Entrepreneur Blog » tips and tricks

Top 50 Social Media Blogs of 2011

Evan Carmichael — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:22:08 +0000

Social media is not just about setting up a page for your company on Facebook, or creating a personal profile on LinkedIn. Social media is reshaping business as usual, and determining new ways of reaching out to consumers that were never possible before.

The marketing and advertising industry has already been turned on its head by social media. If you want your company to ride this wave into the future, you need to get into the surf now!

Check out these Top 50 Social Media Blogs of 2011 and learn from the best in the field the tips and tricks you need to make sure your company is making its presence known.

You can see last year’s list here.

Social Media and Technology

Zee Kane, The Next Web

1) The Next Web

http://thenextweb.com/- In January 2008, The Next Web blog launched as a spin-off to the Next Web Conference in 2008. Over the last few years this site has grown into one of the world’s leading technology blogs. Led by Editor in Chief Zee Kane, the blog is currently ranked in the top 10 most influential blogs in the world according to Technorati.

2) ReadWriteWeb

http://www.readwriteweb.com/ - ReadWriteWeb is one of the most popular technology blogs in the world, known for offering insightful analysis about each day’s Internet industry news. Their readers are smart, tech savvy, engaged, decision makers; 46% have “significant input” or “make final information technology purchase decisions.”

3) Web Strategy

http://www.web-strategist.com/blog - As a Web Strategist, Jeremiah Owyang strives to deliver insight on disruptive technologies and their impact on how companies communicate with their customers. Since starting this blog in 2006, it has become recognized as a top analyst blog within the industry by Edelman’s Technobabble.

4) Enbeeone3

http://enbeeone3.com/- Enbeeone3.com is Nirajan Bom Malla’s personal blog , where he shares about technology related posts. Here you can find the latest reviews of websites/gadgets , Tips, Resources and How to’s on topics related to technology and business.

5) The Sociable

http://sociable.com/- Founded in September 2010, The Sociable is a progressive online publication focusing on technology news and analysis, as well as covering other topics such as social media.

6) Chris Brogan

http://chrisbrogan.com/- Chris Brogan consults and speaks professionally with Fortune 100 and 500 companies like PepsiCo, General Motors, Microsoft, and more, on the future of business communications, and social software technologies. His blog offers tips from his over 11 years experience in online community, social media, and related technologies.

Social Media 101

Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner

7) Social Media Examiner

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/ - Social Media Examiner, the world’s largest online social media magazine, is designed to help businesses discover how to best use social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn to connect with customers, generate more brand awareness and increase sales.

8) Social Media Explorer

http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/- Social Media Explorer is a leading platform for insights, opinion and learning around the world of social media marketing, online communications, conversational marketing, digital marketing, public relations, community building and branding. It is owned, co-authored and edited by Jason Falls, a leading educator, public speaker and thinker in the world of digital marketing and social media.

9) Brian Solis

http://www.briansolis.com/- Brian Solis is globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has studied and influenced the effects of emerging media on business, marketing, publishing, and culture. His blog is a good industry reference guide for businesses to build and measure success in the social web.

10) SocialMedia.Biz

http://www.socialmedia.biz/- Socialmedia.biz provides consulting, creates social media strategies and runs campaigns for major brands and mid-size companies. Since 2004, their world-class team of experts has been helping companies become social businesses. Get all of their tips here!

11) Soshable

http://soshable.com/- According to the folks behind Soshable, every day another innovative use or important application emerges that can change lives from the most minute detail up to influencing the events of the world. Their goal is to analyze these things and offer a fresh insight into the structures and people that drive the engagements.

12) Smedio

http://smedio.com/- Founded in January 2010, Smedio is the new media and social web guide for businesses and marketers. Their aim is to continuously define the business value of new media and the social web by equiping you with the needed insight and innovative ideas to help your business grow even more, using technology, new media, and the social web by bringing you useful breaking news, latest trends and techniques that you can use immediately.

13) We Are Social

http://wearesocial.net/- We Are Social is a new kind of agency, but conversations between people are nothing new. Neither is the idea that ‘markets are conversations’. They help brands to listen, understand and engage in conversations in social media.

14) Convince & Convert

http://www.convinceandconvert.com/- Blogger Jay Baer is a hype-free social media and content strategist and speaker. His company – Convince & Convert – works with companies to build integrated, measurable social and content programs. He’s worked with more than 700 brands since 1994. Follow his blog to let him help you too!

