From the category archives:

Power

Help The Internet Toy Drive

by Dr.Mani on November 27, 2010

RE-TWEET IT!

I first heard of the “Toys For Tots” Internet toy drive way back in 1998 – through my friend, Rick Beneteau. I’ve tried my best to support this annual event ever since, by spreading word around and contributing a little bit to make life brighter for a child during the holidays.

Thousands of needy children who would otherwise NOT get a single gift at Christmas this year, will hopefully now get several!

Introducing The 10th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps “TOYS FOR TOTS” Program:

http://www.internettoydrive.org

We *know* that with Your Help we can go a LONG way into making sure Santa visits EVERY needy child this year!

* ALL donations will be placed on special order forms (credit cards and online checks) on the Toys for Tots secure server. Donors will receive an automated email/tax deductible receipt when their donation/order is confirmed. Mail-in payments are also accepted.

* Donations will be dispersed to the nearest U.S. Marine Corps Base to the donor for the purchase of needed gifts.

Listen to the theme-song for this project! Turn up your speakers and click here

This year’s goal is to raise $100,000 for Toys for Tots from now until December 24th. That can ONLY happen if all of us put our hearts and mouses on the line to put the word out.

Here are 4 simple steps you can take right now that will HELP more than you might imagine:

1. Visit The Internet Toy Drive Website and give whatever you can right now. Even if it’s $5.00, it WILL HELP!

2. Help Spread the Word by telling everyone you know about The Internet Toy Drive. Please send them a link to this blog, or share this letter with them – and invite them to pass it along if they have an opt-in list.

3. If you have an ezine/newsletter, PLEASE feature this message in the weeks ahead.

4. If you have a website, PLEASE grab one of these banners and link to The Internet Toy Drive.

Personally, I’ve always believed that giving is the greatest way to receive. YOU can do a whole lot of good by taking these simplest of actions. But PLEASE do it now – this is just a one month drive!

Let’s Help Kids this Christmas!

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Social Media – Mirror Or Magnifying Glass?

by Dr.Mani on November 23, 2010

RE-TWEET IT!

“Fame and fortune bring out your true character, good or bad.” – Anonymous

Authenticity, Transparency, Integrity

When the history of social media is written, the triad of words used to reference it may well be these.

In the deeply interconnected virtual Universe we all are a part of, it is becoming increasingly difficult to run and hide. Just about everything we say, do, or even think, is now ‘public domain’ in a disconcerting and scary way.

Welcome to “Life in the fishbowl”

Everyone (at least it seems that way) is watching you. Whatever you do, say or claim is subject to the closest scrutiny and debate. Your smallest move is now visible to hundreds, if not thousands or even millions around the world.

The brand called YOU

Your brand may start out as what you say or project about yourself and your business. But it ends up being what THEY say – ‘they’ being a global audience that’s scattered, and yet intimately connected via social media networks.

Integration is the key

You no longer have a choice. You need to weave this new reality into your view of the world – and adapt whatever you’re doing to leverage off its power. And that boils down to what you let social media become to you.

Mirror – Or Magnifying Glass?

At the simplest level, you can simply be “You” on social media. Let it reflect the diverse unique components that go to make up the incomparable wonder that stares back at you every time you look in a mirror.

Or you can go deeper, and tap into some of the more powerful facets of social media – like human networks, niche interests, sharing tools, and more – to amplify a few of them.

  • Make them exciting and fascinating, or horrifying and repulsive.

  • Gain mindshare and attention by honing down your focus like a laser beam.
  • Build tribes that engage with and follow you – because they like what you share.

Social media can be a mirror – or a magnifying glass. It depends on what you want to do with it.

What DO you?

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Why I Enjoyed “The Social Network”

Had he paid to have “The Social Network“ produced and marketed, Mark Zuckerberg could consider it a wise and fruitful investment.
In two hours, it altered my perception of a driven and greedy capitalist who stole a great idea while stiffing his best friend en route to billionaredom, and turned it into one of [...]

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Retweets don’t matter…

On Twitter, during the Heart Kids Tweetathon in September 2009, I said:
“Retweets alone don’t matter.”
They really don’t. Neither do clicks on links.
Donations do.
Caring does.
Involvement, too.
Passion helps.
Those are the things that make a difference.
Not more ‘clicks’ on a link to ‘measure your influence’.
Anyone can click. Because it’s easy. And means NOTHING.
That’s why when [...]

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Stupidly Social

Social media promotions are double-edged swords.
On the one hand, you have a chance to delight a whole new audience, grab mindshare and win evangelists. But on the other, it’s oh-so-easy to lose fans – as IndiaPlaza.in will very likely discover soon.
I’ve had some pleasant online shopping experiences with them before. And to be [...]

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Competence Continuum

My daughter and I have an interesting pastime. We take long walks in the evening, and talk about stuff. Just stuff. Some of it is trivial and silly. Other things are profound and deep.
Explaining concepts to a child, and answering the probing questions that follow, often let me clarify (to myself) [...]

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Numbers

1 person emailed me about it.
I tweeted about it to 4,432 followers on Twitter.
4 people suggested ideas that may work.
1 person contacted me with an offer to help.
I blogged about it.
I shared the message with 1,353 via email.
35 clicked the link to read my blog post about it.
3 made donations.
We hit the target.
400 children will [...]

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Voices

I read the story three times.
First, in the writer’s voice. As if she was telling the story.
Next, in my mother’s voice. As if she was telling it to me.
Finally, in my voice. As if I was telling it to my daughter.
And each time, it was a little different.
Subtly unique.
Personal.
That’s why it’s great [...]

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Writing From The Soul

We’ve heard about ‘writing from the heart’ – but from the soul?
As a young teenager, Harold Robbins was one of my favorite authors. Everything about his writing was stark, visceral and brazen. Reading it was gut-wrenching, and often deeply disturbing.
Talent like Robbins’ is rare. And when I started writing a lot myself, [...]

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Twitter Is A Waste, If…

Yes, Twitter is a waste.
But only if you consider one hour on it a waste… even if it results in 300 primary school kids getting important teaching aids.
Let me explain how I ‘wasted’ an hour this morning on Twitter. But first, here’s the…
Back Story
It started a few weeks back… with a connection on Twitter.
I [...]

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