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Mullins 2 Netflix serves as a digital streaming provider to over 137 million subscribers worldwide and is available in 190 countries according to Wikipedia. They began as a DVD sales and rental delivery service, but shifted the company focus to becoming a streaming service ten years after beginning their journey. 1997: Founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California. 2007: Company shifts focus to be an online streaming service 2010: Expanded internationally 2012: Began developing Netflix original content
Mullins 3 Starting out, it was important for Netflix to pitch themselves to the public and try to sell people on why they need their subscription, pushing their low costs, large watch what you want when you want mantra, and their unique service they were offering was the main point ten years ago. Now, they aren t posting about their prices and trying to convince people to purchase a subscription, they are trying to encourage brand loyalty, and show that there is content that you can only get on Netflix, not on Hulu, or Amazon Prime. According to a survey conducted by CNBC All-American Economic Survey in March of 2018, 57 percent of the public in the United States has a streaming service. Of that 57 percent, 51 percent subscribe to Netflix, and 36 percent report having both a streaming service and cable/satellite. With over half the population streaming, Netflix isn t really trying to obtain new customers through social media but create a feeling of FOMO for those who don t get to see the Netflix original shows, and for the fan base that Netflix has built. They create a unique inside-joke atmosphere on their social media platforms, where if you don t have Netflix, or haven t seen the show, you simply won t get the joke. And what s worse to young people these days than FOMO? Being left out of the joke.
Mullins 4 While Netflix is curated to be enjoyed by the whole age spectrum, there are specific people they target with their platform and their social media. The College Student - Ages 18-23 - Male/Female - Wants to have something to talk about - Has an abundance of free time/wants a way to procrastinate. - Enjoys memes - Enjoys binge watching - Wants instant gratification - Has FOMO - Wants to be able to see both new and old content. The Young Professional - Ages 24-35 - Male/Female - Wants to be up-to-date on pop culture - Wants to relax after work Parents with Young Children - Up to 40 years old - Male/Female - Wants to have a way to distract their child - Wants to have a way to relax without the child
Mullins 5 Main handle: @netflix Profile description: - This is the Netflix US account - They identify as a Media/News Company - Their bio reads angsty young adults Additional accounts: In their bio, Netflix US also lists, @nxonnetflix, @netflixisajoke, @strongblacklead, @netflixfilm, @youcantmakethisup, @netflixfamily, and @dontwatchhungry In addition to the ones listed in their bio, Netflix also has accounts for other (but not all) countries/areas they stream in, such as: Germany, Romania, India, the Netherlands, UK/Ireland, France, Nordic, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Greece, Turkey, Latin America, Indonesia, Brazil, and possibly more, but those were all I could find. They also have accounts for all their original shows/movies. Followers: 11.6 million Following: 570 Last activity: A video on 11/27/2018 with 251,233 views, previous to this it was a photo on 11/26/2018 with 66,940 likes. Use of platform: Primarily posts memes, clips from Netflix Originals, and shots of Netflix original actors. Reach compared to competition: Hulu has 241,000 followers Amazon Prime Video has 208,000 followers Uniqueness compared to competition: Hulu posts no memes, and posts more about getting people to subscribe to Hulu and generic lifestyle pieces more than the shows that are offered on the platform. Amazon Prime posts a few memes but doesn t really spotlight their actors very specifically. What content works best: Memes/Pictures of attractive Netflix Original Actors. Engagement: Netflix engages its followers on Instagram incredibly well, responding to funny quips on their posts, and even engaging with other Netflix accounts in the comments.
