3 WAYS OF RETURN OF ENGAGEMENT

I wonder if you could help me with finding new ways of getting a good return on my investment in time and energy when it comes to my social media activities. Today I got an email from Jim Kukral that got my attention, so I gave him in a ring on Skype. It was busy, so we will talk next week. I am reading his book, Attention! This Book Will Make You Money: How to Use Attention-Getting Online Marketing to Increase Your Revenue, at the moment and I want to conduct a podcast interview with him sometime in the future.

I want to engage my visitors, readers, listeners and fellow bloggers in a more active way in the future. I also want get more social media worklife engagements in the long run.

I have tested different advertising programs, but it haven't generated much money yet. It is more like coffee / tea / beer [Editor's note: insert your favorite beverage here.] money... At the moment I am evaluating PopAds and ValueClick Media advertisements.



I joined Forbes Business & Finance Blog Network some years ago, and I have to check the status of the network powered by Adify. I will contact some old advertisers, e.g. Body in Mind, regarding the new ad alternatives by Blogads.

I have also tried different tip-jar systems, but it seems to be hard to motivate people to donate a small sum of money on a regular basis. Recently I tested Flattr, but it is an inactive feature on my blog at the moment.

The third way to get financial support is to get sponsors for your social media activities. I am searching for companies and organizations with products and services that could fit my work as a social media enthusiast and at the same time be of interest to my readers and listeners. I have some things in mind, but you are more than welcome to give me tips and suggestions on stuff that you think could be a perfect match.

How do you increase the rate of ROI and ROE? What do you think about affiliate and referral marketing?

Related articles

• Book Review: Attention! This Book Will Make You Money: How To Use Attention-Getting Online Marketing to Increase Your Revenue by Jim F. Kukral (blogcritics.org)
• Review: Attention! This Book Will Make You Money (networksolutions.com)

UPDATE 11/27/10:

Check out the comments on my post on BizSugar.

THANKSGIVING AND VIRGINIA GOLD DIGGERS

Image via Wikipedia

How will you celebrate Thanksgiving? I will read a passage of David Price's book, Love and Hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and the Heart of a New Nation and send a mental thank-you note to the "gold diggers" of Virginia Company and founders of Jamestown.

In order to get in the right holiday spirit, please read the following excerpt from Debi Ghate's article, An American Holiday: The Moral Meaning Behind Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to recognize what we are truly grateful for, to appreciate and celebrate the fruits of our labor: our wealth, health, relationships and material things--all the values we most selfishly cherish. We should thank researchers who have made certain cancers beatable, gourmet chefs at our favorite restaurants, authors whose books made us rethink our lives, financiers who developed revolutionary investment strategies and entrepreneurs who created fabulous online stores. We should thank ourselves and those individuals who make our lives more comfortable and enjoyable--those who help us live the much-coveted American dream. (Capitalism Magazine, November 22, 2010.)

I want to start out and thank my fellow bloggers, readers and listeners, by quoting my post, THANKS FOR GIVING EGO SUPPORT:

On this Thanksgiving day I want to thank my fellow bloggers and readers who have giving me support regarding my post, COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK. I appreciate your comments very much and I value our exchange of ideas and thoughts.  (EGO, November 25, 2004.)

I want to continue to thank the following individuals:

Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends (including Small Business Trends Radio and BizSugar) for her kind words and support during these years.

@Lyceum @BizSugar Thank YOU, Martin! You're one of the first bloggers I ever "met," and now 7 years later we still converse. (Twitter, 9:07 PM Nov 11th via web in reply to Lyceum)

Palle Frid Svensson & C.S. for inviting me to their business venture, TeaParty.nu.

Kalle Blomqvist for inviting me to his NetZpider Network as a social media enthusiast.

Martin Dagger for inviting me to his Fitness Date Club as a guest blogger and his offer to give me personal training tips.

Robert Palotas for introducing me to BNI (Business Network International).

David Stiernholm for giving me inspiration to create my F.I.X IT! productivity method.

Happy Thanksgiving! Cox & Forkum, November 22, 2006.

Related articles

• Where Pocahontas Said, 'I Do' (online.wsj.com)
• Pocahontas's Wedding Chapel Found at Jamestown (news.nationalgeographic.com)

VETERANS DAY

How did you commemorate Veterans Day? Check out the cartoon from 2004 by Cox & Forkum.

Related articles

• Constituents talk Veterans Day on congressman's Facebook page (thehill.com)

FEELING ALIVE DURING HALLOWEEN

How did you celebrate Halloween? I had a flaming shot called Blackout (Sambuca, Unicum and three coffee beans) and some strips of beef jerky made with Blair's Sudden Death hot sauce.

Learn about Halloween words with Marina of Hot For Words. 



A year ago I wrote a post on the start of my new business venture. I am happy to say that things are going in the right direction... We will publish the tea site in the near future and you will be able to follow along our journey, e.g., through a business plan competition starting in November.

Related: My post, HALLOWEEN WITH BLACK CATS, PUMPKINS AND DEVILED EGGS.

Related articles

• Quirky Jerky (online.wsj.com)
• A passel of Halloween pumpkins (dontmesswithtaxes.typepad.com)

GOT TEA PARTY ON NOVEMBER 2?

