Social media followers bring stars money
On Instagram, the “Number one” star Diamond Platinumz so far has 969,000 followers and 225,000 on Twitter. His Ugandan girlfriend, Zari has a total of 650,000 Instagram followers with a little over 41,000 on Twitter. PHOTO| FILE
What you need to know:
In today’s social media era, business savvy celebrities know that having a considerable number of followers on social media isn’t just something to brag about.
The large numbers of die-hard fans are now a bargaining chip for business deals in board rooms, writes Josephine Mosongo.
Majority of social media users want more followers on their Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat, Instagram and Tumblr pages but nobody needs them more desperately than celebrities because it now affects their bottom-line.
The pressure to have a large social media following especially in this era of social media has intensified where piggybacking on a celebrity’s already established following is easier and faster than building one from scratch.
Corporates are looking for people with a bit more going on, and the huge numbers that celebrities come with is exactly what they are latching on to. Companies are now looking at a star’s social media following to determine their worth and also if they can work with them.
In America, brands are increasingly paying top dollar for celebrities with a large following as a way of having a wider reach. Companies are spending money to be talked about online.
According to ESPN, Opendorse, a company that manages social media campaigns for athletes, says NBA star LeBron James (with 23.4 million Twitter followers) endorsement tweets are worth approximately $140,000 (Sh14 million). Essentially, the value of one character is $1,000 (Sh100,000).
Says Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence; “With that, you will reach 23 million people. It would cost you five times more to reach that many people with a TV ad.”
In short, corporates are looking for media value from these influencers and they are not being shy about it.
In Kenya, it is reported that superstar Ne-Yo, who was in the country last week, gave Coca Cola over 5 million impressions when he teamed up with African stars for Coke Studio.
As a result, celebrities are working hard to grow their platforms with Nigerian star Davido leading the pack with over 1 million followers on Instagram. Closer home, Diamond from Tanzania is also edging closer to the million mark.
On Instagram, the “Number one” star so far has 969,000 followers and 225,000 on Twitter. His Ugandan girlfriend, Zari has a total of 650,000 Instagram followers with a little over 41,000 on Twitter.
Their three week old child Latiffah Nasibu now has almost 97,000 followers on Instagram. Their combined social media presence clout is just icing on the cake is a fantasy for brands.
A huge presence on social media, Sauti Sol’s Willis Chimano says, helps artistes gain so much traction and is vital for any business. Not only that, it validates them.
“A large social media following validates you, if a corporate is looking to work with an artiste’s brand, it looks at his strength in numbers. It’s no longer just how many people you have at a gig. A heavy online presence is what makes you better suited to promote a certain
