Our Klout Stars series highlights top influencers and how they got to where they are today.
About Chris: Chris Gore is a comedian, writer and TV personality who has built a solid reputation as a hilariously outspoken voice online. He is the founder of the indie film mag and web site Film Threat and author of several books including The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide. Chris is also the writer-producer behind the feature comedy My Big Fat Independent Movie. Having hosted television shows on IFC, Starz and FX, Chris is currently the film expert on G4TV’s Attack of the Show where he does his wildly popular weekly segment DVDuesday. His latest project is the animated series “FetishVIL” launching online in 2012. He lives in Los Angeles but his home on the web can be found at ChrisGore.com and on Twitter @ThatChrisGore.
We asked…
1. How did you get started on social media?
“Like many, I started on MySpace and Facebook, but I really found my voice on Twitter. For me, Twitter is like Facebook for people with ADD, which is perfect for someone like me who is easily – LOOK AT THE MONKEY! Coming up with concise clever tweets is much like writing catchy marketing copy, which is actually fun for me. One of my favorite marketing campaigns was one that I did for Film Threat t-shirts which had a photo of a woman naked from the back with the headline: Cures nudity on contact.
My exposure on television has helped build my audience, but I like to think that the ideas and conversations that I spark are why people continue to follow me. (Or perhaps it’s my drunken overshares?)
Anyway, tweeting has become like my morning exercise before I embark on other writing projects. It helps me to try out comedy material, get feedback on ideas and to stretch my word-making muscles. I’m definitely part word nerd with a hint of font snob. Mmm… Helvetica.”
2. What’s your strategy for the content you produce and share on social media?
“I share entertainment news headlines with links to the source along with my quick comments on those stories. I share pics from my real life traveling and working for G4, so it’s like bonus content for the network. I also live-tweet events like Comic Con and E3 where I try to give a sense to my followers of what it’s like to be at those shows by tweeting pics and video. And in prime time, my tweets can get a bit R-rated as I document my legendary party adventures with photos as well.
I want to be sure that my followers are into the same things that I’m into, which spans the range of tech, gaming, genre movies and sex. And if you haven’t seen the movie Krull, well, we might not be able to be friends. For the most part, I am assembling followers for the ultimate tweet up that I plan to have one day. That tweet up could end up being the Rapture, Gore-Con or an orgy, I haven’t decided yet.
In addition, I have several other twitter accounts. I tweet about my Batman and zombie obsession with @BatChrisGore and @ZombieChrisGore). I am also @HansZarkov who blames all natural disasters on Ming the Merciless. I also have an account called @SportsorSex where I quote sports announcers who utter double entendres during games as well as one for my animated show @FetishVIL and a few others, if you can believe it.
With so much attention focused social media, it can become like a part-time job. So, if anyone ever writes a book about how to time manage your social media life, I will listen to the Audible version immediately!”
3. What advice do you have for someone who wants to take their social media influence and presence to the next level?
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Don’t tweet too much. (Or at least, start another account to tweet about a particular topic. I mean, you can always retweet yourself, I do!)
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Engage your followers by asking questions. And then respond.
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Be cool. Not a hater. Sarcasm, both understanding it and writing it, takes time to learn. So practice in real life before you take your snarkiness online.
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If you’re going to tweet about a trending topic, read tweets from that trend first in order to add something original to the conversation.
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When it comes to haters, shut them down quick. Keep a clever retort holstered for quick release. Then remember to click the block button. Goodbye!
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Keep in mind that follower count is not a real way to rank standing. If you only have five followers, but each of them has 1 million followers, then you must be very influential. (How do you like that Klout?! *sidenote from Klout: we totally agree!*)
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And most importantly, learn to write good. I mean, well.
Want to hear more from Chris? Follow him on Twitter as @ThatChrisGore.
Let us know what you think of Klout Stars! If you’d like to be considered for a future Klout Stars post about your social media success please email contact@klout.com.
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