Television shows and distributors have openly embraced social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. However, as people consume media on muiltiple devices in a single instance, it’s necessary for content creators to determine which ones take priority.
For example, nearly every TV show — as it’s airing — encourages users to interact on the web by:
- Joining the conversation on Twitter.
- Viewing behind-the-scenes content on the web and
- Reading “live blogs.”
These are great initiatives that get the audience involved. However, these initiatives distract viewers from “the big screen” and the advertising dollars. Today, media organizations use social media initiatives primarily for outreach and branding purposes. They don’t bring in revenue.
Instead of doing realtime interactions and promoting the above platforms during the show, a television property should have an interactive session on the web immediately after the show.
For example, the last commercial spot before the show ends could simply tell users that the show will be hosting a 1-hour web session with the producers, critics and guests via:
- Live video stream with people involved on the show.
- Twitter conversations.
- User questions on Facebook.
Not only does the latter add more value to a show, it keeps viewers engaged and makes the show a stronger brand. Furthermore, shows could sell ads around these interactive sessions, making it a win-win for digital and traditional platforms.
