I work with teams from across the BBC, and as you debate throwing away the turkey carcass, I thought I'd ask the Heads of social media for News, Sport, TV and Radio to reflect on 2014 in their areas.
In 2014 content created and shared by the BBC was read, watched and listened to by millions of people each and every day. Everything from breaking news on the Scottish Referendum, behind the scenes images and video from Doctor Who and live voting on Match of the Day.
Much of this activity was complementary to our linear TV and Radio output but in 2014 we continued to experiment and launched innovative ways to deliver stand alone content including the Ebola service on What's App and BBC Shorts on Instagram. All this activity seeks to develop a direct relationship with our audiences offering even greater value to people that use the BBC.
2014 was also the year social content really began to set the news agenda and make the news - the press announcement confirming Sherlock was coming back was exclusive to social and generated over 100,000 retweets, with the hashtag #221back being included in many news reports.
The top ten most shared moments from bbc.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook in 2014 were:
1. 2014, BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards
Voting link for the best British single
2. BBC Children in Need
Children in Need Website
3. Scottish independence referendum - Results - BBC News online coverage
4. Your life on earth
Interactive news item
5. The sanitary pad revolutionary
BBC News Online
6. Gunmen storm school in Pakistan
BBC News Online
7.Actor Richard Attenborough dies at 90
BBC News Online
8. Comedian and actor Rik Mayall dies
BBC News Online
9.US actor Robin Williams found dead
BBC News Online
10. World Cup: Pick your greatest XI
Interactive news item
Source: Newswhip
Below, our social media leads from news, television, sport and radio have shared their highlights from 2014:
Chris Hamilton, Social Media Editor, BBC News
The BBC News Facebook page is now one of the biggest news pages in the world with over 13 million fans and @BBCBreaking has just passed 12.5m followers on Twitter. Success has been driven in part by a series of major news events including MH17 and the on-going conflicts in the Middle East but also through the production and delivery of tailored content - especially video - that is produced for social. This has delivered high levels of engagement with audiences, reach and click-throughs back to bbc.co.uk/news. Just recently BBC News was ranked as the most shared news provider in the world.
2014 also saw BBC News innovate with platforms and features. Do people want to get a news story in 15 seconds? BBC Shorts on Instagram has proved so. Since we launched in spring 2014 the account has grown to over 100,000 followers with many Instagram users now commenting on stories and debating what’s being covered. BBC News also became the first global news organisation to establish content channels on messaging apps. We covered the Indian election on WhatsApp and WeChat and launched the ‘lifeline’ Ebola service on WhatsApp. The Global English account has over 400,000 subscribers, the biggest of any news brand on the platform.
It has also been the first full year for BBC Trending - the BBC's 'bureau on the internet' - that finds the stories behind social media who in 2014 investigated Tumblr shoplifting ‘bling rings’, revealed the fraudulent war photos being passed around Twitter and reported on repressive internet laws in Turkey… they also found time to take a few selfies along the way.
Chris Hurst, BBC Sport Social Media Editor
The World Cup generated huge interest for us culminating during the week of the final when our content reached 61.3 million people on the BBC Sport Facebook page – a record for a BBC social account - and a key reason why the page has grown from just over 1 million fans to over 6.2 million fans during 2014. The tournament also saw increased collaboration with our TV colleagues to highlight the best of social media with stand alone 90-second segments for linear TV curating the best audience interaction. The World Cup squad selector was also hugely popular and another great example of how creating content for social networks is loved by fans and offers a rich experience.
Through social voting on Twitter and Facebook we allowed fans to have their say on key issues such as deciding the Goal of the Month on Match of the Day 2, the Man of the Match in our live FA Cup coverage and having their say on topical debates on Sportsday on the BBC Sport website.
The Match of the Day Facebook page saw a 3480% increase in referrals, between September and November 2014, where users engage with a piece of content that took them back to our site. This follows a change in our editorial offer to make our content more engaging in style and tone. With 82% of our page fans aged 34 and under and with only Liverpool and Manchester United having more UK Facebook fans the page is reaching underserved younger audiences that may not normally come to the BBC and shows how Match of the Day, in its 50th year, is a show that young audiences want to interact with.
Alister Morgan, Head of Social Media, BBC TV & BBC iPlayer
Social has had a big part to play in amplifying the experience around the BBC’s biggest shows. Strictly debuted its Vine Booth this year with over 2m loops. It offered Strictly fans the chance to go behind the scenes with their favourite stars. The Apprentice gave audiences the chance to have their say with Who Would You Fire? using new functionality in partnership with Twitter.
Drama proved a hit with the EastEnders Facebook page racking up over 3.5m fans and @bbcdoctorwho breaking the 1m follower mark in 2014. The return of Sherlock on Twitter gained over 100k retweets, a fact that was picked up by major news outlets. Factual proved hugely popular as well; the Life Story video documenting a Pufferfish building an elaborate 'home' has had over 18m views on Facebook. This shows how creating and 'packaging up' captivating TV in new ways can find new audiences online.
Social presents a unique opportunity to create new, more immersive relationships with our audiences. We reach millions of people across social networks and I think 2015 will be the year we develop stronger communities and facilitate a new kind of relationship built on two-way interactions.
Jem Stone, Head of Social Media, BBC Radio
It’s increasingly difficult for publishers to have impact organically on social platforms. We’ve continued to do well by not only adapting quickly to the frequent changes offered by platforms, but by focusing on optimising for social a succession of great events, performances and stories that users can’t get anywhere else.
Radio 1’s accounts on Facebook and Twitter are not only the biggest radio accounts at the BBC but also across the the industry with both now having over 2m followers/likes.
Smartly targeted and full of wit, humour and most importantly a steady stream of exclusive pictures, gifs and video, the accounts are remarkably successful amongst Radio 1’s key 16-24 demographic and sensibly don’t try and attempt to copy minute by minute the on-air output.
BBC Music launched this year to better support the discovery and reputation of music coverage across the BBC. Although there is still room to grow in terms of followers and likes, their posts and tweets are widely shared. The video for God Only Knows, BBC Music’s unique broadcasting and musical moment, gained over 17 million views across the main BBC Facebook pages and Music came into its own during the BBC Music Awards as the home of news, announcements and key video moments from the event.
Conclusion
And finally, the corporate team have had a few moments - a simple tweet from @AboutTheBBC commemorating WW1 Lights Out was shared over 4000k times and the @BBCPress rebuttals to media coverage have caused a stir with a riposte to The Sun newspaper garnering 2500k retweets and much media coverage.
With such a diverse range of issues debated, liked and shared from across everything the BBC does in 2014 this is a very, very, top line summary of activity. And as people receive connected devices for Christmas and 4G and super fast broadband usage increases, 2015 promises to be even more connected and social for audiences and the BBC. We are already preparing for the General Election, the FA Cup, Radio 1's Big Weekend, Strictly 2015 and numerous other events we're not even aware of yet.
Thanks for interacting and happy New Year.
