Social Media's Effect on Television

Television marketing's plan no longer solely depends on commercials. Like many other industries, they have followed the trend of adopting social media platforms as a tool to increase viewership. With the rise of many different social platforms, networks are gaining more and more ways to engage with their audiences.

YouTube:

YouTube grants companies the ability to make their videos go viral to share with more people around the world. They no longer have to rely on people watching their channel to get the latest trailers for new episodes. They now have the ability to create their own channels, in which they can upload all of their new material that can be viewed at any time anywhere. Along with uploading trailers, network YouTube channels can post behind the scenes videos, sneak peaks, and cast interviews. All of these keep audience engaged with series and provide extra content to viewers to captivate their interest even more. 

Twitter:

With Twitter comes the Twitterverse and the power of hashtags. Many of shows have started to create a hashtag for a particular series and encourage people to tweet their thoughts while watching the show. This produces a community for that series. The need for community is a basic sociological need and Twitter provides another way for people to meet this need. In addition, Nielson did a study that illustrated a correlation between conversations on Twitter and neurological engagement. This means that when people are tweeting about their favorite shows they are also having higher engagement with a show. Increasing engagement can lead to developing a more loyal fan base because they feel more connected to the characters and the plot line. Twitter campaigns also gain the attention of other audiences that might not watch the series. A poll found that 29% of people choose to watch a show because of the social buzz surrounding it. If a television network can create buzz, it can also increase its viewership. 

Facebook:

Facebook isn't only a tool to see what's going on in a friend's life, but it can also inform people about their favorite television series. TV shows can create their own Facebook pages that people can follow giving them access to new content, reminders, and contests. Series posts showing up on audiences feeds keeps the audience engaged with the series and reminds them when the show will be airing. It also creates another form of word of mouth advertising because friends can see what pages people like, which could persuade them into liking the same page. 

Social media is becoming an every more important tool in television marketing. With less and less people watching live television, networks need a way to stay connected with their audience in a way other than broadcasting commercials.

Works Cited:
https://socialmediaexplorer.com/content-sections/cases-and-causes/has-social-media-changed-television/
http://www.marketingcharts.com/digital-44598
http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/reports-downloads/2016-reports/case-study-understanding-the-effect-of-social-media-on-tv-program-engagement.pdf