Celebrities in Social Media: Best and Worst

Social Media has become a very normal part of our everyday lives. At this point, even if you’ve been a laggard, according to the diffusion of innovations theory, it’s safe to say you’ve probably joined one form of social media and participated in at least one or more forms. Why? Because you can’t escape it!

Even celebrities have realized the potential for star status and growth in their careers by using social media.

With hundreds of thousands of celebrities, which ones are making social media work for them and which ones are not?

Let’s focus on an easy one that celebrities and fans love: Twitter. Here is the current ranking of the top 10 celebrities based on followers:

Best

At #1, it’s no surprise. Lady Gaga has topped almost every form of social media with her wild personality. The main reason she has hooked so many followers on Twitter is her manner of personalizing the experience for her fans by calling them her “Little Monsters.” She updates them on upcoming albums, tour dates and even what she’s eating. With over 58 million fans on Facebook, her fans feel they are a part of her life just by following her every move on social media. 

At #2, Justin Bieber has spread his “Bieber fever” for sure! With over 50 million Facebook fans and counting, along with more than 32.6 million followers on Twitter, Justin Bieber is constantly dominating social media with his interactive posts and pictures. He updates his fans on what appears to be every hour of the day.

Worst

So now who is missing the mark in social media?

One of the biggest fails for celebrities in social media is Amanda Bynes. Amanda who? Remember that sweet little comedian from Nickelodeon’s All That and The Amanda Show? Well she’s gone on to make a few chick flicks since then, as well as a fashion line that was short-lived. Maybe if she applied social media to her advantage, more people would remember her!

Her Twitter feed has an amazing 279,729 followers considering only having 5 tweets and she follows no one. Her last tweet was November 23, 2012, which is like 50 years in social media time. More pathetically was the fact that it was retweeted 123 times. Now those are loyal fans. Still, her influence in social media is close to nonexistent. With a little effort, her boost can go a long ways. She clearly has a following and fans practically begging her to “socialize” with them.

Oops!

More often than not, celebrities who may typically get it right do screw-up. To be honest, I think the general public enjoys that much more than the regular tweet or post. Check out this great infographic about some of the social blunders celebrities have had: http://mashable.com/2012/09/25/social-media-screw-ups/

The bottom of that infographic shares a great point:

"With proper execution, social media offers celebrities, athletes, and businesses a chance to make a positive impact, while inviting fan and customer interaction that wouldn't exist otherwise. Preventing mistakes should be a priority, but even when things go wrong, a professional recovery can help minimize the damage." - MDG Advertising