What do you do when you’re one of the world’s biggest pop stars with millions and millions of fans worldwide? If your 25 million Twitter followers and 47 million Facebook followers just aren’t enough of an Internet community, you do as 26-year-old Lady Gaga does and create your own social networking site specifically for your fans.
Already a queen of most social networking sites with over one billion views on YouTube, an impressive 330,000 followers on little used Google+, and larger followings than most any other pop star, Lady Gaga has been developing her site called Little Monsters. The name comes from her nickname for her fans, and on the site her fans can share photos, videos, swap Gaga stories, and stay in communication with equally obsessed fans.
According to developers and Mashable who has gotten some early peeks into the site, Little Monsters will have Pinterest-like areas where you can post and repost images, locations, and items and like Reddit.com where users can rate content on the site and give others users an idea of what most fans like or don’t like. The site is being developed by a start-up called Backplane that was in part created by Gaga alongside Troy Carter, her manager. Gaga is also providing some of the funding for the start-up. This is Backplane’s first project. The site, in its early phases, is still an invite-only beta site.
According to the CEO of Backplane, Matt Michelsen the start-up’s focus is about uniting communities and bringing Gaga’s community of fans together is their way to learn about website and social networking functionality and what makes sites work the best for that purpose. He believes Backplane could change the world.
Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters were delighted this past weekend with the superstar’s appearance on The Simpsons. In the episode, the animated pop star sang a single just for her Little Monsters called “Lisa Simpson Superstar” and paid Lisa a visit after Homer takes Lisa to a Lady Gaga concert where the singer realizes the little girl is unhappy.
Though the site is still in its beta phase, the site hasn’t received any website builder reviews or media reviews, it’s sure to bring together thousands of Gaga super fans once it goes live. What’s the point of social networking sites if not to connect you with like-minded people and Lady Gaga is creating just a way to do that for her fans. A role model who makes doing your own thing and being yourself, whoever that is, cool again for many of her fans, the singer is already known for her constant fan outreach. This site offers her yet another way for her to stay connected to her fans, and maybe more importantly, a way for them to stay connected with each other. No matter which way you were born, you’re welcome in her world.
Little Monsters social site is set to debut later this year.
