Social media has evolved from a simple way to keep in touch to an essential marketing tool. And television networks are increasingly paying attention to it when considering what shows to renew or cancel.

More than ever, networks are plugging in to various avenues to find out what their viewers want. So when we, as fans, know what networks are looking at, we can take advantage of that connection to support our favorite shows, possibly saving them from an early grave.

According to a recent Huffington Post article, networks are increasingly launching social media presences not only for their current shows, but also for shows that haven’t aired. This creates the opportunity for audience feedback before, during, and after launch. It also stirs up pre-buzz and later creates a window into audience reactions.

Instant feedback allows for earlier course corrections that could save what once might have been a doomed show. This constant sense of connection is particularly beneficial for viewers because our voices can be heard immediately. While network executives were once seemingly out of earshot no matter how loud fans yelled, now they are only a few clicks away.

Networks are also creating online buzz by inserting Twitter hashtags into broadcasts. Some networks promote the show’s name while others prefer episode or plotline-specific hashtags. Twitter says that when shows do this, there is an immediate increase in audience engagement, ranging from two to ten times more tweets about the show. The storyline-specific hashtags, such as #saturdaynightGLEEver or #GLEEremembersWhitney, mark some of the highest social media engagement Fox tracks.

Networks want their shows to be talked about; talk indicates a strong fanbase that can support a potentially long run on the air. Look at niche shows like Supernatural, which, thanks to its extremely social media-savvy fanbase, is entering its eighth season despite ratings most networks would consider miserable.

Social media buzz is also essentially free marketing. For the minimal cost of adding a hashtag to the screen during the broadcast, the network has its fans do the advertising for them. Considering more and more people are watching shows via DVR, word of mouth is essential for the continued life of a show. Having a spike in tweets can only be a plus, getting people interested who see their friends tweeting about a show.

Other shows with particularly high social media engagement include reality TV finales and results shows, like NBC’s The Voice, Fox’s American Idol, CBS’ Big Brother, and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Also helping reality shows is the engagement of various personalities with fans; the hosts of The Amazing Race and Survivor, as well as select talent, tweet live weekly during the show to positive effect.

There’s something to be said for getting the chance to interact with your entertainment, and what better avenue than through reality television? Whether it’s voting for your favorite contestant to avoid elimination or tweeting live with other fans about the results, we’re seeing the formation of communities based on favorite shows and talent. This type of engagement often leads to the aforementioned fanbases that can carry a show on their shoulders.

Beyond live broadcasts, networks are also finding that shows with deep mythologies create major social media buzz. Fox’s Fringe and the CW’s The Vampire Diaries and, once again, Supernatural, are among their respective networks’ most-tweeted-about shows. The CW’s Nikita is also one of the most checked-into shows on Get Glue, which likely contributed to its renewal despite low ratings, as CW president Mark Pedowitz has said, he pays close attention to Get Glue and similar sites.

Community ties are particularly strong among such genre shows, and their fanbases have even created names for themselves: Supernatural fans have dubbed themselves the Supernatural Family while Nikita fans are Agents, for instance. The complex mythologies inspire far more speculation discussion than is likely alongside more straightforward, often procedural, series.

Such discussion leads these fans to become tight-knit, vocal, and more attuned to viral marketing, which networks are beginning to embrace — see Fox renewing Fringe for a shortened season 5 to tie up the story instead of canceling it outright as a recent example of fans carrying a show. By making their show worth the network’s investment, the fans and network alike can reap the benefits.

Astute fans aren’t just engaging on the big social media sites, though. They’re constantly looking for new places to share their passion for their favorite show. Get Glue is one such site, and, in fact, networks are paying more attention to it; they’re creating special stickers for checking in to new episodes of their shows and for various check-in achievements. Beyond that, networks are also creating presences on Tumblr, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram while also working on their own exclusive content.

The more ways networks have to engage with their viewers, the more chances fans have to make our voices heard about our favorite shows. We’re at a crossroads with technology making Nielsen ratings obsolete, so as networks search for new ways to gauge viewership, consider exploring these new avenues. Help shape the future of the ratings game, and you might just help save your favorite show from the depths of the television graveyard while you’re at it.

So, how are you using social media to support your favorite shows?