• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, June 26, 2013

Using social media to promote TV shows to potential new viewers may not be a great idea.

If you’ve never watched “NCIS” or “Breaking Bad,” for instance, the tendency probably isn’t to run to a social media site to see what they’re all about. That would be too “inside baseball.” Instead, you might need a broader perspective -- like a little sight, sound, and motion.

According to the Council for Research Excellence, social media is great at talking to people who are already big fans of specific shows. But bringing in new fans? Not so much.

Reading a string of social media comments can be like attending a party where you don’t know any people -- and where you are not all that committed to liking the crowd

That said, specific “word of mouth” marketing from friends and acquaintances is a different story.

What is valuable? Good old-fashioned on-air promos.  While losing some value, especially on broadcast, due to decreased overall rating points,  promos still apparently carry a big load in bringing new people to the viewing party. CRE isn’t the first to tout this. Dave Morgan of Simulmedia, for instance, has cited on-air promos as still having surprising value.

“Hey, the show looks like this!” Still maybe combining social media with some on-air promos makes sense.

With many issues regarding all-things online/digital, scale can be a problem. That runs counter to how TV generally works, not just with broadcast networks, but with cable, syndication and local. The CRE says offline marketing for TV shows can be “10 times as effective as social media in reaching” infrequent viewers of a show.

Another social media TV poll from E-score founds that many people who “use” or are “aware” of platforms such as Twitter and Facebook don't necessarily enjoy them.

What? Seems social media is now a “chore,” no longer fun. Perhaps people feel compelled to respond to blog posts, as some sort of social requirement. It’s as if you were being asked your opinion at a party with a bunch of people waiting around to hear your answer.