Going Viral Means Getting Better

I had a great chance today to get myself out in front of quite a few folks who would have never known who I am. I have to admit that I enjoyed it but I also had to look at how I got to the point where being asked to comment on a news story for a local NBC station (Channel 17 WNCN Raleigh, NC). It didn’t happen by accident. I wish I could say that it happened by design but it really didn’t. It happened through perseverance and the example of someone living out the idea of “love thy neighbor as thyself.”

For those of you unfamiliar with me, I work in the Internet marketing space. I have this blog, which I am now trying to jump start again. I have a consulting practice called FT Internet Marketing, Inc. where I work with companies here in the Triangle as well as nationally in many capacities. Some I consult with regarding organic search marketing, local search marketing and social media efforts. Some I work as a sales ‘agent’ of sorts and represent their services to companies on their behalf. I write weekly for Mike Moran’s Biznology blog. In addition, I write daily for Andy Beal’s Marketing Pilgrim blog, which is consistently in the Top 10 of AdAge’s Top 150 marketing blogs.

It’s as a result of working with someone like Andy that I ended up commenting on the news about the sale of Skype by eBay. You see originally NBC 17 asked Andy to do the interview. He was busy so he passed the fine folks at NBC 17 to me and Bam!, I’m on TV and viral.

So what you ask? Well, here’s the moral. I have been blessed to work with great people who understand the value of things bigger than money. Andy didn’t need to pass this opportunity to me but he did. As a result, I get a boost. I really appreciate that. What he was showing was the value of helping someone rather than the value of keeping something to himself. He really exemplifies how this whole social media thing works when it works at its best.

I’m finally starting to get this whole social media / viral thing. In the long run, it’s not about me. It’s about helping others and as a result something may (or may not) happen for me. Whether it does or doesn’t isn’t the measure of success either. The measure is by how much I was able to help someone else.

So yes, we live in an age of ridiculously high levels of self-promotion and “Look at me!” moments but those are fleeting and eventually empty. It’s doing something like Andy did for me that makes the difference. It makes life better for us all.

Thanks, Andy, for thinking of me. Thanks to you for stopping by and reading to this point. I wish I had planned this but maybe it’s better that I didn’t.