Leveraging social media to make yourself famous

Who would have thought a decade ago than one can become famous without being a star, nor investing a chunk of money in PR activities?

Julia Allison is the mere example that it is possible to be well-known by having a steady, continuous presence in targeted online websites. Julia Allison has clever leveraged social media, Web 3.0 to position herself as a person notorious enough to be regularly followed by thousands of people.

And how did she achieved this? Wired magazine explains it succinctly:

1) It's not who you know, it's who you're next to.
When you go to a party, be sure to get photographed with well-known guests — even if they have no idea who you are. By posting these pics on your blog, you can make yourself look like an established personality.

2) Dress against type.
Heading to a party filled with khaki- clad geeks? Consider a flashy designer dress. Have a reputation for glamour? Stick with a simple T-shirt. Counterintuitive wardrobe choices keep your fans guessing.

3) Embrace enigma.
One day Allison announced that online haters were ruining her life and she'd never blog again. The next day she was back. Is she a train wreck or mastermind? Narcissist or self-satirist? No one knows — that's why they keep watching.

4) Let your minions fight your battles.
Sure, Allison has her critics — but all the discussion helps keep her in the spotlight. "Create two separate camps of supporters and attackers," says Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek. "Don't spend a lot of time defending yourself. If someone attacks you, let it sit there. If you respond, you don't give other people a chance to get engaged and defend you."

5) Be a hot woman with an exhibitionist streak.


I am not saying that one should do this. Rather, what I want to point to is the increasing role that social media plays and that being aware of this and cleverly leveraging it can increase the success of a business. I´ll touch upon this more in the next post.