Recently, I caught up with Star Actress Jackie Appiah and among the many things we talked about, the issue of her not being on any of the prominent social media platforms kept repeating itself.
Despite the strong valid reasons she gave to me as to why she is not on Twitter or Facebook, I believe I was able to push her into seeing the need for her to get out there. After our discussion, she told me she will be coming on social media soon.
In fact, the reasons (such as impersonating) she mentioned as contributing to her absence on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are problems we all face on there.
There are several great benefits of being on social media platforms, especially to celebrities. However, it seems some of our Ghanaian celebrities are not seeing these immense contribution social media can make to their careers.
Some of the benefits that can be derived by our celebrities from being active on social media platforms have been outlined below;
Social Media Serve As A Reliable & Easy Way To Interact With Or Address Fans
If you interact with celebrities a lot, then you will not be new to their complaints of media houses or reporters taking their words out of context.
Using conventional media to address issues is an entrenched practice but the bias nature of the media and their strong stands on issues as well as their individual affiliations sometime taint what they put out there.
Every now and then, celebrities reach out to media houses because that is the only way they think they can get a message across to their fans.
This is correct, but then will what you tell the media be carried out to your fans as you want it? Anytime there is a middle man in a discussion, the issue gets affected by the stand and view of the middle man, no matter how infinitesimal the effect would be.
It is therefore becoming an increasing practice for celebrities to use their social media platforms to address issues which they cannot trust the media with.
Apart from being able to address fans directly by social media platforms, you can quickly fetch their reactions and views. This cannot be easily collected when conventional media platforms like the print is used.
Closely related to the above, a direct interaction with fans helps in building strong relationship. How many of us will not smile if your favourite celebrity replies to your tweet or a conversation on facebook?
Celebrities Can Make Money From Social Media Platforms Like Twitter & Facebook 
This may not be a common practice in Africa but I know about  3 African celebrities who are paid to tweet or write short messages on their facebook walls. You may be wondering how and why…
In America, celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Ciara and others are regularly paid to advertise products by tweeting short messages about these products to their millions of followers/fans.
Advertisers and big companies are ready to reach out to potential customers and over the years, the best way most companies have achieved this is through celebrity endorsements.
In Ghana, some celebrities are already cashing in by just sending paid messages on facebook and twitter to their fans. These are called ‘sponsored’ messages.
Our celebrities need to look at multiple income streams. If you want to only rely on the money you will make from your music or movies, then you will be pushed into desperation. You will end up having to do crap music or movies, because you are in need of money.
Social media can fill in the money gap…
Social Media Platforms Can Be Used As Contact Point For Potential Big Deals
With many individuals posing as publicists and managers of certain celebrities, it is always difficult to ascertain who the right contact person should be.
If a celebrity is active on a platform like twitter, he/she can add the contact details (such as phone number, email or BB Pin) of his/her manager, publicist or booking agent so that anyone seeking to do business with her will know who to contact.
I know several African celebrities but then I am not sure I can even point out who their managers or publicists are.
Can you imagine how difficult it will for a total stranger coming from a different continent with great business venture or career prospect for these celebrities to establish contact?
Look at what Amber Rose has cleverly done to her twitter page…

Let me not move off point with this but it is worth being mentioned. Early this year, I was contacted by a journalist from top UK newspaper-The Guardian.
The journalist was working on a feature which was to look at Showbiz around the world, and she wanted to highlight on Ghanaian singer-Mzbel. She wanted some quality photos of Mzbel to go with the piece and she could not contact Mzbel or her people.
Even though I rescued the situation by providing her with some great photos, she could have easily contacted Mzbel’s management team if their details were on her facebook or twitter page…
I know I got a thank you from Mzbel for this, strengthening her relationship with GhanaCelebrities.Com but then, that was not my job.
Can you imagine how many opportunities our celebrities are missing because of things like this?
Social media is a great tool which has come to stay…Getting involved and taking on the benefits you can derive from such free platforms as celebrity is another way to add value to your career.
Enough of ‘local championism’, let’s go global and join the world chain. I hope all the various African celebrities who are not active on social media will see the sense in joining the new train in town after reading this.
 

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