Example of Successful PLN Use – Oprah Winfrey 🥇
About Oprah
Oprah Winfrey is one of the most successful women in television history and, at one point, she was the highest-paid television entertainer! Oprah was the first African-American woman to own her own production company and produce 25 seasons of “The Oprah Winfrey Show”.
Oprah successfully used PLNs to become a global leader in media. She used various platforms to build an engaging PLN that not only helped her grow but also allowed her to influenced many people around the globe.
Monitorship and early guidance
Oprah started her PLNs by making meaningful connections and relationships with people. She originally got her big break when she won a beauty pageant and was offered an on-air radio job at WVOL. This is where Oprah found her natural talent for talking with guests. The on-air radio show was where Oprah first started making connections with people in the industry and she quickly noticed how valuable those relationship were. Oprah was mentored by many influential people in media, including Barbara Walters who showed her the ropes of the entertainment industry and provided guidance about how to make meaningful connections and effectively communicate with others. These techniques would later be essential to Oprah’s success.
Learning through relationship
A large part of Oprah’s PLN is inviting people from many different fields of expertise onto her show and having them share their knowledge. This allowed for her show to be one of the longest-running and most influential shows in history. Each episode, guests would share information or advice, accumulating many viewers and a large fanbase. The guests Oprah would bring on became a part of her PLN which focused on the importance of building connections and sharing knowledge. Oprah was known for creating deep and meaningful relationships with people wether it was her guests or the audience, in a professional setting and her personal life. These relationships allowed her to exchange ideas and receive feedback to grow in her field.
An example of a guest Oprah had on her show was Barack Obama. Oprah publicly endorsed Barack Obama’s political campaign and Obama appeared multiple times on the Oprah Winfrey show. Beyond a professional relationship, Oprah and the Obamas have cultivated a strong friendship over the years, contributing also to her PLN via both formal and informal networks.
The influence of social media
Social media has become wildly influential throughout the years and Oprah has recognizes how powerful this tool can be. Oprah actively uses many social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter (X) to offer personal insights and advice. Through these platforms, she has strengthened her PLN and created a space to connect with followers and other experts in her fields beyond her TV show and in-person PLN networks (such as her friendships with the Obamas).
Oprah’s social media presence is built on her authenticity, which is a huge factor in social media being a successful way to build an online presence.
Oprah will post her personal life and experiences which creates a sense of closeness with her audience. She will also use her social media to promote causes and things she is passionate about. For example, below I have attached a video of Oprah speaking on the importance of getting vaccinated in 2021, this was something she was very passionate about and her goal was to encourage her viewers so get vaccinated. By using social media as a part of her PLN, Oprah is able to grow her brand and her connections with others.
Ultimately, Oprah’s ability to use information from a variety of sources that suit her unique needs to build her PLN (such as her TV show, guests/in-person networks, as well as social media) is an inspirational example of the diverse ways in which PLNs can be formed to be successful. Oprah is exceptionally knowledgeable about a variety of different topics she has learned about via this PLN, highlighting the benefits of building unique, diverse, and inclusive PLNs. She is an inspiration to anyone with a PLN!
References
National Women’s Hall of Fame. (2018). Winfrey, Oprah – National Women’s Hall of Fame. National Women’s Hall of Fame. https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/oprah-winfrey/
The Kennedy Center. 2010. “Oprah Winfrey | Kennedy Center.” Www.kennedy-Center.org. 2010. https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/w/wa-wn/oprah-winfrey/.
Oprah Daily. 2021. “Oprah on the Importance of Getting Vaccinated.” YouTube. August 2, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogTN3h5j468.
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