In today's blogosphere, Perez Hilton is a household name when it comes to celebrity bloggers. Hilton is famous for his gossip site, controversial opinions, and gay right activism. Perezhilton.com is a website where Perez Hilton (Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr) posts videos, pictures, audio, and comments about actors, musicians, politicians, and celebrities. His blog has become so popular because he maintains the site with up-to-date information and the site really has a personality of its own. The website acts as a news source therefore Hilton utilizes a mass customization marketing strategy. The website covers almost every aspect of pop culture and relates to a mass audience. Perezhilton.com appeals to those interested and infatuated with the celebrity world, which is a huge media market. Interest in the lives of celebrities has always been a constant and consistently growing.
PerezHilton.com has a very strong image and brand personality. The website is based around news stories and Perez's commentary (that is where the entertainment comes in). Under each story post, visitors are encouraged to comment on the story or audio clip. Hilton also includes polls on the site so the site maintains a certain level of interactivity. The blog employs all four principles of wikinomics: openness, peering, sharing, and acting globally.
The website is open to commentary and viewers can send in stories or tips, however, users do not have the ability to post stories on the blog. One of the main purposes of Perezhilton.com is to share a wealth of information and encourages viewers to contribute and form their own opinions. Sharing is an important component to this gossip powerhouse site. Hilton and his team share stories from other new sources on the web and other competitors share Hilton’s stories as well. Without Lavandeira the blog would not be able to run. Hilton has a team and many sources and confidants within the celebrity world, especially within Hollywood. A peer network or team gathers the information and stories on the site, but Hilton is the main journalist. Although there is a level of command and control, the site ultimately thrives on an open relationship between Perez and sources. Hilton covers stories from all over the world and therefore has a massive global appeal. The website also incorporates other global Web 2.0 Internet sites including Facebook and Twitter.
I have been a loyal follower of this blog for the past five years of my life and it has yet to disappoint me. I can sign onto the site every ten minutes and get a new, interesting story. The website provides juicy information fast and with great detail. Perez is good with keeping his readers aware of current events and issues within our society. Hilton is a talented journalist that keeps his readers entertained and informed. In the past two years Perez has been expanding his blogging empire by creating other blogs dedicated to fashion, fitness, and pet care. Hilton is a powerful journalist within celebrity culture and seems to have all the right connections. I think the openness and peer system of the website makes the website unique and appealing.
Over the past couple of years the blog has truly transformed into a gossip site to a credible news source. Instead of just talking about Jennifer Aniston’s new boyfriend, the blog includes coverage of elections and government policies. As Lavandeira has grown older and more mature so has his site, which is why the blog has so much personality. The set-up and appeal of the blog is that it is not only like an online newspaper, but much like an online diary too. The business model is doing a great job of keeping up with the times. The blog stays young by integrating all forms of multimedia. The blog also includes an online store, PerezTV, and PerezRadio. Perezhilton.com also generates great revenue from its advertisements. Unlike most websites, the ads on the blog aren’t overwhelming and relate to the average reader interested in celebrity gossip. I see big things for Perez Hilton he has certainly established himself as a credible blogger and is now moving into the television industry.
For all the new celebrity gossip visit: www.perezhilton.com
This video is an interview of Perez Hilton on the Martha Stewart show. Perez talks about how he created his blog and keeps it running. It is a great video giving insight to the world of a blogger and entrepreneur.
