On the Overflow podcast this week we start out with an immediate detour into discussing telephony applications on the iPhone such as Skype and Google Voice. 
The Skype SMS and telephone functionality is redundant to the features of the phone, which just so happens to be the public rationale for removing the Google Voice app from the iTunes store. We have to look a little bit deeper into whether the app is deactivated on my phone or just no longer available.
The topic we chose to discuss this week relates to broadcast media outlets requesting that viewers follow them on Twitter, and why would anyone actually choose to do that.
We use the example of Fox Sports promoting their Twitter account during a Los Angeles Dodgers game and pose the question wondering why anyone needs to receive tweets about scores, upcoming programming and promotional messages when there are many other ways to get that information. It’s a classic example of an old media entity entrenched in their thinking of “broadcasting” a message via channels.
There is a way for broadcast outlets to use social networks incorporated into their on air content, as Rick Sanchez of CNN has demonstrated how to communicate with an audience and to incorporate their messages into his broadcasts.
Another example of integrating Twitter into a broadcast is Kyle Petty answering questions on the TNT broadcast of Nascar races.
The alternate view may come into play when considering local news organizations or broadcast outlets. Just as in search becoming a very localized and personal experience, there may be some value in following an entity that will be disseminating local weather, traffic and headlines in real time.
We took a look at the Fox Sport South use of Twitter and determined that there was a big gap between the number of followers 1,151 versus following at 113 … but worst of all is that the stream has not been updated in a few days even though they were trying to “live tweet” the last game. That’s a big fail on their part and someone needs to immediately determine the Twitter strategy for that organization. Are you listening Fox Sports South?
What does this mean for a business owner? Does this reinforce the transparency and personal nature of business that social media is pushing the corporate world towards? I think so .. get out from behind the corporate veil and get to know your customers and engage with them directly. Do not set up a twitter account as some faceless entity distributing your brochure ware.
How about the upcoming fall TV season? Will there be a plethora of sports integration, prime time programming soliciting followers, and any other attempts to request permission to send broadcast messages?
To reiterate, broadcast networks need to come up with a strategy before just diving in. An attempt to just throw things at the wall to see what sticks is a poor excuse for a plan. There are ways to interact and grow an audience as a broadcast medium, but it means allowing real communication and not just looking at Twitter as just another distribution channel to broadcast messages.
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