Charlie Sheen - Not a Winner in Social Media

Perhaps, at some level we all have a little bit of Charlie Sheen in us - the simple need to have your position heard without any sort of filter.

Certainly, it's impressive that Mr. Sheen broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the most rapid accumulation of Twitter followers:

“Another record shattered,” the actor, 45, Tweeted Monday. "We gobbled the soft target that was 2.0 mil, like a bag of a troll-house zombie chow."

Of course, sheer quantity of followers does not always equate to quality of influence. And if you look beyond the Charlie Sheen media frenzy, there are some critical inbound marketing and social media errors that Mr. Sheen has made and may have trouble recovering from. 

Here are a few salient missteps:

• It's About Charlie Sheen - Me, me, me. My goddesses, my money, my talent - the list goes on and on. Wrong, wrong, wrong. With his minions of followers, Mr. Sheen has the potential to create a true community of engagement where every member helps every other member. He's not doing that. He's using a one-way megaphone to whine and complain and sooner or later, people will grow tired of that. 
• Badmouthing Your Employer - Clearly, Mr. Sheen has a bone to pic with his former employers at CBS. Whether your annual income is $20,000 or $20 million, nothing good will come out of a public and documented sparring match with your employer on Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else in social media. It's like wrestling with a pig - no one wins and you both get dirty. 
• Hiring a Social Media Intern instead of a Social Media Agency - Mr. Sheen's search for a social media intern has received significant attention. Unfortunately, "the intern will take care of Facebook approach," is shortsighted and puts Mr. Sheen's new 'warlock' brand at risk. As John noted earlier this week, successful inbound marketing and social media efforts involve a wholistic team approach.

With his previous acting success and his current social media following, Mr. Sheen would be wise to wear a white hat and hire a trusted social media agency to guide his strategy. 

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