A New Ride

FACEBOOK, USA -- A new ride began with my fight against cancer. While I continue to battle on a personal level, it is much more than personal. It is the global fight we must win. We beat Polio and Smallpox; most readers probably don't remember those. And we can beat cancer.


My fund raising goal is $20,000. I must say that riding the bike 100 miles or 7.6 miles up Mount Washington is easier than this goal. But I will stay the course.


Tonight, with the guidance of Ben Jones, we deployed a fan page, Ride Against Cancer. We had to get 25 fans to get a vanity address and got that in less than half an hour. By bedtime, we had 100 fans.


But, much like my failed ad campaign in which my ad was displayed 190,000 times and we received $0 in donations, people jumped at the chance to become a fan but it led to $0 donations. Well, maybe $25. Not sure if the one person who donated did because she was harassed otherwise or because of the page. The test will be when a complete stranger becomes a fan and donates.


The Fan page on Facebook is important for connections. The 190,000 times the ad was displayed it went to people, over 30, who had keywords of bike, bicycle, cycling, Lance Armstrong, It's Not About the Bike, Cancer Sucks, Tour de France, or Prostate Cancer Foundation. I deemed those people most like to be interested in my ad to give money to Livestrong.


It was displayed 190,000 and received 50 clicks, all of which I paid for, and not a single donation. Grrr.


The next ad campaign will reach friends and friends of friends and fans of my new page. When the ad is displayed it will also show that "Beth is a fan" or "3 friends are fans." At least with this ad there is a personal connection.


This new approach may not gain any donations either but it is worth a try. We have to do something to beat cancer.


Cancer -- you picked on the wrong person.