15) Chris Pirillo

http://chris.pirillo.com/- Chris Pirillo is a self-proclaimed Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Chris Pirillo has been participating in Internet conversations since 1992. See everything that he’s learned here!

16) Kyle Lacy

http://kylelacy.com/- Kyle Lacy has quickly built a reputation for an excellent in-depth understanding of the application of social and digital media for businesses and organizations. Recognized both locally and globally for his knowledge of social media, he has currently trained over 175 companies and organizations across the world. This is his personal blog.

17) Social Media Influence

http://socialmediainfluence.com/- Social Media Influence provides intelligence and analysis for business professionals looking to understand and navigate the ever-evolving world of online communication. Social Media Influence runs one of the longest-established social media conferences, publishes industry reports and best practice white papers for social media practitioners as well as providing social media training and consultancy.

18) Social Media Club

http://www.socialmediaclub.org/- Chris Heuer and Kristie Wells started Social Media Club in March 2006 to host conversations around the globe that explore key issues facing our society as technologies transform the way we connect, communicate, collaborate and relate to each other. Social Media Club’s primary mission is to expand digital media literacy, promote standard technologies, encourage ethical behavior and share best practices.

19) Social Media Blog

http://www.britopian.com/- This Social Media Blog offers insights into social business and real time community engagement. Blogger Michael Brito believes that marketing can be evil at times; but if done right, it can drive customer loyalty and brand advocacy. He also believes that marketers and communication professionals need to spend more time listening and taking action – less time talking. Listen in here!

20) Stowe Boyd

http://www.stoweboyd.com/- Stowe Boyd is an internationally recognized authority on social tools and their impact on media, business, and society. He is best known for his commentary on the social revolution at www.stoweboyd.com, and his public speaking on his research on work media, social business, the social web, publicy, social cognition, and networked identity.

21) Develop Socially

http://www.developsocially.com/- There is a lot of talk about the ‘theory’ of social media and if it’s going to stick around. Samantha Collier and Justin Brackett are in the school of thought that it’s already main stream and that it’s not going anywhere. They created this website with the hopes of it becoming one central place to discuss how real people and businesses are using social media. They want to give you the tools necessary to actually start using social media instead of convincing you it’s necessary.

22) Brendan Cooper

http://brendancooper.com/- Brendan Cooper is a social media strategist who helps clients win business, win awards and talk to people through compelling, direct, dynamic copy and social media strategy. He has been helping people to communicate, online and offline, for over fifteen years. His personal blogs offers his lessons and advice from those years of experience.

23) Socialize Me

http://www.lbenitez.com/- Luis Benitez is a Social Software Product Manager at IBM and an Social Business/Enterprise 2.0 enthusiast who simply loves the whole concept of innovating. He helps companies understand and implement Enterprise 2.0/Social Business solutions all over the world.

Industry Insights

Daniel Roth, The LinkedIn Blog

24) The LinkedIn Blog

http://blog.linkedin.com/- Editor Daniel Roth manages this blog that offers industry insights from one of the biggest social media players around, LinkedIn.

25) Conversation Agent

http://www.conversationagent.com/- Business strategist and blogger Valeria Maltoni is an in-demand speaker at conferences and organizations. Valeria interacts with audiences on business topics: From the fundamentals of building long-lasting customer relationships and influence, to the latest trends in using social media.

26) Neville Hobson

http://www.nevillehobson.com/- NevilleHobson.com is at the intersection of business, communication and technology. Sometimes, it’s a collision. Neville is a communicator, blogger and podcaster based in the UK, who is also an entrepreneur, early adopter (and leaver) and experimenter with digital technologies; and an occasional test pilot of shiny new objects.

Social Media and Marketing

Danny Brown

27) Danny Brown

http://dannybrown.me/ – This blog talks about everything from social media, PR and marketing to making the most of the various online tools and communities. It’s aimed at everyone.

28) TopRank Blog

http://www.toprankblog.com/- TopRank Online Marketing is a digital marketing agency founded by Lee Odden and Susan Misukanis that helps companies increase sales, brand visibility online and develop better customer engagement. They specialize in content based customer acquisition and relationship programs that emphasize social media marketing, search engine optimization and email marketing. Get all of their tips here!

29) Buzzom

http://buzzom.com/ – Buzzom is a platform to explore and share the what, why and how of social media marketing. Get insight into latest social media trends, get tips on using social media tools like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and learn from experts about what it takes to build a buzz around your brand.

