For N Suryanarayana Murthy, a blogger from Vizag, discovering the Internet was a bonanza. It gave him a platform which provided the anonymity that he enjoyed yet allowed him to contribute.
The initiation
Basically an introvert, Suryanarayana found a voice online. The Vizag blogger had a lot to share and a blog seemed like the perfect medium to put across his views, reviews, analysis, and comparisons regarding all things tech. “I used to spend most of my free time browsing the net, and, so just to keep myself busy, I started blogging. I am actually good at finding out things that people don’t know about generally, like ‘how to change Facebook profile picture without cropping’ etc.” So, the decision to start a website that talks about all things tech, came as the natural next step, he reveals. In 2014 he initially started blogging on Blogspot. As his viewership increased, he invested in the domain name, ‘geekysplash’ and started spending more time on it. About a year later, his friends began to contribute on the blog. They experimented with various fields including event blogging, live streaming of the ICC World Cup etc.
His team
Sharing the credit with his team members, he shares that they work hard to keep the blog running too, and have had many sleepless nights as well. “In the initial days, my friends Parthi Sai and Ashish worked with me. Later Ratan and then Hanu joined us too.” The common point among them all, he shares, is the desire to do something more than just “Engineering”.
Money matters
His prime objective was to offer good content that gets his readers interested, rather than just earn. “A blogger called MKBH is my inspiration for providing quality information.” Writing content for experienced users, he further explains that to earn, he got in touch with advertisers called ‘monetizers’ and started monetizing through ads. “I don’t add advertisements in any crazy manner or share unnecessary content to attract readers. I do however add memes to bring in the fun element. I don’t spam on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to get traffic, and I add sponsored posts for a little money.”
The commitment
He logs on after dinner and generally works on his blog till 2 or 3 in the morning. Initially, he used to write tech-related news but later focused more on writing how-to articles as well. “I try to keep my articles as relevant and useful as I can. My readers are my inspiration, they keep my spirits up”, he confesses. The only frustrating aspect he has to deal with is, however, when he is asked to write sponsored posts for $10 to $15, which he refuses to entertain. Talking about the future of his blog, he and his four friends who have completed their MA, are working on boosting the blog and writing more and more. “I am looking forward to the day that I can leave my job and stick to blogging constantly. If everything goes well, and the website gains a reputation and I make good money out of it, I’ll keep writing and try to improve the traffic of my blog”, the Vizag blogger signs of saying this.
Founder: Suryanarayana Murthy
Inception: August 2014
Blog site: www.geekysplash.com
Facebook handle: @geekysplash
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