Great Uses of Social Media By Late-Night Shows

These days, it’s not enough for a popular TV show to be entertaining while episodes are actually airing. Nope – that entertainment has to endure between episodes. I recently wrote about the creative ways certain shows are relying on Twitter to stay top-of-mind. Now I want to take a closer look at the social media tactics used by a specific type of programming: Late-Night shows.

Before diving in, let me clarify that the following examples of excellent social media usage aren’t intended to shine a spotlight on the show hosts. Even though some of them are great follows on a personal level, this post highlights the unique social media maneuvers performed for the betterment of the actual show. Let’s begin with a host that built his Late-Night credibility one social media post at a time.

JIMMY FALLON | Hashtags and Games

Fallon gets it. He’s perfected the craft of using social media to interact with fans off-air. He invites his Twitter followers to play along in creative hashtag games that range from sharing weird personal stories to creating funny alternative lyrics to popular songs.

Hashtag game! Tweet out the worst gift you or someone you know ever gave or received and tag with #WorstGiftEver. Could be on our show!

— jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) December 2, 2015

JIMMY KIMMEL | Halloween and Viral Twerking

Kimmel and his staff know the power of video. Each year, Kimmel fans are invited to participate in an always-funny Halloween stunt. Parents are challenged to film the reactions of their children when told their Halloween candy is all gone. The submissions get better every year!


But that’s not the only YouTube success the Kimmel show has enjoyed. You may remember this viral video…


…that turned out to be staged by Kimmel all along!



JAMES CORDEN | Car Karaoke

Corden took the helm of the Late Late Show in late 2014 and quickly educated American on what his British fans already knew: he’s really into music. That’s easily noticed in his wildly popular Car Karaoke skits, which are smartly posted on the CBS website and the show's Facebook page before it reaches viral proportions on YouTube.

Our #CarpoolKaraoke with One Direction is finally here and totally worth the wait.
Posted by The Late Late Show with James Corden on Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Our decreasing attention spans and endless info cravings are two big factors as to why social media is becoming a required promotional tool in the entertainment industry. For these Late-Night shows, social media provides another access points to fans in a time when the viewing or original airings is not guaranteed. If you know of other examples that you would like to share, send them my way on Twitter. Thanks for reading!


Top Photo {Courtesy}

Gas Pump Videos - The Future is Now!

Our lives have never been busier, the ways for marketers to deliver messages to us increase by the day. Screens are the name of the game and really impact the way we absorb information without disrupting our day.

Strategically placed screens can help us continue performing mundane tasks. Tasks like pumping gas.


Video screens on gas pumps! The future is now! Sorry for the glare there but I hope that video does a good enough job of giving you you an idea of how cool this technology can be.

From what I can tell, this tactic is part of the benefits offered to retailers (like gas station owners) when they partner with NBC Everywhere. If I understand their website correctly, NBC Everywhere is like a cooperative of NBC affiliates from very large markets that work together to distribute their content on screens that were previously unconsidered. From their site:

Our digital out-of-home platforms entertain engaged audiences on-the-go. Reach millions of viewers per month alongside compelling NBC content with taxi cabs, salon networks, the PATH train, gas pumps and Times Square. NBC Everywhere's customized, environment-based messaging motivates your consumer to act.

The gas station I visited is fairly new. Perhaps the owners felt pressured to provide such advanced gas pumps in response to the amazing bathrooms at other Shell stations. Either way, this type of marketing has been around for a long time and was developed to reach consumers in an untapped area: at the gas pump....aka the Forecourt. Yes that is a real marketing term and yes this is a real sales video explaining the importance of addressing your forecourt media needs:


TAKEAWAYS FROM MY EXPERIENCE 

• The video segments were quick bursts, short enough to keep my attention as I completely filled my tank. 
• It’s not all advertising. It’s bits of high-quality entertainment and information content too.
• I really enjoyed purchasing gas at this station and will return because of the video screens. 

Really primitive gas pumps. #SMH

A video posted by Nick Baggett (@nick_baggett) on Aug 8, 2015 at 5:40pm PDT

Have you noticed similar media systems at gas stations in your area? In my opinion, watching clips of Jimmy Fallon at the gas pump is hard to beat but if you've experienced anything more impressive, I'd love to hear from you in the comment section. Thanks for reading!!

Best Practices for Hashtags in Marketing Campaigns

Hashtags have always been synonymous with Twitter and smart brands make sure to incorporate them into their marketing campaigns. As we've seen in the world of sports, hashtags help embody an experience and marketers are wise to tap into that feature. As Google+ (and now Facebook) has embraced the use of hashtags, these tools aren't going away anytime soon. Here are five best practices for hashtags to consider for your next marketing campaign.

KEEP IT SHORT

Twitter, Google+ and Facebook allow different character amounts. Since hashtags are mostly associated with Twitter, it's important to be considerate of Twitter's 140-character limit when creating your hashtag. You don't want your hashtag to be so long that it impedes on the length of Tweets. Your campaign’s hashtag should also be short enough for today’s short memory spans.

MAKE IT UNIQUE

If your campaign's hashtag is similar to a hashtag that used in another campaign or in another context, you run the risk of your hashtag not being used for its intended purpose. Even worse, your hashtag could get lost in the mix. Be unique and your hashtag will have a better chance of reaching a trending status.

Along these lines, do you know who really excels at coming up with unique hashtags?  Jimmy Fallon, that’s who.

CONSIDER PARODIES

Can the letters used in your hashtag be rearranged to spell out a vulgar or unintended phrase? If you’re not sure, you better believe that social media trolls will be happy to make this determination for you. Having someone play on your hashtag could negatively overshadow all the other great elements of your campaign. 

USE IT OFTEN (AND EVERYWHERE) 

If you want your hashtag to catch on, it’s got to be seen often…and not just in Tweet form. Include your hashtag on all of your campaign’s printed materials, on your website, on promotional items, on business cards, in your email signature…the opportunities are endless.

AVOID NUMBERS, IF POSSIBLE

Some may consider this last practice to be a little nitpicky. I only suggest it because numbers can be easily transposed by Tweeters sharing your hashtag, which would point follwers in the wrong direction. If your hashtag is associated with an annual event, the use of numbers would be acceptable when indicated the year of the event in your hashtag.

I hope these practices help your hashtags or at least give you something to ponder. Please feel free to tweet some of your hashtag tips to me - @nick_baggett. Thanks for reading!