source: mashable.com

Comedians have been utilizing social media tools since its inception. Check their twitter, instagram, facebook, or podcast and you will see activity… lots of activity. Why? In the most obvious sense, comedians are using social media to promote themselves and their upcoming performances, but actually that is only part of it…. a small part of it….

The real reason comedians are using social media is to connect and build relationships with their fans (tribe, as Seth Godin would say). You will find them on twitter talking about, you guessed it, comedy. They throw jokes out, take pictures of interesting things, and re-tweet articles and blog posts they find interesting. They have developed podcasts as  a way to have their friends, or respected colleagues on to talk, work on material, and make each other laugh/think. If they do not get a show on TV, many have just decided to start their own show in a web-based format. They can retain their creativity, and still get their message out. Sound familiar?

The comedians who have engaged in social media realize that they have about 4 minutes to connect with you while they are on stage (maybe even less, but lets just use 4 minutes as a gauge). How can you develop rapport with 100, or 1000 people within 4 minutes? You don’t. You connect with them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Comedians have learned that social media breaks down barriers, allows for connections, and is super easy to use.

There is a lesson in here for educators. What connections do you see?