{"id":412,"date":"2013-04-29T15:38:00","date_gmt":"2013-04-29T15:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nickiong.com\/wp\/?p=161"},"modified":"2021-04-13T13:18:35","modified_gmt":"2021-04-13T13:18:35","slug":"the-power-of-going-viral-online-one-designers-quest-to-make-a-difference-after-the-boston-marathon-tragedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nickiong.com\/simplesprout\/2013\/04\/29\/the-power-of-going-viral-online-one-designers-quest-to-make-a-difference-after-the-boston-marathon-tragedy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Going Viral Online: One Designer\u2019s Quest to Make a Difference After the Boston Marathon Tragedy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When it was born, social media changed everything.<\/strong> Companies began using social media marketing to connect with customers on a new level; engaging and communicating in an entirely different way. All of a sudden, social media gave businesses \u2013 and individuals alike \u2013 on a small stage a big voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter viral marketing<\/strong>; often simple, yet creative ideas that spread like viruses (hence the name) online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve seen social media help ideas go viral everywhere, from the catchy tunes of Psy<\/a> to a magical reunion<\/a> to a creative wedding entrance<\/a> to countless memes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what makes an image, a video, or an idea go viral?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the case of Keith Keirstead<\/a>, head of Keirstead Designs<\/a>, an inspirational response to a tragedy was the perfect recipe for his graphic going viral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally from just outside of Boston \u2013 Worcester, to be exact \u2013 Keith knew both runners and spectators at the 2013 Boston Marathon. After the tragedy he was compelled to create something<\/em>; he\u2019s a designer, afterall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Friday, April 19th \u2013 the day of the Boston lockdown and man hunt \u2013 Keith sat down, created this powerful image, and publicly posted it on Facebook<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not long after sharing the graphic on Facebook, two of Keith\u2019s friends \u2013 Erin and Sarah \u2013 reached out. The ladies, both friends of two of the wounded (Jeff Bauman and Michele Mahoney), were deeply touched. [Be sure to read the incredible story about Jeff and Michele here<\/a>, and find links to donate to their recovery at the bottom of this post.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erin and Sarah suggested teaming up with Keith to use the graphic to print t-shirts up and sell them on Etsy<\/a>, with all of the profits going to Jeff and Michele\u2019s hospital and rehabilitation bills; Keith agreed immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s a beautiful sentiment; but here\u2019s where the real magic happens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Keith immediately noticed that many of his friends had started sharing his graphic on Friday night, but he had no idea just how<\/em> much attention it would receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late on Friday night, Keith left for a weekend at the lake, where he had very little cell service; but was able to glimpse the effect his graphic was having via text updates from friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time he returned home on Sunday night, Keith found his \u201cKeep Running, Boston\u201d graphic had received over <\/strong><\/em>5,500 shares!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After asking Keith what he attributed this colossal number of shares to, he explained it boiled down to a few key factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some fellow rockstars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sarah and Erin really took the reins when it came to the t-shirt sales<\/a>. Between these ladies and their passionate friends, you can almost feel <\/em>the Boston community reaching out to help their neighbors, comrades, and fellow Americans amongst the shares this post received.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Timing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Keith attributes a lot of the \u201cvirality\u201d (and if that\u2019s not a proper word, I\u2019m coining it right now) to timing. While it was never his intention to have it work out this way, Keith\u2019s original post (published at approximately 5:00pm on Friday, April 19th) was in the midst of the citywide Boston man hunt\/lockdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With hundreds of thousands of Bostonians online checking updates of the situation, it was ironic timing to have posted the graphic. According to Keith, as of approximately\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n