The hit TV sitcom The Office has extended its brand reach and consumer appeal through clever uses of social media. "Although there are only around 23 episodes [per year] ... the show has become far more than just 30 minutes of weekly airtime," Case Ernsting writes in a recent post at the SEO & Marketing blog. "In fact, these half-hour installments have proven to be the axis for a very extensive and enthusiastic leap into new media."

Among the show's social-media efforts that have reaped a huge fan following are these:

• Character blogs at the show's website, and character Flickr accounts and Twitter handles.
• Interactivity—such as a recent Fanisode that allowed fans to upload their own remakes of scenes from a previous episode.
• Multichannel integration: The show's new-media devices act as magnets that draw fans to the website again and again.

Such uses of new media is an example that businesses of all types can follow, Ernsting says. He offers tips based on the show's success. Among the ideas he presents:

Model your social-media campaigns around your people. Make your customers fans by "providing insight into the things that make your company tick," Ernsting suggests. Let your staff's individual personalities shine through.

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