From the category archives:

Power

Retweets don’t matter…

by Dr.Mani on August 3, 2010

RE-TWEET IT!

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 my new friend Nate St.Pierre (founder of ItStartsWith.US) shared a daring plan to “hijack” the FAST COMPANY “Influence Project”, I got excited about the social media experiment that had devolved (in my humble opinion) into little better than a link-bait viral tactic.

Nate wants to turn that public perception around.

In a style that’s his unique own.

By using YOUR ‘influence’ – to touch people you see, meet, talk to, care about, and engage in your daily life.

Read more about this exciting twist to the “Influence Project”.

I hope you’re curious enough to send Nate your email address to learn more.

He promises to delete the list after the event ends.

I trust he will.

I’m also sure you’ll go back to join his group – and continue to do cool stuff, like the monthly “love bombs“.

All hands to the decks… ship ahoy!

EAVB_UUXUUIGGIE

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Stupidly Social

by Dr.Mani on July 15, 2010

RE-TWEET IT!

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 offered a gift certificate for Rs.500 was a nice incentive to ‘Like’ them on Facebook.

Well, it seems a few thousand others felt that way – because there are over 6,500 fans on their FB page today.

And then, I got the gift certificate. Went shopping. Selected some books and a phone. Reached the checkout page. And discovered that my coupon IS NOT VALID for these items!

What a waste!

Of my time. Of the hard-earned goodwill. Of an interesting social media campaign.

When a business wastes my time, they lose me as a customer. I have little patience for games like this. As a result, IndiaPlaza.in probably lost out on many future purchases (my online book buying every year alone is quite a nice chunk of change!)

And who knows how many more people will be annoyed by this approach.

Consider the alternative.

  • They could have given away Rs.500 on ALL purchases.

  • And sent buyers a nicely designed promotion piece when the order shipped.
  • Maybe even another coupon, or a thoughtful gift – to say ‘thank you’.

  • Offered an email newsletter tailored along related interests.
  • Tied in repeat deals with a referral program.

Oh, there are so many options to have scaled this up, and boost life-time value of their already happy clients.

Instead, a narrow-minded focus on immediate profit has likely destroyed a multiple in future value.

I’m planning a social media promotion shortly. In it, I will be giving away my ebook, which sold for as much as $27. And I will be PAYING anyone who reads it $5 out of my pocket.

Why?

Because I can. And it will create interest. A buzz. Get people talking. And most important, because it will change some lives – since the book is powerful, and people will read it.

This recent experience is a valuable lesson for me. Of what not to do.

What are your thoughts?

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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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It Doesn’t Matter?

I sat in front of the monitor, watching intently.
The angiogram of a child we were operating on next was playing. In black, white and gray, it displayed the deadly heart defect that left him breathless, blue, and fighting to live.
The door opened. An anesthesiologist’s head peeped in.
“Come on. Get scrubbed. The [...]

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Want a Tribe of ‘True Fans’?

I’ve read Seth Godin’s blog for many years. So have millions of others. (It’s free.)
And like those millions, I’ve bought his books. First, one. Then, another. Soon, the entire collection. (It’s inexpensive.)
Not surfeited, I now wait eagerly for the next one.
And in the meantime, discuss his existing work with [...]

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A ‘No Privacy’ Generation

Facebook claims to be at the fore-front of a revolution. A movement embraced by the “younger generation” who WANT to do and share things publicly. A generation unconcerned about ‘privacy’, in a way that’s totally incomprehensible to their elders.

So, is it really a wave, a paradigm shift, a break with tradition?
Are [...]

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