What BatKid Can Teach Social Media Managers
By now, you’ve all heard about BatKid–unless you don’t own a computer, just got back from the Amazon jungle, or live in a cave. Not a batcave–a regular cave! Weren’t you astonished to watch a somewhat small story hit the bigtime and go international? Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we were all happy and excited to hear about #SFBatKid. Some of my friends volunteered to be part of the crowd at Civic Center and many took photos from wherever they were.
What BatKid Can Teach Social Media Managers
We’ve all heard about keeping the end in mind, and for most Social Media Managers (SMMs), going “viral” is what we all look for. But you never know what will go viral, and what will catch the interest of the world. You don’t want to be a bad social media manager, do you?
Positive Stories Outweigh Negative Stories
Despite what you may have heard, people still love a feel-good story. And this one has so many positives to it. We’ve all been hearing about wars, terrible rumors about ObamaCare, and global warming. And a few weeks ago, our country was on the brink of economic disaster. So this story was timed just right (not that there’s a bad time for a story about a kid beating leukemia and wanting to be a superhero!).
People Love Stories
If you tell a story on social media, rather than just describing an event in a dull way, the story becomes larger. You look bigger and everyone gets entertained in the process. If you get people to cry, that’s a transformational experience. And this was the story that left a lot of us (me, too!) crying. Who can’t get behind a kid beating leukemia? And this story caused many people, including yours truly, to overpost and share.
It’s Not All About You
When people are generous, and get excited about a cause, it grows and grows. In this case it was the generosity of the Make-A-Wish charity in their desire to grant Miles Scott his wish of being a superhero that touched us. Twelve-thousand volunteers stepped forward. Even President Obama, who understands how social media works more than most politicians, got involved with a Vine video.
President Obama has a message for #SFBatKid —> https://t.co/U9DQqG5GQr
— WH Video (NARA) (@WHVideo44) November 15, 2013
Everybody Loves a Happy Ending
Could this story be any more perfect? It was so adorable, and so overwhelming to the family. We’re all rooting for this little dude. What’s great about this story is that this kid got what he wanted. He got an unforgettable day, and the whole world smiled. This spectacular event can remind us all that the Make-A-Wish charity is full of superheroes.
That’s so true! And even The President of the United States gave a video message. That’s pretty cool.
Thanks, Bridget! I still get a little choked up thinking about the effort that so many people put in for one kid. We need more of that.
Indeed!
It would be fantastic if people put more emphasis on the feel-good stories, like this one.
Thanks again!
Carol
Very valid points but I don’t know if I agree that positive outweighs negative. This story was so incredibly moving and positive that it caught fire… but think of all the negative stories that catch each day: Mayor Rob Ford in the news, celebs going into rehab, and tragedy…
It sucks, but stories like Batkid disappear relatively quickly whereas negative ones seem to stick around longer and generally generate more interest.
Let’s not end on a negative note though: HAVE A GREAT DAY!
E
Hi Eric,
I think we do have to make a conscious effort to milk the good stories so they stick around longer and turn away from the negative ones. As bloggers, we’re part of “the media” now, so in our tiny way we either add to or subtract from the positivity that’s out there.
Your “have a nice day” cracked me up! Hahahaha!
Thanks for the comment!
Carol
Agreed! Very well said Carol!
Thank you, Ken! I just loved that BatKid story. It really made my week. :-)
Carol