Sh*t My Dad Says

The Problem
I have to admit that when I began to write today’s post, I was a bit stumped. I wanted to blog about the true power of social media and how it could catapult seemingly random people, events, or trends to overnight success, but I couldn’t find that single best example to illustrate my point. Luckily, my oldest daughter was home for Easter, and she did not fail me. I always knew that paying for her eight years of college would someday reap big returns.

The Idea
She directed me to a Twitter page with the unlikely name of Sh*t My Dad Says. Once there, I was able to read the many words of wisdom spoken by 74-year-old Sam Halpern as they have been faithfully recorded by his n’er-do-well 29-year-old son, Justin. The curmudgeonly dad says things like, "A parent's only as good as their dumbest kid. If one wins a Nobel Prize but the other gets robbed by a hooker, you failed," and, "I didn't say you were ugly. I said your girlfriend is better looking than you, and standing next to her, you look ugly." The son Tweets these pearls verbatim to the rest of the world.

The Content
I read through several pages of the Tweets, and I have to admit that I was very amused. As you can probably tell from the title, Sam Halpern’s language tends toward the raw side of the spectrum, but if you don’t let the word choice get in your way, the man is genuinely funny. And his son’s idea to share these observations via Twitter was nothing short of brilliant, despite his father’s comments to the contrary, comments such as “you don't know sh*t, and you're not sh*t. Don't take that the wrong way, that was meant to cheer you up.”

The Power of Social Media
Oh, I was about to forget to tell you about the power of social media. It has been less than a year since that very first tweet. During the initial month, Justin gained 250,000 followers. Now over 1,200,000 followers have signed up for his Tweets, including about 100 who joined while I was writing this post. He has a Facebook page called Sh*t My Dad Says that boasts over 150,000 fans, many of whom seem to like to share the sh*t that their own dads say, and he even has the dubious honor of a knock-off Facebook page with another 35,000 followers.

The Book
He posts frequently on his popular blog, Sh*t My Dad Says. He has a website called Sh*t My Dad Says. He has compiled all of his father’s sayings into a book called Sh*t My Dad Says, which ranks #64 at Amazon.com based solely on pre-orders (the book does not come out until May 10). And then there is the CBS television pilot, which will feature none other than William Shatner in the role of that wise old philosopher, Sam Halpern, and which will assumably be called something other than Sh*t My Dad Says.

So there you have the power of social media. An unemployed entrepreneur conceived of an idea, branded it, marketed it, and once it gained critical mass, stood back and watched it all happen. Justin Halpern made it look easy. Or, as his father put it, "Oh please, you practically invented lazy. People should have to call you and ask for the rights to lazy before they use it."

Georgia Writers Association. What the Heck is That?

The Best-kept Secret in Georgia
The Georgia Writers Association has been in existence since 1994, and for most of those sixteen years, the organization has been one of the best-kept secrets in the state. The group was originally established to be a resource and an asset for Georgia writers of all types and levels of accomplishment and to be a source of mutual support for those engaged in the craft of putting words to paper. These are all worthy objectives, but unfortunately, the organization has not always been successful in meeting their mandates.

Website Remodeling
In an attempt to improve the GWA’s efficacy, brand recognition, and track record, a group of graduate students from Kennesaw State University’s Master’s of Arts in Professional Writing program recently embarked upon an initiative to refurbish the web presence of the GWA, primary through the use of online technology and various social media. The first of several steps to this end was the analysis of the Georgia Writer’s Association website by three separate focus groups. The intent was to evaluate the site for usability, functionality, and content. Three separate reports were generated identifying issues and recommendations for their remediation. These suggestions are currently being evaluated, and several have already been implemented.

GWA on Facebook
One of the largest areas identified for potential improvement was in the GWA’s existing Facebook page. Although the page had been in existence for some years, it was rarely used. The group membership hovered around 175, and there was an average of one post per week from all sources.

Two additional administrators were assigned the task of revitalizing this page. Using the principle that steady posts bring traffic, they made a minimum of five posts per day beginning on February 25th. Since that date, over 100 links to websites of interest to writers have been added. Additionally, over 125 photos of GWA member’s book covers have been placed on the page. Invitations to 800 potential members have been sent out, with more being identified and sent daily. Group messaging has been used on several occasions to solicit input from members and to advise members of upcoming events.

Although it is early in the Facebook campaign, the initial results have been encouraging. The group’s membership has climbed to 475 members as of this post’s date. Membership interaction with administrator posts is also on the rise, including an astounding nine interactions from non-administrators on 3/14.

The Tweet Smell of Success
Another opportunity area was Twitter. The GWA had no presence on this platform, but this oversight was rectified on 3/10. Since that time, the GWA has signed up to follow 39 members, has gained 31 followers, and has Tweeted 5 times. This may seem to be a modest beginning, but it is a start, nonetheless. And picking up 31 followers—mostly from the Facebook announcement—is very encouraging.

What About the Blog?
One of the areas that was identified as being crucial to the success of the GWA social media campaign was the revitalization of the organization’s blog. The capacity for hosting an interactive blog is built into the GWA website, and a few posts have been made, but the effort cannot be termed a success at this point. The number and frequency of posts are both issues that will need to be addressed if this blog is to realize its potential as the sounding board for one of the largest and oldest writer’s organizations in the South.

Where Do We Go from Here?
A good start has been made towards the revitalization of the web presence for the Georgia Writers Association. The problem areas have been identified, and the assignments have been made. The ultimate success of the initiative will require the 3 C’s: commitment, consistency, and content. Time will be the judge.