Be a covert angel and help YOUR friends help THEIR causes

Morning!

A few weeks ago, I wrote Be a hero and proactively avert online disaster for your real life friends – ’twas a quick little post that described how you can proactively monitor your friends and family via Google news alerts.  Let me tell you, that’s been a lifesaver on several occasions for my technically clue-seeking friends – I’ve been able to give them the headsup whenever a news article appeared about which they’d want to take action.

What else can you do for the folks you value?

Why, help them help themselves promote causes that are important to them, of course. 

Many people who are casual Internet users aren’t aware of the tremendous power that bloggers and forum participants have in getting the word out about passionate topics, be it:

• Helping friends who lost everything in a fire
  
• Helping a child in need
• Emailing our military
• Nominating Animal Planet Hero of the Year
• Tough Biker Guys With Hearts of Gold

Now, for experienced and savvy online users, it’s second nature to reach out and touch the world to help generate passion about a cause.

What if your friends LACK that knowledge?

Why….you just give it to them, of course.  🙂

Here are some easy tips you can share with them.

Step 1.)  Ask them to write up a blog post about their cause.  This will serve as a destination page.  If they don’t have a blog themselves, put up a page on your site instead like this one.

Step 2.)  Show them how to alert THEIR network.  Everyone has lists of friends to whom they forward chain letters or PTA meetings or karate sparring shows or how to save with regards to gas prices or …. you get the idea.  These people know your friend already – they’ll probably be quite open to learning about their causes.

Step 3.)  Alert YOUR network.  After all, what are friends for?  I’ve used my blog in the past to offer headsup for my friends and colleagues; I’m currently getting the word out about Buddy Amato as an Animal Planet Hero of the Year nominee.  I’ve used Twitter and Friendfeed and Facebook and Myspace….you can do the same!

Step 4.)  Find resources to help your friend help the cause.  Is your friend the only person who is passionate about the cause, or are there others?  Search for blogs or local/national newspaper articles or TV mentions or …. you get the idea.  Once you find these people, either pass on the information to your friend or drop the resources a line yourself.  Who knows the synergy you might spark?

I hope the above ideas have been useful for you!!  Doing good deeds and helping out folks about whom you care is a very good thing indeed – take advantage of being able to be in the right place at the right time and make a difference.

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

Like this post? Please feel free to tell your friends and Digg It – I very much appreciate your time!