Earlier this morning, I commented on a post on SpinSucks.com written by Gini Dietrich. Checking back, that post has generated 220+ comments. Umm, that’s A LOT of comments. Curious to know the topic that could spark so much dialogue? A brilliant new social media strategy? The secret sauce to generating the best media coverage ever? An interview with an uber-famous author?
Nope.
It was a post about nothing.
Seriously. The headline is A Blog Post about Nothing … and that’s exactly what it is.
Gini had writer’s block. A lack of inspiration. She was honest about her frustration that her company’s new project didn’t launch as expected. She’s intrigued by a new feature on Twitter, but not so intrigued that she felt compelled to write a whole blog post. She was having a “blah” morning.
We all have those, right? But, are we all so willing to share that with our online networks?
Now, most of us can’t write about “nothing-ness.” We’re not Seinfeld … and we’re not Gini. So, what’s my point? Gini’s post about nothing is a testament to the community she built. She didn’t have much to say today, but her readers certainly had a lot to tell her. (I think 11 new comments have been added since I started writing this!)
Normally, Gini is consistent with her blog posts. She posts every morning and SpinSucks.com features a guest post in the afternoon. She delivers two posts full of valuable content every day. Now, those posts generate lots of comments, but it didn’t start like that. Gini and team built toward that. It took commitment, perseverance, honesty, a willingness to share their stage, and an openness that highlights highs, lows and the learning experiences in between.
Somewhere in there, I think there’s a lesson we can all learn about the power of community. What do you think?