The Real Influence Project

It seems like a lot of people are still struggling with the collision of “influence” and Social Media. What does influence mean? How do you measure it?

I’ve been rolling around this question in my head aplenty.

Meanwhile, I’ve watched some amazing charitable works happen on Facebook, on Twitter, and via Blogs. Today, driving home, it hit me. The best kind of influence exists independently of Social Media, but now we can use Social Media to grow it. The best kind of influence is that you gain by doing something that improves a person’s life. Maybe it’s a person you’ll never meet. Maybe it’s someone you see every day and don’t know. Your influence is based on not needing or wanting anything in return. It’s about sending something out into the ether so that someone can catch a break, in a big way or in a small way.

To this end, I have begun a project called The Real Influence Project. I’ve started a page on Facebook and I’ll also be using the Twitter hashtag #RealInfluence. The idea is pretty simple. Post about what you are trying to do to make the world a better place. The community of other real-life influencers will support you, will help spread the word, will assist you when or if you need it, and as we go, we’ll see all of the good that we can accomplish as a truly influential community. And that’s it.

Social Media propagating the best kind of influence there is.

As for me, my first project will be to try to make 100 hats that I’ll have ready to donate to a local women’s homeless shelter in time for the holidays.

Are you in?