Celebrities Leveraging Social Media
The world of social media, at it’s start, wasn’t seen as a place for celebrity/fan interaction nor a place that could be used for promotional purposes. It’s early stages led to the emergence of our first ever social media stars, which have turned into the beast we now know as influencers. It’s now also become a place for celebrities to further leverage their earning potential, giving companies/sponsors/advertisers a solid set of analytics and data attached to a specific audience the creator has hold over. It doesn’t only give greater data and perhaps selling opportunities for brands, but gives creators an easier way to sell themselves, and further their incomes.
Social media gives creators the opportunity to turn their fans into a sell-able and profitable number, that can get them sponsors, and further from that it can gain them contacts and connect them with brands that can present them with immense opportunities. This is the base of what influencers do, it’s what they’re about, but how can celebrities leverage these same platforms to leverage their already large incomes. In relation to the movie industry, in recent years different films have been partnering with YouTubers to help promote their movies. Kevin Hart, for example, has been appeared on Youtuber Caspar Lee’s channel twice in the last 3 years to promote his movies at the time. The video both have around 5 million views, and most likely reached a younger audience that Lee’s channel attracted, and perhaps isn’t watching as much television where traditional movie advertisements would’ve been viewed in years before. I mean, the video is even called Kevin Hart Used Me For YouTube Views.
Kevin isn’t the only one who has been doing this, celebrities have been appearing on different YouTubers channels more than ever, with the industries realization of the power of marketing through people’s favourite online personalities. It is in the similar nature of people watching their favourite Late Night show, Kimmel, Fallon, Corden they’re all preferences. When a celebrity is able to make it on to these shows, or in YouTube’s case channels, they are able to reach a audience of often loyal fans that are guaranteed to be engaged in the format and nature of their favourite show and host. Caspar has even had Ed Sheeran appear on his channel, in a comedic series he calls Brain Freeze, having little talk about Sheeran’s actual music but increasing his exposure in areas of the internet Sheeran would usually interact as an online personality.
Promotion through the networks of influencers, is a new found way of both sides leveraging social media to achieve greater income. Both parties benefit from the joining of the two creators, with celebrities able to connect and interact with an audience they have little access to and for influencers to perhaps gain more views, new viewers and further jobs opportunties. A mixed medium is necessary, as social media hasn’t blurred the line between influencer and celebrity, but simply added a new tier.
