 posts a week! It also gives us the option of being a bit more selective. Our readers and contributors come from different backgrounds but do have different interests with one thing bonding them; that is being Ethiopian. We will try to keep the content to our common interest(s).
To provide content that matters after discussing with Meron, we have decided to tighten the Bernos belt a bit more, so that we all have a bigger platform. As well as sustain Bernos long enough to educate people that online commerce is safe and reliable. I do meet a lot of people that have heard of us and have shown interest in buying our T-shirt(s) but wanted to know where they could buy it.
We have declined offers from couple of merchants that wanted to carry our products for online advertising. One of the reasons that we do not update products is not because we have lack of funding or concepts but because we haven’t been able to convince some that it is safe to buy online. Both my ex-girl friend my cousin made special arrangements to buy shirts from us. Couldn't beleive the fear! Get some edumacation its Paypal owned by the biggest e-commerce company in the world.
As of the end October 40% of our few sales has been to non-Ethiopians even though we spend zero dollars to market to them. My personal philosophy is growing products and web features consequently with users, thus we will only update slowly. Regardless we will have three more T-shirts coming to you in soon. At which time we will also finally start shipping to Europe. We are also hoping to get more sales from the guys as that number is tilted to females somewhere around 1-4 ratio.
About Bogging
Although I am personally not a writer, I have learned a few tricks of the blogging trade from which I would like to share to make life easier for our contributors. But before I do, as we tighten our belt on the content, I would like to show my appreciation to those who believed in us in the beginning, in no particular order, Lasta from Toronto, Doro Mata from New Zealand, Wondata from Moscow and IAMX from Michigan.
We would like to keep the list of contributors short as we are finally getting bombarded with emails from those that have shown interest in contributing. I’m very happy about this! But from now on since we have more than enough consistent and great contributors like that of Celebrate Life, Ethio Jazz, Rahwina, and hoping Marena-Wotete, and ofcource Adey Abeba. Better to get to know us first. The list of registered contributors which now accounts to over 100 of which most never actually contributed will be transferred when we finally integrate the WordPress’ bbPress to the Bernos Blog. I had mentioned December 1st, but now it’s most likely in 2007!
As for the trade tips, the attention span of a reader is very short you have to get them to read your article in less that five seconds as they scan down the page. Use shorter paragraphs as it’s less intimidating. Use images! An article has to stand on its own so to make a point! Nothing I can’t stand that a post that just asks a question.
My personal preference is to read blogs that are personal. Does have to be about you but should have a personal perspective or an opinion. Sure there are successful blogs that are informative but they should connect us to the author’s perspective. Keep it short! Don’t overwork it. It shouldn’t take you long to write one article. Yes, make an effort to write but don’t burden yourself. Leave that for me!
For the readers, if you want us around, encourage us as well as promote promote Bernos we can't possible sustain this without you support. There is a send to a friend feature please use it if the article you read is worth reading! Yes we have been blessed with participation but the quality of a blog is & should NOT be judged by the number of comments or level of participation.
Published by November 14th, 2006 in Bernos.
Abeet Abet your cousin wouldn’t trust you enough to buy online! MY god habesha people are so Fn FARA my god!!
if your cousin doesn’t trust you what hope do you have?
I say close this business and try marketing to non-habesha! man you are talented I’m sure it would be better to forget working with habesha people and concentrate on making mula elsewhere!
You know I got much love for Bernos! Adey Abeba sounds familiar, has she used that pen name on other Abesha sites? If this is the same person her articles were amazing, can’t wait!
You know what I’ve noticed is that most Abeshoch don’t like to do something unless it’s a group event. Edumacation is right on, love that word!
Abeeet abet, I don’t know if the cousin’s issue was a matter of trust, I have a hard time swallowing that one. Ex-girlfriend yes, that’s why she’s an ex ha/ha.
