FUNNY? CUTE? TOPICAL? - THAT'S WHAT GOES VIRAL

By Carlos Pinho

I am often asked by clients, "How do I make my content go viral?" Experts in the field all agree on one thing, and here is the answer.

It is important to remember that with so much noise in "cloud space" it is key to grab all the attention that you can and it will take more than just words to grab that attention.

People react visually and are stimulated by things that are "funny", "cute," and "topical", and that is the content that grabs your attention and goes viral. Think “Gangnam Style". 

PSY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyT_KyAqDEc

The following graph from Channel Meter shows how Psy's "Gangnam Style had close on a billion 'hits' on You Tube by December 2012, surpassing even Justin Bieber's "Baby" which until then had been the clear favourite with over 800,000 You Tube 'hits' at the time. 

The challenge is how to blend the writing with visuals in a manner that keeps the reader engaged in your piece to the end, and, if you’re lucky, even elicit a comment or response.

Justin Bieber 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4

With a surfeit of choices and social media platforms out there to choose from, the demands on people’s attention is increasing all the time.  People simply do not have the time to read, much as they would love to.

It makes it more difficult to not only attract the attention of your reader but more importantly to keep the attention of the reader if you only present screeds of writing. Children’s books are stimulating precisely because of the pretty pictures.

An article or blog post can have up to 1000 words or more should you wish. The key to keeping the reader hooked and engaged from the first sentence however is to pepper your writing and content with visually appealing graphics, cartoons, photo's, video, montages, music and more.

The Black Eyed Peas hit "I Got A Feeling", performed for the kickoff of the 24th season of The Oprah Winfrey show, was another example of how content goes viral. The BEP were enjoying major success on the radio playlist charts at the time and their 'flash mob' video was a perfect example of content that was topical, and which went viral.

Black Eyed Peas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX6oSs7FHs0

By being topical, funny or cute, andusing visuals, graphics, video and music in your content, you achieve the following: -

1. The use of visually appealing content has grabbed the readers’ attention
2. You are able to break your writing down into "bite size" chunks, interspersed with various media elements, thereby avoiding boredom or “tune out” in your reader
3. You get your point across while allowing the reader to take a breather
4. They are more likely to read to the end of the article, especially if it’s ‘on-topic’
5. It encourages engagement with your brand and “repeat” business (they keep coming back to your site) and may even sign up for a weekly newsletter  

Debate around the written word and its future in a digitally driven world continues to rage on. The naysayers will have you believe that the written word is dead. Just look at how people communicate in semiotics almost exclusively these days to see that they may have a point.

I’m on the side of the people who love and preserve words, but I’m also mindful of its place in a society that is increasingly turning to quick “fast-food” consumption of their media.

There is a place for words.

It’s how you package them that will determine what is “junk mail” and what is worth keeping.

And that makes the difference between the content that gets the attention and what just falls off the grid.

Total word count for this “piece” is a little over 500 words, long perhaps, but the use of the elements discussed above has hopefully kept you engaged to the end, and may even hopefully elicit a comment or two.

Copyright © Carlos Pinho 2013

FACEBOOK - PLAYGROUND OR SERIOUS BUSINESS OPTION?

By Carlos Pinho

Having resisted for as long as I could the need to join Facebook, I was forced to do so in order to stave off a very vicious, very virulent attack on my employer’s reputation and integrity that went viral on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Reluctantly I ‘signed-up’ despite my continuing concerns around privacy issues, and created both a private and company profile. Though it took time and every trick in the book I could muster, I was able to get this mess sorted out, and was able to convince both page owners to take down their sites.

A friend mentioned to me, via Facebook, that her husband refuses to go anywhere near it, contending that it is a place for ‘gagging’, nagging’ and ‘bragging’. This got me thinking and I’m slowly starting to think he may have a point.

