There is one type of viewer that TV Studios, Networks, Streamers, and Entertainment Companies alike covet— fans. But not just any fans; they want the die-hard fans, the type of fans who watch their shows with a level of passion and consistency, unmatched by the average viewer. Social media provides an essential outlet to these devoted viewers. For fans, social media extends the viewing experience way beyond a few hour-long episodes.
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How fans interact with a show on social media can play a crucial role in determining a show's success and reach. Entertainment brands that want to succeed in a modern media environment need to better understand social fans and their influence.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT SOCIAL FANS
Today, online fandom is so vast that media scholars have coined the term social television to describe the blend of social media and television activity. Miao Guo’s research reveals that viewers engage in social television to “invigorate the social nature of television viewing.” In essence, fans use social media platforms to interact with their favorite TV shows. Most fans engage with a show by following the actor’s accounts or a character’s fan page. Others may engage by searching, liking, or sharing program-related content on their personal channels. Some fans engage in social television by conversing with other social viewers.
Social media adds an interactive layer to the television viewing experience, providing “space for viewers to socialize and bond over the shows they love” or “enjoy the collective knowledge and information shared by a larger community of viewers,” states Lin et al.
HOW TO FIND ONLINE FAN COMMUNITIES
What was once reserved for Tumblr, Fanfiction, and Reddit message boards now spreads far across various social platforms. Search relevant keywords and hashtags like #QueensGambit, #WandaMaximoff, or #EuphoriaHBO, and you’ll find endless examples of social television on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or Facebook. All across these platforms, there are communities of fans creating memes, searching stars, sharing opinions, and posting content about their favorite television shows.
Monitoring these social channels will help entertainment brands find their fans. But more than that, these online fan communities provide brands with valuable insight into their audience. Whether fans are creating, recommending, or discussing the content, social fans can significantly impact the television program's success.
In her post “What TV Networks Still Don’t Understand About Fandom,” Kayti Burt explains the value of viewers’ quality over quantity. However, when the goal is higher audience ratings or more subscribers, focusing on the quality of viewers may seem frivolous. But it’s not. Social media fandom has proven market advantages. Jiyoung Cha found that "Social television creates a greater amount of buzz about a television show." When viewers organically share program-specific content, they are recommending that program to their followers. Odunaiya et al. found that social television usage positively influenced network loyalty. In an investigation into social television and its implications for developing viewer engagement and network loyalty, Lin et al. discovered that users who engage with their favorite programs online exhibit higher loyalty and advocacy towards the network. Also associated with social television is a positive likelihood of purchasing products advertised on the program's station and a boost in time-shifted viewing, according to Miao Guo.
HOW TO CAPITALIZE ON SOCIAL TELEVISION
There is an abundance of content in our modern media landscape. Businesses that want to stay competitive will need to find more engaging ways to capture their audience’s attention. Social television provides entertainment brands with a direct channel to their viewers, and if they use it correctly, they can win over audiences on both Twitter feeds and Television screens.
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According to Buffer's Alfred Lua, the businesses that are succeeding on social media “are the ones providing personalized social experiences to their fans.” To create these personalized experiences, brands need to create social media content that resonates with their fans. That means less promotional content and more entertaining, unique content that adds value to the fan communities. Fan-centric content can be as simple as humorous memes, exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, or program-related podcasts. For viewers, this type of social content can make being a fan that much better, and it allows them to form a deeper connection to the network and the program.
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WORKS CITED:
Burt, K. (2016, April 14). What TV Networks Still Don’t Understand About Fandom.
Den of Geek. https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/what-tv-networks-still-dont-understand-about-fandom/
Cha, J. (2016). Television use in the 21st century: An exploration of television and
social television use in a multiplatform environment. First Monday, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v21i2.6112
Cha, J. (2019). Social television engagement: An examination of content,
interpersonal, and medium relationships. First Monday, 24(1).
https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v24i1.8548
Guo, M. (2019). Social Television Viewing with Second Screen Platforms:
Antecedents and Consequences. Media and Communication, 7(1), 139–153. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v7i1.1745
Lin, J., Chen, K., & Sung, Y. (2018). Understanding the Nature, Uses, and
Gratifications of Social Television: Implications for Developing Viewer Engagement and Network Loyalty. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 62(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2017.1402904
Lua, A. (2017, July 20). Engagement, Not Traffic, Is The Future of Social Media. Buffer
Resources. https://buffer.com/resources/social-media-is-for-branding/
Odunaiya, O., Agoyi, M., & Osemeahon, O. (2020). Social TV Engagement for
Increasing and Sustaining Social TV Viewers. Sustainability; Basel, 12(12). 4906. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124906