Thursday, July 19, 2012

SWEET TWEET FEAT is NEAT

This isn't a post as such it's just an explanation of something that is bothering me. recently I have posted a number of tweets that say something like - " 95 % of Twitter users do not retweet for @estellastar1 - but the 5 % who do are amazing."

This tweet has had the result of losing many followers and I have had a number of people saying that they don't like it.

I totally understand that.

But

A normal tweet has on average 30 people retweeting it and picks up about 6 new followers.

The tweet above has been retweeted 2,588 times and has picked up 1,844 new followers.

I know that is simplistic and that a quality follower is worth 500 temporary ones but my message on Twitter is to spread awareness about SMA - doing it this was means that the 6 tweets I have done this way have been seen by around 10,000 people.

It's not right maybe - but it's certainly not wrong

Hope that makes sense.

Major post coming soon


Thanks for reading

Tom

xxx

Sunday, July 1, 2012

CELEBRITY FORTUNES

This is a blog I have been thinking about writing for a while.

It's not a sad one - it's not particularly about Estella

Well, in a way it is.

One of the things I have noticed on Twitter is how annoyed some people get when they can not get celebrities retweeting them.It usually starts with tweets asking for retweets and then ends with an outburst about how celebrities could not care less.

Let's think about this a minute.

We seem to have this concept that celebrities are all rich and famous and should be conscious all the time that they are 'lucky' to be in the public eye - as such they should be tweeting about good causes all day long.

Why should they ?
How could they ?

They are all people and all very different people.

We have 26,000 followers on Twitter and a lot of that was down to the fact that one very nice American lady knew Stephen Fry and he tweeted about Estella. The time line went crazy and I remember being in tears as hundreds of people got to hear about Estella. It was amazing.

Stephen Fry himself said that seeing one tweet out of the thousands that he gets every day is like seeing a snowflake in a blizzard.

So there's the first answer - quite often the celebrity does not even see the tweets.

To get round this to start with we had snowstorm hours - calls to action to tweet a celeb all at the same time. I remember Mia Farrow doing us a retweet when we shut down her time line - effective but not the best way to win friends and influence people. I think she was rather cross :)

Anton Ferdinand came across us and retweeted and we picked up hundreds. One night he asked his brother ( the man who should still be England captain ) Rio to tweet and it went crazy. We received 2,000 new followers in the space of an hour. It was an amazing evening.


Just lately we have been lucky enough to meet with Natalie Cassidy. Natalie saw Estella's video because her neice rang her and told her she should watch it. The support we have had since is for one reason only - Natalie is a Mum , and an extrordinairily good one , she was touched by Estella and has taken SMA under her wing with regular tweets, a Sunday People article and more care and love than you could ever believe.

Maybe that's the answer. A lot of the celebrities who have supported us are Mums or ones who have had their own experiences in life that have taught them the value of support and thought.





We have had dozens of celebrity retweets about Estella. As soon as they see the video ( which has now been viewed by over 45,000 people ) they get it and they are so wonderful.


Last week we had several retweets from another actress. The difference this time is that she is actually a star in the adult film industry in America. I had two tweets asking if it was such a good idea to be retweeted by her. All I can say is that she wanted to spread the word about SMA and she was touched by Estella's story - so the answer is obvious. She's a very caring person and we are proud that she gets Estella - so thanks for so much support to the amazing Sophie Dee.





Last Sunday we also had terrific support in Direct Messages from the ever wonderful Gail Porter. She retweeted us and won us so many new followers.




So that's my thoughts this fine Sunday morning. No tears today. No calls to action just a thankyou to the celebrities who have been touched by Estella and her little life.

I'm biased - I know that Estella herself wins them over with her eyes and her spirit and her charm. If you are here reading this then you already know that.


There are a couple that we just have not been able to get Ed Sheeran and Jessie J must have had a million tweets but remember about the snowflake in the blizzard - one day a smile from Estella will land on their radar and BOOM - SMA will get another kicking.


I want to end with just one more thought.


I am sure a lot of celebrities don't like the word. They are very much normal people who are also touched by sorrow and pity and tears and regret.

By the same token there are so many of you following Estella who would never think of yourselves as celebrities. Never think of yourself as important or famous.


I tell you this


We are going to put an end to this disease that took my daughter. We are going to pick away at it. We are going to shout at it. We are going to kick it.

We are going to smash it


And when we do there will be no more babies born who already have their days numbered in months rather than decades

And when we do there are going to be no more Muppet Daddies struggling to read nanite stories through tear soaked eyes

And when we do there will be no more families who have to sit in that room holding the cold hand of their little treasure and kissing her forehead one final time before lifting and carrying her to her final sleep.


and when that happens every tweet, every retweet, every donation, every promise , every smile, every wish, every shout out , every Follow Friday , every tear will all be worth it. Small random acts of kindness

Like snowflakes

That make a blizzard

That make you all celebrities


Crying in the snow for one little snowflake who never saw her Winter


Let it snow
Let it snow
Let it snow


You didn't really think I was going to let you get away without a little sob did you :)