So far the greatest value I’ve gleaned from having a Facebook page and using bit.ly (a link shortening application) across channels has been through the insights both provide in terms of statistics, metrics and demographics.
Though Facebook is a bit more linear, with mainly X, Y tables and bar graphs, I love how visual bit.ly is, with its pie charts and use of color palettes to represent different metrics.
Here are some of the most revealing stats so far, beginning with Facebook page Insights:
- Of the 1,023 users who “Like” (formerly “fanned”) the page, 52% are women
- Of that 52%, 47% comprise women ages 18-34
- Of the remaining 38% male population, 92% comprise men ages 18-34
- The rate of monthly active users has reached 2,660 — an increase of 241%
My favorite metric? The countries section, where Insights breaks down my sphere of influence with users across the globe.
According to Facebook and bit.ly, I reach users in 69 countries including the United States (pre-Google+) :
Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Finland, Hong Kong, Columbia, Italy, Mexico, Australia, Spain, Macedonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominican Republic, Israel, South Korea, the Republic of Korea, Brazil, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Kyrgyzstan, New Zealand, India, Aruba, the Bahamas, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Denmark, Czech Republic, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Portugal, Serbia, Paraguay, Peru, the Phillipines, Costa Rica, Ireland, Russia, Indonesia, Egypt, South Africa and Singapore.
Fathered or fatherless (some of us both), we are all connected. Experience precedes belief.
Though most of you may not be over for a beer and bedtime story, or to help move my couch anytime soon, I’m encouraged and humbled by the idea that we’re all here.
Alive.
Able to live in such a way that others are better for having known us, no matter how brief or seemingly trivial.
That’s powerful.
Fresh-off a whirlwind month of Google+, Spotify, tweetups, the finale of Harry Potter (does an early screening and seeing it twice since the weekend make me a geek? Lol)
and finishing the book Joe Pulizzi gave me at the last Cleveland social media workshop, I’ve mulled around two lessons. Though not particularly profound, from the most basic, human element I can only err in potential:
1) Love
The overarching theme of the Harry Potter series and Pulizzi’s Get Content, Get Customers is love.
To summarize, remember it is not the biggest, fastest, smartest or strongest that wins in the end.
It’s the one with the most heart.
2) Motive: As John Maxwell (I momentarily had to recover from a schoolboy, star-struck moment when he followed me on Twitter) said in the Journey from Success to Significance, the right motive keeps you from manipulating others.
Essentially: Power, fame/notoriety and all the glitz or glamour wealth can buy means nothing if you are not led by Love.
If at the end of the day, your heart and mind has no sanctuary, no one else to share in your joy (and grief), what was the point?
For whom, how — why did you get out of bed every morning? If you have nothing left to fight for other than yourself, you’re not really living yet — least of all flourishing.
Some are content to survive. Others will work hard and give their all, and with enough commitment, persistence, faith and a wee-bit of fortune earn the privilege to thrive.
It is not a right, not a guarantee. Once again, we are not entitled to anything apart from a good attitude, hefty dose of humility, accountability to ourselves (and others)…and hard work.
On a consistent basis.
I’m beginning to see what Tim Ferriss and Guy Kawasaki mean when they say to Give so much that it feels uncomfortable.
I’d add hurts or awkward to those sentiments, too. Pride doesn’t mix well with love or compassion.
And as Forrest said so well in his endearingly glib way:
That’s all I have to say about that.
Byron Isaac 