Image courtesy of www.rapppler.com
Source: www.rappler.com
Here are 10 other things we learned from Mike during Friday's, October 25 interview:
1. "Your blog loses credibility if you hide. It’s important to know who’s the person behind it."
Mike, a public relations professor in one of the country's leading universities, says that for any brand or blog to take off, there must be a face behind it. Without a face that can be held accountable for posts made, people will find it hard to trust you and your content.
2. "It's very important to be close to your target audience."
Mike often replies to his readers online. Through Twitter and other social media sites, he stays in touch with them. Recently, he also posted his BBM barcode on Instagram so his readers could easily send him messages. His readers can somehow be considered as his friends as most of them alert Mike when celebrities react to his blind items. Some even send him blind items.
3. "Haters are secret admirers. If you don't have them, you're not relevant. People will always hate. Just ignore them. The 'block' button is your best friend."
With several Twitter accounts dedicated to bashing Mike and his blog's success, the celebrity blogger says having haters is actually affirmation.
4. "Don't be trying hard. Be natural."
When it comes to fashion, Mike says it is best to be yourself. His advice seems to transcend fashion choices and is applicable even to how we live our daily lives.
5. "There's a secret basher in all of us. We don't show it. The difference with me is I show it."
It's because we all want to be liked, Mike says. That's why we keep the bashing to ourselves. For Mike, however, being frank works for him as he says he can't afford to be dishonest. "When a client asks me what I think about their dress, I tell them if it's ugly. They value my honesty."
6. "Loyalty is a rare commodity."
Mike's blog gets hundreds of comments every day. He says he has a dedicated team that helps him sift through the comments they receive before publishing as he cannot do it on his own any more. He says the team has to be trustworthy and extremely loyal to him as the blog is constantly under attack. In this day and age when people can easily go behind your back and destroy something you've built from the ground up, Mike is lucky to have his loyal group of friends.
7. "It's my blog. I can do what I want because it's my blog."
Taking control of your life and the things you own is important. You are the captain of your own ship and nobody should be steering it other than you. Mike has mastered the skill of not letting people get to him and doing what he wants in life, keeping him happy and contented.
8. "I try to detach my emotions. At the end of the day, it’s work."
Does he ever get sad when a celebrity is bashed or an issue breaks out because of his blind items? Mike says it is best to stay professional and not to get too personal with your job.
9. "Everybody loves gossip, don't you?"
Though Filipinos are described as being chismosos and chismosas, the love for gossip is common in all nationalities. Mike recalls overhearing a group of Australian tourists talking about gossip during his trip to Europe with his mother. After all, knowing someone's business is a guilty pleasure that surpasses nationalities.
10. "I've always been honest. I always say what I want to say."
Being true to yourself relieves you from unnecessary burdens. Saying what you want to say and how you feel leaves you with no regrets. "I tell my friends that If I die today, I won't regret it because I've always been honest."
