I was thrilled to be interviewed by journalist Stuart Dredge last week for this article which appeared in the Observer magazine yesterday.

His article looks at  building and monetising social media followings, and the interactions and powerful intersection between traditional media and the new when it comes to building a profile.  We also talked about how ‘real life’ celebrities are keen to grab a share of what ‘online’ celebrities are experiencing.

The article says:

“The social media stars of today: they are real, honest. Their sharings are often unedited, unpolished. They don’t always look perfect. What matters most is that this is real and authentic, and you get the feeling you are seeing the person ‘as they are’, warts and all,” says Natasha Courtenay-Smith, a digital strategist who has worked with several social stars.

She draws a comparison to the “very controlled, polished” traditional celebrity/fan relationship, where photos are airbrushed, voices are auto-tuned, and celebrities are only seen “when they have their ‘perform’ button on”. She says that contrasts with the new generation, who have been born on social media.

If you’re interested in building or monetising your social media following, talk to me to find out more.