Dancing With the Stars contestants have been utilizing social media forums to get ahead in the competition. E! Entertainment News reported that contestants such as Mike "The Situation" Sorentino have taken to the Twitter world to recruit fan votes.
This is controversial because competitors who may not be as talented other contestants will receive votes nonetheless due to their large fan-bases. After last week's performance Sorentino tweeted, "Situation VOTE! Tonight at 8:00 get it on ur speed dial now so there won't b a bad situation later 800-VOTE-410 (800-868-3410)" After he made it through to the next round he again tweeted, "thx again 4 all the voting frm #situationnation i couldnt hav moved 2 the 2nd round w/out u!!..." He admits he doesn't necessarily possess the skills needed to compete so he relies on his fans. Sure, it is a shameless act of self-promotion but with his 276,018 followers on Twitter alone, he could gain a significant competitive advantage.
This is not the first time social media has been used in relation to celebrity promotion. Last spring, a man created a Facebook fan page called "Betty White to Host SNL (please?!)" The page attracted 515,731 fans and as a result Betty White was invited to host Saturday Night Live.
From a public relations perspective, I think using social media to gain votes or promote an idea is an ingenious concept. Social media forums, and Twitter in particular, allow a two-way symmetrical communication connection between celebrities and their fans. Helping push their favorite celebrity over the top makes fans feel connected in a personal way. This in turn reinforces the image of the celebrity as personable and accessible.
The only two contestants this season who do not have Twitter accounts are Bristol Palin and Florence Henderson. I think these competitors are missing out on a great and quick way to promote themselves to hundreds of thousands of people.
Social media is a powerful promotional tool. Celebrities should take every opportunity to promote themselves and their branded image. Some people may view it as "cheating" in this type of situation but I think it encourages people to watch the show and get involved. These examples of celebrities and fans alike using Twitter and Facebook demonstrates the true power behind social media usage. Social media is the best kind of free PR anyone can get.
This is a fascinating post, and I really enjoyed the position that you took within the piece. I would agree completely with you that the idea of using tweets, and/or facebook, etc. to gain votes on DWTS is absolutely brilliant! Isn't the part of what the show is about? Yes, I understand that the show is called Dancing, and thus, the public wants to see a good Dancer, but the "with the stars" component is also key. Viewers are tuning in every week not necessarily to see who can dance like a professional, but rather, to see their favorite celebrities give it a go every week.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! :)