5 Lessons We Can Learn From the Most Retweeted Selfie of All Time
/By now you've seen it MULTIPLE times. The selfie that crashed the internet. Ok, maybe not the internet but it did crash Twitter. WHOA.
So being the social media specialist that I am, I can't help but ask, what can we learn from Ellen's selfie that made the internet go bananas? Here are five lessons that you can utilize in your own social media strategy.
*Internet breaking results not guaranteed.
1. Levity is irreplaceable. It helps people relate to you. Why did people go nuts over the group selfie? Because it's something we would do. And it shows that these celebrities aren't taking themselves so seriously that they're not down for a little awkward-angled fun. Brainstorm ways to show that your brand doesn't take itself too seriously.
2. The marriage of various modes of media elicits dynamite results. If we hadn't seen Ellen and co. take this pic on TV it wouldn't have been retweeted so much. We were there for the moment Bradley stretched out his arm and took the pic so we feel like we were a part of it. That is the magic of TV + Social Media. If you really want to make your mark marry two forms of media. Maybe it's print + radio. Maybe it's Facebook + Youtube. Think outside the box. Hit your audience from two directions and they're way more likely to take notice.
3. Indulgent things like “selfies” need to be rare. This particular photo wouldn’t be special or nearly as popular if Ellen had posted selfies with everyone. There was only one Ellen Group Selfie. Maybe you should offer discounts less frequently. Perhaps you should scale back on how often you post on Facebook. What could you do less of to maximize your results?
4. Turning rules on their heads can have amazing results. You’re not supposed to take selfies, right? Didn't we all decide that it was narcissistic and juvenile? This is part of the reason this selfie worked. Sometimes you have to do the exact opposite of the rules in order to surprise and delight. So what rules should you ignore to make an impact?
5. Joining forces and not getting the credit can still do wonders for your business. Keep an open mind. Bradley Cooper took the pic but didn’t get to post it on his Twitter account. So it wasn't his Twitter account that blew up. He still got the payoff for being in the most retweeted selfie of all time. Sometimes we have to let go of the credit to ultimately see a payoff. Should you join forces with another small business to offer special combined services? Maybe you should take part in an event where your business is not the main sponsor? Sometimes taking a bit of a backseat reaps great rewards.
Have anything to add to this list? What did you think of Ellen's selfie? Did you retweet it? If so, do tell--what made you click "retweet"?