The Flurry Blog

Today it has been two years since I started using Twitter. As I started to reflect on what it has meant to me, I realized I could not single out simple descriptions.To me it is like asking what does the telephone do for you. So rather than make a long list I’d like to ask you about the good, (if you know me, you know I love using the tool) and the bad. Tell me your stories. I had no idea where it would have taken me two years later.  If you want to know when you joined ( as well as the odd thing you first said ) then go to myfirsttweet.com.

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When I first heard about www.helpareporterout.com or HARO for short, I thought it might be a good service to check out for the brand communities I work with.  What surprised me is what resulted after using it for a week.  I found myself sending multiple story leads to friends in my network. I had signed up to find ways to promote my brands, but more than anything, it has turned out to be a valuable tool for my network.

HARO is a free service that allows reporters to post story requests that then go out to the nearly 135,000 subscribers.  Each day the subscriber receives an email listing all the reporter requests sorted by category. Who would not benefit from direct access to reporters that are asking for either expertise or leads?  I first heard of HARO from its founder and CEO Peter Shankman during his keynote at the Portland Social Fresh Conference.  It was not only after hearing him speak at The Portland Communicators Conference that I decided to sign up myself.

At that keynote, I remember an attendee asking Peter where he finds cool things to share.  This group was mostly made up of late adopters, peppered with some innovative new media users.  I am not sure why Peter didn’t just say, use Haro?  Would it have been self promotion? Probably, but so what, if it is true.  There has not been one day yet that I have not found a perfect fit lead to send on to a friend.  It is too early to tell if any of the leads will result in them being in a news story, but one thing I know for sure is that each person has been very glad I thought of them.

Last year I read Andy Andrews book The Noticer.  In it the name sake of the book goes in and out of peoples lives noticing things, and thus really seeing people.  People react when you notice something about them.  It shows them that you really see them.  Chris Brogan begins his talks with the Zulu greeting, “Sawubona” which means I see you.

Drop HARO in your tools box as a way of helping not only a reporter out, but someone in your network of friends.  It is a great way of saying I see you, I’m in this with you.

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Photo idea courtesy of Seth Godin; program mascot, former Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano

(This is a re-post of my article I published on the Huffington Post. If you like it and have something to say, please post it there since way more people read the Huff than this blog. It is sad but true) 

What would change if those who were the experts in their field took a week out of their time to teach and inspire a handful of people?

Seth Godin this next week will be taking 12 individuals through a week of leverage also known as a Nano MBA. Inspired by his Six Month Alternative MBA program he conducted a year ago, he wanted to see what could transpire in a one week long program. Over 1000 people applied, and through two eliminations, 12 individuals from different businesses and non-profits were chosen to go through the week with him and his Head of Hoopla Ishita Gupta.

Since the program was announced there have been a few people that have suggested other similar programs around the country. One that I am aware of was suggested by author and professor Leonard Sweet. His suggestion was a Nano DivMin.

We all have busy lives. Schedules are full and deadlines loom. Those that are changing the world often don’t have time or resources to go back to school to further their education or sharpen their acumen. What we do have in the US is an incredibly deep bench of skilled professionals. No matter what field you pick, there are those that are gifted with wisdom and experience.

When Mr. Godin first announced this program I was having lunch with a skilled business coach. I could tell he was inspired by Seth’s undertaking. I asked him if he would consider doing one himself? He honestly replied that he could not take a week away from clients to pull it off.

Can we afford not to though? We need our innovators, our big thinkers and experts in business, medicine, arts and every other sector of our society to take it upon themselves and change things. A nano-program is a great way to start. Can we afford to leave it up to our institutions to do it for us?

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On Friday a group of friends congregated to spend some time in our small downtown. Our mission was simple. We planned to take and upload as many pictures of and about local businesses as we possibly could. What surprised me was the response we received. Many shop employees didn’t know what to do with us. As if working from a script, many of them just looked more worried than anything, having a handful of people wanting to take pictures of their store for free promotion. One store though gave us an incredible experience. Even though they were closing, Brett of City Barber Shop welcomed us in and even agreed to a free youtube video while he gave a mohawk cut. Brett told us about the history of the shop as the clippers hummed and my friend Loyan got his mohawk. The whole group was thrilled as he went on about the shop he loved. We even learned they have a vintage barber chair that once was used on the Vegas Strip. Brett had no script. He readily lapped up the free publicity. It was like watching a skilled improv artist.

Do we have set ideas of how to get our word out? Do we resist new ways because we are afraid of them?

The businesses and connections in my network throughout the country are thrilled if you share their link, take a picture, leave a review (good or bad). They see it as free and sharable promotion. How would you or your employees react if given the same opportunity?

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