Few people have managed to maintain a positive and interesting public persona for as long as George Takei. Best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, George Takei is now known for his hilarious social media posts, and his far more serious stance on social justice and marriage equality. Putting politics aside, George Takei is a serious marketer and knows how to get a message out to a wide audience. Here are the top four takeaways for business from George Takei’s marketing savoir faire.
1. Consistency is Key
George Takei works with a small team to manage his social networks and to post at a frequent basis while he’s on the road. Still, his voice is clear and distinct across all the platforms he uses. Quirky, humorous, but sometimes serious, Uncle George has attracted and retained a highly engaged audience because they can count on him for brightening their day and alerting them to important social justice issues. His diehard Trekkie fans are also still very much in the picture and sci-fi jokes and memes are a running theme. Finding your voice and consistently delivering quality content will help you attract and grow your desired audience as George Takei has managed to do.
2. Moderation
Social media is extremely exposed, and discourse can easily devolve to the lowest common denominator if not handled with care. Even George Takei has not been immune, and has taken posts down when they were published at inopportune times. More frequently, however, Uncle George will chime in with a fatherly tone and remind those commenting on threads and on his wall to be respectful and to play nice. By taking the high road and establishing community guidelines, Mr. Takei helps elevate the conversation and keeps things civil. By establishing rules, abiding by them and enforcing them, George Takei has managed to develop a supportive and loyal following that is surprisingly polite – a dream for many companies.
3. Curate Carefully
Finding fresh, interesting content to post on a regular basis can be difficult, and sometimes feels like a chore. Curating is a great solution when used wisely. George Takei provides excellent examples of curated content. His team regularly selects pieces of content that are in keeping with his public persona and topics of interest. Proper credit is always given, and Takei’s team maintains a consistent voice despite drawing on multiple sources. For more on curating video content specifically, please refer to our recent post about creating versus curating.
4. Build and Use Your Networks
George Takei has a social media empire. He has 1.23 million Twitter followers, and more than 7.2 million Facebook fans. Those crowds didn’t arrive overnight, and Mr. Takei has spent a lot of time and effort building his community. Posting consistently excellent content on a regular basis with cleverly placed calls to action have helped him build a large, loyal following. If you need ideas for getting started, check out our five tips for acquiring and growing an audience.
Who do you draw inspiration from for video marketing ideas? Let us know in the comments below or share with us on Twitter.
