We’ve all done it
At least once in your lifetime, you talked to the TV. You cheered on our favorite team or yelled at a ref for a bad call. You’ve screamed at the TV, “Are you kidding me? Did you folks just vote her off the show?” My favorite was the day I caught myself saying to the screen, “Did you just cry over some guy you met 2 weeks ago? Seriously?”
It’s true that our television viewing behaviors vary with spy stuff like Burn Notice and reality competitions like Top Chef . I know there are many of you out there who will plant yourself in front of ESPN for the whole weekend no matter what time of year it is.
While our choices to what we tune into will vary, we all have one thing in common about our TV watching routines. The growing popularity of using our smartphones, tablets or computers while the TV is on. This my friends, is what they call Social TV.
The official definition from Freebase is: Social Television is a general term for technology that supports communication and social interaction in either the context of watching television, or related to TV content.
The English translation means is we now have the chance to talk to the TV and they get to talk back to us. While we know the top online activity is checking our emails, the online activity following closely behind is engaging in social media like Twitter or Facebook DURING our favorite shows, specifically award shows and sporting events.
Overall, Social TV grew 363% in 2012. There were 874 Million social media comments about TV programs in 2012, compared to 189 Million in 2011. (Bluefin Labs)
Facebook, Twitter and The Voice
By now, we’ve all seen the graphics in the corner of our favorite shows asking us to ‘join in the conversation on Facebook.’ Social TV takes that tag to the next level.
I first started to really notice this new form of engagement when I started watching the NBC show called The Voice. In 2011, I stopped watching American Idol after Simon Cowell left and tried out The Voice to fill the singing competition void in my life.
Immediately, the whole concept pulled me in. The idea that these singers were chosen for a team based on how they sang was just genius. I loved the competition and watching the judges pick their teams and deciding who would stay through the battle rounds.
What really caught my attention was the Twitter connection
Scrolling across the screen were constant reminders to connect with the singers and giving us #thevoice hashtag. It was obvious from the start that The Voice was different from American Idol on so many levels. But the biggest difference came from the live interaction with the contestants in the Social Media Room. The competitors were responding to Twitter questions in real-time DURING the show.
I was hooked and started to find new ways to connect with other fans of shows I watch. I posted comments on the Facebook fan page when one of my favorite shows Torchwood started its new season. As we shared our comments about the episode that just aired (yes, I actually went on the fan page right after the show ended!), I felt connected to these thousand of people who wanted to talk about how they missed The Hub and why weren’t we seeing more of Capt. Jack.
Then I tried out Social TV on Twitter. When I discovered Anthony Bourdain would be tweeting live during the first show of his new season on CNN, I knew I’d have my tablet on the couch with me when I watched. I loved watching the show while reading Bourdain’s 4-letter word comments about what was going on behind the scenes. It was like someone opened the backdoor to let us see how they decided which restaurant to go to and what the heck was that lady really talking about.
It’s no surprise ….
Marketing agencies are currently looking for more ways to incorporate their clients’ brands into these online engagement programs. In the months to come, we can expect to see some of the following trends in our Social TV world:
- Viewers will be interacting in more ‘meaningful conversations’ with other fans while they watch their favorite shows.
- Actors starring in our shows will take a more active role in the Social Media programming.
- Brands will be developing new promotions to engage with viewers directly while a show is being aired.
- Keep watching for a new group of social platforms to further connect our TV to our Social Media programs and connecting with other fans.
One thing seems clear – our TVs and our online activities are slowly merging into one new marketing opportunity. Television viewers are now able to engage with their favorite programs and the companies who are running ads during these shows.
The programs who’ll win will be the ones who discover how to connect with this emerging media-savvy generation. They’ll create the ultimate social media engagement experience for their fans by letting us really know what it’s like to really talk to our TVs.
photo credit: Fashion Show
