So, you got kicked off of American Idol, now what? That’s the question that hundreds of would-be idols have already asked themselves, but now we have a unique castaway whose real claim to fame consisted of a few pieces of spandex, and some lip locking with Seacrest.
Duh na na naaaaa, I give you…BIKINI GIRL!
Now, I think that her instincts are right, in that she already created a website for herself. (Side note: Somehow she thought it would be appropriate to use a .org domain…I’m not really sure what her organization does? [insert lewd jokes here]) But there’s SO much room for improvement Bikini! Or should I call you Girl? Or maybe just BG? ANYHOO, I’m really thinking you have a great opportunity here to leverage the internetz and make your 15 minutes count.
First off, update your website, and install WordPress so that you can easily change the format/functionality. You can find tons of free WordPress themes all over the web, you can choose the one that suits you (perhaps this one?). Don’t need to start blogging right off the bat, BG, although I am sure you’ve got lots of, like, really important stuff to talk about. You know, like, what a great kisser Ryan Seacrest is. . . and stuff.
Second, organize the content on your blog. Namely, find a place for your pictures, your video, and your super important messages to fans/stalkers. Either do this with widgets, or just get a theme that has tabs. Probably the most important element of your blog (aside from awesome pics and vids of yourself) would be some sort of feedback channel, like opening up comments, or putting up a discussion board. I know you’re already getting e-mail, but I think that it would be even better if everyone could see each other’s feedback.
Third, make yourself a Facebook fan page. Ok, I have to admit I haven’t checked if you have a fan page just yet, so if you do feel free to disregard this section, or just take it for ideas. On your fan page make SURE you link back to your blog. That’ll be like home base for you–imagine that you’re running around the web tagging people, when they want to tag you back they need somewhere to go. That place is your blog. Ok, back to the fan page, make sure that your wall is enabled — again, let the people talk about how much they love you/hate you. As long as they’re talking about you, who cares, right? Enable the photos app, and upload as many awesome pics of yourself as you can…give the people what they want.
I have a distinct feeling that this fan page will spread like wildfire, but the window of opportunity is fast-closing. The “people” are a fickle bunch and our attention spans limited, so get us while we still care! The beauty of the fan page is that you don’t have to accept people as your personal friends, they just become fans of the page. You can keep your personal FB profile a little selective still, and with the fan page they still get to have a little piece of you. As Britney Spears once said, “you want a piece of me.”
Fourth, get yourself on Twitter girl! No better way to share way too much detail about yourself than on Twitter. Let us know when you’re shopping, when you’re at a photo shoot, when you’re in LA, or San Jose. If you feel so inclined, you can even tweet with your fans. Again, make sure you link back to home base (aka your blog) via your Twitter profile.
Now, if you can do these 4 simple things, you’ll have a solid chance of building up your fame on the net. There’s obviously lots more you can do to build on this plan, but this is a good foundation. SO, if you have any questions, or if you need help on any of these PLEASE feel free to contact me.
Shanee Ben-Zur 