App Reviews: Social TV with Miso, GetGlue, and Viggle
Last year I was interviewed for the book Social TV: How Marketers Can Reach Audiences by Connecting to the Web, Social Media, and Mobile. I maintained that not too long ago, if you stayed in the house on a Friday night to watch a television show, it was a sign that you had no social life. Now, friends regularly make ‘dates’ to watch television programs together on any night of the week… on the internet. Social media has made it so that people share everything, even their TV-watching experiences. Personally, some shows are more enjoyable when I can live chat on Facebook with my friends while we watch it ‘together.’ It’s mainly why we do a monthly movie night here at VaginaCon.
There are quite a few apps available that allow you to ‘check-in’ to your favorite TV shows and movies and earn kudos for doing so. An avid TV-watcher, I’ve tried them all. Here are my thoughts on the two most popular and a new face in the social TV game.
Miso - I was a ‘show producer’ for Miso for quite awhile. As a producer, I’d come up with interesting trivia and other interactive content for some of my favorite shows. If you download Miso for your iPhone and check into an episode of Misfits, Doctor Who, or American Horror Story, you’ll see some of my work.
What I love about Miso is that you can check into a specific episode of a program rather than just the show itself. You know, for those of us who like to share every minute detail of what we’re doing online. I’ve often used Miso as an episode guide as well. Currently, your only rewards for checking into shows or genres multiple times are virtual. Unlike…
GetGlue - Checking into most TV shows during their original airtime (there’s a small window of a few hours to allow for people on the West coast) earns you stickers. GetGlue works with many networks and movie studios as checkin is often encouraged on your TV screen while you’re watching the program. There have even been ‘secret’ stickers you earn by checking in with the answer to a trivia question about the show. Check in to every episode in one season and you’ll get a special sticker for watching all season long. There are bonus stickers for checking into a movie opening weekend. You also get specialty stickers to reward your TV-watching behavior. For instance, I have the ‘Golden Cylon’ sticker for checking into A LOT of sci-fi television.
Of course, it behooves the networks and studios to work with GetGlue. By making it so that people have to check in during opening weekend or the original air date/time of a show helps with box office sales/ratings.
Two things that set GetGlue apart: Each month you can request physical copies of your earned stickers and they’ll mail them for free and you can also check-in to books and other areas of interest. Yes, I may have checked into thinking about Michael Fassbender one or fifty-three times.
Viggle - Viggle was just brought to my attention last week, and so far, I like it. When you check into a show on Viggle, you earn points. Different shows are worth varying point values. How this is determined, I’m not yet sure. Points can then be traded in for gift certificates to your favorite sites/stores.
This just sounds like a system waiting to be abused, right? I mean, how many times have you seen someone on your Facebook page check into three shows at the same time? With Viggle, when you check in, you actually have to hold your phone up so that it can take a short sound recording and verify what you’re watching. (Think: Shazam) I did it last night for True Blood‘s finale and it accurately guessed, within seconds, what I was watching. I checked in and earned my points.
So, which is best? Honestly, I think there’s room for all three. I love that you can share what you’re watching on Facebook and Twitter. I have friends who use all of these services, and because of them I’ve been turned on to some great television and books.
Which one are you using? Which do you prefer? Are there other social apps I should check out?
So with Viggle I can only check in to what I’m watching, not what I’m DVR-ing? Bummer 😉 I can’t remember the last time I watched something in real time. Still going to check it out though - just in case something changes and I am actually able to watch something the night (and time) it airs.
I believe you can check in to any show you’re watching, when you’re watching it. I don’t know that you’re penalized for not watching it during it’s original airtime like on GetGlue, where you don’t get the sticker. I just think you will still have to prove that’s what you’re watching - audio confirmation - to get the points.
OK, after I left that comment yesterday, I checked into the episode of Charmed that was on and it worked. I love this app!
I only got like 3pts for it though. 🙁
I wonder if they have an FAQ - something that says you get X for checking in during initial airing, X for checking in after, X for checking into something that hasn’t been on the air for 10 years. And now, I will be having a Charmed, Buffy and Angel marathon in September 🙂
Yayyy…I just discovered Viggle from a magazine article…and you can actually check into what you are DVRing …and for the bonus shows I believe you can still check in and get the bonus points within 48 hrs of the air date. The other secret is to watch the commercials as well…you can do those over and over again…right now I have my phone by the tv…checked into some show that I’m really not watching
Never heard of Viggle. I’m signing up.
I am always looking for reward/point programs. Especially ones that offer Amazon gift cards. I am so close to a free Kindle Fire!
I like that Viggle makes people watch the shows. Getglue on the other hand is all about the honor system. I am pretty sure a lot of people abuse Getglue just to collect stickers.
Never heard of Viggle. I remember your stuff about Miso, and I blame you for my constant check-ins to GetGlue.