Friday, July 1, 2016

3 social media lessons from 'Orange is the New Black'

This article first appeared on PR Daily in June, 2015.

This month, I, like most Netflix account holders, binge-watched the latest season of "Orange is the New Black."

I am a new fan of the show, but after seeing all of the posts and excitement on social media about it, I was inspired to start watching.

After watching the show and following it on Facebook and Twitter, here are three social media lessons I learned from the streaming series set in a women's prison:

1. Provide background information.

The show follows the lives of various inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary and also gives viewers a glimpse of their personal histories. Some of the flashbacks show what each criminal did to get into prison, and some are moments in their lives that help us to understand why they are the way they are.

To give your customers and followers a little more information about your business, use social media sites such as Snapchat and Facebook to share pictures and videos of your staff and products. Customers will enjoy getting a behind-the-scenes look at their favorite brand.

2. Generate buzz.

Though the first two seasons of "Orange is the New Black" had been available to watch for some time, I didn't have any interest in it until the Internet seemed to explode with excitement for the third season. My Facebook and Twitter feeds were filled with people cancelling their weekend plans and prepping for a major marathon. (Netflix surprised fans by releasing the third season a few hours early.) I’ve had the same reaction to Netflix releasing new seasons of "House of Cards" and "Arrested Development," so I figured I might as well see what the fuss was about.

[RELATED: Simplify your communications and expand your reach. Join us at Microsoft HQ for our 7th annual communicators conference.]

The show's official Facebook page also did its part by posting countdown videos and images leading up to the release date.

If your company has an exciting new product to release, use social media to spread the word about your news. This will keep customers up-to-date on any important information and give them the opportunity to "like" and share your news.

3. Be accessible.

On Thursday, June 18, the cast opened up for a live-tweet with fans. Netflix created the hashtag #AskOrange and encouraged viewers to tweet all the questions they wanted answers to. This is an incredible way to not only increase interaction, but to also deepen the connection with fans.

Small-business owners should find the time to respond to comments on social media, good and bad. The effort proves not only that you care about your company’s reputation, but also about your customers.

Have you ever learned social media or other PR lessons from a TV show? Share with us what you’ve gleaned in the comments below.

Natalie Petersen is a junior publicist at 3 Girls Media. A version of this article originally appeared on the firm's blog.



from PR Daily News Feed http://ift.tt/1JnWb0w

No comments:

Post a Comment