Well, last night was a lot of fun. We watched an episode of CHUCK and trended #chuckmeout on Twitter for over an hour. I am very happy to see that we had so many more tweets and participants than over the last month. Prior to last night, we were averaging around 1,500 tweets. But last night, we had over 2,500 tweets during the episode viewin and, more importantly, even more tweets following the episode (I stopped counting after 3,000).
While there is still not enough evidence to prove whether or not the #chuckmemondays tag was banned (since we trended to 10th after 37 minutes and 2,000 tweets, which was more than we were doing for at least 4 of the 5 weeks where we failed to trend), logic dictates that more people tweeting the correct tag helps. What helped us trend for over an hour was all the people still tweeting following the episode. We even dropped off the trending list a couple of times, only to return again (actually trending 8th to 9th to 10th and back). An analytical mind would deduce that this means we trended because of 1) more people participating and 2) more tweets containing the hashtag during that time-frame.
Therefor, for us to continue to succeed, we need more people and to tweet our hashtags or terms for longer than just the length of the episode. We need to maybe start a few minutes early and end some time later. This will help us in the long run and promote the show.
Speaking of which, last night a handful of us went to the search list of #chuckmeout and looked for anyone asking what the term was related to, and we sent them tweets telling them about the show. This is how we can affect people around the world and get them to check out the show. Please help that effort during future CMM/CMO events.
Anyway, great job everyone. Let's keep it going.
Last night was the best tweet session I was involved in and I really never believed that Twitter somehow blocked us from trending, they just don't do that. Blaming twitter was a fashionable rationalization but we trend better when we have more tweet volume.
ReplyDeleteI spent a little time on the higher trending topics just to make sure, and they all got more tweets at a quicker pace than we did. That is the reason they trended higher.
Anyway it was just plain fun to tweet, and after so many ridiculous set backs to Chuck fans lately what with NBC being retarded, and some 'fans' whining ever since comic con, I was re-energized by the fans that do 'get it' about this show. The fans that understand this is the greatest show in a generation and nothing else is quite like it.
Now if we can figure out what the heck happened with NBC for the episodes to start season two...
Can NBC just release a single episode and see how it goes??? They want to count how much we screen episodes that we have watched ten or fifty times already going back to May. Why not count the hits on a brand new episode?
Twitter does DELETE trends but I have seen no evidence of them actually blocking trends. We simply went from several hundred people participating, to a little over 100. Last night, perhaps through us spending a couple of weeks marketing it, we got a lot more participation and STILL only squeaked in at #10, at first.
ReplyDeleteHowever, once the episode was over, we kept going and that is what kept us on the list. In weeks 4 and 5, the last times we had trended prior to last night, people seemed to just stop tweeting once the episode ended, and we went to 9th and 10th and were off the list in 10 minutes.
Perhaps there is a new appreciation for the fact that we can trend as long as we work at it. Also, closing in on September, when season 3 should have been back, may help us down the line.
As for NBC... sigh, one has to imagine that this was a case of poor communication between them and WB. Or they just didn't understand the importance of putting out the first 11 episodes. Whatever the case, we have some options moving forward such as watching the back 11 twice, or watching the series in reverse (I like that one, since it makes me chuckle).
I have a feeling that what's been happening with trending (or not) is happening, but is not deliberate. It may be the equivalent of feeling a great disturbance in the force, but as I type, my fingertips tell me that twitter is (and was) having a great deal of trouble keeping up. Lags and the number of new tweets between refreshes were really bogus. The disappearing trending list was another indication.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that one should have much faith in the numbers that are showing up, unfortunately. Our own trending lines, the number of visitors and tweets after the first hour for instance, are probably more meaningful.
Right. I believe strongly that we must continue to tweet past the ending of each episode, maybe even more so than we did during them, to either trend or stay trending. Every time we trend, we expose new people to the show, provided that we tell them what it is about. I think that last night we pegged more new and potential fans than during any other week except for the first (when we trended to 4th).
ReplyDeleteWell, I know there was at least one more person participating last night than last week: me, because last week I got busy and forgot. :-) This week I made sure to remember, and all the talking about it beforehand definitely helped remind me!
ReplyDeleteI hope something gets sorted out re: the first half of the second season...I was so looking forward to watching them all in order!
I think that is what we need to do from now on. Remind people it is coming. I think a lot of people just forgot.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope it gets sorted out too, but I am not holding my breath. We need to figure out a solution by next week.
Perhaps one way to get viewers to tweet past the ending of the scheduled episode is to "offical" viewing parties after it. Bill it as a bonus episode of Chuck in a shared experience for the fans. Why not exploit NBC's viewing tool to our benefit.
ReplyDeleteWe can encourage viewers to watch another episode in the viewing party and continue to tweet. We can even tweet the links of the viewing parties and get potential new fans to join the parties.
I know it maybe difficult. But I think the keep the party going viewing party vibe that was going on last night (at least from my perspective) did help us.
This is all moot of course if NBC doesn't get their ducks in row by August 31st.
Vlado, that WAS actually the plan. :) Unfortunately, NBC harpooned that idea a tad. But we can still do it between us fans. If NBC does not project anything positive on that front, we will need to discuss our options next week.
ReplyDeleteAs with #chuckmeout, I am sure we can all put our heads together and come up with a solution that works for everyone.
what is a viewing party, and what do we view if the season 2 episode 1 is not available? I am confused.
ReplyDeleteI have season two on my own DVDs.
I listened to the 7.3 podcast.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't we get in touch with the 'chuck' people thru Wendy Farrington and try to get that evil moderator removed from the Chuck forum? Seems like a very long case history of aggressive behavior on the mod's part.
I don't think getting someone fired is in the cards. As much as I would love to see it happen, organizations rarely fire one of their own just because people complain about them, even when it would be in their best interest to do so.
ReplyDeleteI don't suggest firing the mod. I just think that this 'chuck' team that put together the chuckmeout site is capable of getting a different moderator or at least explaining to Azzcrack what to enforce and what to leave alone. However if we just assume it is impossible than we can't use the site at all.
ReplyDeleteWe are already kicked off the site so I don't see why it would hurt to try.
I think we should designate all day Monday for all fans to Twit #Chuckmeout all day just not time period of Viewing. On the Second season matter. I like the reviewing the whole !st Season again in Marathon Right? Then break and start season two! I have had 12 marathons of Chuck season one myself with my friends already.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to choose option 5 and make a recommendation. Let's just move forward with the last 11 episodes of season 2 in order. If they upload the first 11 before we finish the last 11, we can switch to those and then finish the second half.
ReplyDeleteIf we do this, we can skip the weeks of Labor Day, Thanksgivig, Christams, and New Years. We will finish half of season 2 on Dec. 14 and all of season 2 on Feb. 22.
If all of season 2 never gets uploaded, we have have a favorite episodes poll on chucktv.net from all the episodes NBC and WB have uploaded and finish strong with those.
It wasn't suggested but I don't think we want to require folks to buy episodes on iTunes just to participate.
Aces
You posted this under the wrong blog. You might want to move it to the right one. :) I wish I could.
ReplyDelete