Before the rise of social media, the few ways in which fans could interact with celebrities was by sending fan mail by post, reading magazines or buying concert tickets and attempting to get backstage for a glimpse. Today, all it takes for a fan to engage with their favourite actor, singer, athlete, etc is press a button to make celebrities appear alongside updates from their real friends on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

But as a celebrity or an athlete reaching out to their fans to give each and every one of them that personal connection, ask yourself…

Is it you that’s actually engaging with the fan and forming that connection or is it your assistant?

Celebrities have monetized their fame and social media accounts into micro-media companies. Their handles are self-contained streams of self-promotion and brand management. And like most media companies, they’re designed to court advertisers and business partners. Unlike other companies that use social media for self-promotion, celebrities’ promotional power stems from the illusion that they’re doing the endorsing, not some skilled social media team. Celebrities must maintain the appearance that they’re not merely brands. Some do so better than others.

Fans subscribing to the celebrity on social networks are hoping for a direct line to the humans behind the glitz and glam. But in reality, we are subscribing to the same thing we get from their interviews, television commercials and paid appearances: what their team of publicists, managers, agents, assistants and brand partners have to sell us.

Of course, the actual celebrities day to day schedules are too busy for running a media company, so the task is often farmed out to management companies, personal assistants, and interns. In this highly connected era that we live in, where fans can easily and directly interact with famous people online, the celebrity-fan relationship has intensified and become increasingly complex to navigate.

But what if there was a way for the celebrity to gain that genuine transparency and at the same time actively manage their fans on their own platform?

While social media applications like Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat have given celebrities and athletes an opportunity to interact with fans on a mass scale, the conversation has been almost exclusively one directional. Fan management app Fanisko aims to change that by helping celebrities connect with fans directly without having to deal with their assistants or marketing teams.

As a platform that supports images, videos, live streaming, podcasts, polls etc, Fanisko’s transparent and real time interaction with the biggest names in sports, entertainment and lifestyle enables fans to form a real connection. The celebrity and the fans can now sit in the comfort of their own homes and have a real conversation that goes far deeper than sending out a tweet or posting something on their Facebook page. Multiple product features within the Fanisko App can let the celebrity create specific kinds of engagement that none of the social platforms can create. A feature like a trivia quiz can let the fans learn more about the celebrities’ lifestyle & their personal preferences.. Celebrities using Fanisko to connect with their fans could also have in place a rewarding system such as a face to face meeting for the first fan to get all the answers right on the quiz.

Another feature that gives the Celebrities using Fanisko greater control over what sponsors are shown on their profiles. Unlike other social media platforms, Fanisko lets the celebrity monetise the sponsorships by letting them choose exactly what adverts are shown. Sponsors would then be in a position to bid for the advertising space on the celebrities’ Fanisko profile.

The bottom line is that the Fanisko platform can ensure that  the Celebrity – Fan interaction be more personalized, more controlled and more effective. It is a super win win situation for the celebrity and for the fans.

Click here to learn more about how Fanisko can help you connect better with your fans.