30) SmartBlog on Social Media

http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia- This SmartBlog on Social Media offers best practices and case studies on social media marketing for businesses.

31) Pam Moore

http://www.pammarketingnut.com/ - Pam Moore is a social media and marketing speaker, author, coach, trainer and consultant. She helps business leaders find their passion and use it to inspire and connect with target audiences to nurture authentic customer relationships with relevant communications and innovative, integrated marketing tactics that fuel business growth and sustainability. This is her personal blog.

32) F.A.D.S.

http://www.spinsucks.com/ - The team at Arment Dietrich manages this blog to provide expert information and advice on current issues and trends surrounding marketing, communication, social media, entrepreneurship, search engine optimization, and advertising.

33) The Future Buzz

http://thefuturebuzz.com/ - The Future Buzz is a blog about web marketing/PR strategies, spreading buzz in the social web and building long-term visibility for your brand, business, and art in a fragmented media society. Bloggers, marketers, freelance writers, entrepreneurs, artists, small business owners and public relations professionals will all benefit from the content here.

34) Diva Marketing

http://bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/ - Diva Marketing offers an approach to marketing that’s fun, bold and savvy…but always strategically aligned with your brand’s perspective.

35) PR-Squared

http://pr-squared.com/- Blogger Todd Defren is recognized globally as a Social Media & Public Relations innovator, thinker and lecturer. PR-Squared is routinely among the top 20 blogs on AdAge’s Power150.

36) Progressive Media Concepts

http://progressivemediaconcepts.com/blog/- Progressive Media Concepts offers a wide variety of social media services for small to medium-sized businesses. PMC works with companies to design a social media campaigns that best fits their goals. Find all of their advice here!

37) Blog Cubed

http://www.smcubedconsulting.com/- SM Cubed consulting is a professional and experienced social media firm that focuses on building business through building relationships. Find all of their tips on maximizing your social media here.

Social Media News

Pete Cashmore, Mashable!

38) Mashable!

http://mashable.com/ - Mashable is the largest independent news source dedicated to covering digital culture, social media and technology. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world.

39) Social Times

http://www.socialtimes.com/ - Social Times offers all of the latest up to the minute social media news.

40) The FASTForward Blog

http://www.fastforwardblog.com/- The FASTForward Blog is an Enterprise 2.0 Blog. It offers news, coverage & commentary on all things social media.

41) Online Social Media

http://www.onlinesocialmedia.net/- Online Social Media was started with the specific aim to provide readers with news focused exclusively on Social Media, and Web 2.0 technology. They report on new Social Media services and Web sites, publish breaking news and offer social media guides and resources.

42) Fastgush

http://fastgush.com/- Started in April 2010 with the sole purpose of providing readers with the social media news, Fastgush has emerged as one of the leading source of information on social media. The blog writes about social networking sites, social media startups, social media marketing and social media trends.

Social Media At Work

Jackie Cohen, All Facebook

43) All Facebook

http://www.allfacebook.com/ – AllFacebook.com launched in May, 2007. The blog covers Facebook and everyone who uses it, both individuals and companies; they provide advice, news and analysis.

44) Inside Facebook

http://www.insidefacebook.com/- Inside Facebook is the leading source of news and analysis on Facebook’s global growth, corporate developments, and product innovations. Inside Facebook provides daily news and analysis for developers, marketers, and investors.

Blogging For Business

Darren Rowse, ProBlogger

45) ProBlogger

http://www.problogger.net/ - Veteran Blogger Darren Rowse is the man behind ProBlogger, a blog that helps bloggers to add income streams to their blogs.

46) CopyBlogger

http://www.copyblogger.com/ - People want valuable online content, so compelling content becomes your advertising. Delivering quality online content is the smartest strategy for growing an authoritative website and your business, so it’s your copywriting and content marketing skills that will set you apart for success. Copyblogger is all about helping you do just that!

47) Shoutmeloud

http://www.shoutmeloud.com/ - Shoutmeloud is a community blog that primarily focuses on Blogging, Making Money Online, WordPress, Affiliate marketing, Web 2.0, Internet tools and Search Engine Optimization.

48) For Bloggers, By Bloggers

http://bestbloggingtipsonline.com/ - At For Bloggers, By Bloggers you’ll find some of the best blogging tips online to help you with your blogging needs. It can be hard to stand out – and that’s why For Bloggers, By Bloggers and their own resource of blogging tips was born.

