Renegades Write the Rules How the Digital Royalty Use Social Media to Innovate

by Martin, Amy Jo

• ISBN13: 9781118340516
• ISBN10: 1118340515
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-10-02
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

Achieving social media success isn't as easy as it may seem. The same tools that plucked Perez Hilton from obscurity can drown others in a sea of sameness, even big celebrities or brands. But there are secrets to social media success. Savvy celebrities like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, brands like Nike, and sports icons like Shaquille O'Neal are employing these secrets every day to build loyal, lucrative followings. Anyone can emulate their strategies to replicate the success of these digital royals, but only if they accept one premise: people are most entertained and inspired by other people, not clever giveaways, cool logos, or creative taglines. Succeeding is not about volume (because friends, fans, and followers don't directly translate to profit), it's about influence. And gaining influence cannot be contrived. It requires an unprecedented (and potentially uncomfortable) level of accessibility and ongoing affinity. That's because being relevant in today's world has everything to do with the personality behind the brand-whether the brand is a product, company or individual. Traditional marketing and PR are less and less effective because they are merely creative forms of monologue that don't engage people in real relationships. Only dialogue adds up in the digital age by reinforcing your connection with real people every day. But how do you build a faithful following and beat the competition clamoring for people's attention? The overarching answer is straightforward: continually deliver value when, where, and how people want it. People want to be heard, to be involved, to be entertained, to be adventurous, to be informed. The only difference between today's digital royalty and everyone else is the innovative way in which the royals meet those common needs. In a spirited style, Secrets of the Digital Royalty pulls back the virtual veil to reveal the unconventional strategies behind the social media success of today's top celebrities, brands, and sports icons, and how you can follow their lead.

Author Biography

Amy Jo Martin is founder of the social media consultancy Digital Royalty and Digital Royalty University. She's the former director of digital media and research for the NBA's Phoenix Suns. She pioneered how professional sports integrate social media and planned the first-ever professional sports Tweet Up with Shaquille O'Neal. Martin was named one of Forbes' Best-Branded Women on Twitter with nearly 1.2 million devoted followers (@AmyJoMartin). She is a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, and you can visit her Web site at www.amyjomartin.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Tony Hsieh ix

0 The Renegade Way 1

Rule 1 Be the Media 19

Rule 2 Show Some Skin 33

Rule 3 Unmask Your Motives 51

Rule 4 Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable 69

Rule 5 Ask Forgiveness Rather Than Permission 91

Rule 6 Consensus Is the True Authority 111

Rule 7 There’s a New ROI in Town 133

Rule 8 The Act of Good Can Be Scaled 149

The Next Chapter 171

Appendix A: Digital Royalty’s Core Values 178

Appendix B: Lessons Learned 180

Notes 183

Acknowledgments 185

The Author 189

Index 191

To my Dad, my mentor renegade.

I’m forever grateful that you took me straight to the top of the double black diamond that day and made me skip the bunny slope.

And to you, Mom, thank you for your constant empowerment. You’re the most positive person I know. I love you both.