Close the business! Wooow Bonanza what about those of us who want to support? Then the cousin wins! Yes, I agree they are all very talented but talented people don’t give up on their dreams they overcome obstacles instead. How else will they get to their final destination and say ahhhh what a journey! Isn’t that what life is about? I’m buying some t-shirts for x-mas gifts, why don’t you do the same? It’s easier then going to a store and buying from someone you don’t know. Support your own people. I even have an idea to wrap it, in different color cellophane, like a big candy. I’m like a giggly little kid around the holidays!
Abet
Close the business wow bonanzaa indeed! For the most part the business have been a success and short time, we have only been selling since May 06 six months!
Yes there are those we feel are not open-minded enough to make the buy but that comes with territory in any market!
You do make a legitimate point though! The amount of time we spend on the business might not make sense if we only look at the monetary compensation! that is generally true for most web business Ethiopian or not!
The fact is the number of abesha’s online is very small and from those most are not easily reachable since most do not come to Ethiopian owned sites!
The failure of gathering the public is not bernos’s fault but the Ethiopian Media in general! Ethiopians haven’t been able to work with eachother in order to gather the people to have a bigger online media platforms. Ill write about what happened with the whole geez Unicode issue in the future
Regardless of the obstacles I think Bernos has been able to sustain the business without reinvesting more money! Sure we don’t make money but we have sold many many shirts and we will continue… if things don’t work out we will rethink our strategy… once we get real market penetration… we can grow the target pool to be rasta centric, or afro centric… the options are endless…
Bernos also gives me a creative outlet and fulfills the need to connect with my people! Platform can support other ventures as it has already! Contributors and I have speaking platform; god knows we need to speak about other aspects of our lifes excluding politka!
That is more than enough for now…
Nolawi -
I am very impressed by bernos. you’re doing a great job. And if I was to give some feedback – perhaps adding other smaller items to your product line would be cool. Like bumper stickers, key chains, shot glasses, magnetic sticks, etc…
Good luck
I forgot to answer celebrates… Q Adey Abeba is different from the politician living in addis ADEBABAY which read like adey abeba but its actually Adebabay…http://adebabay.blogsource.com/... I actually did have chat with the one from that site in email as she is using a trademarked name in "ze ethiopia" as in ze Ethiopia Corp here in dc,… but there is nothing we can do about that… at the same time this Adey Abeba had a column on that newspaper for over a year, a very popular one called 'Ye Zare HasaB' with fans even mailing letters and so on… secondly she has her own small blog of her daily thoughts… very poetic one….
Nolawi,
This is just a business idea, it may or might not work but why don’t you give it a try.
Why don’t you distribute your T-shirts in a habesha stores in DC? If you are ok with dealing/working with habesha people I think you can make a good sale that way. What do you think?
BigUpz to Bernos!!! ene gin teru teyake alegne….although it’s not a trust issue, I don’t have a credit card and hence can’t order online…is there any other alternative?
Ethio Queen, thanks good idea, we have thought about it…the main reason is we want to connect the products to us…and the community… the customers are our marketers… word of mouth is a huge marketing tool… in time we might…
Temelkach, email meron, info@bernos.org… we can work out a different type of payment system!
Hey Nolawi; I will do my best and make time to make my regular comments, at least one per topic.
BTW The recent post Tembuhamoch! is my most favorite post!!! Keep it coming…
Yantew,
M&W
?? ???? ??? ???? ???. All you need to have is a unicode keyboard and fonts downloaded free at
http://www.tavultesoft.com/keyman/
yes yes ofcource, we have also put a link on the side bar for that… we support unicode movement…
but whats up with the dngaras comment
Good luck Bernos and am eagerly waiting to read articles from your newest contributor and buy the new t-shirts.
???? ?? means a fighter. The more ???? ?? you are the more victorious you will be. No, I am not dumb. I am ???. You know we fight with ??? right?
Hey, is Adey Abeba the Meskerem flower or ??? ??? ?????? It works both ways. I can’t help it. ??? ??? is my aunt. That is why I am ???? ??.
Keep your posts coming. That ensures I wil keep coming to bernos.
im pretty sure i read something like this else where
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