Celeb Ashton Kutcher broke the current Twitter record April 17 when he amassed 1,000,000 followers…and with Oprah, Sean Combs, Lindsay, Paris, and Kim’s sunburn making the rounds it looks like more celebrities will be using Twitter.
Before you start moaning and groaning about how Hollywood is skewing the Twitterverse, check out what’s behind Ashton’s quest for the top spot.
Ashton bet CNN that whoever got to a million followers first would donate 10,000 mosquito beds to World Malaria Day later this month.
Ashton told Larry King, “At the end of the day, we all have ego, we all have some level of ego. But if we can use our ego to actually create good charitable things in the world in some way, and use our ego — originally, I defined Twitter as an ego stream when I first saw it. But then what I realized is if we can transform that into something that’s positive that can actually effectively change the world, that can be a really valuable tool.”
Then, according to CNN, Oprah pledged 20,000 mosquito beds to the same cause, and Ryan Seacrest stepped up and pledged too.
In recent posts, I’ve asked readers about making an impact with social media, and took some time to upbraid @RyanSeacrest for getting 250,000 followers and not really using the platform to say anything.
Since that post, I’ve gotten word that actor Hugh Jackman is asking charities to Tweet in 140 characters or less why he should donate $100,000 to their organization. Add that to Ashton and Oprah’s efforts and it’s a great example for other celebrities to follow.
Social media has the power to create a strong impact. It helped elect a new president, it’s created viral phenomenons.
You may not have the reach of Ashton, Oprah, or Sean, but you do have the ability to reach someone, somehow. Your business may solve a lingering problem, your advice may clear a person’s thinking, your “Happy Birthday!” may talk someone off a spiritual ledge.
How are you going to use Twitter?
About Nancy Marmolejo
