Blog Spotlight: Android Basha
November 09, 2015 Blogs
Salah Hamed of tech blog Android Basha spoke to MediaSource about the blogging scene in Jordan, the importance of audience engagement, the products he reviews, and how he prefers to be pitched.
What inspired you to start blogging?
I have been passionate about technology ever since I was a kid, and it has always been a subject I can talk about for hours. Then I discovered blogging sites, which represented a way to put my point of view on things out there and exchange opinions with a much larger audience outside my circle of friends and family. Also recently, I started moving from written content to making quality Arabic videos which has turned out to be a good decision.
What’s the blogging scene like in Jordan?
Jordan is one of the leading countries in the region when it comes to digital media, and we have a fairly small but awesome community of creative bloggers: bloggers who tackle social issues; others who discuss food recipes and cooking tips; and bloggers who took it upon themselves to deliver the correct image of our beautiful country to the rest of the world by emphasizing the good side of Jordan that is not being advertised enough inside and outside the country. It's a very promising community and hopefully should see some decent growth in the coming years.
How do you measure the success of your blog?
Mainly by measuring the interaction level of my readers and viewers, and when the content I share with my audience represents an added value over what other blogs and YouTube channels may offer. They interact with it and share it with their friends and family, they encourage unique content and always demand better. Over a hundred hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every single minute, so it's a big competition to get viewers and subscribers - so you have to keep improving, otherwise viewers will click away to something else.
How do you engage with your audience?
Social media is a direct communication channel between content creators and content consumers and has made it much easier to deliver feedback, criticism and encouragement. For me, the key element to successful marketing is engagement - it should be a priority for every content creator. A very important thing to keep in mind for every blogger is to take the conversation off the blog, whether to Facebook, Twitter or real life - that develops your audience into a community that engages with your content and helps you figure out where to go next.
How do you choose which products to review?
I focus on Android smartphones, but I'm a big fan of open source software and operating systems, so I might consider expanding to other types of operating systems in the future. There are also things that interest me that fall slightly outside of that: gadgets and smartphone accessories that I might use myself, such as controllers, smart watches, glasses and other wearable gadgets. I also look at whether a product is relevant in the market and how new it is - if it is about to be announced or just announced, then it ranks higher for review.
I generally shy away from things like apps, not because I'm not interested in the apps ecosystem and development, but mostly because it's a category that needs as much effort as reviewing gadgets, and I want to keep my focus on doing what I do.
How do you feel about posting negative reviews?
I don't consider negative reviews worthwhile. If a product is highly anticipated and people are looking for a review of it, as I talk about the upsides, mentioning the downsides is a must because otherwise it affects your integrity as a blogger and reviewer. On the other hand, if a device doesn't come with a lot of anticipation and the negative part of the review outshines the positive, and I can't really find something good to say about it, then it isn't worth the time to write or make a video about it. I have turned down some brands that approached me with devices for that specific reason, but that is only my personal take, and other people might disagree.
How do you feel about sponsored content or advertorials?
I have invested an enormous portion of my time and energy to upgrade my gear to produce better content. People crave quality content and there isn't enough of it when it comes to Arabic content online, but I have received zero income from my content until very recently. I started blogging and writing reviews for the sake of sharing knowledge and information that might help others. I haven’t thought about sponsorships, but I would like to keep an open mind so long as it doesn't affect the integrity of my content.
What impact has social media had on interactions between bloggers and the PR industry?
Before social media networks, bloggers had to rely on word of mouth to get noticed. But now, bloggers and content creators get recognised a lot faster and PR agencies pick up on that. With the new media revolution, brands noticed that people listen to bloggers and follow their lead, and that is one of the big reasons why brands decided to get involved with bloggers.
What makes a good PR pitch?
There are several things I take into consideration every time I get an email from a PR agency or a brand regarding a product review, and the main one is whether they're familiar with what I write. Sadly, I receive a large number of emails where the pitch is irrelevant to my audience. I'm also not a fan of emails with headlines like "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" - a simple "Hi Salah" is a much friendlier approach. And being brief is a rare courtesy these days - I’d much rather have two or three lines explaining what your device, app or event is about than a press release pasted into the body of the e-mail that I have to read to the end in order to figure out if your story is compatible with my coverage.
What annoys you when dealing with PR agencies?
There are a few things I don't find attractive when dealing with PR agencies, but nothing irritates me more than too many follow-ups. Crowding my inbox can hurt your chances for the current, and any future, pitch you send - and I believe I'm talking on behalf of all bloggers on this one!
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