Following is a guest post from a very dear friend, Ria Sharon who published My Mommy Manual with Suzanne Tucker.
A wise man once gave me some very sage advice… “Results equal potential minus interference.” It’s scribbled on my bathroom mirror along with a few other gems that get me pumped up every day to “rock the web.”
Interference can mean a lot of things… nay-sayers, self-doubt, internal noise… he followed that by saying that the best antidote for all of those things is ACTION. Do stuff. That’s how I rock it.
Think about it… it’s the 2-way web. User-generated content, right? Anyone with a computer and access to the internet has the ability to go out there and change the world by publishing their point of view.
Why not me?
Or you?
How I Rocked the Web
On April 14, I hosted a virtual pajama party. What’s a virtual pajama party? Much before April 14, I couldn’t have told you either because I had never hosted one or attended one before. In fact, I don’t know that it’s been done before. But as one of my guests, Guy Kawasaki says that night, some of the greatest business successes are achieved by those that “don’t know what they don’t know.” To further elaborate, if you knew how hard it would be to do anything, you wouldn’t even try. On the flip side, you won’t know you can do anything unless you try doing it.
So… we broadcasted a live Ustream event for three (frickin’) hours from my house, with 10 women in pajamas in my living room and 1,382 online guests. We patched in five people via skype (including Guy) from three continents. We raised $1,207 in three hours for 12 for 12K. And we orchestrated the whole thing in less than ten days. No, it was far from perfect. In fact, it was raw and spontaneous and had lots of goofs. However… by taking action even for just oneMy Mommy Manual. night, we created community.
What Works
The secret to the success of a “stunt” such as this is following yet another social media expert’s advice. This time, it’s Chris Brogan who says, “Build your network before you need it.” I want to be clear here… I didn’t get on Twitter in 2007 so that two years later I could call in some social media favors.
I’ve built my Twitter network the same way I make friends offline. I say “Hi… nice to meet you.” I try to be present. I share. I get behind other people. In other words, I make friends.
Make Friends
If you’re new to Twitter, that would be my two words of wisdom for you. Yes, I know it’s in direct contradiction to what Guy Kawasaki says but hey, there’s more than one way to skin a cat! If I have to spell out how to make friends for you… I hate to say it but perhaps social media isn’t going to be your forte!
I’m a mom. If I ever have any questions about how to do this, I watch my kids on the playground.