Mullins 6 Primary purpose: To create the Inside Joke vibe and make people feel like they aren t in on the joke if they aren t subscribing to Netflix. Photos of their account:
Mullins 7 Main handle: @netflix Profile description: The general US Netflix account. Followers: 52,432,965 Last activity: A Fuller House Trailer Video on 11/27/2018 at 5:07 p.m. with 18,000 likes/reactions, 2.3K comments, 14,998 shares and 1.5 million views. Use of platform: Almost entirely videos. They showcase clips from Netflix originals, as well as gifs/memes, and post a few graphics about upcoming shows/movies to the platform. Out of the past 10 posts, 9 were videos. Reach compared to competition: Hulu has 3 Million likes Amazon Prime Video has 4.4 Million likes Uniqueness compared to competition: Hulu also posts trailers/videos but not nearly as much, they have many more graphics/photos, and share a lot of articles about their shows that are available. Amazon Prime Video- Also almost solely posts videos, but posts a lot more pitching their service than the shows they have. They have videos advertising the Amazon Prime originals, but a lot more content is pushing toward encouraging people to subscribe. What content works best: Videos are working incredibly well for them, they are shared more than their graphics, and have a higher engagement rate overall. Their most recent graphic only has 10,000 likes and 1,000 comments, 2,792 shares, compared to their most recent video statistics listed above. Engagement: Like Instagram, they engage well with their followers, people who make jokes or comments on their posts are responded to quickly. Primary purpose: To share new trailers/releases, and to provide comedic relief with gifs/memes.
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Mullins 9 Main handle: @netflix Profile description: A business account for the entirety of the Netflix company. Followers: 1,390,423 Last activity: 11/29/18 10:00 p.m. CST two posts at the same time Article: 34 likes, 2 comments Status update: 102 likes, 37 comments Use of platform: Explaining what happens behind the scenes/what jobs at Netflix are like. Reach compared to competition: Hulu - 111,572 followers Amazon Prime Video no page Uniqueness compared to competition: Hulu uses this platform to showcase their employees with very few posts about job openings. What content works best: Videos/articles on what it s like to work at Netflix and what kind of jobs they offer. Engagement: Not very high, but occasionally have a status update that is a question. Most recent status update asks what the riskiest thing people have done in their career, and it has a substantially larger engagement in terms of comments than that of many of their other posts. Primary purpose: To showcase what jobs at Netflix are all about.
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Mullins 11 Main handle: @netflix Profile description: The US Netflix account. Subscribers: 6,292,235 Last activity: 11/29/2018 12:00 PM with 11,000 views, 422 likes, 43 comments. Use of platform: All trailers for upcoming shows/movies and digital exclusives with their Netflix original actors. Reach compared to competition: Hulu 1,381,421 subscribers Amazon Prime Video 224,844 Uniqueness compared to competition: Hulu uses the platform also to showcase original show trailers, but do not have exclusive actor interviews on their YouTube account, and they additionally have their commercials on their account as well. What content works best: Trailers gain a lot more attention than the videos with the actors. Engagement: Not a lot of engagement on YouTube itself, but the YouTube videos are linked on Facebook where they obtain a lot more engagement. Primary purpose: To announce upcoming releases/trailers for them.
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Mullins 13 Main handle: @netflix Profile description: The company s sole Pinterest account. Followers: 59,000, 10 million monthly viewers Following: 4 accounts (Glad, HowToBeADad, and two women) Last activity: Pinned several pins on 11/28/2018 Use of platform: Have boards dedicated to different Netflix original shows and have creative content based off of shows, such as costumes for the characters, and things the characters would buy/decorate with and recipes they would make. Reach compared to competition: Hulu 3,000 followers, 150,300 monthly viewers, were most recently active 24 weeks ago, and only have three Pinterest boards. Amazon Prime Video No account Uniqueness compared to competition: Hulu only posts ads about the shows they have and have no creative posts whatsoever. What content works best: Creative content/things that the characters would have/want boards. Engagement: They have a lot of their pins repined, but commenting isn t very common on Pinterest. Primary purpose: To help bring the shows past the TV screen and into people s personal lives.
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Mullins 15 Main handle: @netflix Profile description: The US Netflix account. Bio currently reads: Since 5,456,245 of you asked, I d like to formally apologize that we do not have Home Alone. Followers: 5.3 million Following: 1,116 Last activity: 11/29/2018 around 4 p.m. Use of platform: To joke and create humor and be relatable to their most common social media followers the millennials. Reach compared to competition: Hulu: 581,000 Followers, following 876 Amazon Prime Video: 400,000 followers, following 943 Uniqueness compared to competition: Hulu posts some memes/jokes but doesn t have that snarky sarcastic Twitter vibe that Netflix has that people love them for. They engage well, and post some memes, but still more advertisement based. Amazon Prime Video doesn t post any meme/joking content, they post gifs from their shows and advertisements and release dates almost solely, very minimal engagement with followers. What content works best: Sarcastic quippy relatable millennial-esque commentary and memes. Engagement: Incredibly high engagement, respond to posts that they aren t even mentioned in that bring up content on their site with funny or kind remarks. Primary purpose: To be relatable and flood Twitter with memes/viral tweets about their content/streaming platform.
