If you live in Houston or the Houston area, you have probably heard about the
July 2 car crash that took the lives of Robin and Joshua Berry and left their three children injured, two of whom are currently paralyzed below the waist.
I first heard this news on July 4 via my Facebook news feed. It started with a status update here and there from those who knew this family well. I don’t know the Berry family but apparently several of my Facebook friends do. Within days, my Facebook feed was alerting me of fundraisers for the Berry family and their ongoing medical needs.
As a new mom, this story tugged – and continues to tug – at my heartstrings, a little tighter than normal. But more than that, it has showed me what social media can do to market something. In this case, it is the tragedy itself and the many fundraisers that have developed to provide support.
Shortly after the accident, a Facebook page for the
Joshua and Robin Berry Children’s Trust was created to provide updates on the status of the children’s health and relay details of upcoming fundraisers. By July 20, the page had more than 13,000 “likes.” The Berry tragedy has spread like wildfire via social media. Within just days of the accident, celebrities (including Kourtney Kardashian and Brooke Burke) posted news of the tragedy to their blogs, Tweeted about it and have requested their followers to offer support. Sports figures from the Houston Dynamo, Astros, Rockets and Texans have rushed to the hospital to lift the spirits of the Berry kids. Kitchens from Chicago to Birmingham are now abuzz with bake sale activity to benefit the family. All of this support is a direct result of social media.
So when you are wondering how social media can help your business to grow, think about the $13,000 dollars raised in one afternoon from a local bake sale to benefit the Berry’s after news spread about it on Facebook.
Social media is a powerful tool and if used in the right way, Facebook, Twitter and even LinkedIn can be effectively used to strengthen your brand. Social media is not just a fad – it is here to stay and it works.