The Jersey Shore Guide to Irresistible Personal Branding
The Jersey Shore is back and up to its old antics again.
My guess you being a respectable content marketer who finds that sort of display crude, irresponsible and embarrassing is that youre not tuning in.
Hey, I hear you. But do you know who isnt offended by it?
The 8.4 million people who tuned in to the season premiere last month, making it the networks most-watched series episode ever.
Whether youre a true fan of Snooki, or you credit her with single-handedly hammering that last nail completing the Decline of Western Civilization, it doesnt matter.
The fact is that each member of The Jersey Shore cast has gone on to create a recognizable and profitable personal brand in the 14 months the show has been on the air.
Not too shabby. And tucked inside the shows success are personal branding lessons that any marketer can benefit from. Even if youre not spray-tanned to a disturbing shade of orange.
Get a pen and paper because personal branding school is in session, Jersey Shore style.
Lesson 1: Own your oddities
If theres one marketing principle reinforced by The Jersey Shore its that your oddities are what make you watchable.
Five minutes into checking out whats going on in Seaside Heights this season and youll notice that most of the Jersey Shore cast barely looks human. Theyre walking Halloween costumes, tanned, oiled and gymd to the max.
And its their oddness that makes them interesting and what drives millions of people to tune in each week.
In an earlier Copyblogger post on branding and belly dancing, I spoke about the importance of cr! eating a character one that allows you to show off a heightened version of yourself to attract the right people to what youre selling.
Youre probably not 49 and God knows the world doesnt need another Snooki, but whats kooky and stand-out about you?
Figure out what it is and how you can make it work to your advantage.
Identify it. Use it. Become it.
Lesson 2: Polarization is a good thing
It doesnt matter if youre big, little or fall somewhere in between. Most of us are afraid to be a polarizing figure by taking a hard stance.
Just look at what happened to Groupon after the Super Bowl.
We hold back from going too far left, too far right or too far in our own direction in fear that well be isolating our audience. And I get that because you very often will be. But thats not a bad thing.
The Jersey Shore kids are good examples of that. Youre either appalled by their train wreck or youre mesmerized by it. And thats why it works.
A post on the OK Cupid blog last month touched on the same concept, bringing up the mathematics of beauty. Specifically, it showed how playing up what some people dont like about you allows you to attract the people who will.
Its why edgy Meaghan Fox is more attractive than wholesome Kristen Bell, or why guys with tattoos are rated better looking than the average prepster.
If you want to be memorable, create a contrast. Going the safe route and trying to be everything to everyone wont win you fans, itll only bring in people who dont have an opinion about you either way.
Those people arent going to buy your stuff, and they wont remember your name in the morning.
Lesson 3: People want a little drama
Season 3 of The Jersey Shore came with one promise - that it would be the most drama-filled season to date.
So far, its l! ived up to the hype, with cast members getting into scary physical altercations, getting arrested, and with sudden character exits. The drama keeps people hooked because everyone wants to see whats going to happen next and who is going to do what to whom.
If youre working to build your personal brand, I wouldnt recommend going out and getting arrested tomorrow, but do look for ways to create a little spice.
Maybe its Groupon releasing controversial commercials or you deciding to take an unpopular stance on your blog.
Associating your brand with a splash of excitement will help keep it top of mind and always relevant.
Lesson 4: Youve got to build your platform
Its easy to hate on The Jersey Shore kids for what they represent, but at the end of the day, theyve created a platform that extends far past the show.
Snooki is a New York Times Bestselling author (wrap your head around that).
The Situation is said to have made $5 million from appearances and products (including his own vodka line and garment bags).
Jenny aka JWOWW has a book and bronzer, Ronnie endorses a popular weight loss drug, Angelina has a music single, Sammi has a perfume, and Vinny and Pauly D both have clothing lines.
Not bad for 14 months in the spotlight.
Sure, its ridiculous, but they created it.
The personal brand you create means nothing if you dont have a business model. If youre spending an hour a day on Twitter talking to people without finding a way to bring them back to your site or direct them somewhere else to do something, youre leaving money on the table and youre wasting your time.
Decide what you want these channels to give you and then create a plan for how youll be accomplishing that.
While The Jersey Shore certainly isnt doing our younger generations any cultural favors, they are giving smart marketers some branding lessons worth tuning! in for.
And now you have an excuse for the next time youre caught watching
About the Author: Lisa Barone has the totally pompous title of Chief Branding Officer at SEO consulting firm Outspoken Media. She tries to make up for the title by blogging Important Stuff on the Outspoken Media blog and being amusing on Twitter @lisabarone.
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