My people discouraged me when I left accounting for blogging –Olorisupergal

Blogger and social media personality, Oluwatosin Ajibade aka Olorisupergal tells Ademola Olonilua about her brand

 When did you begin to blog?

 I began to blog in 2010 but I started my social media marketing initiative in 2008.

 What attracted you to blogging?

There was really no attraction to it other than the fact that I needed a platform where I could gather information and disseminate it to a large audience and to do that, I needed to create a blogspot. On February 8, 2010, I took the bold step and created my blog.

When you started blogging, did you ever imagine you would become this big?

To be honest, I never imagined it would be this big. It was never planned because it was not like I went to school to study anything on computer science or blogging so as to become a blogger. It just happened and I used every opportunity I came across to get to where I am today.

When you started, were you ever discouraged by friends or family?

To be sincere, I was discouraged by family and friends but it paid in the long run. The only thing that kept me going was that I had to ensure that I succeeded in this endeavour and make my blog work to prove everyone who had a negative impression about my decision wrong. It was hard convincing my dad that I left accounting for blogging.

Was there ever a time you wanted to quit blogging?

There were lots of times I wanted to quit. Mondays were usually a big challenge for me and I would wonder why I was still blogging. The frustration came most times when clients owed and they would not want to pay while some would see no reason why I should get paid for a job that had been delivered. It was difficult sustaining the online business.

Did you go into blogging because you had an insight that it would be lucrative?

I had no orientation into becoming a blogger or a digital media strategist. Everything I know was through self- tutelage and hard work and to God be the glory, I keep getting better each day. I had no idea of how lucrative blogging would be until I got into the business and began to understand it.

Blogging for me became lucrative six years ago when people began to pay for posts and adverts and this made me map out advert rates.

I also make money from background take-over and other spots which can be sold to clients to place their adverts. For Google AdSense, a lot of publishers had issues with their policies so, it was difficult making money from that source.

You have written a lot of stories both good and bad about Nigerian celebrities. Has any of your posts ever pitted you against any celebrity?

Yes. There are some posts I just have self-pity on some celebrities. We have staff writers on the site now so I hardly publish on the site. I am focusing on the business aspect while writers publish on the site.

Have you ever been threatened based on a post on your blog?

No.

Whenever there is a negative story about any of your friends in the industry, do you post it on your blog?

Negative stories about my friends in the industry, I will say no.

Have you lost any valuable friendship over a story you posted on your blog?

I don’t have sleepless nights over that because people come, people go.

What has your blogging experience taught you in terms of news reporting?

I have learnt a lot in terms of news reporting since I began to blog and first on the list is to always apply work ethics while publishing. Also, one has to know the dos and don’t’s of reporting a story. It is very important to confirm your source and story before publishing. It can never be overemphasised to confirm if your story is true or just a rumour so you know which angle to take it from. Always give credits when your stories are not originally from you to avoid plagiarism also known as copy and paste.

From the feedback you get, do you feel loved or hated?

Sometimes I feel loved and sometimes hated. Everyone can’t feel loved all the time so when the hate comes, it’s a reminder to brace and love yourself. I don’t seek people’s opinions to love or hate me because I love to be myself.

So far, what is your net worth?

No answer. I can’t answer that.

What has been your most controversial post so far?

That would be the Queens’ College story we published in 2016.

Has any of your posts got you into trouble?

A lot and the recent was the story we broke online in 2016, the Queens’ College story.

How do you handle negative criticism and comments from your blog visitors?

We handle that the best way we can; over time, I have grown a thick skin.

At what point did you start making money from your blog?

We did not start making money from the blog till after two years and that was in 2012.

With such a strong presence online, did you ever wish you were as popular in real life as you are in virtual reality?

I think there is a balance to it. I love to keep my life away from the scene and just focus on work. When I am at a gathering, I don’t come out as Olorisupergal or make an announcement that I have arrived. I love to lie low and be behind the scene. If people walk up to me and ask if I am Olorisupergal, I respond mostly in the affirmative. I try to balance it all and not get caught up in the whole hype.

Blogging demands a lot of time, how many hours do you spend on your system or smartphone?

I spend an average of 18 hours online. Whenever those who know me see me, the first thing they ask for is a power bank or they say, ‘can I borrow your hot spot?’ I am always with my work kits because that is what the job demands so that you can stay online and be informed because nothing must go on without me getting to know and possibly break the news first.

How long can you stay without your smartphone and computer?

Maybe when I sleep; that’s the minimum I can allow or when it comes to special occasions that don’t allow mobile phones or laptops.

How do you feel winning a Future Award?

It was a dream come true and it’s a process in getting to the top. Everything started as a joke with a Nokia phone back then in 2008. The recognition, nominations, awards started coming in 2011 from other platforms which I appreciate for everything but this was a major award. The platform awards people in different industries and you wonder when you will get on the platform or be nominated and it happened in 2016. The category for New Media was the first on the platform after 10 years. I was really happy and I didn’t hide it because I expressed it in tears, prayer, gratitude to God and the organisers of the award. I did all I could within the short period to express how excited I was winning the New Media category at the Future Awards Africa.