Thinking and Working in Singapore and other more Virtual Places

What constitutes a Social Media 'Strategy'?

I was looking at some Direct Marketing Initiatives from local agencies the other day along with a group of industry colleagues - agencies, clients and freelance consultants (I put myself in that last category for now).  

We were judging the various entries for the dm360awards.  I'm not going to talk about specific individual views expressed there or, indeed, any of the entries but an interesting discussion did develop which, I think, raises some points worth consideration. 

It was argued by some that there is no real such thing as a 'strategy' when it comes to social media and those same people suggested that it was the content itself that would determine its journey (and presumably success and ultimate exposure) through all the various channels.  They argued that this was akin to a good joke say twenty years ago - if that joke was good it would get spread because people like to share a good joke with each other.

So, does the content itself be it humorous, controversial or whatever drive it's uptake on blogs, Facebook and YouTube etc or is there a method that can be adopted that would ensure (or certainly encourage) uptake in the desired channels? 

I think there can be no argument that content can be its own driver.  Nothing becomes 'huge' on the internet without some inherent value or quality.  The more pertinent point or question is;  can something become huge without some kind of strategy?  

Let's consider shitmydadsays - a soon to be 'Twillionaire' (as Stephen Fry calls people with 1 Million twitter Twitter followers) and recent subject of a new TV show.  Did Justin (the guy who Tweets his Dad's ramblings) achieve this number of followers and general social media hype simply because of the content of the Tweets?  Or, was there some clever strategy along the way?  Some twitter or blog 'seeding' perhaps?  I don't know and would welcome comments from people who could shed some light on this.

What I do know is that if we wish to engage with social media with some strictly average content, then some tactics can play a large role in its ultimate penetration.  Some cleverly picked friendly bloggers or some heavy influencers in the Twitter or Facebook space can certainly give some content some eyeballs it mightn't otherwise warrant if judged simply from the quality perspective position.  

I'm normally quite a 'purist' when it comes to social media and twitter - even a romantic - so the idea of strategy (dare I say 'manipulation'?) behind a social media story irks me slightly and doesn't sit comfortably with me.  However, to suggest that some content or an initiative's success lies only in the qualities of the content and that that's the end of the strategy, is clearly wrong.  

In the spirit of this post could you all please post this everywhere, tweet it, Facebook it and generally do whatever you can?  Because I think the content is pretty average.....

After 3 Days at the CSC in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

So, here I am at the end of day 3 of our trip to Cambodia.  We are here to visit the Children's Surgical Centre run by Dr Jim and his team.  I am here with Ian Mullane who runs Vanda, Andy Dyer who works for Ian and helps with our training, George - ex ESPN - who is filming us and Chris Snell who, like me is one of the White Collar guys being trained for our bouts in October in Singapore.

The CSC is the beneficiary of the funds raised by Vanda's events and Ian makes reagular visits here to get involved with whats going on and give White Collar boxers, like Chris and myself, a chance to really see where the money goes.

I've lived in Asia for a while and so, I suppose, what I have seen has not suprised me a lot.  However, it is the really intimate contact that we have had with the patients, the staff, the volunteers and, above all, our emotions that has made this trip absolutely incredible at so many levels. 

For the last 2 days we have been right in the thick of things at the hospital on rounds with Dr Jim and his team and helping out with both consulations and with operations in the Operaring Theater - being involved in ways that I think none of us first timers could have imagined.  And the impact of that involvement was not, at least for me, imagined before I cam here.

