Outlander season 4, the value of social media, and building a proper fandom

How valuable is it for Outlander season 4 to give you warm holiday greetings from Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe? More than you would think, and the answer doesn’t always come out in the numbers.

In some ways, the promotional pattern for Outlander could be described in a fictional book entitled How to Build and Maintain a Fandom. With a show like Outlander, the process of building such a base starts with having clearly-defined source material with a dedicated following. Beyond that, you can look at the series having cast and crew members who understand fan passion and do whatever they can in order to cater to that. They approach the fandom in a way that takes their passion seriously, while at the same time also managing to have a great sense of humor and rapport with each other.

This brings us to the next orders of business: Producing great content in terms of episodes, but also great content when it comes to social media. Year-round engagement isn’t necessarily all that important for the sake of having great ratings. A quality show is the sort of thing that viewers will come back to, even after an extended hiatus. There is a difference, however, between a show with a great audience and a great fandom. A great fandom requires more than just airing new episodes. This is where things like the holiday message from Heughan and Balfe (view here) comes into play. It’s a reminder that someone, whether it be the network, the studio, the cast, the crew, or all of the above are willing to go the extra mile to make the viewers feel like a part of the family. They show that they care on a level that isn’t just “this is our job so please watch us and keep us employed.” They show support, which is why in turn viewers want to go the extra mile to support back. This is why you see Outlander and its cast win so many awards that are voted on by the fans — there is a real desire to reward people who feel like a part of the family. They support you, and in turn you want to support them. Over time, Outlander has shown that they really understand the power of viewers to make a difference on a larger scale.

Outlander fans have given the series unlimited publicity and we have a feeling that this is only going to continue moving into the new year. We like to think that there are some other videos coming featuring Balfe and Heughan, and there are also some other opportunities for the show to receive attention, including at the Golden Globe Awards (where Caitriona is nominated). Hopefully there will also be a convention appearance or two down the line before Comic-Con even rolls around in the summer. There’s no guarantee that the series will return to San Diego, but with the filming timeline being what it is we have to imagine that it’s possible. All of these occasions are ways for the cast, plus the fans on social media, to generate even more attention around the show without Starz even needing to release a teaser or any other new content.

How much do you think small social-media posts throughout the Outlander hiatus matter?

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