The spate of social media has changed trends with many celebrities using the medium to project their personalities and arts globally.
Through it, talents have been appreciated and developed worldwide.
Many of the celebrities, including musicians, actors and actresses and presenters have dedicated their careers to hyping and sharing of their personal anecdotes and sparking conversations about current events and issues.
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat, WhatsApp, YouTube and Blogs are the most commonly used platforms.
20 years ago, radio and television were the only mediums used to connect with audiences, but today, social media has given a wider platform for them to increase their reach and extend conversations beyond the orthodox means.
However, social media revealed an inverse reality where celebrities are exposed to hateful commentary, cyber bullying, depression and psychological trauma based on how content developers project them.
In an interview with Times Weekend in Accra on Thursday, a lecturer at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA), Faculty of Information Technology and Communications Studies (FITCS), Mr Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku advised celebrities to work close with their social media developers.
That, he said would help in building a reputable brand image to reduce the risk of being subjected to social mockery.
Mr Ayiku stated that it was keen for every celebrity to ensue trust and good reputation to grow their brands on their various portals.
He indicated that most social media managers hardly knew what was right to project and called on celebrities to work hand in hand with them to approve what they post.
For personalities to craft a professional social media presence without attracting any bad comment, the lecturer indicated that they had to involve their fans in decision making.
He further stated that celebrities should understand what fans wanted to see online and create an intimate space without revealing too much about themselves, adding that “over-sharing is one of the greatest offenses on social media feeds right now”
Mr Ayiku urged stars to prioritise their platforms based on fans preference and advised them to create a professional website to tailor their content for optimised engagement.
BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE
