Social media and internet use has been seen as an enemy for the television industry. It is so easy for someone to find files for the shows they like online and download them illegally. This takes away from views on cable, and sales by other providers like On Demand or digital files. YouTube alone has so many clips, shows and even entire movies broken down into parts, it seems impossible to control. However, there is a way that the television industry can use social media to benefit them.
But social media platforms are where the audiences are discussing their favorite shows and movies. They use these platforms to attract a discussion because their comments will reach so many people.
Social TV is a new concept that combines television and social media use. This has become a new point of research for Shawndra Hill, from The Wharton School. She has been discovering how these industries can work together to develop ad sales and drive more viewers. What this boils down to is how to monetize the trend of viewers discussing their favorite shows on Twitter or Facebook. Some TV shows are even incorporating social media into their program. They encourage viewers to share on social media by putting up a hash tag, tweets, etc.
Shawndra found that by adding these social media triggers, there is a large influx of social media discussion about the specific show that is encouraging social media use. Additionally, she found that there is a difference between this response when the show is live and when it is aired for a second time. One show that has had great success with this is The Voice.
To see an interview with Shawndra, click this link: Full Interview with Shawndra Hill.
Her research shows that there is a strong connection here, which will really benefit not only the shows popularity and awareness, but monetary value.
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