Most potential consumers are scrolling through online content for a good portion of their day. And much of that time is spent watching Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube and other streaming options. Brands reaching these media-connected consumers have advanced social analytics informing strategic outreach decisions. And for good reason.
Here’s why – and how you can start capturing insight of your own!
Understanding Streaming Media is Time Well Spent
Unless your audience is very old (and exclusively, very old) it’s a safe assumption that a substantial portion of your potential customer base is spending a good bit of time online. In fact, according to the Nielsen Total Audience Report 2019, “overall video use—time spent with a TV set, video on a computer, and using video focused app/web on smartphones and tablets—among adults is 5 hours and 46 minutes per day.”
Media-connected consumers are online overall an average of 6.5 hours per day according to some findings, so having 5+ hours devoted to video is significant.
Though that number feels light, with others clocking it closer to 11 hours each day. Depending on where you are in the world, you likely have anecdotal evidence to support either estimation. But either way, the point remains – online now takes up an incredible amount of each person’s time.
Is the shift really that dramatic?
The proof is in the ad spend . .
Advertisers Increasing Turning to Online
Internet advertising is on the rise – and that’s telling in itself. The shift is so marked that it’s putting a slow squeeze on traditional advertising methods:
Your brand is likely following a similar path with its advertising dollars. But maybe it’s slower to adapt to the ever-changing media consumption habits of consumers than you’d like. That’s unfortunate. And very common.
It’s why businesses that pivot as fast as online are able to stand out right now. This will not be the case for long though, as online is becoming its own best marketing tool, promoting its own necessity just by existing!
And with consumers accessing streaming services, often via online, understanding their viewing habits is part and parcel toward creating a meaningful marketing strategy. This is because understanding consumers’ everyday lives as a whole is important – and differentiating.
Customer Experience is Everything
Brands need to have a firm grasp of customer experience analytics to be successful these days. They must understand the opinions, emotions, and intent shared by customers at every stage of the customer journey and create outstanding customer experiences that boost engagement, drive revenue, and increase retention
So, let’s look at insight any brand can appreciate from exploring sentiment of the top video providers: Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and, of course, YouTube!
Disney+
Disney+ is so hot right now, it’s on fire online. Exploring the conversation, brands of any variety need to understand what viewers love – and why.
Getting in on the Baby Yoda craze can benefit any brand with an overlapping consumer base. How do you know if your current and potential customers care? There are so many filtering options available in NetBase, it’s actually super easy to sort out in any number of ways:
For example, you could target a segment that has “education” as a profession. And then drill down to those discussing applied psychology concepts – and potentially create an incredibly interesting campaign that would resonate expertly with those folks:
Again, that’s just one example of so, so many possibilities. All informed by social insight, so you can have confidence in whatever it is you’re creating. It can’t all be memes, after all. Nor should it be!
Netflix
And speaking of memes, the ability to bring brands beyond the them is important. In part because standing out with overused concepts can be next to impossible, and because there are so many other uniquely compelling insights to work with.
Netflix’s “Marriage Story” is really resonating online, and it’s speaking to every age group:
And pretty equally across gender as well:
This could leave openings for brands to start conversations with viewers/potential consumers around meaningful topics captured in the show. Or to even connect back to the Disney+ Star Wars craze . . .
Memes aren’t awful, but they need to be meaningful. And not be overused. Sharing consumer concerns and understanding who consumers are, beyond what you hope to sell to them is important. And if that involves humor, so be it.
Hulu
Hulu has both a streaming and a live option, putting it in its own category, really. Consumers can catch any variety of media, from news to reality tv – and more. It really has the pulse of online consumer sentiment, because it needs to! Hulu is on top of viewer media consumption habits, as a rule, as it uses social analytics to understand how well a potential new offering will resonate, or if there’s a corresponding audience out there, yet to be activated, that they can draw in. Watch:
Brands that find shows that relate even remotely to their niche on Hulu can be sure they’ve found a targeted, engaged audience. Why re-invent the wheel? If there are adjacencies there, capturing a Hulu audience with relevant content is smart marketing.
Amazon Prime Video
Consumers are shopping on Amazon in droves, thanks, in part, to Prime. And they’re consuming video there as well, as it’s part of their Prime membership and (as already established) consumers love video! They also love saving money. So, having this bundled together keeps Amazon even more top-of-mind than it already is with potential consumers.
Think your brand may have a few things to learn from this ecommerce giant and its wily ways? Now you’re catching on!
What are viewers watching on Amazon – and when are they active online, talking about it?
If you catch wind of an oldie but goodie making the rounds online, listen closely to how Amazon Prime Video consumers are talking about it, and time your relevant content to publish during those times:
And on whatever channels they’re frequenting to hold said discussions.
YouTube
Probably the most fun a brand can have – and the biggest rabbit hole a brand manager can fall into – is exploring YouTube. So, having social analytics available to keep your consumer understanding exploration on track is essential.
Focusing a search for influencers by interest, for example, offers targeted, relevant results. This is a much better approach than starting a search from scratch and attempting to find a needle in a haystack. And this is what brands are facing with YouTube thanks to the sheer volume of channels out there today. And being unable to drill down and see engagement stats that take you well beyond surface metrics (like the number of “likes”) is a ‘must’ for any brand as well:
And really, having access to transparent next generation AI-powered social analytics is a must as well. Doing all of this work to support your brand strategy is only worth your time if its accurate – and tools that are not offering transparency are certainly not able to offer accuracy. It’s elementary, Watson. Be sure to check out Sherlock, streaming on Netflix, if you disagree. Or even if you agree – it’s just a great show, with stunning logic.
And then reach out to us for an equally logical (and super illuminating) demo of advanced AI-powered social analytics. You’ll never look at online – or streaming media – the same way again!
Joe Russell is the Chief Financial Officer of NetBase Quid
