Recently, producers of The X Factor found out how to make the best of social media, Twitter in particular. Users interested in this show evolution and needing to get involved by voting or submitting suggestions can do that using Twitter. Simon Cowell, show producer, even though initially was reluctant to social media, now enjoys the dynamic feedback. He declared that it is like having a million co-workers on the project.
Twitter integration in the show’s development was considered so important that starting next week viewers will also have the option of sending their votes to singers in “The X Factor” by sending a text from their Twitter account instead of calling or texting. This option is available after Twitter made investments in its technology in order to prove that a symbiotic relationship with TV is not only possible but the thing for the future.
Simon Cowell appreciated the benefits his show got from this social network by giving free promotion to Twitter and so helping it to gain even more popularity among the users. More Twitter accounts will of course mean more profit for this social network struggling to get ahead on a crowded market. Dick Costolo, the chief executive of Twitter, confirmed that partnerships like the one with The X Factor “are going to result in financial benefits down the road.”
Twitter strategy to make the best out of association with TV channels and shows is not restricted to X Factor. On August, Twitter officials announced a partnership with Weather Channel. This added weather related tweets into the users’ streams.
Simon Cowell, who confessed he doesn’t tweet since he is not such a fast typer and probably he still is resistant to this trend on personal level, appreciates the significance of social media in his line of work: “the only powerful people now on TV are the people on Twitter and Facebook.”
