This document discusses social TV and strategies for engaging audiences on social media around television content. It provides statistics on social media use during television viewing and examines case studies of shows that have successfully driven social conversations. Recommendations include planning social strategies early in production, extending stories across platforms, facilitating back-channel discussions, and using analytics to inform future content. The ecosystem of players involved in social TV is also mapped out.

1. Social TV … So What?

2. Social Media Strategist Director of Social
Stimulation LTD Premier
@TiffanyStJames @GemmaWent
Social strategy for corporate comms/HR and Social TV Social strategy and campaigns for the entertainment industry
Who are we?

3. To kick things off
let’s look at social TV and the Olympics …

4. Social media comments Breakout by social media
5.0M 4.86M 140K
Public Twitter comments Public Facebook comments
Social TV Conversation Trendline
Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira
open he show; fans express Independent Olympic Olympic cauldron is lit
excitement for the start of Appearance by James Athletes dance into the Team USA enters the stadium and Sir Paul McCartney
Olympics Bond and The Queen stadium in the parade of nations performs
40k
Airing Window
35k
30k
25k
20k
15k
10k
5k
0
05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 01:00 02:00 03:00

5. 62% of consumers use social media while watching TV.
An increase of 18% since 2011
62% use tablets, smartphones or laptops in their everyday TV viewing,
both for video and real time TV
62% use social networking sites and forums while watching TV,
of these 40% discuss what they’re watching on social networks
Some global stats Ericsson Consumer Insight Summary Aug 2012

6. Not watching alone
Being part of a community
Self validation
Curiosity of other opinions
Seeking additional information
Wanting to influence or interact with content
Gratification of being acknowledged by others
The need to further analyse and discuss
Behaviour drivers Ericsson Consumer Insight Summary Aug 2012

7. The UK falls behind, despite evidence of viewer appetite for
social TV engagement
12% of new UK shows have Facebook pages,
compared to 30% in the US
ALTHOUGH the Voice UK had 24,885 Twitter followers
BEFORE broadcast and GetGlue and Miso check-ins are growing
in the UK
But what about the UK? The Wit Monitoring Service 2012

8. Celebrity tweets drive engagement
RESULTED IN
Top 2012 shows by channel
(does not include news and sport)
But what about the UK? Second Sync 2012

9. But what about the UK? Sky/YouGov Survey 2012 (4,400)

10. Production
Broadcasters
Companies
Digital/Tech Content Comms
Agencies Producers Agencies
The ecosystem

11. What works?

12. Fans discuss show content; evaluating what happened, acting, new characters
or a twist in the plot
They discuss TV within the fantasy of a programme; fan plot lines and
character diaries
Highest levels of participation when favourite shows are threatened with
cancellation
Broadcasters are divided over social TV strategy: To partner directly with
social networks? Or to build their own platforms for more control and ad
revenue? Few utilise a dual strategy
Many in the UK are making the most of the dual screen back channel,
broadcasting hashtags to invite people to join the chat
Few are creating valuable content that extends the story outside of the show
What we’re seeing

13. Broadcasters aren’t planning at the right time, it needs to start before filming starts
Be clear what the objectives are:
Reach a new audience
Build on an existing community
Create an engaged community to help secure recommission
Create purchase desire for merchandise
Use data for audience insight
Create ad revenue
Planning is key

14. Content should add value. If it’s not any of these things, don’t bother
Fun
Unusual
Important
Interesting
Educational
Newsworthy
Entertaining
Create the right content

15. Co-create with writers and directors
Extend the story into peoples everyday lives
Create content that works across various media
Use different content on different platforms
Focus on different aspects; setting, characters etc
Create the right content

16. Social TV lends itself to storytelling
People want to delve deeper into the ‘story’
Extend the story outside of the show
Allow people to be part of the story, to interact with it
Create parallel storylines that extend the experience between shows
Compliment the show, don’t duplicate it
Be flexible, allow the story to take unexpected turns
I’m going to tell you a story

17. Shows are making the most of conversations on
platforms like Twitter
By using hashtags within the shows,
conversations are facilitated around it
This extends to before and after the show airs
Conversations provide rich insight that can drive
future planning (and ad revenue)
Independent apps also integrate these
conversations (Zeebox, Xfactor etc)
Making the most of the back channel

18. Create content that extends or bridges the
experience between shows
Develop content that can set the scene ahead of the
show, involving people in the story from the start
Extend the story between the shows. Share clues,
create new storylines. Make it essential to ‘be
there’
Keep the story alive while shooting the next series
Keep the audience engaged and ready for more
Bridging the gap

19. What about the tech?

20. Have a robust infrastructure and planning
War Room set ups for real time analytics and engagement
Objectives should define the tools
The right tools for the job

21. Give useful additional content and use
analytics to create richer experiences
Interactive content: Sync’d

22. Real-time sentiment on shows

23. Rewarding Social TV-ers

24. Social TV: Battle of the Apps

25. Captivating live audiences, providing real-time data honouring the super-engaged
Event TV

26. Create opportunities for user-driven content
Embarrassing Bodies Live
Entire editorial turned over to viewers
Asking questions/uploading images
Voting on what they want discussed
Live from the clinic
Live consultations on Skype
App download: medical tests
In audience hands

27. Have a real use for interaction
Ensure data is fed back into programmes
My Health Checker
5 million tests taken
500k registrations
300k downloads
Weekly visualising and analysis
A real user need to interact
Users trust you
In audience hands

28. Free data
Engage developers
Create sandboxes
REWIRED STATE
Coding a Better Country R&D
Prototype
Ideas and execution
Release data, let devs play

29. To sum up then

30. Plan at the right time
Extend the story
Make activity important, meaningful and relevant
Extend the experience outside of shows
Leverage social channels differently for different kinds of shows
Create opportunities for user generated content
Work with producers to create bespoke content
Get the right tools for the job
Don’t overlook the importance of data

31. Social Media Strategist Director of Social
stimulationltd.com premiercomms.com
@TiffanyStJames @GemmaWent
Social strategy for corporate comms/HR and Social TV Social strategy and campaigns for the entertainment industry
Thanks