Be Your Own Media – Hollywood Style « Word of Mouth Marketing | Social Media, Search, Blog, and Viral Marketing

Be Your Own Media – Hollywood Style

We created the term “Be Your Own Media” when I was at BlueLine Marketing. We even hosted two well attended conferences entitled “Be Your Own Media. But what does it mean?

Simply put, it means that you no longer have to rely on traditional media to be the gatekeeper for your information. You no longer have to rely on “prayed” media to get your message out. With the tools available to you through social media, you can become your own media outlet. You now have the opportunity to speak directly to customers, fans, and shareholders.

Recently, I was impressed with a powerful example of Being Your Own Media. While Twitter has become a great place to stay in touch and build relationships, it has also become an excellent place to build your own media channel. You are no longer limited to paying for time on TV or radio, but you now can build your own channel of communication.

If you do some surfing around Twitter, you can find some of Hollywood, music, and professional sports’ biggest stars. For some examples, check out the Twitter pages for Diddy, Ewan McGregor, Ashton Kutcher, Maria Shriver, John Mayer, Gerard Butler, Shaquille O’Neal, and more. Why would so many superstars become active users of such a casual conversation technology?

One reason – to be their own media. As my buddy Ashton Kutcher said, “We are taking over our own tabloid media.”

When you have been hounded for so long by paparazzi and tabloid journalists, the ability to tell your own story can be incredibly liberating. Rather than being rendered helpless to fight the tabloids only in the court systems, they can now fight in the court of public opinion?

In my opinion, this marks the beginning of the end for yet another form of media – the tabloids. In addition, you now have the chance to get to know these celebrities on a much more personal level. Is it just more noise or is it a win for transparency? You be the judge.

2 Comments Add your own

Good stuff. Wouldn’t it be great if it were the end of tabloids? But I don’t think so — people read/watch that stuff precisely because it is (purportedly) what the celebs don’t want us to see/know.

Also, why do so few celebs follow anyone? I mean, I get it: They’re busy. They’re cool. But so are you, Brian. And you follow hundreds of people.

I’m not saying everyone should follow hundreds of people. But until celebs harness the dialogue part of SM, isn’t it just more of the same BS?

Great point, Jeff. While I can understand if Demi Moore (www.twitter.com/mrskutcher) doesn’t follow all 47,000 of her followers, only following 48 seems a bit lopsided.

Conversation does need to be a critical piece of their social media efforts. If you follow their posts, you can see that conversation is happening, but probably needs to be a bit more prevalent.

One of the other great things about Twitter is that these celebs that are Tweeting – it is really them. Not a publicist or a “handler”. Therefore, what you get is a little more real and a little more raw.That helps eliminate some of the BS.