DISCUSSION: Getting "Over" with the fans in the Social Age

[Lock Jaw]

I have been meaning to make this thread for awhile.

Back in the day, when we were getting into wrestling, we all had our favourites. However, all we really had to base on whether we liked a wrestler or not was what we were given on TV.

Nowadays, though, it has changed. We are in an information age and wrestlers have Facebooks, Twitters, Instagrams, Youtubes, Reality Shows, WWE.com Interviews... etc.

Fans today have so much more exposure to wrestlers.... but how much of an impact does it actually have?

How much do kids/you today actually get affected/pay attention to all this social medias.... and does it form new ways of getting wrestlers over?

I mean, we all know that to Vince only what happens on TV (RAW) matters....

But how much do you think that the social/internet media impacts the fans/kids these days?

[Bad News Gertner]

I think heels should stay off social media unless they actually act like heels on it.

[Lock Jaw]

Good examples are obvious Zack Ryder getting over using social medias...

And how the Internet JBL & Cole Show got Wade Barrett "over" as "Bad News Barett"...

But even on a smaller more personal level...

I remember liking Big E when he debuted, even though the judgement was still out on his rassling abilities, because he was "funny" on Twitter....

Or even now, also with Big E.... The New Day does a ton of WWE.com backstage stuff on the "fallout" shows that are pretty hilarious....

[Lock Jaw]

I think heels should stay off social media unless they actually act like heels on it.

I agree. Always weird to see the heel acting "out of character".....

Zeb Colter's twitter account was in character and was fantastic, though.... made me more of a fan....

[Lock Jaw]

Hate Xavier Wood's video game show on Youtube, though.... shouldn't be seeing these guys (Seth Rollins) acting "normal" and playing video games....

[Simple Fan]

A lot of it still has to do with the in ring performance and how well the wrestler fits his character. Social media gives talent a new way to reach fans and all but doesn't always help you in the business, look at Zach Ryder. Social media is huge now though and any time a superstar is on Raw the goal is to trend world wide on Twitter.

[Ultra Mantis]

Kayfabing doesn't work anymore, I've seen a few "in character" tweets by TNA wrestlers and it's cringe worthy.

"cant believe @JStormCowboy1 killed my wife last week! Can't wait to confront him this Thursday, 9PM on Destination America! #IMPACTWRESTLING"

[Lock Jaw]

How much do you think kids get into following the wrestlers outside of the shows? Do they actually watch all the "WWE.com Exclusives (Cole's interviews, Backstage Fallout, Etc)"? I know I sure don't....

[Simple Fan]

I'd say not, they have a wide demographic and it hurts them at times. You can't make little Jonny and Smart Mark happy at the same time when it comes to John Cena. The shows are PG and catered to Little Jonny but the PPV is more for Smart Mark.

[Heyman]

I have been meaning to make this thread for awhile.

Back in the day, when we were getting into wrestling, we all had our favourites. However, all we really had to base on whether we liked a wrestler or not was what we were given on TV.

Nowadays, though, it has changed. We are in an information age and wrestlers have Facebooks, Twitters, Instagrams, Youtubes, Reality Shows, WWE.com Interviews... etc.

Fans today have so much more exposure to wrestlers.... but how much of an impact does it actually have?

How much do kids/you today actually get affected/pay attention to all this social medias.... and does it form new ways of getting wrestlers over?

I mean, we all know that to Vince only what happens on TV (RAW) matters....

But how much do you think that the social/internet media impacts the fans/kids these days?


I think Social media does have an impact, but I'm also a firm believer that IF both the storylines and characters are strong enough, that "willing suspension of disbelief" will always be there, and fans will "mark out," etc., at appropriate times.


Case in point - Wrestlemania this year. The storylines leading up to Wrestlemania were strong, the event in itself was strong, and fans reacted extremely positively accordingly. Who didn't mark out when DX and nWo interfered in Triple H/Sting?