I find I’m logging in less and less these days, in favour of ‘serious’ networking sites. Facebook has the constant “checker’s in'ers”, "mayors of Foursquare", “mass taggers”, “spammers posing as friends”, the "Twitterati Glitterati" and then endless photos of baby and the family pooch. Daniel Zeevi puts it well in his article http://dashburst.com/things-to-stop-doing-on-facebook/

Which gets me to my original question. 

Is Facebook a playground or can one really do business “in” it?

Any thoughts?

Copyright © Carlos Pinho 2013

EDUCATING THE HEART ... #ARISTOTLE

#Aristotle

THE WISDOM OF MOTHER THERESA - WORDS TO LIVE BY

People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

~Mother Theresa~

THE 15 MOST LOOKED UP WORDS IN THE DICTIONARY

1. anomaly – an irregularity; an abnormality

Example: If I get struck by lightning, I’ll be a statistical anomaly!

2. ethereal – something lacking physical substance; light and intangible
Example: This ambient music is so gentle, so ethereal!

3. loquacious – talkative
Example: For someone with such limited vocabulary, you’d think she’d be less loquacious!

4. empathy – an understanding of and identification with the feelings or experience of another
Example: I empathize — I’ve been there!

5. agnostic – the position that God’s existence cannot be proven or disproved; one who doesn’t confirm or deny God’s existence
Example: A: “Are you religious?” B. “No.” A: “You don’t believe in God?” B: “I didn’t say that.” A: “Oh, you’re agnostic!”

6. protocol – a system by which a task is completed correctly
Example: Is there a protocol for parenting feral children?

7. fascist – a person who believes a dictator should be in control of a nation’s economic and social policies
Example: A: “You shouldn’t be trusted to take care of yourself.” B: “You fascist!”

8. sycophant – one who prostrates himself before and flatters another as a means to personal gain
Example: He thought I would go on a date with him if he told me how undeserving of my company he was — what a sycophant!

9. facetious – a remark or attitude characterized by insincerity and humorousness
Example: When he said that nobody likes a liar, I facetiously remarked that the guy who sets liars’ pants on fire probably likes them.

10. capricious – acting impulsively
Example: Here’s a hundred bucks, kid; go be capricious!

11. salient – highly prominent; impossible to ignore
Example: All stuffed up, she sprayed saline solution into her salient schnoz.

12. superfluous – excessive; an unnecessary amount
Example: I like icing on my cake, but this two-inch layer is a bit superfluous.

13. ambiguous – vague; allowing for many interpretations
Example: I’m sorry for the misunderstanding; my explanation was ambiguous.

14. spongiform – spongelike; porous and soft
Example: What spongiform skin you have!

15. deficit – shortfall or insufficiency

Example: His stiff personality suffered from a humour deficit.

#CAPE TOWN BY NIGHT

BEAUTIFUL CAPE TOWN NIGHT LIGHTS

TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

#Table Mountain (Afrikaans: #Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of #Cape Town in #South Africa, and is featured in the #Flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant #tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. The mountain forms part of the #Table Mountain National Park. The view from the top of #Table Mountain has been described as one of the most epic views in Africa.

Source: Wikepedia

Picture: Carlos Pinho

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING IMPORTANT AND THE TOWN'S FINE LADY

By Carlos Pinho

We were all seated in front of the pharmacy window waiting to be dispensed when the old lady with the walker shuffled up to the window and demanded of the pharmacist, “Can you please get me these two items?”, adding, “I’m in a hurry and late for my  ‘physio’ appointment.”

A kindly face and peering over his half-moon spectacles, he indicated in our direction with a sweep of his eyes. Waving the pen in his right hand at the same for effect, he did a similar sweep and returned his gaze to her and politely replied.

“These people have been waiting for their medication for a while already, and we are rather busy this morning, you may have to wait a while.”

Clearly it was not only her legs that were giving her trouble, but her eyesight too, since she hadn’t seemed to notice the row of people sat on benches behind her, the queue snaking around the corner.

“It’s only two items,” she shot back.

