People are becoming more and more passionate about the idea of controlling anything that moves on a screen. Every image, sound and video must be paused and moved around because this is what smartphones have taught us to do. The magic of the touch screen and the limitless options it gives us have pampered users and have left us asking for more. The supply for this demand has come quickly enough for our “touch-addicted” busy fingers not to grow tired: the second screen platform.
Second screen apps are the ones that simplify our searches and our contest entries. These are the applications we install on smartphones or tablets to play along with the TV games or to get more information on our favorite shows or on our favorite actors. They can also be used as a second screen marketing tool.
There are certain types of shows which can be adapted to the second screen platform. Some more than others, although second screen apps can be developed for any type of show. The interest consumers will manifest toward them is a completely different matter. Developers must be creative and really focus on the point of interest and on the real reason why some shows are still on air.
Question and answer shows are the best shows to get people involved. Second screen apps can be used to play just as they would with the more traditional version of logging into an account and playing an online game on the website of the show. The app shortens the way and gets you even more involved by transmitting the data in real time. Intelligent and well oriented TV producers have started introducing the results of the people at home in the competition and to create special segments for the viewers to compete among themselves. These pieces of information can be made public and the players really feel like they are part of the show they love. Even more dynamic shows can be turned into second screen platform shows if the producers know how to get the public involved and how to act out the decisions they make at home on the live screen, on national television.
If you think that possibilities are restricted to game-shows, you are wrong. Reality shows and soap operas can also get a lot of interest from watchers as they intensely Tweet, comment and like every piece of news related to the show. Actors can also be asked to post comments and messages, along with behind the scenes photos on their social network accounts to keep people hooked on the action behind the screen as well. The more personal they are, the better they are received. Well targeted audiences are at the center of the second screen apps concept.
There are, of course, shows that cannot be transferred into the social area of public interest, shows which will only be expected to last in the back-room of TV programs in the transition period from what we know now as TV entertainment and what the industry will slowly turn into. There is no telling how things will turn out, although the direction seems pretty clear: everything will be split into several screens and the second screen apps will become as important as the remote control is.