Three of us have been paired with a medical student from the UK each of whom is doing a six week stint out here as part of their studies.  We have shadowed them and this has given us a unique opportunity to get involved at a level that doesn't get any closer.  Only today, I actually assisted (allbeit it with a bit of swabbing and suture snipping) on 2 hernia operations on young children and in the cleaning of a wound on a lady's foot where it had become seriosuly infected following a snake bite.  This was particularly challenging for me.  This poor lady's foort was seriosuly infected with a large area of dead skin and loads of puss and general nastiness.  And there I was looking at and helping clean a wound that was like nothing I have ever seen and would have had me reaching for the remote had it come on TV (or at least had me squinting to blur my vision)!  The other guys and some of the students were genuinely asking me if I was OK as they looked on telling me afterwards that I was gently rocking at one point and they theought I was going to collapse!  It was a struggle but I knew that I wouldn't keel over - I just had to do it.  I just had to get on with it.

 

It's struck me how some themes have been developing. Many of you know that I struggled briefly after sparring started at the gym.  But I just had to get on with it.  And, had I not 'just gone one with it' today then there's no way I would have done what I did.

I mentioned to Ian of Vanda today that I can see why he gets on so well with Dr Jim.  They both have a no nonsense approach and both, I think, foster and encourage an atmospehere of challenge and escaping the comfort zone.  No one ever asked any of us here if we wanted to assist with the operations (although we could easliy have said no without any embarrasement or reprecussions) - it's just the way the guys make you think - get in there, get on with it and get it done.

It's an amazing experience and one that will live me - on the one hand, forever - and on the other as I continue my training.  I now see what an incredible job these people do here with the money that is raised and I have been reminded what a liberating and empowering thing it is to not think too hard about something, to not shy away from a tough challenge and to push the boundaries of one's comfort zone.

This afternoon we visited the Killing Fields and S-21 but I'll blog about those in a day or two and get some of my own photos and video content posted up when I can sort all that out back in Singapore.

Tomorrow we will visit another 'part' of the great work done here.  It's a house where the acid burn victims have a place of relative peace to try and come to terms with their horrific wounds and get some support.

I pinced the photo above from Ian's post where you can read a bit more and see anocther couple of shots.

Ricky Gervais Boxing

Fucking hit him....

Interesting to listen to Ricky and hear his demons....

Sparring at Vanda Boxing Club - 8th August 2009

Extra Training at Fitness First

The Pool at Fitness First (OUB Centre)

Today I have my second 'Personal Training' session with Salam at Fitness First at OUB Centre.  Salam won't help me with boxing specifically but just with trying to get a bit faster and fitter.  He doesn't know boxing but mentioned that he knows some other thing (as used by the Israeli Secret Service) meaning that he doesn't know how to box with me but rather he could kill me quite quickly...

On Tuesday he nearly killed me me getting me to run up and down the stairwell of the OUB Centre and all sorts of other stuff.  It's dying time again this afternoon.  I signed up for 20 sessions between now and my bout in October.... hmmm.....

You reading this Ian??? hahaha

Fitness First in Singapore

Sparring starts on Saturday

 

I got the seat!

intr.v. sparred, spar·ring, spars

1.

a. To fight with an opponent in a short bout or practice session, as in boxing or the martial arts.

b. To make boxing or fighting motions without hitting one's opponent.

2. To bandy words about in argument; dispute.

3. To fight by striking with the feet and spurs. Used of gamecocks.

n.

1. A motion of attack or defense in boxing.

2. A sparring match.

On Saturday morning we start our first sparring sessions.  Will be interesting and a little bit scary too.  I have heard that some people will probably drop out at this stage (based on previous events) as we move into real contact.  It hadn't occurred to me that that may happen.

If I am still alive at the weekend I'll let you know how it went...

Speed Test

Gotta be pretty happy with that....

iPhone remote app and Apple TV

Last night I got the iPhone Remote App working with my Apple TV properly.  Previously I had only 'paired' it with iTunes and so had not got all the gesture control stuff working.  But now it is apired properly and it does work and it's simply one of the best bits of tech I have ever seen.  Awesome - really awesome.

More here

Turf City - Home to Vanda Boxing Club

The old Bukit Timah racecource - Turf City.  The rather unusual home to Vanda Boxing Club.

Meet the boxers – Carl Griffith – IFS White Collar Boxing Singapore