How Your Time Online Can Benefit Many: Why Pay It Forward Really Works

Few realize how far one little action on their part can ripple. Maybe if they knew they’d toss more little pebbles into the great sea that is our online world or launch more butterflies. Each time you share something online – especially if that something benefits someone else – you improve the world.

Your tiny efforts could make the difference for some between struggling and thriving.

Here is just one example and stats on the enormous numbers of people who could potentially be affected:

Thomas sent me a nice little note at Twitter which led to all of this activity:

• Viewed his TferThomas Twitter profile and then visit his Thoughts and Twitters by Thomas blog.
• I liked his quote of the day so I shared it and the link to his Twitter so others could follow him if they also liked it.
• I read his post about Paying it Forward
• I like that idea and what he had to say about it so I shared it at FriendFeed.
• Within a couple of hours Rob Michael indicated he liked what I shared which then shared it in his atmostrio FriendFeed feed.

Thomas had no idea that his friendly message would start all this. Rob didn’t know that his own music blog would gain more visibility online because he took a micro-second to add a like to what I shared. No one knows who else will see one of these links in the Web that all started with one hello.

What else could happen? Do you know how many other Social Networking sites there are? Hundreds! Most people use at least several. I’ve seen my FriendFeed links spread to all of these:

1. Google Reader
2. StumbleUpon
3. Facebook
4. MySpace
5. Other blogs
6. ReadBurner
7. Blog Catalog
8. Toluu
9. RSSmeme
10. Backtype
11. There are bound to be more I didn’t happen to see or have forgotten

The posts went circling around the socialsphere ending up back at Twitter and FriendFeed and circling back out again through those Social Networking services and more.

If you think it is because I had accounts on all of those you would be incorrect. I never heard of several of them before what I did somewhere ended up over there too.

Even if YOU only use one Social Networking site what you do can have far-reaching implications.

All it takes is for ONE person who sees what you do to share it with others. What if that one person is Guy Kawasaki? Or Robert Scoble? Or Louis Gray? Or Mike Fruchter? They each have thousands of people who read what they share. You don’t have to know any of them; you only have to know someone they read. It pays to be friendly with everyone because you can never know whose ear THEY may have.

Have you ever noticed that everyone jumps on anything the famous post? Let’s take Darren Rowse’s TwiTips post Construct a Top Ten Must Follow Twitter List for example. It has garnered 161 comments to date.

It may be wise to consider how much reach the less famous bloggers may have before passing up any opportunities they offer such as our own Top Ten FriendFeed Friends Challenge. Some may be serious and know what they’re doing.

Consider these numbers for FriendFeed Challenge participants from TwinFluence and compare them with your own (just type in any Twitter user’s name to see these, yours and anyone else’s numbers):

• GrowMap – GrowMap’s Rank: #1,535 (87%) Reach: 642,569
  
• Derek Semmler – dereksemmler’s Rank: #993 (92%) Reach: 882,181
• Tamar – tamar’s Rank: #79 (99%) Reach: 3,046,872
• Louis Gray – louisgray’s Rank: #79 (99%) Reach: 2,941,752
• Mike Fruchter – fruchter’s Rank: #2,423 (80%) Reach: 453,035
• LadyBug Heather aka hedwyg - #3,972 (67%) Reach: 281,009
• Joe Dawson – joedawson’s Rank: #1,990 (83%) Reach: 527,105

Note that GrowMap only opened a Twitter account about November 20, 2008 – twenty days ago – and already has more reach than 87% of all Twitter accounts. No technology was used; we simply recognize who knows what they’re talking about and applied our awareness of how computer systems and Social Networking work instead.

It is no coincidence that these specific bloggers entered the challenge even though they are already very influential in their own right.

How do you think they BECAME influential and well known?

If you would like to grow your blog or business, emulate the actions of those who are already successful at doing so – follow their lead!

Even if YOU do not have the amount of online time some of us do you CAN benefit from OUR time by participating in what we’re doing full time.

A good place to start would be to follow all of the above at FriendFeed, Twitter and elsewhere. Read their blogs at FriendFeed or your favorite RSS reader. We’ve sped up that process by providing all their links below:

• GrowMap RSS Feed ~ GrowMap on Twitter ~ GrowMap on FriendFeed
• DerekSemmler Blog ~ DerekSemmler RSS FEED ~ DerekSemmler on Twitter ~ DerekSemmler at FriendFeed
• Tamar at Twitter ~ Tamar at FriendFeed – Tamar writes for so many blogs you’ll have to check them out in her FriendFeed feed by clicking on the orange feed icon for each one.
• Louis Gray’s Blog ~ Louis Gray RSS Feed ~ Louis Gray at Twitter ~ Louis Gray at FriendFeed
• Mike Fruchter’s Blog ~ Mike Fruchter RSS Feed ~ Mike Fruchter at Twitter ~ Mike Fruchter at FriendFeed
• LadyBug Heather Blog ~ hedwyg at Twitter ~ hedwyg at FriendFeed
• Joe Dawson Blog ~ Joe Dawson at Twitter ~ Joe Dawson at FriendFeed

TIP: Hold down the control key to open each link in a new tab to quickly act on all these links.

Before you go, do you know how long it takes to add all those links to a blog post? Do you know WHY I spent the time to offer you all those links? Because I want YOU to be more successful and the time I invested can now save all those who read this their valuable time.

YOU could be among this select group by simply entering our FriendFeed Challenge!

I know you’re busy but consider the seed you’re planting today and what it can reap for you later. If you can’t add them now, do come back and add them later.

And remember to enter our FriendFeed Challenge so others can find you. How can we blog about what you’re up to and share your posts at FriendFeed and Twitter if you never introduce yourself?

P.S. Did you notice the numbered links to the Social Networking sites above? They are each to an article that helps you get started with that Social Media site.

MORE ON READBURNER:

• Ten Top New Web Services of 2008 and Their 2009 Forecasts
• ReadBurner Fired Back Up with Revamped GUI, Reader Integration

Tagged as: Social Networking