On April 20, Post Malone startled his 28 million Twitter and Instagram followers by posting a photo of himself in his bathroom, one foot propped up on a toilet seat, with the caption: "Text me:) 817-270-6440." The phone number seemed legit, but the 24-year-old tattooed "Rockstar" sensation hadn't taken leave of his senses under quarantine; what he shared was his Community text number.
Launched in July, Community connects fans via SMS messaging to public figures like movie stars, athletes, even COVID-19 experts.
The thinking is that a text message — even one sent to thousands of people simultaneously — is far more likely to grab someone's attention than a tweet or Instagram post ever could. "North America is all about text messaging," says.