Ten tips from the TV #YearOnTwitter

By Tony Broderick, Head of TV Partnerships, Twitter Australia

Once again, TV has been at the heart of Australia’s #YearOnTwitter with three massive TV events — #QandA, #MKR, and #Eurovision — dominating the local fastest-rising Twitter hashtag trends. In fact, if you look across the top 10, you’ll notice nearly all these events are televised, whether it’s breaking news or a big sports final.

As part of our #YearOnTwitter analysis, we took a deep dive into the top 10 trending Australian TV shows. Regardless of the show, network, or genre, the conversation around our favourite TV continues to grow with shows like #QandA, #MKR, and #TheBlock continuing to dominate and new high-risers such as #ImACelebrityAU, #4Corners and #BacheloretteAU.

So how did they do it?

We’ve examined the top 10 TV shows and want to share best practices each one is doing to help make them successful:

10. Wide World of Sports (#WWOS)

Tweet stats and trivia from your show in graphic format to create instant shareable content for fans.

QLD 52-6 NSW (FT) It's all over! #Origin #QLDER #WWOS pic.twitter.com/DmRh0tehCz

— Wide World of Sports (@WWOS9) July 8, 2015

9. The Bachelorette (#BacheloretteAU)

Ensure you make the most of your finale moments by having exclusive video from the shows stars that recaps what’s happened since the series finished recording.

.@Sam_Frost and Sasha have a special message to share with you all! #BacheloretteAU https://t.co/m9ftq6Vtah

— #BacheloretteAU (@BacheloretteAU) October 22, 201

8. I’m A Celebrity...  (#ImACelebrityAU)

Introduce real-time Twitter voting to allow celebrities and influencers to rally support around their favourite contestant.

VOTE FOR #CelebFreddie. You can RT this tweet to cast a vote or use his hashtag in a tweet. #ImACelebrityAU pic.twitter.com/oOHjO0n88R — #ImACelebrityAU (@ImACelebrityAU) March 11, 2015

7. Four Corners  (#4Corners)

Tweet graphics of pull quotes from your show to emphasise the biggest talking points from the episode in a format that is instantly shareable.

#ItalianMafia on #4Corners... pic.twitter.com/mg8ajDxYUV

— 4corners (@4corners) June 29, 2015

6. The Block  (#TheBlock)Don’t just broadcast, engage with your audience! Encourage discussion by asking your audience questions as they live-Tweet your show.

@Cathy_Crawley ??? #AlisaAndLysandraRescue

— The Block (@TheBlock9) November 26, 2015

5. The Bachelor  (#BachelorAU)

Have your cast host Periscope Q&As during broadcast to bring a live feel to pre-recorded shows such as @OsherGunsberg’s #OsherScopes.

Osher's answering all your hairy questions tonight with his very own #Osherscope. Catch him after the #TheBachelorAU! pic.twitter.com/rFKYMtqYhN — The Bachelor Aus (@TheBachelorAU) August 13, 2015

 4. MasterChefAU  (#ImACelebrityAU)

Don’t lock down reality contestants — give them the tools and processes to engage with fans! Whether that be via an official account takeover or their own live-Tweeting.

What is this??? #MasterChefAU pic.twitter.com/n9b5IFZZM2 — Billie McKay (@billie_mckay15) June 28, 2015

3. Eurovision  (#SBSEurovision)

Remember that Twitter is visual! Ask fans to Tweet in photos and videos of how they’re enjoying your show.

C'mon Aussie. #SBSEurovision pic via @BlinkTVco pic.twitter.com/9WWnvnmNoD

— SBS Eurovision (@SBSEurovision) May 23, 2015

2. My Kitchen Rules  (#MKR)

Turn your audience into fanbases by creating catching team hashtags for viewers to adopt when talking about their favourite contestants.

2 oysters walk into a bar, 1 pulls a mussel... #TeamThor #MKR

— #MKR (@mykitchenrules) February 16, 2015

1. Q&A  (#QandA)

Don’t just switch your account on and off during broadcast. Extend your distinct voice across the week by sharing interesting, relevant content.

You could ask tonight's #QandA panel to discuss this: https://t.co/0TL8ZbN1bP https://t.co/NVBcvP6ZyS — ABC Q&A (@QandA) November 22, 2015