Using Social Media Buzz to Build TV Audience

Many times before a new television show hits the air, it will already have its own Facebook Page with posts, fans, videos, and custom applications. The show may also already have a Twitter account, a Tumblr, second screen apps, or a dedicated message board. It may seem strange to have an existing online community for a TV show that has yet to air, but in the social media age—getting buzz around a show can be as important as traditional advertising.

When Bravo was building interest for the new show “Around the World in 80 Plates” the network created a Facebook Page about the series. Before the first show aired, the Facebook page had almost 13,000 fans and more than 16,000 people talking about it. While that number may pale in comparison to the “Big Bang Theory” and its 21 million fans, it is a respectable audience. When you also consider that 19% of Internet users say they started watching a show after reading about it on a social network or blog the importance of a TV show having an active audience is obvious.

Here are just a few of the ways Bravo got 13,000 people to like “Around the World in 80 Plates” on Facebook before it aired:

• Targeting fans of their existing shows on Facebook
  • Posts about “Around the World in 80 Plates” on the “Top Chef” page
• Leveraging the popularity of the show’s hosts Curtis Stone and Cat Cora
  • Each host shared information about the show
• Hosting a social media travel contest
  • Fans could win trips to show destinations

And while the show got off to a rocky start, recent ratings are up along with the conversations on the show’s Facebook page. Now it is up to Bravo and the show to deliver on the social media buzz they generated. Do you think they can pull it off?

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