Sometimes, the simplest experience is the best experience. The cast of TV show Supernatural started the tradition of live tweeting with the audience during the show’s weekly airtime (provided they’re not filming future episodes during that time). Sometimes, they even invite other celebrities, like Williams Shatner and Orlando Jones who are fans of the show, to join in on the real-time discussion.
The idea of actor/director commentary isn’t new, voice over commentaries have long been a popular and stable feature in DVD boxsets for film and television. But back then, it’s either commentary or the dialogue, therefore there was no way to enjoy commentary and the show simultaneously. Now, with the use the Twitter, actors and directors can connect and interact with their loyal fans right from their smartphones, while the show proceeds at its usual pace on the bigger screen in front of them. For viewers, instead of mindlessly flipping through channels during the commercial break, they can now take to Twitter and ask their favourite cast members a question, and if they’re lucky, they might just get a response before the end of the commercial break. From the TV network’s perspective this can only improve the show’s rating, because viewers who choose to record the show for a later time will miss out on the opportunity to interact with their favourite cast members. For the brands that are involved, be it the TV show or the actors themselves, they are offering themselves up to converse with and give an inside scoop to thousands of high engaged fan/consumers. It also shows the viewers that the actors love what they do, and the fans have to an opportunity to show their appreciation The digital age simply provides a more effective and direct way for the brands and consumers to connect on a more personal level and have a two-way conversation while enjoying the product that both sides have invested in.
Twitter has also tried to quantify the impact of live tweeting on viewer engagement:
Live-tweeting seems like a win-win for everybody involved, it’s a surprise that it hasn’t become a mandator practice in the industry.