Entertainment marketers are often asked tough questions, and sometimes it’s difficult to get answers for where, why, and how to reach viewers of particular shows, celebrities, or brands. In the not-so-distant past, marketing teams would need to rely on basically two processes for answering the tougher questions: gut reactions or, conversely, expensive studies that can uncover particular viewer behavior and habits.

Unfortunately, neither of these approaches provide the utmost accuracy. Gut decisions, even based on previous and similar experiences, don’t use appropriate data, and increase potential for missed opportunities. Commissioned studies provide rich, robust data, but lose relevance fast, as viewer interests and trends fluctuate fast and freely in this fragmented industry, especially considering the frenzied increase in content publishers are now pushing across numerous channels.

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There’s no denying that a data-driven approach has now become the norm, with marketing teams regularly looking to social insights to supplement strategy. Social media is where passionate fans go to converse, providing authentic answers from real viewers, eliminating the need for guesswork or fielded studies. The most passionate viewers are engaging with their favorite entities regularly via social media channels, and a marketer’s ability to leverage these insights depends on how much access they have across all major channels.

• By identifying shared interests between viewers, marketers can not only segment viewers but also leverage trends while identifying unique opportunities.
• Fan insights illuminate the path to the most relevant and current keywords, placements, channels and influencers, removing guesswork and exhaustive research.
• A strong correlation in affinities between the audience of a particular entity can provide answers to questions on determining the strongest potential sponsors or guest stars.

It can often be difficult to pinpoint ideal audiences for new IPs. While the upcoming sci-fi film Dune isn’t exactly a new IP, the name has yet to prove itself among current moviegoers, leading marketers to look into viewing habits of similar, current genres or shows. For example, if we were wanting to target the top YouTube channels and influencers of a similar sci-fi program, we could look into the everlasting and passionate Doctor Who fanbase.

When we uncover the most popular YouTube channels of Doctor Who fans, we notice high mutual affinity with vlogger and influencer Hank Green, providing a potential sponsorship or partnership opportunity, while pet channel Cole & Marmalade could lead to a strong potential placement opportunity. By looking at opportunities ranked by highest mutual affinities, marketers are able to cut out the guesswork and excessive research in unlocking more ideal chances for exposure.

With insights only a tap away, research is now almost instantaneous, and marketers can find answers for tough questions while building stronger connections with viewers and relevant audiences.

Marketers don’t just need data; they need fresh, relevant, and as close to real-time as possible. While there are many solutions out there, FanFinder360º is unique in its ability to comprise data from all major social media networks, instead of just Twitter, giving marketers a much more realistic view of their audiences’ affinities. Schedule a quick demo to learn how accessing this comprehensive catalog of viewer passions can steer your strategy in the right direction.