The words “fan” and “follower” have firmly embedded themselves in the lexicon of social media gurus, thought leaders, and practitioners.
But long before the dawn of social media, both terms usually referred to “real-life” and “offline” admirers of musicians, movie actors, athletes and other high-profile celebrities.
It’s no surprise then despite the heavy presence of brands and businesses in social media, celebrities not only continue to garner hordes of followers but also multiply their influence exponentially through these networks and Facebook marketing.
The team over at Cup.li decided to look into the practices of some of the most-coveted celebrities on Facebook. With some creativity and imagination, you’ll be able to put their findings – from big-picture advice to more hands-on tips – to work in your own social media marketing efforts.ers but also multiply their influence exponentially through these networks.
Let’s begin with the first lesson.
#1. Go all the way or stay clear of social media
If you perform more than a dozen searches on celebrity names in Facebook, you’ll most likely notice that they fall into two groups: well-kept, frequently updated ones and those that, well, don’t really exist (in the latter’s case Facebook pulls up the star’s Wikipedia page).
And while some celebrities have become well-known for their commendable social media effort (Vin Diesel is a case in point), others have been put in the spotlight for their half-baked approach to their Facebook marketing.
Why is avoiding a half-hearted effort smart? A social media account can help your business, but it can definitely hurt it as well. An outdated, half-finished, or poorly put-together page can create a bad impression, one that may be avoided if you don’t start a profile in the first place.
You don’t want your visitors thinking that you’re out of business or hard to reach. Keep in mind that even though social media is technically free, you must set aside the time required to “do it right”.
#2. Strive for authenticity and use your true voice
There’s no use in drooling over the benefits of being authentic in social media, but making your followers feel connected to you or your business is undeniably one of the biggest ones. In the world of well-established corporations, a sizable component of their marketing has to do with “humanizing” their businesses.
Just think of the words “brand personality”, “brand image”, and “brand values” and social media is the vehicle for doing that for businesses of all sizes.
Celebrities make their followers feel like they’re “friends” with them. So utilize social media to remove the “pull back the curtain” on your business.
Consider Richard Branson, an entrepreneur, celebrity, and PR genius. He displays an image that’s genuine and a personality that’s uniquely his. Starting from his description as a “tie-loathing adventurer & thrill seeker” to his updates.
Consider these:
- “What do you need to take on a giant & win? Nothing but bravery, good people & a great idea”
- “For every success story there are 100s of near-misses. Every entrepreneur fails before succeeding”
Even with photos, he stays true to his image of a fun, upbeat, “achiever” individual.
#3. Adopt Facebook marketing best practices
If you’ve been a social media marketing student for a while, you’ve most likely read that the following tactics skyrocket engagement:
1. Posting photos
Many studies have shown that photos lead to more engagement (more comments, likes, and click-throughts) than text-only, video, or link updates. As we’ve written before on our blog, short (between 100 and 250 characters) and mixed-format posts (text + visuals) work equally well.
2. Ask questions
This includes posting open-ended “fill-in-the-blank” and “caption this photo” type updates. Buffer recently wrote that “question posts get 100% more comments” citing an infographic from Kissmetrics and a study by Hubspot, the indisputable leader in inbound marketing.
3. Systematize your marketing activities
Consider scheduling your updates to save time by using tools that allow you to do so. Even celebrities do this (Paris Hilton once tweeted how she was enjoying Family guy when in fact she was being arrested)
4. Leverage and re-purpose content
Don’t be shy of re-purposing both your own and others content – even celebrities do this by using others’ quotes and jokes. Hubspot put together a detailed list of the different ways you can do this.
Here are a few examples of celebrities using these exact strategies:
#4. Don’t forget the “marketing” is social media marketing
For celebrities, it’s not just about what they’re doing, where’s they’re traveling next, or who they’re meeting with. Many celebrities are also savvy marketers who milk their social media accounts for bottom line business results.
They promote their upcoming albums, concerts and movies. Others use their social media profiles to sell the brands they endorse, endorse their non-profit projects, and solicit financial support for various causes or charities.
Lady Gaga, who has been often cited as being especially talented at this, is known for selling out her concert tickets in minutes.
Embody the same shrewd approach to your own efforts: track ROI, impressions, sales or whichever other metrics lead to better business results. In the end, it’s what your fans do that matters, not what they feel and think (although indirectly these matter as well).
#5. Kill Two Rabbits with One Stone By Asking for Feedback
Many celebrities actively solicit feedback from their fans on their past, present, more importantly, on their planned projects. They often ask them what they’d like to see or hear.
And guess what?
You can do the same, and what’s more, it’s likely that in your case, this feedback will be twice as useful (who knows whether celebrities even read or implement their fans suggestions).
To take it up a notch, follow-up on your question or survey and tell your fans how you’ve implemented that feedback – your fans will appreciate it and will be inclined to provide feedback again.
#6. Provide Unique Value
It’s only natural to give your fans something unique on your social media page (otherwise what reason do they have to follow you?). Celebrities share photos from their performances (or from backstage), exclusive shows, conferences, and other events.
For a business something else should take the place of concert photos.Once again citing Buffer, 35% of fans like a page to participate in contest and 42% do so to get coupons and discounts. In a content-based business, exclusive material can be in the form of “insider-only” videos, articles, or eBooks (though pictures of your employees, office etc. can serve their purpose as well).
The benefits of following your page don’t have to be tangible – emotional ones can can a similar effect. For example, instead of straight out promoting her brand, Lady Gage “tweets hints, teasers, and riddles about upcoming albums, tours, and videos to keep her fans guessing” according to.
#7. Leverage Others Popularity
While some celebrities leverage the fame of others to start feuds and spark controversy (getting massive awareness for themselves in the process).
Depending on your industry, establishing relationships with influencers might do wonders for your business. Also consider whether you want to have a neutral presence or a controversial one (Tucker Max is a case in point).
Final Thoughts
We wrote about seven ways you can take your social media marketing up a notch and showed you how celebrities are using these tactics on their social media profiles.
Now it’s your turn to use them in your business!
Read more: Re-Purpose Someone Else’s Content