Interview with Prija from Blogging the Movie

November 29th, 2007 - Written by Gyutae Park

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In the third edition of Winners’ Circle, I had the privilege of interviewing Prija Phaphouampheng of Blogging the Movie. Prija was last week’s Winner of the Week and has made a nice name for himself through his recent blogging documentary venture. Interested in what he has to say? Learn more about him in this Winners’ Circle interview.

Name: Prija Phaphouampheng
Age: 25

Average monthly income: Through Blogging the Movie I currently only make a little over 2 hundred. However, my current Free Car giveaway promotion is running at 1.5k a month, but it’s all reinvested for marketing purposes for the documentary.

Favorite method of making money online: Selling direct car sponsorship ads. I take 100%, there is no middle man besides Paypal. Buying a $100 car sponsorship ads gets 2 reviews, a permanent link on my car page and as an added bonus you get your domain name on the 1st ever FREE CAR giveaway. Only 500 bloggers / companies can be part of this Blogging the Movie brand.

Top money maker: Again my car sponsorship, I made 2k in 2 days after getting a John Chow review.

Gyutae: It’s ironic that you have a contest going for Blogger Rookie of the Year because you are an up and coming blogger yourself. The project that really got your name out there is Blogging the Movie. How did you come up with this idea?

Prija: It is ironic. I came up with this idea after reading the Four Hour Workweek. I realized that I need to think of an idea that can be scalable. If I can convey a message in a documentary to millions of bloggers and stamp my movie to by synonymous with blogging, it can easily become a classic documentary. My goal is to become a stepping stone for all those curious about blogging.

Gyutae: Your plan is to raise enough money through sponsorships so that you can give away a car and receive funding for your blogging documentary film. How is your plan going so far? Are you on track to start filming next year?

Prija: Raising the funds is great, and so far I’ve raised $2,800. However, I’m not too worried about not selling all the ads. If there are only 100 people who buy the spots then they will still be awarded the 2 reviews and the permanent link and be refunded their full amount of $100. I’m already in works with some private investors to potentially fund the movie, so things are RIGHT on track.

Gyutae: A blogging documentary is something that definitely has not been done before. How do you think bloggers are perceived today and how will your movie change that perception?

Prija: For the most part, blogging in the US is popularized from celebrity blog sites TMZ, Perez Hilton, or personal blog diaries. There is this huge gap of what can really be done with blogging. My movie will showcase how we are changing the way we consume information. The power of the individuals will dictate what is relevant. If you can imagine that there are 120,000 blogs created everyday. That means their content is being pushed on to the web like a growing unstoppable rolling snowball or mass of information. This snowball increases each day at a phenomenal rate and it’s up to bloggers to dictate what is relevant and important. Everyone has a voice, so it’s time to be heard.

Gyutae: You attended Blog World Expo this year and set up a booth for Blogging the Movie. What was the general level of support? Are bloggers open to the idea of revealing their private and professional lives for all to see? What about the possibility of your movie bringing in more blogging copycats into an already crowded industry?

Prija: Everyone loved the project, and everyone wanted to be part of the movie. The bloggers love the idea because they will have a chance to showcase to the unknown public who they are outside of blogging. Blogging copycats will eventually phase out after 3-6 months of blogging, it comes with the hype, the true bloggers will bring quality content.

Gyutae: Who are you most excited about working with and following in your movie?

Prija: Mostly I’m excited working with John Chow. His famous PDF file influenced me to start blogging in June.

Gyutae: Do you have any other projects in the works besides this one?

Prija: Right now, I actually have a non-profit organization called the OCEducationCenter.org. We just received our 501(c)(3) status with the IRS and we are on our way for 2008 to raise funds for scholarships. These scholarships are given away to graduating high school seniors from low income families attending 4-year colleges for the first year. This is a side project of mine which has been in the works for about a year now. Other than that, like most bloggers I have a full-time job working in business and marketing.

Gyutae: What do you think is the most effective method for bloggers to network online and build a personal brand?

Prija: Try to network in different niches. Coming from a stand point that I came into this blogosphere knowing nothing. I mean absolutely nothing. I have no SEO / Internet marketing skills. I was just a clever guy that thought outside the box. The greatest thing you can do is to offer free reviews. I gained my rise to fame from my 1st site Cash For Comments, where I gave out free reviews for 5 comments. The first month into blogging I gained over 300 genuine comments. Granted I was busy giving away 30 reviews; it really jump started me to become a household name as the Sneaky Bastard in the blogosphere. The Sneaky Bastard, was coined through my innovative guerrilla marketing tactics. With my free review promotion I was able to make loyal readers. You need to give more than you can receive as a newbie to gain recognition that you are benefiting the community.

Gyutae: Greatest tip for an aspiring blogger just getting started?

Prija: Think big, be different. If you follow the black ant you’ll become a black ant. Find your own identity.

Posted in Winners' Circle Interviews