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Mullins 17 Netflix uses their social media accounts to post about their original content and to crack jokes about Netflix and Chill and binge watching young adults. They post good, viral-worthy content, and have built up a solid fan base. People enjoy following them because they want to know what is coming to Netflix (or leaving it in some cases) and most people enjoy a good meme these days. Netflix is a brand that knows their audience on social media very well and targets them well with what they post. Compared to Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, they are the superior streaming service on social media by a large margin. Exceeding both in followers and engagement across the board on platforms. Unlike the other two, Netflix does a great job of not shoving advertisements down its follower s throats and posting fun enjoyable content that its followers want to see and share with others. Netflix as a brand has a great handle on social media and is doing incredibly well with what they have and changing with the times and as they grow.
Mullins 18 Strengths: - Consistent posting. According to a social media study done on Netflix by Gosia Letki, new Netflix content is published somewhere on the internet every three-and-a-halfhours. - Diverse content across platforms, trailers on YouTube, memes/photos on Instagram, videos/releases on Facebook, creative posts on Pinterest, information about jobs on LinkedIn, and witty remarks and memes on Twitter. - Engagement with followers on platforms where it is appropriate is very high and well done. - Netflix Original content, something viewers can get only on Netflix. - Older and very loyal fan base - Post high quality content Weaknesses: - Not trying to encourage new subscribers/marketing the subscription and its low cost. - Having a multitude of accounts to manage, with no central hub for it all. - Not having as up to date non-original content as other platforms. Opportunities: - Creating a philanthropy aspect of the company and sharing on social media. - Engage with followers/subscribers more with idea pitch contests and cast meetup giveaways. - Engage followers with opportunities to be extras in Netflix originals. Threats: - Hulu having random sales/discounts - Hulu and Amazon Prime Video also making original shows - Hulu and Amazon Prime Video having the same content that Netflix has. - Redbox with more up-to-date movies
Mullins 19 Incorporate giveaways/vip experiences into social media to engage followers more. - The engagement is great with the memes and trailers and other content they are sharing on all the platforms, however a part of the market that hasn t been tapped into yet by any of the streaming services is giving away experiences through their brand on social media. Doing an interactive contest for a new show idea, to meet the cast of a show, or to win to be an extra in the background of your favorite Netflix original series. Create a philanthropy connection to connect on a more emotional level to its subscribers. - One thing Netflix (and other streaming services) are lacking in, is having a philanthropic aspect/partner. By making some charitable connection, people may be more drawn to the brand than they had been in the past, it also gives Netflix a chance to give back, something people love and respect big companies for doing. Have discounted sales on memberships and broadcast it. - Other brands posted black Friday sales and Holiday specials, Netflix didn t post anything like that. By having some sort of slashed prices deal, or discounts, Netflix could compete more in the price category with Hulu/Prime Video. Even adding a student or military discount could help them. Sharing about what s exclusive to them/marketing the subscription service - While other brands are annoyingly posting about subscribing and obtaining their service, Netflix hasn t posted about encouraging people to join the Netflix family for as far back as I could scroll. They don t need to post about it constantly and be pushy, but a post occasionally, won t hurt them.
Mullins 20 https://brand24.com/blog/how-netflix-is-winning-social-media-case-study/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/netflix https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/29/nearly-60-percent-of-americans-are-streaming-and-mostwith-netflix-cnbc-survey.html https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-on-demand-streaming-services/ https://adage.com/article/viewpoint-editorial/big-ad-war-netflix-hulu-amazon/243927/ https://www.slideshare.net/kellyweber12/netflix-v-hulu-brand-comparison-paper