Streaming Wars: How to stay relevant with video content
Just as the major streaming providers Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video are literally "fighting" for viewers' attention, one thing is definitely clear: the future of the Internet belongs to moving images. Animated memes in the form of GIFs have long since been used instead of emojis for quick reactions, and timelines in social networks are also moving more and more in the direction of video clips. What we are currently experiencing in the streaming wars of the major providers will soon also take place in the area of owned content between brands.
The battle for the attention of users and consumers is increasingly being decided in the video arena. Large brands - but also smaller providers - will ultimately no longer be able to avoid a moving image strategy. What do companies and their content managers need to know now to avoid being left behind? What can content producers do? What do you have to watch out for when you put your company's own content online?
The four core elements for a relevant video offer
It doesn't take a sophisticated strategy to meet the technical requirements for video content. At least not if you rely on the right tools and use them confidently to reach the target audience. All you need is a reliable partner who will work with you to take care of the following four elements:
1. Ensure a good user experience
If your target audience already fails at the user interface of your video player, no one will watch your videos. What sounds logical to many, however, is not yet self-evident in practice. Due to the high quality of the user interfaces at the large streaming providers like Netflix, users expect the same level from smaller providers. The main focus is on HD quality in picture and sound, stable connections and the elimination of buffering (intermediate loading). In addition, all standard devices should be able to play the stream.
2. invest in the right tool
A reliable tool takes you by the hand as a partner and works with you to design an understandable and, above all, secure process. This workflow should also always run in the same and stable way.
To reach the masses, your video signal must first be fed into the provider's platform. The platform then has to convert the basic signal you deliver into various terminal formats (renditions) and prepare it for the usual streaming formats (DASH, HLS). Storage in the various formats should also be ensured via multiple servers (content delivery networks) so that your content can be accessed quickly from anywhere.
These technical background processes require a lot of know-how. A good service provider brings this along and takes care of encoding, hosting, providing a user-friendly player and the content delivery network that fits your needs.
3. security for you, your content and the target group
Since the introduction of GDPR at the latest, consumers have been paying more attention to data protection and data security. For this reason alone, GDPR-compliant servers are necessary for storing your data within Europe.
Please note that even if your content is stored on European servers, the service provider may be located outside Europe. The laws of the respective company headquarters of the service provider may then also apply to your content. Accordingly, it may happen that your content and data must be disclosed.
The control over your content should therefore lie with you as far as possible. Of course, it can also make sense to distribute the respective content via YouTube & Co. However, you should keep in mind that your content can also be broadcast uncontrolled. In the worst case, the algorithm of third-party platforms also ensures that your content is linked with keywords that are not related to your content or with which you and your brand do not want to be associated.
4. be and remain accessible
Your content is only relevant if it is also seen. So first and foremost, make sure your content is accessible on as many devices as possible. In addition to desktop, Mac, and Apple and Android smartphones, consider TV sticks and boxes, such as Google TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, and more. In addition, you should use social media to generate more reach for the content. For this purpose, trailers or even just teasers can direct your audience to your own content offering.
Broadband expansion continues to take shape, albeit sluggishly. Video content will accordingly also be used more widely due to its easy accessibility. This is already generating some qualified leads, especially in e-commerce. Meaningful videos lead consumers more quickly to the offers of the respective providers than, for example, pure text. Take direct action here and expand the video content area of your company as early as possible. This is the only way to ensure that you don't lose sight of the latest trends in the next round and remain adaptable at all times.
Let us take the technological part off your hands and work with a reliable partner, then you can focus entirely on the content itself. Good video content can only be created if all the necessary resources can be used for it. After all, that includes your time.