49) Blogging PRWeb

http://www.bloggingprweb.com/ – Blogging PRWeb is a service to help keep customers, partners and friends informed about the latest PRWeb developments. The focus of this blog is on new product features and services.

50) Kikolani

http://kikolani.com/ - Kikolani is about the art of blogging – blogging tips, social networking strategies, and other useful information to help bloggers become more successful in blogging.

Grab the Badge

The Top 50 Productivity Blogs To Watch in 2010

Evan Carmichael — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:30:32 +0000

We all have the same 24 hours in every day. So how come some people seem to do so much more with their time than others? The answer comes down to productivity. Making the most with what you have, whether that be time, energy or resources, is one of the keys to business success.

As small business owners, it’s even more important for us to manage our time and efforts if we want to stay in the game. But that doesn’t necessarily mean doing more. Entrepreneurs need to learn to master the work-life balance so they don’t burnout before the game even gets going. Check out the Top 50 Productivity Blogs to Watch in 2010 for tips on getting organized, becoming more productive at both home and work, and creating the life you want for yourself!

You can also view last year’s list here.

Life Hacks

Adam Pash, Lifehacker

1) Lifehacker

http://lifehacker.com/ - Lifehacker is an award-winning daily blog that features tips, shortcuts, and downloads that help you get things done smarter and more efficiently. Lifehacker launched in January 2005, and now ranks as one of the top-linked blogs on the internet according to Technorati.

2) Lifehacker Australia

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/ - Lifehacker Australia is a technology blog with a slightly different way of looking at the world. They see technology as a shortcut to life. When they look at products, software or gadgets, they stop and ask – how does this make my work or play faster, more efficient, and more fun?

3) Stepcase Lifehack

http://www.lifehack.org/ - This site is dedicated to lifehacks – hacks, tips and tricks that get things done quickly by automating, increase productivity and organizing. Follow blogger Leon Ho on his trip.

4) Marc and Angel Hack Life

http://www.marcandangel.com/ - At “Marc and Angel Hack Life”, they enjoy sharing practical thoughts on a broad range of topics pertaining to life, hacks, productivity, aspirations, health, work, tech and general self improvement.

Getting Things Done

Leo Babauta, Zen Habits

5) Zen Habits

http://zenhabits.net/ - Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It is about clearing the clutter so you can focus on what’s important, create something amazing, find happiness. It also happens to be one of the Top 100 blogs in the world, with more than 175K readers.

6) Lateral Action

http://lateralaction.com/ – It is not enough to be productive if what you produce does not make a difference. Maybe it is time to stop just getting things done. And start focusing on doing things that really matter. That’s how creative entrepreneurs operate. That’s Lateral Action.

7) GTD Times

http://www.gtdtimes.com/ - GTD stands for Getting Things Done. That is the title of David Allen’s blog, which offers personal experience with tools and GTD-supportive technology, as well as GTD tips, tricks and strategies to help each of us lead happier, healthier, and more successful lives.

Productivity At Work

Om Malik, WebWorkerDaily

8) WebWorkerDaily

http://webworkerdaily.com/ - WebWorkerDaily was launched by GigaOM’s Om Malik in September 2006 and is written by a growing team of writers who cover the future of work in a post-broadband world. They offer practical tips and advice for anyone who uses the web for work, especially those who want to use the web to be more productive, more connected and more successful than they could otherwise.

9) N2Growth

http://www.n2growth.com/blog/ - N2Growth is where CEOs come to grow. Coach Mike Myatt offers CEO Coaching, Leadership Development and Personal Branding tips.

10) Workplace Learning Today

http://www.brandon-hall.com/workplacelearningtoday - Workplace Learning Today is a daily blog on workplace learning from Brandon Hall Research that provides readers with a daily summary of news, events, commentary, and research on all aspects of workplace learning, including training and development, performance support, job aids, learning technologies, talent management, organizational learning, and adult education.

11) All Things Workplace

http://www.allthingsworkplace.com/ - A former Drill Instructor with the U.S. Army, Steve Roesler teaches smart people practical ways to become extraordinary in his blog, All Things Workplace.

12) Productivity Bits

http://www.productivitybits.com/ - Marlon Ribunal blogs about productivity and GTD hacks. From working remotely to finding a mentor, you’ll find here the tips you need to make yourself more productive at work.

