What Gets YOUR Wallet Open?

Mary Schmidt

Jan 27, 2012

Following on my post from last week, F2F Beats “Like” Every Time

From How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media: “An astounding 97 percent of nonprofits are using social media, far surpassing even the business world,” says Nora Ganim Barnes, co-author of a study released last year by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research…The trick, say nonprofit advocacy experts, is to pair virtual campaigns with flesh-and-blood action.

Ah, there’s always a gotcha, isn’t there? Lots of people are “using” social media…but how many are actually participating? Making real contributions (hands, brain or and/or wallet?)  Sorry, getting into Facebook ya-yahhing with trolls isn’t participating.  Tweeting about something awful doesn’t automatically change that something awful. 

If we really want to change things, we’ve got to stop typing and DO something.  LIke open our wallets, not just our hearts. 

That’s why I’m continuing to work on the Adopt-A-Village project with Global Hope Network International.  And, using social media to do it.  I’m hoping to turn “using” into “participating” for about a 100 people.  Just 100.  That’s - um - 50 less than the Dunbar relationship limit. 

From NPR: Don’t Believe Facebook, You Only Have 150 Friends”Dunbar has found 150 to be the sweet spot for hunter-gatherer societies all over the world. From the Bushmen of Southern Africa to Native American tribes, a typical community is about 150 people. Amish and Hutterite communities — even most military companies around the world — seem to follow the same rule.

The reason 150 is the optimal number for a community comes from our primate ancestors, Dunbar says. In smaller groups, primates could work together to solve problems and evade predators. Today, 150 seems to be the number at which our brains just max out on memory.”

Have I already maxed you out?  If not, what would it take to get your wallet open? 

In Do Good. Do Well., Social Media For Skeptics