In a few hours I’m sharing the stage with Mark Horvath (@Hardlynormal) to talk with homeless service agencies in attendance about how new/social media tools are at their disposal for greater connectivity, greater awareness and greater fundraising.

Mark has had HUGE success in rallying support to his cause of InvisiblePeople.tv It’s raw, real and unedited. His mode of using social media with shock and awe is well suited to his personality and you can’t argue the results he gets with over 50,000 views a month on his YouTube channel.

As Mark and I started talking about what to share with our group this morning it was interesting to hear him talk about entry points into social media for these agencies. Because Mark understands the principles of communication in this new mode, he knows that how he uses the medium and interacts with so many on a daily basis won’t work with the same kind of success for a 100 year old shelter in Kansas City, MO.

For Example: One of my favorite videos from Mark

This video is as raw as it gets. Barry talks frankly about what he’s living in, what his life is about and his hope for the future. His life hits me like a truck. Living in tunnels under Las Vegas, Barry’s struggles are so much more urgent than anything I have happening in my life.

This video is a small part in the narrative that InvisiblePeople.tv and Mark are telling. Mark’s a crusader and gives glimpses into the vast spectrum of lives that are intersecting with homelessness. Families in cheap hotels, women couch surfing, a man living in Central Park. Their stories make up the multiple faces of homelessness and Mark is campaigning for change. His tactics blitzkreig our lives, slap us around and ask if we’re going to let it continue. The drum that he’s been banging has attracted the attention of Google, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times and dozens of news outlets.

He’s had success but if you did the exact same thing, there would be some ripples and in the end you’d be referred to as, “Oh, you’re doing things just like InvisiblePeople.tv!”

What can we learn?

• Mark’s style fits his organization and personality – find yours and tell your story.
• There was a need and Mark got started helping – he “shipped it“. There have been adjustments and refinements along the way to make sure that he’s connecting. Even to the point of starting WeAreVisible.com because his tribe told him that was needed.
• This didn’t exist 3 years ago – a new market/community around an idea.
• A great example of acquisition – he can go to this community for help/resources. The housing of @LostAwareness by @Skip1 is a great move from the community – Check out the video

In the next post (Part II) I’ll sum up what we talked about in our session at The National Alliance to End Family Homelessness Conference and profile an organization that’s in the digital space that uses the same principles but it looks different. Here’s a hint.

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