A new study funded by a TV network and Twitter found that TV and Twitter go great together — not just by getting viewers to watch shows, but by getting them to embrace products promoted by the shows.
The study, fielded by research consultancy db5 on behalf of Fox and Twitter, came to two main conclusions.
First, TV-related tweets can inspire people to immediately watch a show they’ve never seen before, or resume watching shows they’d stopped watching.
Second, viewers who remeber tweets mentioning a show’s brand partners (also known as “advertisers”) are much more likely to view that brand as appealing and pay attention to its ads.
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The survey — “Discovering the Value of Earned Audience — How Twitter Expressions Activate Consumers” — included 12,577 people recruited on Twitter over two weeks. Participants were surveyed within 24 hours of watching and/or tweeting during primetime.
The study also found that 76 percent of people who have seen a TV-related tweet have searched for a show, 78 percent have taken some sort of Twitter action, like clicking on a hashtag, and 77 percent have watched a show as a result.
Forty-two percent have made plans to watch the show later, 38 percent have watched episodes online and 33 percent have changed the channel to watch the show. Also, viewers who live-tweet are more likely to act.
Tweets that mention brands also generate significant action: 54 percent of those who recall seeing such brand-related tweets have taken action by tweeting, searching for the brand online, or considering the brand. The number ticks up to 58 percent for the live audience.
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Additional findings include:
Twitter-Engaged TV Viewers Tweet 24/7
While 72 percent of TV tweeters tweet when they watch live broadcasts, 60 percent tweet about TV shows when they are not watching them, and 58 percent tweet about TV shows while watching them after they originally air.
Actors/Talent Are Most Preferred Source
Forty percent of tweeters prefer to see tweets from a show’s stars, 26 percent like to see them from friends and family, and 18 percent prefer them from official show handles.
TV Tweets Drive More on Twitter, Other Social Platforms
Seventy-eight percent take immediate action after seeing a TV Tweet, 41 percent click on the show’s hashtag to find out more information; 39 percent retweet show tweets, and 35 percent follow stars on Twitter.