TV shows have been using social media for a while now for promotional and advertising purposes. However, shows such as The Voice have begun integrating social media into their show in a whole new way. A current article on Mashable highlights the efforts and success of this innovative use of social media. The Voice has been able to use social media in a way no other television show has and this change in the industry is what has kept people so active and interested in the show. If shows aren't constantly reinventing themselves, viewers will fade away. The Voice has set themselves apart by allowing viewers to continuously engage and become a part of the show.
       The Voice has used changing technology to their advantage to allow viewers to actively participate in the show. They can Tweet, post on Facebook, etc. and then have their questions answered and comments posted live on the show. The people behind the latest digital integration on The Voice seem to understand the different aspects of the social web and how to use each to their advantage; Twitter has been used for live and engaging conversations while Facebook has created a dedicated and loyal fan base for the show that will keep them connected for seasons to come. Voting has even spread across the digital world to include voting apps and voting on iTunes. The interaction and hype doesn't stop at your typical social media sites or voting methods either. To keep fans interested and engaged between weekly showtimes, artists are constantly blogging about their experiences. The entertainment continues, regardless of if the show is playing or not.
       As stated in the article itself, "it might just be the future of television" and I agree. The Voice has been a leader in this movement and I have seen shows on other networks, such as Bravo, follow in their steps. Members of the digital team at The Voice understand that they must be changing as the digital world and technology do. Not only is it a new way for viewers to interact and engage with the show, but The Voice has also recognized that this is the world that these new artists must adapt themselves to in order to be successful and gain a fan base in the industry. They understand the changing ways and know how to attract and keep their viewers interested. This, to me, is a big factor to why this show has been so successful thus far.

~Katie 

       While searching sites focused on social media marketing, I came across an interesting article on Social Media Today titled "4 Lessons in Fan Engagement from Red Lobster's Facebook Page."  This title seemed to jump out of me because of the company, Red Lobster, that this article was written about. Maybe it is because I have never been a regular Red Lobster customer that I haven't seen much of it on social media sites, but I would not have expected Red Lobster to be a company with exceptional branding on social media networks.  However, after reading the article I completely agree with its' efforts and techniques for engaging fans and adding traffic to their Facebook page.
       As noted in the article, the four things Red Lobster seems to be doing right are their "LobStar of the Week" contest, the ability to buy eGift Cards and share/send them to friends via Facebook, filling their Facebook page with photos and descriptions of their food, and constantly engaging and talking to fans. As a Facebook user, I believe each of these are important lessons for other brands to consider. Their "LobStar of the Week" gets fans involved and gets more people to view the page by having their friends go to the page to like the photo. Selling eGift Cards provides a convenience for customers and advertises the brand when friends share it on their friends' walls. The delicious, well plated menu items is exactly what I expect and want to see when I go to a restaurant's page and no doubt entices me to go there. And finally, their constant communication, contests, and updates on the company gives fans a greater connection and relationship with the brand that will keep them going.
       After reading the article and taking note of all of the lessons for other brands, I immediately went to Red Lobster's Facebook page to see if it was as well kept as it sounded, and it was! It was everything that you want to see in any restaurant or any business' Facebook page. It pulls fans and friends in, when they go to vote for their friends' pictures, without being completely in your face. And for those, like me, that don't typically think about going to Red Lobster for dinner, this page will change their mind once they see the pictures that cover the wall. The page provides an intriguing aspect of contests that will keep customers coming through to try and win more, but all in a subtle, simple and well organized way.  I agree with the the author of this article, other businesses can definitely learn from the marketing of Red Lobster's Facebook page.
       Another thing that I came across multiple times while navigating through different socially media sites that I found interesting was that everyone seemed to be talking about Faceook's new graph search. From the way it is described, it sounds like a search engine like no other that can be extremely useful and help you target things that are more relevant to what you want than what Google or Yahoo may not bring up. It will let you search for friends that like certain things that you do, restaurants your friends like or have checked in at, specific pictures, etc. As one article stated, Facebook likes are going to be important again. They have come to be used loosely and brand builders have not been so concerned with gaining likes. However, the new graph search is going to change the way brand marketers are using Facebook to gain consumers and it will be interesting to see how it changes their marketing efforts.

~Katie