Hi, Arik -

Good piece! Now, on a tangent... I'm delighted when people share my cartoons, and i'm proud to have had a few on Ragan sites in the past. But I do ask that people not remove the credit information, and that they link back to the original cartoon (which is at http://www.robcottingham.ca/cartoon/archive/2007-.... Would you mind replacing the cropped cartoon with the original and linking it?

Thanks!

Thanks for mentioning Alex's post - it's amazing how quickly and easily you can mount a successful contest. For us, part of the key was to ensure there was an underlying value to the contest entries (in our case, helping to spread practical tips about running, yes, contests on Twitter!) -- it contributes something to the conversation, and at a practical level, it helps avoid blowback from people who might accuse you of spam.

There are now several turn-key social media contest platforms - our fellow Vancouverites Strutta, for one - to make the technical equation easy to solve. The challenge these days is to come up with a compelling concept that enhances your brand and expands your reach... while preserving or even enhancing your reputation as a good social media citizen.

I'm delighted you liked it! And thanks for spreading the word.

Best wishes for world domination in 2009!