Opinion

Why Australia’s TV programmers need to start paying closer attention to social media

In a world where consumers have endless access to content, now is the time for traditional broadcasters to stop pandering to ratings and start planning their schedules around social media sentiment, argues Meltwater ANZ's David Hickey.

We’re in the midst of another golden age of TV. With the introduction of Netflix, Stan and Amazon Prime Video, there’s more content vying for viewership than ever before. And while this is great for consumers, free-to-air Australian broadcasters are searching for new ways to secure eyeballs.

Hickey: In a world where consumers have endless access to content, now is the time for traditional broadcasters to act

SBS is a prime example of a traditional broadcaster adapting to the changing environment around it. Despite only having 10% of the budget commercial broadcasters traditionally have for TV content, it’s building a library of content that gives audiences access to shows that they’re not getting anywhere else.

Take The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s already been dubbed “the show of 2017” and has dominated the catch up rankings since launching in Australia last month. But it appears that no broadcaster actively sought to purchase it. Why?

A big part of remaining relevant to Australian audience is content – understanding what viewers want. But this means not just airing content that’s typically worked in the past but looking beyond your own organisational walls and listening to real conversations happening both on social media and in the news, in real-time from around the world.

With The Handmaid’s Tale, the show was trending on social media well before it aired in Australia. This would have been a strong indicator of the potential success it could have here.

The Handmaid’s Tale launched in the US on April 6 2017 before airing in Australia on July 6 2017

So what if broadcasters started using news and social media insights to listen to audiences from around the world and incorporate these insights into business strategies? It has the power to completely overhaul the way broadcasters approach content — everything from what content to purchase to program scheduling or even a story plot outcome. Understanding what people are saying about a program in real-time can give broadcasters the added insights that will ultimately help them retain eyeballs.

Take the current conversations happening right now around Australia’s reality TV programs — think The Block, The Bachelor, Hell’s Kitchen and Survivor. While The Block continues to take the top spot in ratings, it is trailing behind on social media, with The Bachelor taking the top spot there.

Share of voice on social media of today’s top reality TV shows

On the other end of the spectrum, Hell’s Kitchen has aired to a wave of criticism both in the news and on social media and in the rating. And it doesn’t look like it’s getting any better, with online conversations dipping.

Conversations on Hell’s Kitchen on social media

Considering these insights, does it make sense for Seven to cut its losses now and move Hell’s Kitchen out of the prime time slot, or let it fall to the same fate as Zumbo’s Just Desserts? It’s these types of insights that can help broadcasters make these important decisions early and fast.

In a world where consumers have endless access to content, now is the time for traditional broadcasters to act. There needs to be a true understanding of what viewers want and with social media offering a platform for Australians to express themselves, understanding these conversations are easy.

Media monitoring technology to do just this is already available, so now it’s just a matter of broadcasters using these technologies to gain insights and make more strategic decisions. It’s these insights that will make all the difference as more broadcasters continue to fight for eyeballs.

David Hickey is director of Meltwater ANZ.

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