Charlie Sheen Winning - 4 Reasons Charlie Sheen Matters in the World of Inbound Marketing | The Customer Collective

Charlie Sheen Winning, a photo by jedidiah44 on Flickr.

4 Reasons Charlie Sheen Matters in the World of Inbound Marketing | The Customer Collective

Valuable business lessons often come from unpredictable places—from outside your industry or outside your comfort zone. They might come from a TV show, from a rock band, from a political figure or even from the life of celebrities. And they might place question marks on things you have long taken for granted, inspiring you to, as Seth Godin might say, “poke the box.”

Charlie Sheen definitely poked the box of conformity. His personal views and beliefs aside, he has proven to be an amazing inbound marketer. Why? I was able to catch up with David Meerman Scott about why Sheen matters in the world of marketing:

1. He Owns Content Creation.
Sheen realized that he was fully equipped with the tools of self-publishing and social networking: his website, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. He is actively using the power of search and social media to his benefit. You will see him tweet at people, post photos and even entertain fans with his new App. “He is doing exactly what I've been talking about for nearly a decade,” says David. “He publishes interesting and valuable information that people want to consume and that they are eager to share with their friends.”

2. He Enjoys Tons of Media Coverage.
Now that Sheen is putting up controversial and curious content on the Web, he has sparked the interest of the mainstream media and bloggers alike. You will see him mentioned on The Washington Post, the Huffington Post and Fox News among other popular channels. These outlets are all becoming a voice for the celebrity, analyzing his behavior and promoting his performances. “The media report his every move in real-time,” says David.

3. He Doesn’t Spend Money on Ads.
The combination of his own content creation with the widespread media coverage he receives has eliminated the need for Sheen to use traditional advertising to make profits. For instance, David points out, Sheen hasn’t spent a penny to promote his tour. “Nearly 1,000 media outlets happily do that for him at no cost,” David says.

4. He Sees Marketing As a Performance.
If you want to distinguish your business from everyone else on the Web, you’d better be remarkable. One way to accomplish this is by communicating well with your audience, a type of performance, if you will. Charlie Sheen does that with his series of tours, Violent Torpedo of Truth / Defeat is Not an Option Show. You could do that by hosting educational webinar series, recording videos or producing an industry podcast.

So these are some of the reasons why David Meerman Scott recognizes Sheen as “a marketing & PR superstar.”

Image Credit: jedidiah44