Friday marks the 35th anniversary of the release of “Star Wars: A New Hope,” the first installment of George Lucas’s landmark franchise.

It is the destiny of the film’s iconic hero Luke Skywalker to save the universe from the power of the Dark Side—and it begins for him with the arrival of the droids.

The film introduces Luke as a mere farm boy on the remote planet of Tatooine. It’s business as usual on this wind swept planet until two droids belonging to a kidnapped princess wash up. The Skywalkers acquire the droids, but after one of them shares a disturbing message, Luke takes them to have their memories erased.

From that moment, his life as a Jedi begins.

Like Luke Skywalker, the next part of your brand’s life probably began with the arrival of technology, namely in the form of social media—Twitter, Facebook, blogging, etc. It might get you in trouble, but it can also lead to action and adventure.

Of course, a Jedi craves not these things—but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We’ll save that lesson for the anniversary of “The Empire Strikes Back.”

Here are five social media lessons from “Star Wars IV: A New Hope”:

1. You can do great things from a remote planet.

Luke Skywalker lives on the planet Tatooine—a remote and lawless place with a desert climate. At one point in the film, Luke gripes, “If there’s a bright center to the universe, you’re on the planet that it’s farthest from.”

On this sun-baked planet, Skywalker meets C-3PO and R2-D2, the two droids that lead him to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Chewbacca, and, well, his destiny.

The lesson for you: It doesn’t matter if you work in Manhattan or in the most remote part of Alaska, social media can empower you—and your brand, whatever that might be—to achieve great things. Don’t let your current setting hold you back.

2. You must learn from someone wiser than you (who isn’t evil).

Luke Skywalker has a mentor—Obi-Wan Kenobi. He’s a good guy, unlike his foil (and the man who kills him), Darth Vader. Obi-Wan begins Luke’s instructions on the ways of the force; he starts him on his path to becoming a Jedi.

The lesson for you: Many people and brands have tried countless tactics and campaigns on social media. Find them and learn from them—their mistakes and their victories. Avoid falling in line with someone who’s doing social media the wrong way.

3. Your friends are critical to your survival.

One of the overarching themes of the Stars Wars trilogy is the importance of friendship: Luke, Leia, and Han are a mighty trio. Add in the rest of the bunch—Chewy, C-3PO, R2D2, and Obi-Wan—and you’ve got one hell of a group.

It takes a while for them to grow comfortable with each other. Luke and Leia are skeptical of Han; Han is wary of everyone (except for Chewy, of course). But once they grow close, they’re a force to be reckoned with, especially because they’ve got each others' backs.

The lesson for you: Find your friends on social media—whether it’s Facebook fans, Twitter followers, or blog readers—and get to know them, even if you’re wary at first. If you nurture these relationships, they will get your back in times of crisis, big or small. Just don’t try to buy their trust, otherwise you’ll end up in Lando Calrissian territory (but, again, we’re getting ahead of ourselves; that's for "The Empire Strikes Back" edition).

4. You can’t avoid the death grip.

Darth Vader can choke someone out with his mind. According to the Stars Wars Wiki, Vader only needed a visual of someone to perform the “Force choke.”

Anyone untrained in the powers of the Force could fall victim to Vader’s choke if they’re in his presence. The only defense is not annoy him, unlike this guy:



The lesson for you: On social media it’s worse. People don’t need a visual of you or your brand to choke you out. They can simply start tweeting about you, invade the comments section of your blog, or barrage your Facebook page with nasty comments. But don’t stay away from social media to avoid the death grip, be an active part of it—and listen to what people are saying about you.

5. Your strength alone won’t save you.

When Luke, Han, Chewy, and the droids spring Princess Leia from her cell on the Death Star, they take refuge in the space station’s garbage dump. And it begins to compact the trash. (Han Solo utters the classic, if corny line: “One thing’s for sure, we’re all going to be a lot thinner.”)

As the walls close in, they try to push them back, to no avail. They try to climb onto the garbage and out of the shoot. And that fails. It isn’t until Luke reaches C-3PO, who instructs R2-D2 to shut down the trash compactor, that they’re saved.

The lesson for you: Try as you might to monitor every conversation on social media and to post to every site throughout the day and night, but you’ll run out of steam—fast. Don’t be afraid to rely on tools that help you listen and manage your Twitter and Facebook posts. In the end, it will save you.

“Star Wars” is fertile material. Any lessons or insights from “A New Hope” you’d care to share?

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