The point I'm trying to make is this: If the characters are strong and the storylines are strong, I don't think Social media will have much of a negative impact on the WWE product.


The WWE just needs to create compelling storylines and fascinating characters, and everything else will follow.

[Bad News Gertner]

Kayfabing doesn't work anymore, I've seen a few "in character" tweets by TNA wrestlers and it's cringe worthy.

"cant believe @JStormCowboy1 killed my wife last week! Can't wait to confront him this Thursday, 9PM on Destination America! #IMPACTWRESTLING"

Ok that example is going overboard, but it'd be cool a heel constantly shit talking people on teitter. Heels also shouldn't do podcasts. Why would you do something that would make me like you?

[Heyman]

I think in this day and age, heel wrestlers acting "too heelish" (or being 100% in kayfabe) on Social Media is a bit silly. Wrestlers should just be themselves on Social Media.


If the storylines and characters in the WWE are good enough, none of this shit will ever be an issue, and the 'willing suspension of disbelief' will always remain intact.

[Bad News Gertner]

I just think it'd be interesting

[Emperor Smeat]

Top stars don't really need to rely on it since they already have the WWE machine taking care of their overness. For lower tier wrestlers, its going to be a lot more helpful for them to use social media to help get over or at least get some more exposure than the WWE is giving them.

The Zack Ryder example is perfect on how it transformed someone the WWE barely cared about into someone who got a small US title push as a result of it. Ryder built up his fanbase on social media and then later used that as a way to convince the WWE he's worth a push/investment later on. Him being successful with it ended up being a big reason why the WWE started to invest a lot more in social media shortly afterwards.

[Rollermacka]

"Over" is a matter of opinion..... in my opinion (if that makes sense :?:)

People online say Reigns isn't over at all.... yet he gets huge crowd reactions whenever his music hits (both positive and negatives)

People online are jizzing their panties whenever Owens does a chinlock...... but he doesn't get anywhere near the reaction from the live crowds that most upper carders get

[NormanSmiley]

I think heels should stay off social media unless they actually act like heels on it.

This

[Tom Guycott]

Ok that example is going overboard, but it'd be cool a heel constantly shit talking people on teitter. Heels also shouldn't do podcasts. Why would you do something that would make me like you?

The same, then, should apply to commercials. First example that comes to mind is The Rock doing that Chef Boyardee commercial while he was still full on heel. Yeah, he was gaining popularity, but he was still a heel. And let's not forget Macho Man was the voice for Slim Jims no matter what side of the face/heel fence he was on at the time. Oh, and Piper was a well established heel when he did They Live...

Point is, didn't really hurt any of them af the time. It can be done. Just a matter of both timing and doing it right. Lance Storm hosting a book club on his website while he was "hat trick King Dickhead" in WCW wasn't exactly a heel move, but it didn't really hurt him. Jericho was never stunted by Fozzy. Other outlets can expose other parts of a person besides the persona of wrestling, and social media is no different in this regard.

It can effectively be used as either enhancement or contrast. As long as whatever it is, it is genuine in it's approach. Trying super hard to "work them smarks" is about as transparent and cynical as that "example: TNA" social media approximation posted earlier.

[Lock Jaw]

Is it fundamentally shifting the way that pro rasslers get over with the fans, though?

Dolph Ziggler is "popular" on social media (or so I hear), while a guy like Dean Ambrose isn't even on it.

Will Dolph Ziggler become "more over" with the young kids/teen demographic?

[Dark One]

I think heels should stay off social media unless they actually act like heels on it.

I agree. Always weird to see the heel acting "out of character".....

Zeb Colter's twitter account was in character and was fantastic, though.... made me more of a fan....

This is why Kevin Owens is king.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/_cauchuka_">@_cauchuka_</a> Go to bed. It’s late and you’re only 9.</p>&mdash; Kevin Owens (@FightOwensFight) <a href="https://twitter.com/FightOwensFight/status/624435722435563520">July 24, 2015</a></blockquote>
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