“As I said Ma’am, these people have been waiting and were here before you,” he replied again, politely.

Offering to dispense her later if she left her prescription, he hadn’t even finished his sentence when, with a long and loud “pfffttt” she turned her back and hobbled away as quickly as her old and spindly legs and walker could carry her. No doubt to her ‘physio’ appointment.

Watching this amusing human comedy play out in front of me reminded me of an episode which I'd had some weeks prior in The Village.

Living in a small little coastal Town, our Village consists mainly of elderly retirees with money, and also includes a diverse mix of artists, writers, poets, singers, Executives from The City, and well-heeled and important people, as well as retired Judges and Politicians. The Town affects it’s own brand of snootiness and cachet, and is where the Chair’s and CEO’s of The City have weekend country homes which hug the foothills of the majestic Mountains to the back of them, with uninterrupted views of the Bay to the front.

I was collecting some documents from our local Council office when in swept one of the Town’s Fine Ladies, the type that ‘do’ lunch, tagging behind her two daughters, age’s 6 and 8 at a guess and wearing ballet tutus and tights.

Standing at the counter, I became aware of the arrival of Fine Lady, dressed in a hand tailored, magnificently cut suit, best described as Chanel chic. Her honey-blonde hair, streaked with low / high lights was perfectly groomed.

The freshly polished French manicure at the end of the finely tapered, well tanned hands, were accentuated by a thin, expensive wristwatch and a very large diamond ring on the wedding finger, cut in a rectangular shape. Platinum I thought. Around her right wrist she wore a diamond tennis bracelet, fingers similarly adorned with varying shapes and sizes of even more expensive jewellery.  In this hand she held a little Vuitton clutch.

Her chic suit fitted her body snugly and had clearly been made for her shape. A tennis player or Pilate’s sessions judging by the trim, athletic build.  Her long legs were sheathed in ash coloured silk stockings, feet shod in expensive hand crafted Italian heels, accentuating a taut, well-defined, shapely calf.

Fine Lady was obviously the younger trophy wife of one of the Chairs in the City and so common in The Village. These Wives hunt in packs, spending their days in Spas and “doing” lunch, in between purchases and pampering. They fetch and carry in 'Mom’s taxi', attend yoga classes, do pottery or flower arranging, and manage to fit in some fundraising, a spot of charity work and Committee meetings into their long and significantly busy days.

Evenings with their husbands are spent at fancy restaurants or society soirees and the gaps in between are filled with symphony concerts, gallery openings, poetry and prose readings with a little theatre thrown in for good measure. Festivals and wine-tastings in adjoining towns and villages, and some horse riding or Polo on a Sunday, end off a perfect week in the lives of The Wives Club. This social “significance” raises their profiles in the Town, and they are often seen in the society pages of the local papers.

The dimwitted clerk behind the counter was clearly having difficulty understanding what I needed and I was becoming a little exasperated at that point. With an audible “hummppphhhh” from behind me, I felt the tailored talon of Fine Lady tapping me on the right shoulder.

“Excuse me,” she said, “I’m just here to collect two documents and want to ask ‘him’ something,” she said, nodding in the direction of the clerk, still wearing her Jackie O’s though we were indoors.

By then I had had enough. I’d had enough of the Council, the Town, and the cheek, and wanted only to retreat to the sanctity and safety of my cave in the Mountain.

Exasperated by now with the dimwitted clerk, and ticked off at the cheek of this woman, I swiveled on my heels and hissing in her direction replied in the most even tone I could muster, “Yes. You can ask him anything you want. When I’m done.”

I got my Council papers and left. Whether or not she got her documents, or the ballerinas to their lesson in time, I don’t know and didn’t care. In the car, affectionately christened Emma, driving through the narrow streets of The Village, and headed for my cave in the Mountain with my own view of the Bay, I replayed the Fine Lady episode in my mind, and smiling secretly thought.

"Bloody cheek.”

Copyright © Carlos Pinho 2013