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Part 1: How to Make Internet Fame Work for You
Wired is known for out-of-the-box covers. But when it put notorious Manhattan media lightning rod Julia Allison on its cover, blogs and Twitters lit up from the Valley to New York. People loved it and people hated it— just like Allison herself. But they all took notice— just like they do of Allison.
Behind the endless Gawker posts and photo shoots, Allison is a master of making the online mob work for you. It’s not as effortless as it seems. She’s carved a mini-empire out of little more than writing about herself and her dating life. Just before the cover hit the stands, Allison quit her job as editor at large of Star Magazine to concentrate on her TimeOut New York dating column, pilot for a Bravo reality show, and run her new startup, NonSociety. NonSociety is about — what else? — Allison and her friends. With designer dresses and small puppies gracing the photos and videos on the site, it’s clearly not your average Silicon Valley startup. But in a world of me-too blogging sites, that could be a good thing.
We caught up with the real life Carrie Bradshaw on one of her many swings out to the Valley to get her advice on Internet fame and how it can work for business.
Part 2: Julia Allison’s Real Test
Earlier this year Radar.com named Julia Allison one of the most hated people on the Internet. That may be true, but as this month’s Wired cover story explains, Allison has ridden controversy to fame and opportunity. She’s just launched a new startup, Nonsociety, with two Manhattan co-founders and the three of them are also filming a reality show pilot for Bravo to document it.
Allison has proved she can become famous just by being herself. But can she build a whole business around helping others do the same? It’s definitely a New York take on an Internet company. Plus, click here for my earlier conversation with Allison on how businesses can make Internet fame work for them.
