Every day a celebrity is interviewed, they’re asked the same questions. How did you hear about the campaign? What do you think of it so far and the totally awful close up open casket? Who are your role models? What’s your favorite movie of all time? These inquiries often make for tired responses and force celebrities to give up their identity in exchange for being cast as an expert on whatever it is they’re talking about. In a world where Twitter has become our go-to source for interesting content, how can publications keep celebrities relevant? Here are ideas that can make a substantial difference.
1) The Interview:
News outlets should be recreating the style of interviews in old films like “Moulin Rouge” and “The Thin Man. ” The idea is to avoid questions beyond the superficial and move on to discuss topics that are relevant to the interview. Some of these topics could be scheduled releases like, “What’s a favorite movie you’ve seen recently?” and “Who are your favorite musicians, performers, or films?” The conversation can then encompass other things like current events or recent trends in entertainment. Whether it’s a bold choice of visuals (think ‘Siberia’ or Dazed & Confused iconic ‘What Is?’) or a fun yet sober announcement (think MoMA’s ‘Kanye Turns 40’ post), imagine seeing who sits at the table with an interviewer at the beginning of each piece.
2) Interactions with Fans:
The comments section of any publication is a goldmine for celebrities. The problem is that these conversations often focus on what celebrities are wearing, where they will be eating, or how they’re enjoying their day. Where was this when I was trying to feel inspired?
Celebrities can use today’s social media platforms to interact with fans in new ways. Artists now have the tools—Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat—to keep their followers informed while also sharing content that allows them to participate in a dialogue with their followers. The best way to engage with people today is by engaging directly and giving them something they can relate to on an emotional level.
If a musician publishes a photo of their latest tattoo, fans should have the opportunity to respond with their own tattoos and connect on an even more personal level. This is all dependent on the artist, who controls their own social media and can make it happen as part of their artist profile.
3) Optimize for Consistency
The most important thing to consider is that a celebrity’s profile (name, photo, bio) should be consistent across all platforms. If the same exact profile exists on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube and has personalized content that’s been optimized for each platform, it has a far greater chance of being found by customers and contributing to more sales.
The more platforms a celebrity is represented on, the greater the chances that all of their content will come together and highlight a single, unified personality.
4) Use Celebrity Lists to Create Content Around
Celebrities can be included in lists for everything from new releases to trending topics, which can lead to more opportunities for coverage. The idea is that readers shouldn’t be bored with using the same list of celebrities over and over again. If you’re going to feature certain celebrities, make sure they’re dynamic enough so they present an interesting conversation piece throughout their inclusion in a list.
5) Choose a Consistent Typeface
Every publication has a goal or direction and each typeface helps contribute to the overall feeling of its content. A good example is how Kanye West uses Futura as the primary typeface for his tweets because it has a bold, futuristic feel to it. This also applies to social media profiles and websites where the typography should help distinguish celebrities from one another.
6) Create a Specific Tagline
A tagline is an identity that helps readers remember who they are. It can be a quote, a catchphrase, or a tagline to succinctly describe why celebrities are well known for doing what they do. The tagline can be abbreviated or expanded depending on the platform being used.
7) Align with Trending Topics in Entertainment
The more that celebrity lists are featured consistently across all platforms including print, online, and mobile, the more frequently those lists will be read by customers. This creates a predictable line of sight between fans and outlets they care about the most.
8) Consider the Message
While the tone of the message may vary from outlet to outlet, a consistent and noteworthy message gives readers something to look forward to each time they open a publication. What’s trending in entertainment? Which event is happening soon? Why does this publication continually feature certain celebrities? These questions will help readers stay engaged throughout an entire issue or month and will also help keep them coming back for more.
9) Include Celebrity Quotes
Quotes are great ways to include material that’s interesting or relevant to the page’s topic. They give readers something they can learn from and really connect with, which can increase engagement with that publication.
