Video content is in such high demand nowadays that content creation agencies are trying to implement new ways of gaining the attention of users all over the world. In 2022, people spend at least 100 minutes per day watching videos, and 82% of overall traffic comes from video content. These stats suggest that digital media companies that create animation and films should focus more on content distribution strategies to both attract and retain audiences as well as keep revenues high.
What is content distribution?
Once some piece of video content is ready, the next essential step is to distribute and deliver it to a target audience with maximum effectiveness. In fact, one of the main reasons to create video content is to deliver it to viewers all over the world, in order to grow your brand and generate stable revenue streams.
As a result, it is important to consider your content distribution strategy even before you produce your content. After all, every channel has its own peculiarities and you should take them into account to be sure that the videos you produce will be effectively shared with viewers. Using only one method won’t bring your desired result. You should include multiple platforms and tools to your strategy to make distribution really effective. Today, we will review the main methods you can use to make as many viewers as possible watch and subscribe to your video content, stay connected to your brand, and come back for more.
Types of distribution channels and their specificity
There are many ways you can deliver your content to customers and make them love your videos. However, every platform you use requires an individual approach, as each one is distinguished by specific peculiarities. So it is not only about using this or that distribution network, it is about using it properly and making the most out of the possibilities it provides you, in terms of effective content distribution.
Self-owned media channels
Self-owned media channels are owned and managed by your own studio or company. In this case, you control every aspect of distribution, from content publishing to analytics and optimization. Self-owned media channels imply a CTV app, your company website, social media accounts your company runs, and email newsletters. All of these are a kind of self-owned channel you can use for content distribution and closer communication with your audience. Let’s have a closer look at each type of self-owned media and how you can distribute content via these channels.
A branded CTV channel
This is one of the most effective ways of making your content available to viewers, while maintaining full control of every detail, from content publishing processes to performance and monetization. CTV is an ever-growing industry that becomes more powerful year by year. Many people all over the globe are continuing to cut the cord and switch to OTT (Over-the-Top) content, by using connected TV devices in their homes. In 2022, the number of smart TV users is expected to grow to 119 million, and the number of cord-cutters is expected to grow to 46,6 million in 2024.
If you still don’t have your own CTV channel, your content distribution strategy is likely not working to its full potential, and you are potentially losing hundreds of new viewers per day. A CTV app is the perfect solution to reach new audiences, particularly among cord-cutters, and increase your chances to catch viewers who will favorite, like, and subscribe. You can create an app on popular platforms like Amazon Fire TV even without needing outside assistance. In this case, you can use premade templates, but you must be aware that template-based apps are limited in functionality and don’t give you all the benefits you can gain with a custom app. Specifically, this refers to things like a cross-platform user interface, options for monetization, and integration with third-party analytics for more sophisticated reporting. However, there is a winning solution every content creation studio can leverage to build a fully-fledged custom CTV channel with numerous options for data collection, campaign optimization, and detailed reporting.
If you want to own a professional custom app, you can request assistance from VlogBox experts who will provide qualified development and support services. We have vast experience in creating channels across all major CTV platforms for categories like movies, lifestyle, gaming, cooking, beauty & fashion, education & entertainment, as well as content for kids. You can use our catchy templates or request an exclusive design for your new application to make it stand out from the rest. We take care of the way content will be monetized by offering both AVOD (Advertising-Based Video on Demand) and SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) monetization models. AVOD means earning revenue from ads that run during video playback. This is the way to provide viewers access to your content at no charge. Instead, you earn from every viewed ad, and the completion rates, in this case, reach nearly 100% because such ads can’t be skipped (the ads will not be viewed only if the viewer turns off the video). SVOD means that users buy subscriptions to watch your video content for a certain period of time, with further recurring fees. You can offer monthly or annual subscription plans providing viewers full access to your video content at any time. This model is one of the most popular and profitable models for content creators, and is used by well-known services such as Netflix and HBO Max.
Creating your own branded channel with VlogBox will also give you access to detailed analytics to see how your content performs, allowing you to to make the necessary optimizations and upgrades for your strategy. All in all, entrusting your CTV app creation to professionals guarantees that your app will be tested thoroughly, uploaded to a CTV app store, and enable you to call for expert support whenever you might need it. Your own personal VlogBox manager will help you with any issues and provide any assistance, including developing an effective monetization strategy, and revenue optimization.
YouTube channel
There are more than 245 million YouTube viewers in the US. That means having a channel on YouTube is a must for content producers who want to expand their audience and distribute videos. Starting up a YouTube presence is easy – however, you need to use it properly to make the platform work for you. You can also use your YouTube channel as a transitory place to invite viewers to access the full version of your videos on your CTV app. For instance, you can publish teasers, create catchy previews, share highlights, and provide a link to your CTV application to get the viewers interested and make them more likely to want to watch more on your main platform. What’s the point? ROI (Return on Investment) is much higher on CTV, so your YouTube presence will help drive greater traffic and revenue if you use it as an extra platform. But the main rules of publishing content on YouTube are the same: to succeed, you should be consistent and upload your content on a regular basis to keep engagement and make the YouTube algorithm “love” your videos. Also, don’t forget that most viewers access YouTube from mobile devices, so your channel must be optimized correspondingly. Here are a couple of valuable tips: make sure the layout you use has dimensions not less than 600:600, create eye-catching thumbnails, stick to the ideal YouTube dimensions of 1920×1080/1080p, and ensure that text content is easily readable on mobile devices. Always check what your content looks like on mobile before you hit publish. Your goal is to attract the viewers, so be attentive to every detail.
