The Basics Behind Social Media's Power

When the public thinks about social media, they think of celebrity gossip, friend updates and entertainment in the forms of television, sports, etc. When marketers think about social media, they see a platform to inform, influence and get a message out to the mass public. Social media is an incredibly general term used to describe all of the world's platforms for social engagement, such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and more.

This article discusses how the most powerful pop culture celebrity rose to power, and brings about the question of how powerful a celebrity or influencer truly is in this day and age.

The Celebrity: Kim Kardashian

The Initial Breakout: She is the daughter of OJ Simpson's attorney, Robert Kardashian. She has ties into the celebrity world that many were unaware of. Also known for her looks, she really broke out on the scene after a risque sex tape was released with celebrity R&B artist Ray J.

The Brand: Because of her father's connections and her leak, she rocketed to stardom based on looks and bad publicity. Her power stems from the average woman's jealousy and the average man's lust. Then, we see The Kardashians pop-up on celebrity gossips number 1 channel, E!, and is still an extremely successful television program today.

The Power: If she wanted to post a provocative statement about politics or sexuality, for example, it would spark debate and gain viral attention within minutes. She may get hundreds of negative comments, but she will also have people who agree with her viewpoint. Like they say, any publicity is good publicity. The main issue with her power is that many followers do not have a viewpoint on certain issues, but a celebrity has the opportunity to influence the public. Any celebrity, academic, artist, or anyone with a large enough following influences opinion just by using social media channels. While many believe that Kim K's rise to being a celebrity was based off of a sex tape, she has the power of persuasion and that power is constantly overlooked.

This example has been used time and time again to discuss how a "nobody" can become a "somebody" if they use tactics to gain popularity in unforeseeable ways, such as leaking a sex tape. With the rise of influencers, agencies, and social media in general, the world has become smaller and easier to influence. This article fails to study the power dynamics, differences and similarities between celebrities like Kim Kardashian who influence pop culture and common influencers with large followings on social media channels like Instagram.

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