Tonight I am hoping to get home in time for gossip girl, a programme that first caught my attention as it sounded like “Sex in the city”? but blogger style! But what has caught my attention further is their successful link with Bebo. Many companies struggle with social networks, either too afraid to enter the space, or too overly eager that they join with no strategy and therefore no real benefit. But I think that gossip girl’s Bebo page success lies in the following:
Correct Targeting: I agree with Adam Benzine, the use of Bebo hits the key demographic that the show also aims at. This is a key consideration for a company before they join any social network.
Correct Content: Their blog which is held on the site is basically the narrative of the show. It is enough detail to inform the reader of what is going on, but leaves enough out to still warrant viewers to catch the show to fill in the missing details. The page also contains teaser clips of Gossip Girl episodes therefore passers to the site can get an exact feel for the show’s style. Many companies are worried about giving away too much content on the internet, as they feel they are losing assets. But I think this shows the buzz that can be created through strategic use of the internet in a PR campaign.
Successful UGC: User Generated content is, as the name suggests, strongly down to the public. But by creating the page as a hub of resources for the fans of the show, the fans keep returning and have built a community through the forum and commenting, fuelling the UCG content and adding further value to the site.
This week Perez Hilton continues to help raise the online profile of Gossip Girl, as he begins a new column on ITV’s website where even more content can be found as he provides links to any of the shows that readers may have missed.
