Conan O'Brien and the Power of Social Media

On March 5, 2010, Conan O'Brien decided to randomly follow someone on Twitter. That day, Sarah Killen's life changed. Once a regular 19-year-old from Michigan with just a handful of followers, she now has almost 30,000 followers (including me! I couldn't help myself!), been on numerous talk-shows, had a handful of interviews, and has raised nearly $2,500 for a breast cancer awareness walk called Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. Now THAT is the power of social media!

Know what I think? I think this is a great example of effective viral marketing. Yes, he made this girl famous--but he also effectively made himself famous (well, more famous). Yes, Sarah is the one getting tons of interviews and new followers, but Conan's scored some interviews and new followers himself (including me! I couldn't help myself!). I'm sure this act didn't hurt his talk show's viewership and ratings either! To sum it up, this simple act resulted in:

• A girl's life being changed for the better (this is debatable of course, but based on a recent interview it seems she is really enjoying her new-found fame)
• Indirectly contributing to a good cause (the whole cancer awareness thing)
• An increase in brand awareness if we treat Conan himself as the "brand" and his show as the "product"

Best of all, the act was incredibly easy and fast to do and cost absolutely nothing! There were no videos involved, no stunts, no tricks, nothing! Just a simple click of a random button! Quick, simple, effective--truly, a shining example of effective viral marketing.

Mae

Related Links
Sarah Killen's Twitter page (might as well follow her :p )
Conan O'Brien's Twitter page
Conan...Demonstrates the Power of Social Media