How Streaming Publishers are Using Community-driven Marketing to Increase Viewer Engagement

How do you stand out amid a constant stream of content on social media? Netflix and other top streaming providers have adopted an enlightened strategy to increase their engagement and effectively promote their programming: audience-segmented social accounts.

While most streaming providers have social accounts for various countries and regions, Netflix was the first to take it a step further. They own accounts like Con Todo Netflix, Strong Black Lead, Netflix Geeked, and more, that create content specifically targeted toward a specific group. They are not just augmented versions of content from the main Netflix account, nor are they just megaphones to promote Netflix’s latest shows or release the newest trailers; they are uniquely curated content centered around themes and programming that each audience might be interested in. They function much more like a meme or fan account where the goal is not to syndicate corporate content, but to foster a space where followers can find relatable content.

For Strong Black Lead, which boasts a hefty 746K followers on Instagram, the content spans interviews with Black actors, memes from shows staring Black leads, and general content celebrating the Black creators who work with Netflix. It’s a place for the Black community of Netflix to learn about new programming and celebrate shared experiences.

And Netflix’s strategy seems to be working. Conviva analyzed recent engagement data for Netflix’s segmented Twitter accounts—and the success is easy to see. While Netflix’s main Twitter account had an engagement rate around 0.05%, some of the segmented accounts had engagement rates as high as 0.5%. Clearly users are more engaged with content they resonate most with.

Accounts like Con Todo Netflix are promoting the latest shows, but not through traditional methods. A great example is this post comparing Joe Goldberg, the lovable stalker/murder from Netflix’s hit show You, to a famous early 2000s Bachata song about having an unhealthy obsession with the girl of one’s dreams. While these two pieces of entertainment have no clear connection to one another—and decades separating them—the managers of the Con Todo Netflix account know that their audience is familiar with the hit song and will find amusement in the comparison to Joe. It’s a natural and authentic way to celebrate the shared experience of the Latinx community while also highlighting one of Netflix’s newest shows.

Netflix isn’t the only streaming provider to realize segmenting audiences on social pays off.  Now Screaming PV takes a more genre-specific approach to this niche strategy. For Prime Video users who love all things horror, Now Screaming PV is the perfect community of likeminded individuals who love a good scare.

Human by Orientation, HBO’s LGBTQ+ targeted account, also uses the strategy. On their accounts, you’ll see screencaps of popular HBO Max shows with captions like “brb have to go binge watch” or “when I find the other queer person at the party.” These are lighthearted captions that anyone could respond to. But at the same time, Human by Orientation also has a series highlighting notable queer icons in history. The same way that any social media user can post a mix of content, streaming providers are learning that taking that same approach can result in big returns.

But how does this strategy work? Many of the most successful corporate accounts on social media have found success by not taking themselves so seriously. An overly polished corporate approach to social can be effective in building brand credibility, but users don’t often feel a connection or relate to that type of content. Content that doesn’t take itself so seriously reflects the way that a normal user utilizes social media. Another key is recognizing that any individual can be a part of multiple communities at once. A comedy-loving Latina might follow both Netflix is a Joke and Con Todo Netflix because the content from both accounts resonates with her.

In an ever-competitive market for user’s attention, HBO Max, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video are recognizing that the best strategy isn’t creating content that appeals to everyone, but rather finding the most engaging content that appeals deeply to certain communities. We can anticipate more segmentation of these social accounts as streaming providers find newer, niche communities that they can target. The hope is that these accounts not only increase viewership, but also provide spaces where fans can share their love for shows and movies with people they truly connect with.

Learn more about how people use social media to discover what to watch.