Do you think we could get a tea party on November 2? [Editor's note: The post title is a wordplay for my site, GOT-Tea-Party.com] Read Matt Frei's posts, Can America be fixed? and Would Tea Partiers be happier in Britain? Please check out Dr. Leonard Peikoff's recommendation for the election. Here is an excerpt from Scott Holleran's post, Blanking Out with Jon Stewart:

Now the nothing worshippers are having a rally about nothing, conveniently timed as a sort of counterstrike against those idealistic Tea Party activists who care deeply, passionately, and openly about America and have no shame in saying so. (ScottHolleran.com, October 29, 2010.)

I have included The Obameter widget by PolitiFact.com in this post.

Related articles

• Major Media Far More Interested in Jon Stewart's Rally Than Glenn Beck's (newsbusters.org)
• Jon Stewart rally: top 10 placards? (guardian.co.uk)

UPDATE 10/31/10:

Shovel Ready

UPDATE 11/03/10:

Reading material:

• Tea Party Movement Is Europe’s Latest Anti-American Bogeyman by Soeren Kern.
• GOP: Dance With The One Who Brung You by Paul Hsieh.
• Election Results by Scott Holleran.

Behind The Trigger

PAGEVIEWS AND POPULAR POSTS

I have added pageviews and a list of popular posts to the right column. According to Google, EGO blog had 19,199 pageviews last month. The ten most popular posts are at the moment:

• When Starting Your Startup, Don't Count on Anyone to Help You - Except You
• EGO ONLINE STORE
• SUPPORT TAIWAN IN THE OLYMPICS
• Why Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should Stop Planning and Start Doing
• RELIGION OF PEACE
• NEO-NATIONAL SOCIALISTS AND MILITANT ISLAMISTS
• PERSIAN CAT
• INDEPENDENCE DAY
• FORWARD STRATEGY OF FREEDOM
• INTERVIEW WITH JOHN COX & ALLEN FORKUM

INTERVIEW WITH BARRY MOLTZ

Listen to my interview with Barry Moltz. You could subscribe to the RSS feed (iTunes) and download the audio file (MP3).

Listen to internet radio with Lyceum1776 on Blog Talk Radio

I will update the post with a timeline with show notes in the near future.

Related articles

• Barry Moltz: What's Your Bio, What's Your Brand, What's Your Promise: #BWE10 (downtheavenue.com)
• Customer service in a self-service world with Barry Moltz Read more: Customer service in a self-service world with Barry Moltz - Washington Business Journal (networksolutions.com)

TIME TO HARVEST

Message from Morris the cat:

With ten weeks left of 2010, it is time to harvest...

Related: My post, THREE KEYWORDS FOR 2010 and The Law of Seed in Social Media Marketing by Mary Grace Ignacio.

INTERVIEW WITH JEAN MORONEY

Listen to my interview with Jean Moroney. You could subscribe to the RSS feed (iTunes) and download the audio file (MP3).

Listen to internet radio with Lyceum1776 on Blog Talk Radio

I will update the post with a timeline with show notes in the near future.

(~01:00) Bio. introduction.

(~03:00) The Ayn Rand Institute.

(~04:00) Thinking Tactics.

(~05:00) I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It and Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want by Barbara Sher. The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success by Nicholas Lore.

(~11:00) Thinking on Paper. "Write out your thoughts in full sentences on paper."

(~12:00) Jean Moroney: "Name four planets."

...

(~20:00) Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen.

(~23:00) Weekly review. Moleskine (The Economist). Mind mapping, Tony Buzan.

(~29:00) Trader Principle. "Trader Manifesto."

...

(~41:00) Dr. Leonard Peikoff and writing books.

(~42:00) Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love by Jonathan Fields.

(~43:00) TJ Walker's Secret to Foolproof Presentations by TJ Walker.

(~47:00) Jump Start Your Thinking Teleclass.

...

(~50:00) Future guests: Ellen Kenner, Catherine Dickerson, Dianne Durante.

(~53:00) ThinkingDirections.com - newsletter - 1 h teleclass.

...

REFLECTIONS ON THE SWEDISH ELECTION

It is about a month since the Swedish election. I have mixed feelings about the outcome. In a way, I am happy that Mevin, the octopus got it right, but I don't like that the "dark forces" have entered the arena of mainstream politics. The collectivists have now >10% of the votes. I did warn about this scenario...

It is scary that the "Feminist Initiative" is getting support from Jane Fonda, and that an anti-immigration party is starting to get closer to the 4% level. I am thinking of sending out a signal to these elements, by "personal voting" for a specific candidate who is in favor of immigration and have no problem to let beautiful women in bikinis attend his personal campaign kick-off... Thanks to my friend, Bengt-Ake Harrysson, for mentioning Göran Lindblad. Read Göran Lindblad's speech (The Crimes of Communism Should be Condemned) at the National Press Club. The candidate is ranked highly by the Federation of Private Enterprises. (EGO, PERSONAL VOTING, September 16, 2006.)

In the news:

• Obama calls Swedish prime minister after election - AFP.
• Sweden: Election prompts soul-searching - GlobalPost.
• Record number appeal Swedish election result - The Local.

Related: My post four years ago, REFLECTIONS ON THE SWEDISH ELECTION. Book & web site recommendation: Politik 2.0 ("Politics 2.0").