I did an experiment yesterday on Facebook. I posted a quote, unattributed.

And it got a few dozen likes immediately. Ironically, it was a Simon Sinek quote, which a few people spotted.

Martin Luther King was able to get 250,000 people together in Washington DC on that August day in 1963 not because they followed him, but because of his vision. He just happened to be the conduit.

Sinek quipped that it just wouldn’t be the same if MLK said “I have a plan.”
The WHY is more powerful than the WHAT– the dream vs the plan.

Then I tested by posting something informational.
You can build influence by becoming a subject matter expert.

Arguably, the hottest current topic– plus I tagged a thought leader in online marketing.

Yet it got zero response.

Here’s a post from a friend that got almost 300 likes:

Another WHY post. And as much as I like Christine, it’s about what she stands for, not her personal beauty.

It struck me that people who seek to be wealthy or famous as their goal are hollow compared to people on a mission.

This speaks volumes about the nature of influence.

Here is the most popular post of all time on Facebook with over 4 million likes.
Can you guess under what circumstances, as opposed to by who?

People who clicked like did it because of what THEY believed and a celebration of THEIR success.

It wasn’t about the attractiveness of Michelle or Barack, nor the quality of the photo, but of mission.

Mission is shared and owned by many– inclusive, not exclusive; giving, not taking; clarifying, not distracting.

Did you know the Greeks had 4 different words for love?

PHILIA.
A general love via the warmth of friendships and pleasures. I love donuts, ultimate frisbee and episodes of StarGate.  Maybe you really “loved” that restaurant last night?

EROS.
Physical, passionate love tied to a person.  This is where “erotic” comes from. Infatuation creates love goggles, masking lust for other things.

STORGE.
Affection usually between family members, based on acceptance and mutual protection. David and Jonathan had one of the strongest friendships in the Bible. It was not sexual, but one of fulfilling mission– David’s anointing to be the next King.

AGAPE.
Unconditional, sacrificial love. To lay down your life for another man. Continuing to give, and not reciprocal. Spiritual and without sexual implications. Think of the Good Samaritan. Or for Christians, consider Jesus and that “God is Love”.

If Jesus were to be walking the planet in 2014, I’d bet he’d be on Facebook. And I bet he’d be a killer marketer.

Up until a year ago, my life was always about me. I wanted to be in the spotlight as the image of success.

But now it’s about a mission that all of us can embrace.

It’s time for others to step up into the spotlight and for me to be in support.

Dennis Yu

Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations. You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel. You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.

View all posts