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Social Media's Impact on YOU?

Rating: 5 after 1 vote

You many not know it yet, but this blog is about you. Yes, you.

Social media is my office, my playground, my therapy, my inspiration, my classroom. It's personal impact on me cannot be measured by a grid or graph. I am a huge fan of Twitter, Facebook or anywhere you can make positive connections with individuals you otherwise would have never come across let alone strike up a meaningful dialogue. But that's only part of why I love social media. It has heft and it can move mountains....through people who care, share, and do. People like me and these incredible people:

Seconds after the earthquake ravaged Haiti social media networking on Twitter and Facebook sprung alive with photos, videos and statuses.

Tweets and updates came from under the rubble.

Carel Pedre, a Haitian television & radio star, started tweeting as a way to notify worried families with updates like “Stephanie Roux and Khara are fine and safe.

Calls for action and online messages shot out across the globe instantly. And over $5 million

was raised in relief for the victims through tweets, retweets and text messages.

This from Mashable's (@mashable) blog: "The Red Cross’s involvement in the relief effort is to be commended. Not only did it immediately set up the simplest donation method
possible, but its social media presence and outreach, when combined with the State Department’s involvement, has turned this into a viral funding initiative, topping Twitter (

) trends and inspiring action. The Red Cross is also contributing an initial $1 million from the International Response Fund."

Mashable's blog above was retweeted 4,802 times, shared on Facebook 3,065 times, and recieved 39 Diggs.

Danny Brown (@dannybrown) says: "Social media means no more international barriers - the global community has finally arrived." Danny, resident nice guy and social media founder of 12 for 12K explains, " [it] started as an idea of hope. Now, just over a year later, more than $100,000 has been raised so far; the 12for12k community continues to grow
and members are running with own ideas under 12for12k banner. These
organic change agents are 12for12k's success."

Scott Stratten (@unmarketing) hosted a Tweet-A-Thon for Strength.org to aid 12 for 12K's @12for12K) child hunger charity whose goal was to raise $12K. Scott tweeted and raised $14k in 12 hours. According to Scott with social media, "You can affect people around the world, without having to travel the world."

David Armano (@armano) reached out to his social media alliances to help a young mother of three, a victim of domestic violence with nowhere to live in Chicago. David's goal was to raise $5,000 for her "apartment fund" to help her get on her feet. With his social media network, he raised $16,880.60 for Daniella & her children.

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A college student, abandoned as a day-old baby, uses Facebook to find the two teenagers who rescued her 20 years ago.

Amy Kiel (@Abeeliever) attempted to take her own life in the past meets a friend on Twitter who lost a loved one to suicide. Since then, the two of them combined forces supporting Out of the Darkness Overnight are unified to
make a difference in suicide prevention.

Personally, I followed Photographer Justin Lyon's Twitter stream from Haiti rivoted and deaply moved with tweets like:

@justinlyon This poor mother lost her son and just learned that her only remaining child has to have both feet amputated. http://yfrog.com/3nr89tj

I'm thrilled to be working on a very cool project with Amanda (@sexythinker) the caring visionaries here at Talent Revolution. This network oozes heart. We are asking to hear YOUR social media story. Don't worry. It doesn't need a giant contribution attached to it. It doesn't need to be global in scale.

How has social media changed your life, or the lives of others, in a positive personal or professional way?

We want to hear YOUR story or hear about a social media impact story that inspired you on the power and heart of social media. If you leave a comment below you will be included in a drawing for $50 from TR. Or if you'd prefer, you can email me leighcaraccioli@gmail.com. We are listening!

Leigh
(@fleurdeleigh)

All images from Haiti come from The Huffington Post.

Tags: connection, facebook, haiti, impact, media, power, revolution, social, talent, twitter

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Comment by Leigh Caraccioli on February 16, 2010 at 9:36am: BZ Tat,

Love hearing about it and as an animal lover myself, I will definitely check it out this weekend. I couldn't get the link to work but got some more information here ---> #pawpawty

Thank for taking the time to comment and fill us in on this fun/noble event.

Leigh

Comment by Leigh Caraccioli on February 16, 2010 at 9:30am: Thanks for the sweet comments, Bill! You know how much I appreciate partnering with you cool nice people at TR and seize every opportunity to work with you all :) You're right about the Social Communication boat. Glad to be on it with you!

Leigh

Comment by Krista Francis on February 14, 2010 at 12:33pm: Thanks for the post, Leigh. Social media has had a huge impact on me. It's re-invigorated me, challenged me, blessed me. I wrote a longer response at my blog at http://kamaletalent.com.

Comment by BZ Tat on February 14, 2010 at 8:55am: Leigh,

Here is an article about the pawpawty and the pet community on Twitter: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/oct/02/animal-friends-have-pawpawties-for-charity/?partner=RSS. The next pawpawty ins next weekend, 2/20--2/21 beginning and ending at 2pm EST. The best way to follow the fun is by following #pawpawty on Tweetgrid. But I warn you, these will be some of the craziest tweets you ever saw!

The head of the pawpawty, @FrugalDougal is also a Shorty Awards finalist in the nonprofit category. Frugal Dougal's "staff" is planning to come to NYC from the UK for the Shorty ceremony. I will be so thrilled to meet this woman who has done so much to motivate and inspire people to give to animal charities at the Shorties.

Comment by Bill Campion on February 13, 2010 at 4:54pm: Leigh - great blog! We appreciate you and your partnership with TR. Amazing stories from Haiti through Twitter. I'm with you on social media. I marvel however at my Baby Boomer friends who just don't get it. This ship has left, too bad some of my friends are left standing on the dock!

Comment by Leigh Caraccioli on February 13, 2010 at 2:47pm: BZ Tat,

What a great story! Loved hearing about the animal advocate community that you've fostered in social media. Please let me know when one of your #pawpawty events occurs. Sounds marvelous. And congratulations on your Shorty Award nomination. That's awesome. We are pulling for you!

Leigh

Comment by Leigh Caraccioli on February 13, 2010 at 2:40pm: Kacy, your comment rocks. I agree that social media and the sweet people who embrace it can pick you up when you're down (or powerless ;) Thank you so much for contributing to the conversation. Thinking about changing the post to say that we'll make a contribution on (winner's) behalf to Haitian Relief. Love it!

Leigh

Comment by Leigh Caraccioli on February 13, 2010 at 2:35pm: Kat,

Thank you for the sweet words and for commenting. We would LOVE to see your video contribution. Your idea about the drawing hits right on the mark. :)

Comment by Kat Cole on February 13, 2010 at 11:57am: Love you all and love what you are doing! I've got many stories....I will video blog them and send them to you.... but pretty please, do not enter me in a drawing for $50 - instead - enter me in a pool to send $50 to a charity of the winner's choice - maybe a few others would prefer that too! I am a fan - and inspired by you...

Comment by Kacy Oden on February 13, 2010 at 11:55am: I did not "get" social media to begin with. How do you communicate with just 140 characters? And Facebook? Just some other email to check. As with most things in my life, I kept at it. I tend to be very curious about things I don't understand. Now I can honestly say I love it! I have connected with people I never would have otherwise & in some rare wonderful moments have even met these people face to face. I have reconnected with old friends which has brought much joy to my life. And that curiosity I mentioned earlier? It keeps getting fed daily by all the new things I learn & am exposed to. My family & I have been without power for almost 2 days now in very cold weather. Through facebook one post has kept my family & friends up to speed on how we are doing. And it has warmed us from the inside out! :) I don't consider myself a good writer - I have the privilege of working with many of those - but if for some reason my post hits home - donate that $50 to the Haiti relief fund! Stay warm!!