Papparazi
In Hollywood, celeb hunting is a sport. Whether it be Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, or Brangelina they are all routinely trailed by photographers, thrill seekers, and other people who don’t have the best intentions.
There has been case after case where celebs have attacked paparrazi to protect their privacy. Kanye West has been arrested for assault and destroying paparazzi cameras.
There is a more recent story involving the stars of “Twilight” lamenting the paparazzi, the “unavoidable” paparazzi. To me, stars feel threatened because they are constantly being followed and their personal security is threatened. This is understandable and I would probably feel the same if I were in their position. At the same time, the paparazzi informs the fans of celebrities with pictures and stories(some good, some not). The amount of celebrity coverage on the net, in print, and the small screen proves the insatiable taste for celebrity news.
So, the question is, “What Can Celebrities Do To Inform Fans Without The Paparazzi?”
I believe the answer lies in the web, of all places. It involves the actual celebrities taking control of their persona and satisfying their fans while earning new ones. Using social web applications allows celebrities to easily notify their fans of what they are doing in ways they approve of. Celebrities don’t have to worry about the paparazzi snapping a photo of them in a compromising position or with a bad hair day because people’s attention is redirected to what is coming directly from the celebrity. Social web applications give celebrities a platform to share and crowd out the paparazzi noise.
How Celebrities Can Accomplish This
Twitter is a tool that has been used by both celebrities and non-celebrities to reach their fans and generate new ones. There are countless people who have used Twitter to build their fame like @garyvee and @chrisbrogan. For existing celebrities, they need to use it to personally connect with their fan base. Tell us when you are eating a cheeseburger, reading the paper, or playing golf. You will turn your fans into a tribe of followers less inclined to seek out paparazzi sources because they get all the info they care about directly from you. This means the paparazzi population is reduced and celebrities can feel more secure by several orders of magnitude.
There are examples of celebrities using Twitter successfully. @lancearmstrong recently tweeted about his surgery and tweeted pictures of his scar using the Twitpic service. No paparrazi shot that photo, nor could they get that access. Only Lance can show us this and he gives his fans what they want.If Lance reads something untrue about him in the newspaper he can also immediately let his fans know what he feels. Lance is empowered by a great platform.
Rainn Wilson, Dwight Schrute from “The Office,” also uses Twitter @rainnwilson. At the time of this writing he has 1,120,967 followers who see his notifications when he makes them. If you need to spread a message, this is a great way to reach fans of yours.
2. Blog
Twitter is referred to as a “Microblog” because it restricts posts to 140 characters. For longer posts the best spot is on a blog. Many celebs have websites, but don’t have blogs. I believe it should be the opposite when it comes to priority.
On your blog fans can subscribe to the RSS feed and be notified when you make a post. You can interact with your fans in the comments sections. You can post more of your own pictures from on the red carpet, on set, when you are in the studio. You don’t need to wait for VH1 to do a documentary on you for coverage of your album or Entertainment Tonight to cover your upcoming movie. With blogs you can frame yourself before others frame you.
Many celebrities utilize Myspace for this function, but I believe this is a mistake. You need to have your own web property to develop. You never know what will happen with Myspace. It may go downhill with the annoying adverts. They are getting clobbered by Facebook as it is.
3. Live Broadcasting
The final part of the celebrity social web app plan for reducing paparazzi, raising your profile, and making more money involves live broadcasting.
No, you don’t need a satellite truck, lighting, production crew, a set, etc…just a webcam, computer, and the internet. There are a range of free services like Yahoo Live, Justin.tv, and Mogulus. Sign up, follow the instructions and broadcast.
There are several web celebrities who have built followings because of this technology (ijustine, Chris Pirillo, and more). Hollywood celebs can create more fans and give fans exactly what they want: more of you (the celebrity).
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So, thats the plan, nothing more. If there is too much more, the celebrity wouldn’t have time to use the tools correctly.
I guarantee if used the way I suggest you will do exactly what the title of this post claims.