Getting Organized

Laura, Organized Junkie

13) I’m an Organizing Junkie

http://orgjunkie.com/ - Blogger Laura is a self-proclaimed organizing junkie. This blog is dedicated to her love of all things to do with organizing (especially containers). She chronicles the life of an organizing addict and attempts to get others hooked along with her.

14) Unclutterer

http://unclutterer.com/ - Unclutterer is the blog about getting and staying organized. A place for everything, and everything in its place is their gospel.

15) Organizing Your Way

http://www.organizingyourway.net/ - At Organizing Your Way, blogger Mandi looks at a different Weekly Hot Spot and the various methods and systems for organizing that area of your life. She shares Time Management methods, Quick Tips, Frugal Organization ideas and Product Reviews.

16) Ian’s Messy Desk

http://www.ismckenzie.com/ - Ian McKenzie is the voice behind Ian’s Messy Desk. Blogging since 2001, this particular one helps you get the most out of the 24 hours in your day.

17) 1-2-3…Get Organized

http://1-2-3getorganized.blogspot.com/ - Blogger Beverly Coggin’s passions are to help you make home a refuge instead of a crisis center, and to help you function in peace rather than chaos – at home or at work. Find out how on her blog.

18) Complete Organizing Solutions

http://completeorganizingsolutions.com/ – As founder and “chief organizing officer” of Complete Organizing Solutions, it is Tanna’s mission to help people reach their organizing potential. She has spent years researching and implementing organizing ideas and testing them out on friends and family. Now it’s your turn!

19) The Interval Blog

http://www.myintervals.com/blog/ - Struggling with tracking time? Drowning in a sea of task and project details? You are in the right place. The Intervals Blog is a project management and time tracking blog for web designers and small business run by co-founders John Reeve and Michael Payne.

20) Get Organized!

http://getorganizedtips.blogspot.com/ - To get organized is to make purposeful decisions about your life. It’s not just an action here or there; it’s really about a lifestyle. This blog provides organizing solutions – tips, tools, products, websites, fun facts – all to help you find the motivation and know-how to get organized and stay organized.

21) The Time Finder

http://thetimefinder.com/ - Paula Eder is a life coach and executive and organizational consultant, a distance learning specialist and writer of articles and now a blogger! She works with people to recognize and help facilitate the small time choices that lead to large, life changes because the way you use your time is the way you live your life!

Productivity Through Technology

Judie Lipsett Stanford, Gear Diary

22) Gear Diary

http://www.geardiary.com/ - Judie Lipsett started Gear Diary on September 30, 2006, and her goal was that this not be an easily labeled site. We all have gear that we use daily – some of it electronic and some of it organic. She thinks it is fascinating to explore the equipment that makes our lives easier, more entertaining, more productive, and more manageable.

23) Popwuping

http://www.popwuping.com/ - Today, mobility represents more than movement. This blog is a guide to the design and culture of mobility. Find out about the gear you need to get ahead.

24) OfficeSupplyGeek

http://officesupplygeek.com/ - Blogger Brian Green finds himself obsessively fascinated by office supplies, especially pens, fountain pens, and notebooks. He hopes that his news and reviews on cool office supplies keep you interested and coming back for ways to be new, innovative, and to stay productive.

Lifestyle Design

Jay White, Dumb Little Man

25) Dumb Little Man

http://www.dumblittleman.com/ - In this blog’s infancy, Jay White would personally write about his experiences, sites and resources that he found helpful. As his sales career expanded and his writing time diminished, he decided to open the door and allow anyone to share stories or publish tips and advice. Join the club.

26) The Happiness Project

http://happiness-project.com/ - The Happiness Project is a memoir of the year Gretchen Rubin spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happy. As one of the hundreds of happiness experiments she conducted during the research and writing of the book, she started this blog. Here, she recounts her daily adventures in pursuit of happiness.

27) The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog - Tim Ferriss, nominated as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People of 2007,” is an angel investor and author of the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and BusinessWeek bestseller, The 4-Hour Workweek. This blog is one of Inc. Magazine’s “19 Blogs You Should Bookmark Right Now.” Check it out now.

28) The Art of Nonconformity

http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/ - This site features unconventional ideas for remarkable people, and is written for artists of all kinds, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in changing the world. If you’ve ever felt like “there must be more” to life, this blog is for you.

