Hashtags are everywhere, and it’s now very unusual for a major television program or event not to include its own hashtag to encourage viewers to talk about the show online with friends and followers. And sometimes a single hashtag isn’t enough – reality talent programming such as The X Factor, American Idol and Britain’s Got Talent use multiple hashtags during each show.

Marketers are starting to take notice, and hashtags are increasingly popping up during commercials. The Super Bowl, the most-watched TV event of the year, was actively discussed on social media, and brands who advertised during the game hoped to control these conversations with specific hashtags. But did it pay off?

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It looks like Nielsen had good reason to create a new metric based entirely on tweet data: 2012 brought an 800% increase in top TV show tweets!

Many shows now include hashtags to encourage conversations online. Earlier this year, we shared a study reporting that 18% of viewers remembered seeing a hashtag on tv, and that number has undoubtedly increased.

Is your favorite show among those most socially shared online?

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