6 ways to Boost your content discovery
The pandemic has drastically altered the digital habits of consumers over the past two years. Because people could not go to the movies or enjoy other forms of entertainment, VOD companies such as Netflix, HBO MAX and Amazon Prime have seen a huge increase in their user base.
In the first half of 2020 alone, Netflix added more than 25 million new subscribers to their service. Several VOD services have since competed for a share of those millions of subscribers leading to what we know now as the streaming wars.
One of the biggest problems in the midst of the streaming wars is content discovery and knowing what content is available and where to find it.
Digital marketing is quickly becoming one of the most popular methods of increasing content awareness. It involves the conception and distribution of content through a myriad of digital media channels, including websites, email, social media, SEO, videos, and mobile apps.
The majority of your customers are online, and digital marketing allows you to reach a more targeted audience.
Here are some of the best digital marketing strategies that entertainment companies should use to help consumers become more aware of your content catalogue.
Leverage the Celebrities and Brands in your Catalogue
If you are a well-established streaming service, then chances are that a large amount of your content features well-known actors with big followings on social channels. Collaborating with these celebrities by doing cross-promotion and social mentions can help expand your global reach quickly.
And this does not only apply to a new film or series releases. For example, all of the original Spiderman films are now featured on Netflix. Having some of the stars of films such as this one share where fans can see the films would likely inspire them to rewatch the movies leading to an increase in subscriptions.
Similar to celebrities, content brands and franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars have a large cult following. Understanding consumer behaviour and segmenting your campaigns to attract fans with specific genres such as Star Wars, is a great way to draw more viewers to your platform.
2. Influencer Marketing
Just like using the actors in your catalogue, using other types of influencer marketing is another trending and effective method of content promotion in the digital age. Influencers have a unique ability to make an impact on their followers.
They may be musicians, YouTubers, TikTok artists, or athletes who have built trust and credibility with their followers. Since many people value their content and recommendations, they can significantly improve your internet reach and positioning.
Whether you're promoting an indie film or a well-funded Hollywood picture, having an influencer of some sort promote your content on social media, either through official collaborations or unofficial endorsements is a great way to help with content discovery.
3. Involve Your Audience
Involving your audience is a good way to attract new viewers who you probably wouldn’t have attracted.
Disney+ did a good job with this with their television series The Mandalorian. The producers were able to market the show to non-fans of the franchise by involving their current fan base in the production of some of the episodes.
The showrunners, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, recruited the local 501st chapter to be part of the series. This information was widely disseminated on social media, and it persuaded many non-fans to begin watching the show.
4. 5. Make Your Social Media Platforms Interactive
Whatever social media platform you choose, remember the primary precept of social media: Be sociable. Interacting with your audience will help you build a loyal brand following. Use likes, shares, and reposts to show your audience that you value what they're saying. They are more inclined to reciprocate if you show them that you appreciate them.
Interactive social media content has a greater engagement rate than static social media posts. It establishes a two-way conversation between your brand and the social user. Creating interactive content that users are excited to participate in will inspire them to not only interact with your content but also to share it with others, helping with content discovery.
Take The Hunger Games, for instance. While the novel it was based on was already well-known, the true reason for the series' popularity may be credited to social media awareness campaigns. The social media campaign began before the first film was released, and it allowed fans to become citizens of the fictional world.
The campaign leveraged its virtual environment to generate actual engagement, and anyone who checked in through Facebook or Twitter received a unique pass. Furthermore, each district had its own Facebook page and member elections. This clever thinking bolstered the film's popularity among existing fans and the general public.
6. Raise Your Video Content Marketing to the Next Level
We seldom buy items we haven't seen or tested in some way. The same thing goes with content. Viewers are more likely to watch something they’ve sampled before which is why trailers are so important in marketing movies and TV shows. However, in most cases, simply having a trailer is not enough.
For any content to go viral, it must evoke an emotional response from the audience. This can be through laughter, sadness, fear, anger, or any other powerful emotional stimulus. Consider any video, meme, or infographic that has gone extremely viral–what feeling has it stimulated?
For other industries, they have to produce these videos for the web from scratch. In the media industry, you already have the videos, you just need to edit them. If you can edit videos and share social clips that truly impact the viewer's emotional state, you've got a winner on your hands. Moreover, believing and betting on your content efforts is very important if you want to set up all your initiatives for success.
Conclusion
Boosting content discovery with digital marketing is not a simple task. If you want to stand out from the crowd, do something extraordinary, be ambitious with your marketing goals, form strong partnerships, and don't buy the assumption that a large budget is required to produce amazing results.
Money helps, but creativity, consistency, and collaboration are the most important factors when it comes to promoting your content with your target audience. You can also consider using tools like a digital asset management (DAM) system to make it easier to search for media files and maximise content for any digital marketing opportunity.