Syfy, known to viewers as Sci-Fi up until 2009, recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary.

Along with the channel’s revamped branding, new strategies for formulating and distributing content online emerged. Whether it’s populating Syfy Sync (a second-screen experience for Android and iPad) or preparing for the April 2013 launch of Defiance (dubbed “the world’s first videogame/TV series hybrid”), Syfy is striving to keep pace with viewers’ ever-changing TV viewing habits while exploring new ways to entertain.

“We don’t look at social as something we do, we look at social as part of who we are,” Craig Engler, senior vice president and general manager of Syfy Digital, tells Mashable. Below, Engler details the channel’s tactics, including what’s resonating with viewers.

Can you tell us more about Syfy viewers and their social habits?

The Syfy audience is made up of what we call Igniters, the people who are the first to find and try new things, and the ones who are the first to tell their friends about them. We keep that in mind at all times when we’re developing any social initiative. Igniters have incredibly high standards and want an authentic social experience, not just something that just feels bolted on. So we have to make sure we’re on the top of our game when it comes to social, because if it feels like we’re faking it, the audience will know right away.

How Syfy Turns TV Shows Into Social Phenomenons
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