Today is April 1, which means you're probably expecting riotous spoofery and parodization. But Purim was last month, and my article was cut, so I'm still wounded (and might post it here later today). And I've been busy with ROI applications promotions (as my Tweeps know). But despite my lack of postage here yesterday and today, my traffic has more than doubled for both of those days.
People always ask, "how do you do it, Esther?" How is it that you can predict both social and internet trends with the (even more imminent) accuracy of Nostradamus, and translate said trends into pageviews?" Well, now I'm sharing my secret with you: I'm a frickin' oracle. Of sorts. With manifestation of predictions, sometimes misdirected from the original position of focus.
Last year, I changed my Facebook status from "single" to "engaged." That's it. And this happened. A brief recap:
Facebook Fools' Day Experiment: Change "Relationship Status" from "Single" to "Engaged"
Duration: 18 hours: 12:30am-6:30pm April 1
Findings: 35 respondents=15 email messages, 20 wall posts in a 18-hour period. About 70% of responses understood that the status change was a joke. About 25% of responses wished me mazal tov and wanted to know who the lucky guy was or why they were first hearing about this now. And 5% were threatened marriage proposals. From guys who are already in relationships. (Just to give you an idea of what's out there.) Most of my regular posse of New Yorkers knew better than to even respond. Or maybe they're too busy.
So that explains the upward blip in traffic. As for the social trend I was unknowingly predicting? Through my Facebook Fool's prank, I predicted April Fool's engagement that was then manifested in the relationships of others: by the time I woke up in Los Angeles, three friends of mine got engaged to their long-time significant others (all of them had to begin their emails with "this is NOT an April Fool's joke!"). So, who's up for passing that karma on?
And by the way, mazal tovs to Jacob and Nicole, Alon and Rachel, and Becca and Adam (endearingly hamming it up in the photo above). Celebrating with you from afar and, with one of you, from not-so-afar. :) And a happy April Fool's Day to you all.
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