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
— White House Video (@WHVideo) 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.
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