I’m not too proud to do a little newsjacking now and then, and with Spider-Man 2 picking up $92 M at the domestic box office last weekend (and still that was only a ‘good’ showing) it’s a pretty handy target. I got to thinking about what makes Spider-Man stand the test of time. After all, his debut was in 1962, and more than 50 years later, not only does he still have his own comic, but he’s also selling out seats at the movie theater. And he still fits into his bodysuit. Not bad for a guy who’s probably pushing 70. I realized that the things that make Spider-Man special to us are the same things that make for good social media. For instance, like social media, he’s on the web. I rest my case. What, you want more? Alright, without further ado, here are six ways your media should be like Spider-Man: He’s got a recognizable brand A few wardrobe changes over the years notwithstanding, everyone recognizes Spider-Man’s trademark blue and red body suit with the red boots and the hood with the bug eyes. THAT’s the Spider-Man you could pick out of a lineup. Even when he does change his threads, like the Gap he usually goes back to the traditional look. Lesson: Don’t rebrand just for the sake of rebranding. If you have a strong brand and it’s recognizable, stick with it. He’s sticky Spider-Man can shoot webs that allow him to stick to almost anything. Just like Spider-Man’s webs, your content should be sticky. Sticky content is quality content that’s compelling enough that people come back to you again and again: They like, they share, they pin. They like you, they really like you! Lesson: You want to draw people to you – your website, your blog and your product. Spider-Man catches bad guys in his web; weave your web to catch prospects. He gets major buzz Spider-Man is a regular staple on the front page of the Daily Bugle where he is reviled by Bugle Editor J. Jonah Jameson. Still, any publicity is good publicity when you’re a superhero, so that doesn’t stop Spider-Man from his good deeds. Thanks to word of mouth, he usually has a high approval rating from the general public and that’s really what matters. Sometimes they turn on him, but hey, people are fickle. Lesson: Forget the professional detractors; if people have good things to say about you and your product, embrace that and ignore the naysayers. No, really: Ignore them. Don’t feed the trolls. He knows how to react to negative reviews As a follow up the above point, even though he’s a good guy, Spider-Man gets a lot of grief. Life’s not fair, right? But he doesn’t go around trying to defend himself from every attack — ain’t nobody got time for that – he just keeps doing his good-guy thing. Sometimes actions speak louder than words. Lesson: Do good and you’ll end up doing well. Don’t respond to negative Nellies like Amy’s Baking Company did. He responds quickly When someone’s in trouble, he’s there. Not in an hour, not in a day: He knows when someone needs him and he’s there. He calls it spidey sense; we call it social media monitoring. You need to “hear” when someone reaches out on social media – and you need to respond. Studies show that people now expect an answer to questions or complaints online within an hour. After that, they get mad and they announce it publicly. So don’t leave them hanging. Lesson: Do you know what happens when someone needs Spider-Man and he doesn’t show up? They die. Just keep that in mind. He newsjacks Newsjacking is kind of like a tick on a dog: It works by riding on the back of a current event and eventually sucking the blood out of it. Even Spider-Man knows how to do it. In 2009, Marvel comics learned that President-elect Barack Obama collects Spider-Man comics (which, frankly, should be a pre-requisite for the presidency). So they put Obama on the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man No. 583 (“Spidey Meets the President!) The issue sold out in minutes. Lesson: Newsjacking is a legitimate and effective way to create content by capitalizing on a news story. But remember, with great power comes great responsibility: Be careful how and what you newsjack, or be Kenneth Cole. Do you have any other ideas about how your social media should be like Spider-Man? Let us know! Note: Spider-Man is a registered trademark of Marvel Characters, Inc.