Celebrities, spokespersons and other prominent personalities are flocking to Facebook. It enables them to expand their reach beyond a particular media or social venue and connect with existing and new audiences through a channel known both for reach and flexibility … yet many take advantage of neither. Instead, they use default Facebook functionality, which offers little advantage over the average user, let alone other recognized names. So, when enter:new media began to work with international polo star Nacho Figueras on his Facebook presence, we emphasized that there were no boundaries. Forget the confining structures seen by the average Facebook user, we explained, and there is no limit to the fan experience that can be delivered.
Since he’s both an athlete and a spokesperson for Ralph Lauren’s Polo Fragrances, Figueras’ Facebook fan page had to reflect the dual nature of his public persona. We worked with Figueras to develop a theme based on the glossy magazines in which his fans are accustomed to finding him – oversized photos dotted with text elements that direct the user to new content and interactive features.
A magazine-like tab serves as the gateway to fan-exclusive content, which is offered in the style of a glossy’s table of contents. Status updates, photos, videos and information on the sport of polo are easily accessible from within this format, which relieves Facebook users of the drudgery of the canned profiles they normally encounter. The Figueras experience on Facebook is nothing short of stunning … which is exactly what his fans expect.
How are we able to gauge what Figueras’ admirers want? Well, they tell us – with each of his new photos, videos and status updates. The user community is quite active, reflecting the momentum that has built around the Figueras brand through his Facebook presence. While Figueras content is the basic fuel for the fan page, the users extend its value with their comments, triggering more activity and exposure and generating new fans for the page.
This is the point, of course. Celebrities and “names” in their respective fields lose an opportunity to grow their personal brands if they use Facebook – and other social media platforms – as nothing more than a content delivery mechanism. Turn it into a unique experience featuring a robust content stream from users, however, and the returns on a social media investment can be substantial.
A few years ago, it was possible to stay in front of your brand simply by claiming your social media plot – but the rules have changed. Now, celebrities and prominent players need to turn their online presences into extensions of themselves, a situation to which these platforms do not easily lend themselves. Though the temptation to stay within the Facebook lines is difficult to resist, we found with Figueras that fans expect much more than the norm. Your profile should represent you. So shatter the Facebook boundaries, and turn your celebrity profile into an engine for personal brand growth.
