One statement that we can all agree on is that Netflix is one of the biggest online platforms currently. It has provided users with a single space for all their entertainment needs, in the place of a million different channels that we used to have to surf through. It’s convenient, high quality, and affordable. In the excitement of getting used to all the comfort that Netflix has offered us, however, we have forgotten to take a look back at its history and the reasons for its success. What did Netflix do that propelled it to worldwide fame? How did digital marketing play a role in its growth? What are the digital marketing strategies implemented by Netflix?
Netflix’s digital marketing strategies incorporate a range of aspects, such as campaigns, social media presence, and special offers for its customers. These have helped it maintain its position at the centre of the online content niche.
What better way to let everyone know about your great sense of humour than social media, right? Netflix’s social media team is constantly active coming up with new and creative ways to interact with their users. They post quizzes, polls, lists, and whatnot to constantly remind people of them. Their posts are always humorous and interesting, and who doesn’t love that? It makes them relatable to the general public, and that is always a welcome bonus.
They have accounts on almost all the social media platforms that are famous right now, like Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube. On Youtube, they even have separate channels for separate regions, to create personalized content for people of each region. They certainly have made sure to not leave a single stone unturned.
Netflix has taken the time to collaborate and sign agreements with various businesses and companies around the world. They have set up campaigns with various institutions like banks, and social media companies like Snapchat and Instagram. For instance, if you open an account in a bank that is partnered with Netflix, you’ll be offered a discount on your Netflix subscription. They also have features like filters on Snapchat and Instagram for users to have fun with.
Another campaign of theirs is that you can have Netflix free of cost for a month. You are allowed to cancel your membership at any given moment, and if you want to continue using Netflix, you’re free to do so. This generosity shown by Netflix gives users an incentive to get a subscription, or at the least spread word on it.
One of the biggest boons of digital marketing is personalization, and Netflix makes use of it to its maximum extent. They analyze your user data and recommend content that is similar to what you regularly consume. Furthermore, they suggest content based on what is trending in your country. This makes their platform extremely user-friendly, and most of the time you don’t have to spend time searching for something interesting to watch.
They’re always looking for new ways to relate to the masses. Every new Internet trend they see, they waste no time jumping on the bandwagon. For instance, after Instagram and Snapchat got a lot of attention for their special effects, Netflix released content on their social media platforms that related the special effects to shows and movies found on Netflix. The TV show Stranger Things was garnering a lot of buzz at the time, so Netflix released a video on Youtube of “Stranger Things World” through the Snapchat lens. Activities like this help to captivate their audience and keep them hooked.
Memes have become a significant facet of our modern era. People use them to poke fun at others, satirize real-life issues, and humour our issues to make them a little easier to deal with. Frankly, at this point, I can’t imagine a life without memes. And neither can Netflix. They regularly post memes of their content that they make themselves, and the masses love that. Everyone loves a company that doesn’t take itself too seriously and doesn’t think itself above doing what is “trendy”. Digital marketing helps a great deal in showing their customers this side of theirs.
Netflix knows that people don’t give the time of the day to many of the emails that pile up in their inboxes. They take the effort to track your online behaviour and curate crafty emails based on their monitoring. Some of the metrics they track of you are:
Yikes. Netflix sounds creepier than the overly attached girlfriend, but as long as all this information goes into improving your customer experience, that’s fine right?
So these are the digital marketing strategies implemented by Netflix. Netflix is not the only company that expanded its sales with digital marketing, but it’s one of the most mentionable ones. It went from being a DVD rental company in the late 90s to quite literally taking over the world – not an ordinary feat. Perhaps emulating some of their strategies can take you further in your business too. Happy marketing!
