In a recent NYT article, David Carr examined consumers’ use of social media to comment on television programs while they’re watching.  The trend is growing and it has created an unprecedented level of viewer engagement.  Carr gives examples such as the heavy use of Twitter during this year’s Oscars and increased viewership for the Oxygen networks’ The Bad Girls Club, which allows viewers to talk back to both their television and other people via www.Oxygenlive.com

Essentially, social media is providing a collective experience to what was previously an isolated audience.  Historically, most television viewing has been passive because we typically watch alone or in very small groups.  But when viewing takes place in larger groups (think about your recent Super Bowl party), you can’t stop people from discussing the content.  Now, social media is allowing viewers to have those conversations with people far outside their own living rooms.

The resulting engagement is certainly good for TV and potentially good for advertisers.  Done right, it could cause your next campaign to go viral the moment the first spot airs.  But that will require a fundamental change in the message itself.  Think of it this way…if you were a copywriter and knew you were speaking to a large group of consumers who had the ability to immediately communicate with each other, what would you say to spark an immediate conversation about your brand?

Tags: Social media, TV