Today, when we think of “streaming platform”, we think mostly of “Netflix” or “Spotify”, which is mainly entertainment video or audio content. But in reality, streaming platforms or VOD sites are not only for music, movies, and series. More and more brands and companies are using Netflix-like platforms to distribute their content, whether it is video (content marketing, interviews, webinars, conferences…) or audio (podcasts…).
But why create a streaming platform when you are a brand or a company? Before understanding the benefits that it can bring, let’s see what kind of platforms and content a brand can create.
What types of video platforms can you create when you are a brand or a company? And what content to offer?
The importance of creating video content for a brand or a company is not even the topic here. We just have to look at the rise of Instagram, YouTube or TikTok to understand the popularity of the video format, and the place it will take in the coming years. If you haven’t started producing video content for your brand or company, it’s time to do so!
That being said, we can distinguish mainly 2 types of video streaming platforms for brands or companies:
I- Streaming platforms for your clients and customers
Here we. can differentiate two types of platforms: those for consumers (B to C) and those for business customers (B to B). Depending on which kind of target, the content offered may differ.
> B to B video platforms
The objective here is to offer value-added content to your customers. Types of content: tutorials, interviews of experts and/or customers using your product/solution, webinars, training, podcasts… The objective is to prove your expertise within your industry through video or audio content that is easy and nice to consume, and to offer a user-friendly place to deliver it with great user experience.
We will see later why creating a YouTube channel or a Facebook/Instagram page is not enough.
Example: Mailchimp, the famous SAAS marketing tool launched”Mailchimp presents” a platform of marketing contents to help their clients in their entrepreneurial adventure or in their marketing strategy.
> B to C video Platforms
For consumer brands, the objectives of video content can be diverse: it can aim to generate engagement with their community, to develop their brand image or simply to grow sales. The brand can create “behind the scenes” video content (how products are made), “how-to” content (making a recipe if you are a food company), or simply videos of using their product or services.
Ex: Nike. The popular sports brand offers the “Nike Training Club”, an application which offers sports courses and training sessions.
Other brands prefer to produce or broadcast exclusive video content that is entertaining and related to their image. The best example is Red Bull and its extreme sports content, but more and more brands are producing value-added content such as Airbnb or Tinder.
Ex: Red Bull, Salomon, Airbnb, Tinder
Note: it is possible for a brand to create an entertainment content platform (Branded VOD platform, or BVOD) to offer existing premium content (films, series, documentaries, music, concerts…) to its customers. In this case, this requires purchasing content rights or producing them. If you have this type of project contact us, we can create platforms for your brands by providing licensing rights and associated marketing campaigns (drop us an email at hello@okast.tv).
II- Corporate video platforms for your employees
If you work in internal communication, you know the importance of content within an organization. The objective of this type of corporate streaming platform is to offer internally produced content for your employees in a fun and easy to use interface. The types of content can include training courses, seminars, internal events, employee interviews… Many companies produce more and more content but do not necessarily have attractive platforms to experience it (we all have in mind the not very user-friendly intranet of some structures).
So what are you waiting for to create your company’s Netflix?
What are the benefits of creating a streaming platform for your company or brand?
If defining the type of streaming or VOD platforms for your brand or company is essential, it is also important to understand the benefits by answering the main question: why is having your own video platform important?
Good news is, we have some answers, and we’ve listed a number of reasons below:
1- Engage your viewers more strongly
One of the main qualities of the video format is the commitment it generates compared to other formats (blog posts for example). The video format makes it possible to engage a user longer on a site or to better retain a message. In addition, extending your brand’s exposure over time to your viewers increases the possibility of turning them into customers. The more time they spend in contact with your brand, the easier it will be to convert them. It makes sense, but many brands are always looking for opportunities to increase this exposure.
Creating and delivering premium video on a high-quality platform experience with Netflix features is a great way to do this.
2- Enrich your CRM with viewers data
The advantage of having your own platform is that you can control all data on it (unlike Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram). You can retrieve the email addresses of your audience, for example, but also information about their activity on the platform (who watch what? How long time etc…). And if you connect this data to your existing CRM, the magic can happen: you will be able to analyze who your best customers are, who is loyal, who watch your content, who is the most engaged (share, or ‘like’).
It’s much easier to convert a customer who has viewed a lot of your content than someone who doesn’t interact with your content at all.
Let’s take an example: you sell sports accessories, imagine you have a video streaming platform and you could analyze the consumption of specific video content for some of your customers. Let’s say you find out that Mr. X, for example, watched a lot of video content related to running. Wouldn’t having this data allow you to further personalize your commercial offers to better sell him running shoes (i.e sending him a discount coupon for running shoes via your CRM)?
Of course, this type of advanced and personalized data is impossible to obtain on platforms such as YouTube or Facebook. That’s why you need your own white-label streaming video platform.
3- Develop your customers’ affinity with your brand thanks to a video streaming platform
We often talk about “return on investment” (ROI) when publishing branded content online. How many customers or sales did this video generate? But we sometimes forget that the most powerful brands are also those that have managed to build a powerful brand image and a strong affinity with their customers and users.
Take a clothing brand like Patagonia, highlighting its commitment to save the planet is a factor of attraction for those who share these values.
The challenge today is to develop a real affinity with its audience, deliver value, and create a strong relationship amplified by emotion.
To do this, brands must think of themselves as real media and produce highly engaging value-added content. A professional streaming platform, which respects the codes of the most beautiful existing platforms, would be like a beautiful showcase for your brand and product content, but also for your affinity marketing.
At OKAST, for example, we offer the “My List” or “Resume Watching” functionalities that allow you to recreate a quality experience, like on Netflix, in order to boost the link with your audience.
4- Your brand, and only your brand
YouTube or Instagram are great promotional platforms for your content, and allow you to highlight your brand, your products or your services.
But once your users have been seduced by your content /products / services, the goal is to isolate them in a place dedicated to your brand where no other content will be displayed. Indeed, on YouTube and Facebook, there are many distractions for your users: ads, similar or recommended content (sometimes even content from your direct competitors).
Owning your own platform is a huge advantage: you control the customer experience and avoid cutting them off from any distractions so that they can focus solely on your brand and content. This is essential to develop a strong brand image and an exclusive relationship with your customers.
5- A modern and fluid customer experience
Offering your own streaming platform with a flawless user experience also allows you to show your customers that you are modern and that you know how to not only offer high value-added content, but also qualitative customer experiences. Beyond the positive brand image you send back, you will reassure them about the quality of the customer experience they will find with you.
Whatever the industry, today we speak of a “Netflix experience”, which is defined as a pleasant, modern, fluid and personalized customer experience. Offering a premium content platform for your brand is certainly an effective way to get closer to it.
Creating a streaming video platform, beyond a marketing tool for customer acquisition or loyalty (CRM), and the development of your community (or your employees) engagement, is also above all a great lever to boost your brand image.
Are you looking for a simple and powerful turnkey tool to create your brand or company’s streaming platform today? Contact us on hello@okast.tv or more information on: https://okast.tv/corporate-brands/