29) LifeClever ;-)

http://www.lifeclever.com/ - This is Chanpory Rith’s personal site on how to live and work better as a designer. He’s a designer, but not an expert, rock star, or guru. He just wants to share his obsession with design, productivity, and ways to live better.

30) Life Optimizer

http://www.lifeoptimizer.org/ - Author Donald Latumahina believes many people (him included) live below their maximum potential. The problem here is they do not optimize their life. There are aspects of their life which can be made better and more effective than they are now. Life Optimizer is about living your life to the fullest.

31) LifeDev

http://lifedev.net/ - Anyone can have an idea. Making the idea actually happen is a whole other challenge. Read Glen Stansberry’s blog about helping creative people create.

Personal Productivity

John Wesley, PickTheBrain

32) PickTheBrain

http://pickthebrain.com/blog - PickTheBrain.com is a website dedicated to self improvement with a focus on personal productivity, motivation, and self education. The first article was published to PickTheBrain.com on November 22, 2006. Since then it has become one of the fastest growing self improvement sites on the web.

33) The Berkun Blog

http://www.scottberkun.com/ - Scott Berkun is a best-selling author and “kick-ass speaker”. He writes books and essays, lectures at Fortune 500 companies and top universities on creativity, management and a fun mix of everything else. Follow him on his blog.

34) SimpleProductivityBlog

http://www.simpleproductivityblog.com/ - LJ Earnest is a blogger who has been fascinated with doing things better for a long time. She’s always on the lookout for new ways to be productive and simplify her life. Follow her journey on her blog.

35) Mindjet Blog

http://blog.mindjet.com/ - Mindjet provides collaboration and personal productivity advice that visually connect ideas, information and people to save time, improve business processes and drive innovation. Check their blog to find the tools to succeed with almost any business or personal productivity challenge.

36) 43 Folders

http://www.43folders.com/ - 43 Folders is focused on an arc about how to improve the quality of your career and life by managing your attention in a way that allows you to work your ass off on the creative projects that matter most to you.

37) Productivity501

http://www.productivity501.com/ - Productivity501 is a site dedicated to bringing you regular tips and tricks to help increase your personal productivity. This site focuses on original content so the publication schedule is a little slower than other blogs out there, averaging one new article each week.

38) Learn This

http://learnthis.ca/ - Learning things about life, career, leadership, and relationships are very important to Mike King for home, business and the spiritual world. Most of those things he learned or started to learn from someone else and this site allows him to provide that same unique place that he can share, teach and give back again to others.

39) The Productivity Pro Blog

http://www.theproductivitypro.com/blog/ - The Productivity Pro Laura Stack blogs about Time Management, Getting Things Done, and How to Be More Productive.

Personal Development

Steve, Brip Blap

40) Brip Blap

http://www.bripblap.com/ - Work, wealth and life success – Brip Blap is Steve Schoenly’s blog about everything from making career choices to finding inspiration to living the fullest life you can. Check it out.

41) Self Empower Magazine

http://selfempowermagazine.com/ - Self Empower Magazine publishes free, useful and empowering content designed to help you solve specific problems within the 3 core areas of your life – your health, your wealth and your happiness.

42) Brilliantly Better

http://www.dragosroua.com/ - This blog is a continuous story about all the crossroads Dragos Roua wants to overcome, to solve, to discover, to find, to explain, to understand, to build, to create, to share or to complete, in order for his travels to be as fulfilling as possible. Follow the journey and learn for yourself.

43) Abundance Blog

http://abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com/ – Meet Marelisa. In her blog you’ll find tips and resources to help you increase your creativity, be more productive, and get the most out of life.

44) Steve Pavlina’s Personal Development Blog

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog - Steve Pavlina is widely recognized as one of the most successful personal development bloggers on the Internet. He has written more than 1000 articles and recorded many audio programs on a broad range of self-help topics, including productivity, relationships, and spirituality. Get his tips on his blog.

45) Change Your Thoughts

http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/ - Change Your Thoughts is a place to visit to help you try and change your thinking patterns, behaviors, beliefs and thought processes to live the life you were truly born to live.

46) David Seah’s Journal

http://davidseah.com/ - David Seah specializes in simplifying complexity with informational graphics, documents, and interactive programs. Put more personally, his work revolves around making sense of the world, using his writing, programming, and graphic design skills to create clarity from confusion. Read his thoughts on his blog.

