Book is on sale, life is hectic - I love it!

Wow! I really meant to post the last few days - but the book went on sale, the shopping cart was messing up big time and didn't want to integrate with Paypal, I had some technical difficulties with the Website - basically, Murphy (of Murphy's Law) moved into my life and decided to stick around!

Anyway, tonight I've finally got time to catch my breath and feel like I can sit down without buzzers going off.

So, first things first: The Website still doesn't have a google rank, although now when you search for "Activist's Guide" on Google, we were number 3 when I last checked! Not too bad.

I've been posting some articles, training tools and resources as fast as I can get them up. Trust me - in two or three weeks, the Website is going to be amazing!

And I've been back in touch with some old friends. Like Ben Sheldon, who is putting together a "social networking site" for Americorps and VISTA members that I think you're going to love! Here's the announcement:
http://meetamericorps.com

MeetAmericorps.com allows anyone involved with national service to
easily create a profile and search for other people in their community
or across the country.

You can find service members:
* By location
* By organization
* By interest or service area

Once you've found someone, maybe a fellow alum, a volunteer doing
similar service, or even a neighbor you didn't know about, you can
easily contact them and start a conversation privately through email.

The goal of this website is to encourage interaction between
AmeriCorps and VISTA members beyond organizations and geography. A
well-connected volunteer is an effective volunteer. To learn more
visit http://meetamericorps.com/about

This is first official announcement of MeetAmeriCorps.com and we
encourage you to visit the website, register, and provide us feedback
on how we can improve the website and better meet your needs.

If you like the website and would be willing to promote it in your
organization or community, we have provided some simple outreach
materials: http://meetamericorps.com/outreach

Way to go Ben! I'm on my way over there now to check it out - I hope I'll see you there too!

Did you ever play a game called "telephone" when you were little?

Do you remember that game? It was usually played at parties when I was growing up. Everybody would sit or stand in a circle, and one person would whisper a "secret message" in the person's ear who was standing next to them...and that person would whisper to the next person, and so on and so on...

Today we have a new version of the game - it's called social networking. Places like "myspace", You Tube, even the badly maligned "friendster."

But it works on the same concept - I tell you something, you tell someone else who tells someone else, and so on and so on.

Does it work? I'm going to try an experiment to find out. Here's how: I've created a very unscientific poll on the Activist Guide Website. (You can find it here: http://www.activistguide.com/sept11.html ).

I ask the question - Did 9/11 have an effect on your life in terms of you wanting to make your mark or make a difference? Do you volunteer more now?

So, I'm inviting you to play the new version of telephone with me...go take the poll, and then tell just one person about it.

Pass it on...

So, where do you start getting traffic to your Website?

Okay, basically, there are some pretty simple things you can do. First of course, is getting links to your site. So, for example, if my blog was ranked or getting traffic, I'd put a link to the Website - http://www.activistguide.com

Or, vice versa - put a link to the blog from the Website. Unluckily, neither of them are known.

So, what I started doing instead is posting on some sites that are ranked. For example, I have a blog (okay, tonight was my first post) on "My Space". I added a link from there to here and to the Website.

Why "My Space"? If you remember from a post I did a while back, social bookmarking sites - myspace, U Tube and the like, are the places where people go to hang out, talk about their lives, their loves and (on U Tube right now) Lonelygirl 15...

So...if you've got an event, get somebody to tape it - and post the "movie" on U Tube. Create your own blog on My Space. Start getting the word out about your program, and your organization.

How To Get Your Blog or Website Listed on the Search Engines

Okay folks. In my book, "The Activist's Guide to Changing the World - for VISTA Volunteers" there's a chapter on "Harnessing the Power of the Internet". I give you some basic information about using blogs, RSS feeds and "white hat" SEO tools, to help you publicize your Websites, gain exposure for your programs and get the word out about what you're doing.

I've had some great teachers. And I've learned a lot. (I hope.) Why? Because it's time to put my money where my mouth is.

I'm in what is called the "prelaunch" stage of promoting the Website, and my book. Neither the blog or the Website are ranked yet, and they're not bringing any traffic.

So, I'm going to use the tactics I teach you in the book (and in some cases the book bonuses, written by experts in their fields), to see if I can get listed in the search engines and also, get the information out to the people I'm trying to reach - namely YOU.

And, I'm going to tell you what I'm doing and how I'm doing it. And together, we'll see if it works!

So if you want to get publicity for your program, your projects or your organization - stay tuned!

Are we losing our "social networks?"

According to researchers at Duke University and the University of Arizona, Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin and Mathew E. Brashears, Americans are becoming more socially isolated than theywere two decades ago.

In their report “Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades”, published in the June 2006 issue of the “American Sociological Review”, participants in the survey reported that their personal social networks are smaller - that they have fewer people they can discuss important issues with or turn to in times of stress or need. (You can read the complete report here: http://www.asanet.org/galleries/default-file/June06ASRFeature.pdf )

What about you? As a VISTA Volunteer, what do you do when you’re feeling isolated, disconnected or lonely? What about in terms of your project? Who are you connected to? Who do you turn to for help, advice or information?

What tools do you use to connect - either to other VISTA Volunteers, or, in terms of your project, to other nonprofit organizations, corporations, volunteers, supporters, etc.?

Why are social networks important, and what can they help you to accomplish?

• build a grassroots campaign
• discover a network of innovators in your own community or issue
• create your own support team
• create awareness of an issue or special event
• strengthen the support for your project
• create personal connections for after you leave VISTA

Want to know more? Here’s a great website that explains how social networking works and how you can make the most of yours… http://www.orgnet.com/sna.html

Here is a list of some great networking tools that can help keep you make new connections and keep connected. But please feel free to add others to this list!

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com

Plaxo: http://www.plaxo.com

Ryze: http://www.ryze.com

delicious: http://del.icio.us/

myspace: http://www.myspace.com

What social networks are you using? And by the way, if we’re not already connected through LinkedIn, you can find me here: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/7a3/b72 I’d love to join your network…