Kerry over at BlueGlass has an interesting piece on the convergence of hash tags and television. I have to admit that when I first saw the hash tags on shows on Comedy Central, it took me a second to understand what was going on there. It’s actually a very innovative way to combine something that is generally an independent action (watching television) with something that is inherently social (talking about common experiences with friends). Watching South Park last night, I noticed that they even switched tags halfway through the show. Nearly 24 hours after the show, it’s still trending pretty well on Twitter. So what does having a hash tag featured on the show do? It accomplishes one of the goals of social media by building the conversation and increasing engagement with the brand, (and here’s the key) in real time. By adding hash tags to shows, Comedy Central and others are fundamentally changing the way people watch television by turning a traditionally independent event into a social gathering.
With these tags, Twitter offers a unique way to instantly connect a diverse group of people through a single common interest. What are some ways we can take advantage of this? What about hash tags in movies, video games, magazines, or even chapters of books?
Demand Generation Consulting 