Why do so many people in the Hong Kong entertainment circle use ‘micro-blogs’?

A new phenomenon has risen up in the Hong Kong entertainment industry: micro-blogs. Both celebrities as well as non-celebrities (those working behind the cameras) alike are fascinated with this popular means of communication and it has become a new ‘trend’ in the entertainment circles.

Why have micro-blogs become so attractive to this particular industry? Twitter has been around for awhile and is immensely popular overseas – it surely is similar in terms of concept: allowing anyone to create a ‘mobile blog’ and post messages where others can respond instantly with the ease of a few clicks, allowing fans to ‘follow’ their favorites and being notified when responses are made to their postings, etc.

The ‘catch’: Twitter is not accessible in mainland China, however a ‘micro-blog’ with similar functionality is. And since Hong Kong’s entertainment industry is increasingly looking to the China market, many entertainers have eagerly jumped on the ‘micro-blog’ bandwagon. In the mainland especially, not only do popular celebrities develop a huge following (‘fans’) on their micro-blogs, many behind-the-scenes people (producers, directors, etc.) do as well, so increasingly, a majority of those in the entertainment industry are joining this craze.

Many entertainers have had unhappy experiences with the Media, however in the entertainment industry, it is impossible not to rely on the Media to relay their words to the general public – and depending on the Media outlet, bias could exist. So the relationship between entertainers and the Media has always been that of both ‘love’ and ‘hate’. Whatever the Media reports on, whether it is true or false, entertainers are helpless to prevent or control.

With that said, micro-blogs have risen in popularity because it provides a personal platform for entertainers to express their thoughts and communicate to the world. With a hundred or fewer words and a few clicks, entertainers can write whatever they want and anyone can immediately see it – plus the added bonus of being able to upload pictures and video. With micro-blogs, it is like each person in the entertainment circle has his/her own personal ‘Media’ to communicate whatever they wish, in a real-time environment.

For most entertainers, the difference between a micro-blog and a traditional blog is the ability for them to use an Internet-capable phone to send out their postings immediately, rather than having to actually turn on a computer and go onto the Internet. Entertainers being able to post what they are thinking or seeing at any given time to the web right away is not only more convenient and faster than traditional Media, it is also more ‘real’ – which explains why so many entertainers (popular artists especially) have joined the micro-blog world.

In addition, not only can ‘fans’ [followers of the particular micro-blog] develop a direct line of communication with their ‘idols’, the entertainers themselves can use the platform to communicate with each other – which can help build relationships within the entertainment circle, especially amongst those artists who have never known each other that well. Another ‘attraction’ is the fact that on their micro-blogs, entertainers can easily amass thousands – even millions – of ‘fans’ without having to rely on the ‘Media’.

Micro-blogs are definitely changing the ‘relationship’ between the entertainment industry and traditional Media – a very interesting trend indeed.

Source: MingPao
Translation: llwy12 @ AsianFanatics