Miss America and social media

Social Impact attended the 140 Conference in New York. We'll be sharing some insights from the conference here on this blog.

Conference organizer Jeff Pulver surprised attendees when he decided to kick off the two-day event with an unusual speaker: Caressa Cameron, Miss America 2010.

Cameron was a good choice – not only is she an avid blogger and Twitter user, but she is tasked with promoting the nonprofit Miss America Organization, which is the world’s largest provider of scholarships for women. With the job of building communities and interacting with fans, it’s no wonder Cameron has embraced social media.

When it comes to promoting a nonprofit, there’s no doubt it can help to have a celebrity on your side, let alone one with (literally) award-winning looks. But it doesn’t end there. Miss America makes a point of retweeting her fans, making them excited and more engaged to her message of education.

Although she is a celebrity, her fans get a glimpse of the “real” person on her Twitter account.

In addition to a few personal tweets sprinkled in, Cameron uses Twitter to let people know about her scheduled appearances and to spread the message. For example, her Twitter followers learned this week about her Earth Day activities, which included introducing a Green Starts Here campaign at a rally in Times Square and promoting the PepsiCo Dream Machine project, which involves placing thousands of new recycling kiosks on city streets. (Note: PepsiCo is a Social Impact client.)

I asked her about her approach to social media. Much like MC Hammer, she believes personalities need to tweet for themselves. For those of you who need proof that Twitter isn’t just a forum for geeks, Miss America insists that all her friends on Twitter. Using social media, Cameron proves that promoting issues and making a difference is cool.

Below is our e-mail conversation:

How have social media helped you inspire young people? Social media is another outlet that I can use to spread the word about causes that are near and dear to my heart, as well as a venue where the American public can get a sneak peek into my everyday life and what the job of Miss America is all about.

How many of your friends are on Twitter? All of them!

How do you deal with negative comments that come to your blog or Twitter account? It is my belief that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I cannot bend and break because of every negative thing that someone has to say. I am very secure in who I am as an individual and I know that I do this job with passion everyday, my goal is to make a difference. At the end of the day, if I've made myself and God happy, that is all I can ask for.

Is it important for you to manage your Twitter account yourself? It's important to me to manage my account because I can do it minute by minute if I choose to. There are pictures that I can share instantly. I love being able to give live updates.