YouTube stars pip traditional celebs, prove more influential even among adults

In a day and age in which pop culture is defined by shock, awe, and parsed statements that leave plenty to the imagination, what is the best way to get the attention of the culture at large? Just say or do something to get noticed on social media. This is true even in the world of celebrities. So much so that those stars that shine in social media consistently prove to be more influential than their social media-avoiding counterparts. Those same stars are even more influential among adults.

If you want to understand why social media is so important to the movers and shakers in the celebrity world, you need only pay attention to a few statistics. According to the globally-recognised Pew Research Center, 72% of internet-using adults are active members of Facebook. Furthermore, some 62% of the total online population regularly uses Facebook.

Pinterest, the world leader in pinning social media, doesn’t do nearly as well as Facebook but is still impressive nonetheless. Some 36% of all adult internet users use the site as well as 26% of the entire online population. Instagram follows with 28% and 24% respectively, while LinkedIn comes in 25% and 22%. The simple truth of the matter is that adults love social media. Stars that shine on social mediahave access to these adults at all times of the night and day.

They want exposure, so do we

So we get it – adult internet users love social media. But those same people also read online news sites, follow sports online, read print magazines, and do all sorts of other things that the stars of old may have been able to use to peddle their influence. What is it about social media that is so attractive? We can summarise it in one word: exposure.

Social media is a platform with virtually no limits above and beyond what is considered decent and common decorum. But decency and decorum are open for debate depending on the audience you’re talking to. That means celebrities are free to do a lot more with social media than they could do on television, on the radio, and so on. Need an example? Consider Hollywood A-Lister Alec Baldwin.

Back in 2013 Baldwin posted a blistering rant on Twitter going after a British reporter who accused his wife of using her smartphone during James Gandolfini’s funeral. After insulting the reporter using language that is unfit to print here, Baldwin subsequently fired his publicist and quit Twitter for the third or fourth time. But he got lots of exposure, didn’t he?

Of course, Baldwin is not alone. How many actresses post racy pictures and of themselves and then complain when people look at them? Musical artists use social media to talk about their latest escapades around the world or release teasers of the new songs. And it says nothing of the legions of actors and actresses, athletes, and even politicians who have found creative ways to get exposure on social media that was otherwise impossible elsewhere.

Go social or go home

The jury has deliberated and the verdict is in: go social or go home. The stars that shine on social media know this truth and use it to their own advantage, those who don’t get it are way behind in the exposure game. As for social media consumers, they have the power to make or break a celebrity by how they respond to Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, and Instagram pics. A lot of likes can turn into a lot of love.