Remember Tout? Well, while it may not have had the staying power of Vine or Snapchat, but WWE invested $5 million in Tout in 2012, and then proceeded to roll out a full scale social media friendly campaign like none other. Since 2012, WWE's embraced YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat with open arms, actively encouraging talent to be social media aware. There's social media classes in NXT and advisement for performers who want to get sharper at developing their online followings for talents on the main roster, too. From Zack Ryder to Tyler Breeze and Xavier Woods, there's a history of talents evolving from engaging with social media in non-WWE sanctioned ways to WWE sending "Prince Pretty" to the ring with a cell phone and going as far as to brand a t-shirt for Xavier Woods' "UpUpDownDown" YouTube program. Being social savvy? Just as important as throwing a great superkick.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
