Fiona, Every single one of us had to start somewhere. I recall my first several blog posts well. I was nervous about doing things "right" and worried every time before I pushed the button to make the post go live. Don't worry about what the experts say and doing think you have to do everything. You don't. Just let your passions flow. Find your voice. You'll do great.

Andrew -- Wow. I never thought of that metric. Many thanks for taking the time to share it with us. It is interesting to hear you are not only figuring out ROI but also how to compensate people. MAtt -- Absolutely. You've summed things up nicely - what's the potential value?

John - Yes, Flikr is another place to look for an asset you have built. Ian - You're right, of course. The best AdWords programs are quite a lot more valuable than the expense for the click alone. Thanks for the link to Avinash's ideas. I'll check that out now. Julian - No plans on the UK this year, but you never know! Here is my calendar http://www.davidmeermanscott.com/events-calendar/ I actually am seeing some progress. I've been talking about content since 2004. In 2005 I published the first book on content marketing called "Cashing in with Content". It's dated now, but let me tell you -- the progress we've made between 2005 and 2013 is remarkable. Yes, we have a long way to go, but we are moving in the right direction. Mick - Yes on gifts! That's something Seth Godin says a too.

Edwin - Thank you for this. Building on your thoughts which I totally agree with, I think the vast majority of people who have an MBA degree have difficulty with the concepts as I have outlined them. I base this on personal experience. While I certainly recognize their are many exceptions, I have noticed, as you have, that the spreadsheet mentality taught in MBA school muddies up the idea of inbound marketing assets. I've discussed this before at my speeches and in this blog, but it always fires up passion in those who have MBA degrees so I don't say it so much anymore. But since you brought it up, I can riff a little. Dave -- Wow, I love "sharecropper"! Nice term. You should expand on what I wrote here on your blog. If you do, please send me the link.

Thanks Ryan. Bryan - Thanks for sharing on Chatter. Jon - Thanks for this. I will check it out.

Joseph - thanks for jumping in on the perspective of using content to actually make sales. I did not go that far in my original post. Of course you are also correct about the relationships part. You and I would never have met (virtually) without content. John - Dividends are another good way of thinking about content assets! Frank - "Inbound isn't a short term strategy..." Indeed! Mark - The signup form thing is just a difference in strategy. There is no hard and fast right answer. For me, making things totally free has been a good strategy.

Hi Jay - I like the idea of an annuity. Thanks for jumping in. Another way to look at it is own vs rent.

Hey Anne. Ah, yes, Hobart! I was there about 15 years ago. Tasmania is magical.

Thank you Anne! The ability to mix passion with work is the ultimate in exciting. I sense you are doing that too. May thanks for your memories of Apollo - where were you then? I was in a New York suburban primary school.

Tom - Regarding all those studies, the question itself is wrong and fear based because they almost always ask about money allocation. So what they are measuring is *social media advertising* which is a very different thing than letting employees freely communicate at work on social media. Many companies do some Facebook ads, Twitter sponsored tweets, and advertising on YouTube and then check the box that they are active in social and will spend more next year but those very same companies forbid employees from using the communications tools on the job. That's what happens when you have advertising experts in charge of social engagement - they want to advertise.

Mark, I'm not sure about praise -- it needs to be authentic. Many of the pitches I get start with some nonsense like "I was recently reading your great blog" which is clearly not true based on what they ask of me. But if the praise is authentic, I'd agree. Ilona - Please don't ever send 300 bulk pitches. That's the entire point of my post.

Stan, There are many more things to learn. For example, is there water at the lunar poles? We never went back because it is very expensive and there was always something better to spend the money on. That's too bad. I predict that the Chinese or the Indians will get to the moon before we go back.

Thank you Chris. Isn't it interesting how many people want to be a part of the Mars One project. It shows humanity's interest in exploring. Yes, I am fascinated by the intersection of exploring and communications.

Thank you Joseph. To be honest, it took me a long time to realize that phrase and to pair it to the similar one I said about the printing press earlier in the talk.

Hi Tom. Thanks! I estimate that 25 percent of companies forbid employees from using social media like Facebook at work. My stat comes from many hundreds of discussions. Main reasons cited are legal & PR restrictions and those who say it is a distraction. However the biggest barrier is fear of the new and that comes from the top. David

Bryan - good point that these pitch ideas also apply to content marketing. Thanks for that keen observation. Will and Paige - glad the post (and comments) helped.

Nick, Yes there are some industries that are somewhat different. Fashion (indeed most luxury goods) are about image advertising.

Raul, I'm with you on the guest blog thing. I don't even read those pitches anymore. Just delete.

Rusty - Thanks for the link to the unconference panel. There is some great stuff there too! Joseph - You are so correct about people who look for the easy way to get attention. You have to give to get.

Linda, I actually think it is fine to stand on a panel. You can say "I'm short and I prefer to stand if that's okay." People will respect you. Regarding lights - you just need to get used to it. Try to go to the venue early so you can practice in the lights.

Dragan -- yes! And that is exactly how I met you. Now I would welcome hearing from you via private message. Seth - It is indeed too bad that it has come to that with you. I'm not at that point yet but I could get there soon. And you're correct that those who need to read the post won't.

Ari, I have seen similar places in many of the 86 countries and territories I have visited. That's the point - people will spend money on communications before they spend it on things like improved living conditions. But over time the economics improvement from communications will build their wealth.