Television online communities help you stay on top of what's happening on your favorite show. As a network exec or a potential advertiser, you can also use TV online communities to keep your finger on the pulse of your viewers and the people you are advertising to. Fans can be powerful. Take, for instance, the CBS show Jericho, which was resurrected by determined fans who rallied after a sudden cancellation. They used their television message board to collaborate efforts.

Having a TV online forum, a TV message board, online recaps or free online television shows is imperative in this technology age. It also opens up unique marketing opportunities for advertisers afraid that they are getting outdone by TIVO as more and more viewers rely on digital video recordings to watch their shows.

TV online communities are now a current staple because:

1. They allow fans to discuss what is happening. Greater interest equals bigger fan loyalty.

2. TV online communities help viewers not miss any shows, which is vital to continued interest.

3. Input from a TV online forum can keep your writing staff in the know about viewer thoughts and suggestions.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look at what online communities TV networks have to offer

TV online communities start on the major networks where you can read updates on the shows. Many major shows writer's blogs or inside scoop blogs. You can view previews or recaps of your favorite show, or some even allow you to view the entire shows.

I recommend: Web pages open up a unique marketing opportunity for major advertisers. They can help you target your demographic better and invest advertising dollars into an ad or online commercial that will be right on the computer screen in front of your consumer. Check out the various online communities television has to offer. Take for example the hit ABC show Grey's Anatomy. Notice not only the advertising opportunities as web link ads off to the right side, but also the online commercials that run between all clips or full online segments. They also have wonderful supplemental materials such as the writers blog and mini story line blogs from fictional characters from the show. CBS's CSI franchise and NBC's ER are other great examples of free online television opportunities for fans to be exposed to online advertising.

Check out fan-based TV online communities

TV online communities aren't just created by the network big-wigs. Some fans take it upon themselves to create their own television online forum for discussions about their favorite shows.

I recommend: SpoilerFix is one example of a homegrown site. It tracks all media spoilers and hints on top shows and compiles them into one handy viewer website. Also check out the collection of fan sites listed on SpoilerTV. There you can find a wide variety of sites covering a multitude of shows.

Create your own TV online forum

You can easily create your own TV online forum, and there are many tools out there to help you accomplish that.

I recommend: HiveLive offers flexible web 2.0 applications to create custom online communities. KickApps is another online community-building platform. Convos offers you an online software application to use for creating and managing groups online.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  As an advertiser looking to invest media dollars into TV online communities, discuss the number of hits on the network's website, but also ask about unique users and access not only to demographic information but contact info on those who register on their website.