How Can Charlie Sheen’s Digital Moves Help Your Game?

March 10th, 2011 - By TheEditor

"Lauren DeLisa Coleman"It’s undeniable that the past week has been all about Charlie Sheen. Whether you think he’s an erratic nut or a manipulative genius, you simply can’t deny his solid use of digital media to leverage his own voice.  Able to control his agenda without edits or pesky interviewers, Sheen broke Guinness Book records by obtaining a huge number of fans and then built off that by using U-Stream to give both an inside look at strategy sessions and launch tirades against his former employers. In looking at it all, there are some hot social media lessons to learn from Team Sheen that I’d love to see more of our demographic use to reach a payday later as well.

It’s no secret that we out-index in terms of social media frequency and that our demographic is growing while that of the mainstream is shrinking. So I say it’s time to use such statistics in your favor not just to communicate between your friends but to create a real and defined personal brand that can lead to greater and greater power in the long-term.

You may have a lot of followers/friends; but the growing question is, what are you actually doing with them. How do you both benefit each other in larger terms? How much of an influencer are you?  What do you stand for? We’re living in the age of digital notoriety and anonymity no longer works in the era of digital capital.  We have a built-in active demographic, particularly on Twitter so it’s time for more of us to put that into play, particularly the younger demo.

How?

You may want to begin to think about either what you know that you can teach or what part of your personality is so compelling that others will gravitate toward it and watch it and pass that video link to friends.  Is is beauty tips and tricks?  Is it comedy?  Marketing? Medicine? Trend/fashion reporting?

Thank God much of the dreaded gate-keeper has been cut out so we have less of a reason for being shut out. Let’s use that avenue because if the numbers are there behind you, business magic can happen.  I’ve seen a guy who really has no physical appeal talking about wine and football go from no views to thousands upon thousands of views to book deals to satellite radio to now consulting for wine selections for a restaurant.  I’d like to tell these stories about young people of color.  So here’s what’s needed to at least get started and then to persistently build:

1) on-line video – post early, post often. I’m an advocate of your own site/blog so that data can be captured but also channels on the top 5 video sites from Vimeo to YouTube to Metacafe should be worked in.  Look at the metrics and see which ones people really checked for and which ones they didn’t.  Repeat what works but keep stretching

2) Twitter – is your handle listed somehow within the on-line video so that you increase your followers?  Are you giving your followers both insight into your world and information that helps them in a real way that speaks to the personal brand you’re building.  If not, you’re missing vital Retweets and List inclusions.  Think broader.

3) Comments – here’s one of my favorites. If you have an on-line video or blog post relevant to some larger topic, by chance, include a link to it within your larger interesting comment on whatever news or entertainment site you happen to be reading.  People read the comment section, especially if it’s a heated topic.  Many a link could come from that, and it creates further exposure for your personal brand.

There are many more methods but this is just a beginning.  You don’t need to have a full on mansion, Good Morning America coverage and the Goddesses to succeed like Sheen (though I guess all that wouldn’t hurt); but you can use what you have; and chances are, that’s a lot.  Create a solid digital footprint as early as you can.  Look at it as an investment in your future.

Lauren DeLisa Coleman is a writer, host and thought-leader specializing in the diverse segment of the Gen Y demo, tech and its convergence with socio-economic concerns. She is also the CEO and founder of Punch Media Group, an edgy digital media and entertainment company which develops pop culture experience and branding strategy across digital platforms. Follow her @mediaempress

Tags:

, , ,
More from StyleBlazer
More from MommyNoire

Comment Disclaimer

Comments that contain profane or derogatory language, video links or exceed 200 words will require approval by a moderator before appearing in the comment section. XOXO-MN

  • Andrea

    Charlie Sheen has mainstream media and the independent web competing against each other to help Charlie try to "win" or "lose". Most Black businesses–actually none–have the centralized media and the decentralized media fighting over them.

    This new endeavor, Atlanta Post, is a godsend and I wish it was around in 2003 when I needed Black media personnel that understood better. Black Enterprise didn't understand Social Innovation and ignored my pleas and so did Essence. When I look at them now, they are posing to catch up but they still are not there.

    Your suggestions, Lauren, are great but our audiences have no idea about the centralized Black media or web even, not being there for them to know what they should do. Other than that, it will be a lot of endeavors stuck at coasting, if they are lucky, or landing after they get their introductory media stories to still have audiences not knowing what to do. Unless those business model instruct their audiences, it may help but I have found even after doing that, they don't listen to you. They want to like what you did but they don't trust you to replace their media in which they think is supposed to teach them.

  • Andrea

    Whites and others don't have to be hand-held and given remedial instructions on the parts they are supposed to play. We are christened differently. We are rather top-down and we wait for establishments and gatekeepers to cultivate our judgment or we try to still keep ties to establishments and gatekeeper operables.

    I haven't been able to reapproach the endeavor because I see that Black web media isn't conducive to supporting Black social innovations or business models. They want to feature endeavors once and then move on to the next one. Unfortunately, Black businesses who don't have advertising/marketing budgets like mainstream businesses or luckier buzz-worthy businesses who too may be small but fortunate in favorability, they can't compete against them. And that may seem like cheating but everything about business is predisposed to cheating for gaining advantages.

  • Andrea

    Lauren,

    I loved your deliberation: "It’s no secret that we out-index in terms of social media frequency and that our demographic is growing while that of the mainstream is shrinking. So I say it’s time to use such statistics in your favor not just to communicate between your friends but to create a real and defined personal brand that can lead to greater and greater power in the long-term." I happen to know from experience that the audience need more massaging and given workouts first before anyone else assumes approaching any undertakings unless they have money to lose. I know this from experience.

    In 2003 I launched a social innovation concept that struggled because Blacks then weren't on the web as they are now but those on the web are more like voyuers and commenters. They don't activate or synergize with endeavors unless a third-party source(s) nudge and instruct them. I made money to barely keep going to still now see that the same behaviors exist even though we are Twittering, on Facebook, and checking out blogs. It's how we were christened before social media was invented.

  • charliefan

    Sometimes "Crazy" and "Genius" are one in the same.
    As long as ANY topic stays relevant in the search engine, it will bring anyone the success that they seek.
    A Brand wont mean anything without the proper SEO and keywords to boost it up.