Kobe Bryant, the prolific NBA scorer and long time social media critic has now blown the floodgates open. Kobe has joined Twitter.

After spending most of his career critical of players who embraced social media, he has now blossomed into somewhat of a digital darling. It all started during the Olympics when he joined Facebook and shared insights and moments from inside the Olympic village. His presence on Facebook was well-received. He raked in thousands of likes and started to gain millions of followers.

I’m guessing he decided to join since his rival to the NBA spotlight, LeBron James has been putting up huge social media numbers the past few years. I’m sure Kobe’s competitive instincts kicked in and he suddenly wanted to dominate another statistical arena.

Kobe (or Kobe’s people) is great at social media. Everything feels like it is coming from Kobe’s voice. He gets a little preachy sometimes talking about greatness and being competitive, but that is exactly what I expect he actually sounds like. LeBron’s social media voice is good too. He comes off as a joker who loves basketball. That is true to his image. A lot of athletes, particularly European football stars seem to have their agents or managers at the helm of their accounts. They seem very PR driven and come across as mainly marketing and not giving people deeper access to these stars.

It’s a great trend when the best players in a sport genuinely take to social media. Sure they have their marketing alterior motives of wanting their shoes to sell. But if they are being genuine with their voice and using social media to give fans more access, everyone wins.

Welcome to cyberspace Kobe. Great to have you.

1. TUMBLR

Tumblr is the hub of the creative web. Their platform has found a way to intuitively include multimedia content creation from across the whole web. Tumblr’s image is of cat photos and animated GIFs, but the platform itself is much broader than that. You can shape your Tumblr to reflect yourself as a creative person.

2. TWITTER

Twitter is the best way I’ve found to attract a creative audience. Facebook can generate content views among your friends, but Twitter is public facing. When you create content and broadcast it through Twitter, there is no telling who it can reach. Audience building is a core requirement of any creative person looking for more opportunity. Twitter can get you there.

3. FACEBOOK

Facebook is great for contacting your pre-established network and base of loyal supporters. They can be your messengers and evangelists. Facebook Pages provides a way to establish a more outward facing front to your creative web presence.

4. LINKEDIN

LinkedIn has become a vital part of how I operate on the creative web. For some, LinkedIn is seen as little more than a resume, but I see it as a way to network with creative talent, share inspiration in groups and even make yourself available for job opportunities and collaborations.

5. GOOGLE+

Google+ is new to the game, and I’m still working on building my initial audience. But I’ve already seen the value of how it is set up. I don’t see Google+ as a competitor to Facebook. Google+ is a social network based on shared interests. Facebook is a social network based on existing relationships. I see Google+ as valuable moving forward as a way to connect with a vast network of creative individuals. The possibilities feel much more open than on Facebook.

6. KLOUT

Visiting Klout has become a part of my morning routine. At first it was just my early adopter friends on there, but now I’m seeing a lot wider base of people. Klout seems to be the place to go if you want to be known for something. I think this will prove valuable moving forward. On the creative web, it’s vital for people to know if you are a photographer, a director, a writer, etc. I see Klout as a way to help people connect the dots about you. It gives people a snapshot into what region of the creative web you hang out in. What conversations you engage in most.

7. INSTAGRAM

Instagram has redefined what a social network can be. They have effectively fired the warning cannons of Web 3.0. They are mobile, social, intuitive and now officially validated with their 1 billion dollar sale to Facebook. The upside is unlimited. On the surface it’s ‘just a photo-sharing app,’ but within its experience lies far more than that. It’s a way to share real time experience in a more visceral way that moves beyond the tired confines of status updates. It lets you connect lightly (likes) or deeply (comments and discussions that can unfurl beneath a single image). It’s searchable, it’s scaleable and for some reason, the photos always look great. Look for more companies to erect social networks around deceivingly simple premises, that engineer a ton of depth and emotion into the user experience.