It’s been nine years since the final “Star Trek” TV series, “Enterprise,” went off the air. Despite that, many veterans of the various incarnations of the popular series have established impressive presences on social media. In fact, some of these former Federation officers could give many professional marketers a run for their money (or latinum.)
George Takei: Helmsman of Curation
George Takei, who played Ensign Sulu on “Star Trek: The Original Series,” has become a ubiquitous presence on social media. Seldom does a day go by that you won’t find someone on your various feeds re-posting something from Takei. Takei has been successful by leveraging his own popularity, but also by effectively curating content. By posting funny images, moving videos, and other content, the former Ensign Sulu has become a one-man Buzzfeed.
Patrick Stewart: Captain of the USS Content Creation
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is one of the most iconic characters in all of Star Trek, and despite a relatively late start (Stewart only started tweeting in 2012) Patrick Stewart has become a social media powerhouse. Stewart created and posted a series of quirky pictures of himself and his friend/”X-Men” co-star Ian McKellen on Twitter to drum up press for a play they were both in in New York. Nearly every one of the pics went viral.
Levar Burton: Kickstarter Engineering Officer
Levar Burton, who played Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge on “Star Trek: the Next Generation,” was also the host of popular children’s show “Reading Rainbow.” Earlier this year, Burton launched a Kickstarter to bring back the show. He was successful beyond all expectations, raising $5.4 million.
William Shatner: Captain of the USS Audience Connection
William Shatner who played Captain James Tiberius Kirk in the original “Star Trek” is a quirky fellow. Through social, he’s managed to take that quirky presence and establish a genuine connection with his followers that most brands would kill for.
Wil Wheaton: Ensign of Doing it All
Wil Wheaton’s character, Ensign Wesley Crusher, was not popular with “Star Trek” fans. Many of them hated the teen-genius. However, as an adult, no “Star Trek” alum has come to dominate social media like Wil Wheaton. Wheaton has a popular blog, 2.4 million Twitter followers, and recently launched his own television show, “The Wil Wheaton Project” on SyFy channel. Wil curates, creates great content, and creates genuine emotional connection with his fans. Wil Wheaton the person has used social to become far more popular than Wesley Crusher the ensign ever was.
