From the category archives:

Influence & Attention

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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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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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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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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6 Essential Elements for a Fundraising Website

I was excited to see India’s cricket hero Sachin Tendulkar on Twitter. In record time, he has over 250,000 followers – and one of his early actions on the social network was to raise funds for a Foundation to help children with cancer.
Any cause that helps suffering children gets my automatic endorsement and support… [...]

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Missing A Moving Parade

Looking back on over a decade of working on the Internet, I realize there’s ONE critical mistake that has been costlier than any other that I’ve made.
This is a blog post about it. Hopefully, there are some lessons here which will help you avoid doing the same. (I drafted it, however, as a [...]

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I felt Seth Godin’s LINCHPIN was “Nothing New”, but…

Seth Godin is remarkable. Always. At least, I think he is.
But when I read an excerpt of his new book, LINCHPIN – let’s just say I felt a bit let down!
In this post, I’m going to explore WHY.
First, a quick reminder about the fallacy of trying to judge or describe the whole after [...]

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Changing Inside

CAUTION: The theme of this blog post – and the video I link to – is NOT for children or squeamish, delicate people. It is raw, painful, and real. Skip it if you’re the kind who is too strongly affected by hearing of such things. You have been warned!
After four decades [...]

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