At Discovery Communications, a big focus for its social media team is the phenomenon of “social TV,” which Discovery’s Gayle Weiswasser and Amber Harris described as an experience similar to how we used to eat and watch shows with our families, except now we’re doing it with strangers.
And it’s not only a small group of social media power users doing this — 86% of viewers are using mobile devices while watching TV.
At our recent BlogWell event, Weiswasser and Harris shared how they’re making the most of this culture shift.
A few of their big ideas:
- Create destinations for fans. Discovery provides a place to go for fans searching and sharing content about shows they’re watching by aggregating Twitter conversations, having celebrities answer questions during shows and sharing behind-the-scenes content during commercial breaks.
- Focus on decision points. Discovery aims for moments when customers are making decisions about what to watch that night or have questions about a particular show. These are the moments the company monitors and focuses its engagement efforts.
- This isn’t a 9-to-5 job. As Weiswasser explained, Discovery is monitoring and has the capability to engage around the clock, with an emphasis on prime time.
Watch Weiswasser and Harris’ presentation. Slides are available.