How 'Glee' Creator Ryan Murphy Is Winning at Twitter
If Twitter was an Olympic event, Ryan Murphy would be a serious contender for the gold medal. The co-creator of Glee, American Horror Story and The New Normal joined the social networking site a little over a week ago ( @MrRPMurphy), but already he has mastered Twitter's ability to rally the fans. Much like Charlie Sheen a year and a half ago, Ryan Murphy is winning.
I've been one of Glee's harshest critics in recent months, and I've aimed most of my hatred towards Murphy himself. Yet even I must admit that his constant tweeting has won me over and has (dare I say it?) made me look forward to Glee season 4.
Here are five of the main reasons Ryan Murphy's Twitter account is a must-follow and a brilliant public relations tool for his shows that have undergone a certain amount of critical scrutiny as of late.
Posting Exclusive Content
Not only does Murphy tweet behind-the-scenes photos of actors on the sets of all three of his shows, but he has also used Twitter to debut deleted scenes from Glee. Already he's given fans six different scenes, and that kind of new, exclusive content is certainly a way to keep fans excited over the summer hiatus. Check out the Klaine Christmas scene, Rachel's bridesmaids, two unseen musical performances and Santana's coming out.
Chatting with the Fans
In his first week Murphy has already had two Q&A sessions with fans on Twitter, one for Glee and one for American Horror Story. In both he offered legitimate spoilers about what he's working on and what's coming up (like a two-part Thanksgiving-themed Sectionals on Glee). Using Twitter to constantly give fans new information on upcoming projects is a brilliant way to get some positive buzz.
Appealing to the 'Shippers
Murphy knows that the best way to get fans excited about Glee is to talk about the different relationships. He seemed to get in a bit of hot water by spending so much time praising the gay relationships on the show (Kurt and Blaine, Brittany and Santana) that Finchel fans rallied and got the popular nickname to trend for quite some time. Murphy quickly made sure to appease those Finchel fans, but he definitely understands that the most passionate and vocal fan bases are the ones who love the couples.
Spreading the Love
While I like to focus on Glee (I never quite got into American Horror Story and I'm not looking forward to The New Normal), I respect that Murphy doesn't play favorites. He tweets about all of his shows and, in some ways, he might score some extra fans through the cross-promotion. Since I follow him for the Glee updates, I read all about American Horror Story and might even be tempted to give it another shot when season 2 comes around. So chalk up a victory for Murphy since he's already converted one non-AHS fan into a potential viewer.
Offering Funny Insights
An important component of winning at Twitter is posting funny comments. On Tuesday Murphy did just that by mentioning that one of his goals for Glee this season is to do a Madonna and Elton John mash-up to bridge the gap in their feud. Using the hash tag "#gayhatchetburying," Murphy proved he can combine topical news with hilarious get potentially awesome analysis.
Ryan Murphy's brilliant Twitter blitzkrieg is just what the doctor ordered for Glee. The show has suffered a strong critical backlash and it showed when the Emmy nominations were announced and Glee only picked up three (down from 12 last season and 19 for its first year). The show and Murphy needed to draw the fans back in and get them excited again. Joining Twitter and maximizing its social media power has done just that.
SOURCE