Company website
Creating a website for your video studio is an excellent way to represent your content effectively. A website is a sort of hub where you can not only give access to your content but provide more information about it and even create a community to make a closer connection with your viewers. It is the right place to share links to your other channels and promote platforms where users can get more of your content. Additionally, you can collect users’ emails via a subscription form placed on your website, and then use this data for email marketing. A website is like your business card, so make sure it is attractive and works smoothly.
Email marketing
Email marketing is an integral part of your strategy aimed at effective content distribution. It helps improve communications with your audience, and thus drive viewer engagement. It’s a powerful tool that keeps your relationship with viewers solid and allows you to communicate in a predictable and comfortable manner, reinforcing the core compact between you and your viewers: that you deliver good content to your customers, and they stay loyal and watch. You can implement an email marketing strategy yourself or request assistance from third-party services, but you will absolutely need to send emails to raise your brand awareness, make customers get to know your content better, and make them aware of all your news and updates. However, just sending emails is not enough. You should make these emails engaging, so they won’t get lost in users’ inboxes. To enhance your emails, you should thoroughly consider every element: create meaningful and intriguing subject lines to ensure a high open rate, enrich emails with media by adding gifs, videos and images, and you can also add gamification elements to make readers interact and enjoy your content even more. Last but not least, you need to deliver emails wisely – not bombard your readers, but ensure they don’t forget about your brand as well. Your main goal is to maintain interest in your content but not become irritating, so create a content plan before you start sending emails, and always monitor their performance.
Accounts on social media platforms
We recommend you use the top social media platforms for promoting your video content: Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. But you must take into account the peculiarities of every platform to make it work for you. For instance, TikTok and Instagram are great for sharing short videos that spark the interest of viewers, and will lead them to your CTV app to have access to full videos. As for the statistics, TikTok has 800 million monthly users, Instagram accounts for 1 billion monthly users with 500 million of them watching stories daily, and Snapchat has more than 200 million daily users. This means that using these platforms will give your video teasers a wide reach all over the globe and with 30 second shorts, you will spark your viewer’s interest, raising the chance that they will visit your CTV channel or website. On Facebook, 85% of videos are watched without sound, so take that fact into account. However, Facebook might be a good platform for promoting your content with gamification, including not only games but quizzes as well, to establish a better connection with your audience.
Mobile games
People spend a lot of time on their smartphones – in 2021, there were 3.9 billion users, roughly half of the total human population. Meanwhile, mobile game revenues reached $116 billion, and is expected to rise to $138 billion by 2025. As a result, capturing some portion of this market would provide a significant boon to your content creation strategy. For instance, you can create a game features the main characters of your videos – a popular tactic for kids’ content creators. A simple game where children can play with their favorite character will help raise interest in your content and keep your brand in the minds of the little ones.
Paid distribution channels
These types of distribution channels are third-party services from which you may request assistance for a fee. Channels for paid distribution include sponsored and influencer content, OTT aggregators, as well as social ads. Let’s review this part in more detail.
OTT aggregators
You can partner with FAST OTT aggregators to expand your reach on CTV. FAST means Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV services, or in other words, live TV watched without subscriptions. The most well-known of these are platforms like Pluto TV, Tubi, Vudu, Peacock, and Xumo. Nowadays, there are more than 1,000 FAST channels in the US, and while the audience of these platforms is smaller compared with global SVOD players like Netflix or Hulu, they are continuing to grow. You can cooperate with OTT aggregators using various models, e.g. revenue share (when you pay a certain part of revenue generated), or via a fixed fee you pay to add your content to OTT aggregators libraries.
Influencer marketing
In 2022, the influencer marketing industry will reach $16,4 billion. There are many popular content creators, i.e. influencers, who can help you to promote your content. These influencers have a vast audience which trusts them and usually follows their recommendations. Influencer marketing is not just mentioning your content, and not just advertising. It often means that influencer’s will share their personal experience with your content, increasing brand awareness, provoking more interest from new audiences, and attracting more traffic to your CTV app or website. The main task for you is to find relevant influencers who can promote your content among your target audience. You can search for them on social media platforms or blogs or use specific services to find influencers.
Paid social ads
This is something similar to influencer marketing, but it is focused more towards content promotion particularly on social media, using PPC and sponsored content. You can buy ad space to broadcast your marketing messages on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms addressing the right audience, i.e. your potential consumers. Paid social media channels, including PPC advertising, influencer content, and display ads, give your brand expanded reach, so that you can distribute your content among a wider audience and attract new viewers, targeting the most relevant audience for you. When you are planning to use paid social media advertising, research the network you’re going to run ads on, allocate your budget effectively, and think over the creatives you are going to use for your strategy.
Summary
If you want to distribute your video content effectively, you should focus not only on one channel but make a strategy that combines different methods to expand your reach. If you use only a part of these tools, you are likely to miss out on opportunities and benefits online distribution channels might provide. All the methods we describe are interconnected – you create a website or a custom CTV channel and then pay for promotion on social media platforms by influencers, run an engaging email marketing campaign, and use the power of social media and sponsored posts to attract new audiences to your platform. Also remember that every channel has its own goal to reach in your overall video content distribution plan. We can say that your branded CTV application is the heart of your brand, where users can get the full access to your videos, and you can fully control and manage it, from publication to analytics and monetization tools. Making your CTV app work in synergy with other platforms, like YouTube, your company website, and leveraging social media promotion possibilities, you boost content distribution effectiveness, keep your loyal viewers engaged and letting new audiences access top-quality content you produce.