The Dragonfly Effect

The Dragonfly Effect is a term used to express the concept that people want to use social media for social good and that there is a replicable framework to achieve this goal.  The name comes from the fact that the Dragonfly is the only insect able to go in any direction when all of its wings are working together… it “symbolizes the importance of integrated effort.” 

The method relies on four essential skills: focus on a single measureable goal, grab attention with something authentic and memorable, engage by creating a personal connection, and enable and empower others to take action.  An article called, "The Dragonfly Effect" by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith, tells a compelling story about people who set out to get 20,000 South Asians into the bone marrow registry, with the hope of finding a life-saving match for their friend. 

Some of the steps that they took included:
1. Writing an email with a clear call to action and instructing the readers to do three things

2. They told people how they could help – such as spreading the word and organizing their own drives

3. They held bone marrow drives at 15 major businesses

The author points out that the key to their success was focus – that they targeted those who were well connected to others and who could relate to their story.

We can try to apply the same skills to our work on Student InTuition.  For example:

Focus: we’re focused on helping students reduce their debt.

Grab attention: What is our personal hook?  What can pique people’s curiosity and encourage them to share?   What photos and videos can we use to convey our message?   Are we triggering all of the senses if possible?   We can utilize personal stories of students struggling with debt after college or students who are intimidated to attend college because they are worried about the debt burden.

How do we engage people?  Taking a page from Barack Obama’s book and his social-media focused 2008 campaign seems like a good place to start.  His networking website allowed supporters to “create a profile, build groups, chat with other registered users, plan offline events, raise funds” and post user-generated content.  It focused on connectivity and the mission of “involvement through empowerment.” We have talked about using our web-platform as a way to showcase student talent.  I like the idea of building community, further allowing students to take control of their financial situation, and even better, creating a movement to generate other ideas on how to reduce student debt.

Taking action: it’s helpful to tell people exactly how to do it.

Perhaps the next question for us is: when is the appropriate time to launch a web presence?