An Unlikely Social Media Star...

I was charmed by an article I came across today.

I quickly posted it to Twitter, Facebook and Google+.  It was about the Dalai Lama inviting Archbishop Desmond Tutu to a Google+ Hangout.


 What's up with this ancient religious leader, a humble holy man from the Himalayas, being so current on the social media sites, no correct that, not just any site but the most recent "thing" in social media?  I guess I am a bit surprised to hear that they even have reliable internet service in Tibet.  I had to look into this a little further.

Sure enough.  I went to Google+ and found his holiness.  The good Archbishop from South Africa is there too.  I have placed them both in my circles.

Then I got curious.  I started looking around to see just how active HHDL (His Holiness Dalai Lama...  it's how they refer to him in the character-restricted world of Twitter) was in the social media universe.  Consider me impressed!

On Twitter he has over 2.5 million followers (none of whom he follows in return...  but really... who should HE follow?) and he has tweeted 636 times (as of this writing).  That's pretty much near rock star status.

On Facebook he is "liked" by well over 2 million people and has been actively posting for quite some time.  I can't tell how many people have put him in their circles on Google+ but he has been actively posting there as well.

His Holiness Dalai Lama...  social media rock star.  Who would have thought it????

He is touching more people over the internet these days than he could possibly touch any other way.  He's spreading his doctrine and he's letting people know how he's doing that, and what he's thinking.  Tell me any another medium or method that he could use that would be so effective.

Marketing professionals... pay attention.  This is inexpensive, highly efficient marketing.  It is public relations at its finest.  In just the few minutes I spent researching this I learned more about him and his beliefs than ever.  I knew who he was.  I thought he was good.  Now I know.

My hat's off to the humble monk from Tibet.  He is using social media better than most companies, most brands, most people who wish to influence the rest of us.  I have this picture of him in my mind sitting on a cushion in his temple while the snow blows outdoors, with a laptop placed on his crossed legs, tweeting out to the world.  And I smile in admiration.