47) Success Begins Today

http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress - Having an intense interest in personal development, John Richardson enjoys reading and writing about the subject. His goal with this blog is to take what he has learned and turn it into tools and concepts that you can use in your daily life. If he can save you time, help you become more productive, or find ways to help you organize your life, his goal will have succeeded.

48) Sid Savara

http://sidsavara.com/ - Sid Savara offers his writings on Personal Development, Maximizing Productivity and Life Hacking. Follow his blog to achieve your goals more effectively with analysis driven personal development.

49) The Positivity Blog

http://www.positivityblog.com/ - The Positivity Blog is focused on positivity and opening up new possibilities for happiness and awesomeness through motivating and practical articles on how to improve your life.

50) Careerealism

http://www.careerealism.com/ - This blog provides daily career advice served up in an original, refreshingly real manner. The conventional job search tactics are no longer valuable in today’s job market. Every article you read on their website will put you one step closer to be in a position to own career success.

Grab the Badge

The Top 50 Get Out of Debt Blogs To Watch in 2010

Evan Carmichael — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:40:07 +0000

Whether poring over your monthly budget is your idea of a fun Friday night, or whether the mere mention of the ‘B’ word sends you running for the hills, managing money is something we all have to come to grips with at some point in our lives. And, for the sake of our long-term happiness and security, the earlier we start paying attention to our own personal finances, the better. But you don’t have to go it alone.

Here at EvanCarmichael.com, we’ve compiled a list of 50 of the most popular blogs online that deal with eliminating debt, increasing savings, investing your money, and getting into a healthy financial state of being. Learn the tips and tricks you need to start living a debt-free and prosperous life in 2010!

Check out our list at http://www.evancarmichael.com/Tools/Top-50-Debt-Blogs-To-Watch-In-2010.htm

Comments and thoughts are appreciated as always! Are there any blogs you would add to the list?

AdSense Day at Google’s Headquarters

Evan Carmichael — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:51:34 +0000

Last week I got an amazing opportunity from Google – they invited me and some of the other top Canadian AdSense publishers to their Toronto head office to discuss AdSense tips and tricks as well as preview new changes that are coming to the AdSense program.

We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside their offices so above is a picture of me standing in their lobby! I really wanted to take a photo of the gourmet lunch they served us and the wall of free snacks, drinks and candies that they made available to their staff and guests (not to mention the Rock Band setup in one of the breakout rooms).

I’m bound by a non-disclosure agreement and am not able to share with you today some of the new AdSense features that are in development (which are very very cool!) but I can mention some of the strategies that the Google team suggested using to maximize the revenue entrepreneurs can make with AdSense. Many of the suggestions I’ve touched on already or will discuss in my From $0.30 to $300 / Day on Google AdSense series but it’s always good to hear it straight from Google.

Here are some of the tips:

Use AdSense for Search

AdSense for Search typically has much higher eCPMs than regular placements on your site so use search and make it visible! It will not only make for a better user experience for your visitors (they can find the content they are looking for), it can also make you more money!

Look At Your Ad Units

Not all ad units are created equal and the data shows that the #1 money producing ad unit is the 300 x 250 rectangle. #2 is the 728 x 90 leaderboard and #3 is the 160 x 600 skyscraper.

Focus On Ad Location

Put the horizontal ad units (like the 728 x 90 leaderboard) in the content itself and not at the top of the page. People expect to see ads at the top of the page so they won’t click on them if you put them there. If your ads are embedded within the content you’ll get a much higher click through rate. This goes for the other ad units as well – if you want a high number of clicks put them into the content itself and not outside the content.

Aim for 1-5% Click Through Rate (CTR)

According to Google’s data, a 1-5% click through rate is “healthy” – if you’re below that range you should be better optimizing your units to pull in more money.

Use Link Units

I haven’t been a big advocate of using link units because they don’t generate anywhere near the results of the regular ad units (from my experience) but the Google team pointed out that the people who click on link units have a different profile than those who click on the regular ad units. In other words you’re not losing money by people clicking on the link units which pay out less because they wouldn’t be clicking on your regular ad units anyway.

Use Google Blue Link

Google has invested “millions of dollars” into finding out which link color gets the most clicks. The specific blue that they chose leads to the greatest number of clicks and the further you deviate away from it the harder it is to make money. The best click through rate sites are the ones with white backgrounds and can use the blue links.

And what’s a Google event without some free giveaways? On top of the awesome information and the gourmet meal we also left with a Google mug and Google solar powered battery charger: