We Know Social Media’s Vital for Streamers. How Does That Play Out Across Platforms?

NAB

It’s clear that streamers are using social media to drive audiences to their platform, but the extent of their activity is remarkable.

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Roughly 80% of social engagement for streaming platforms comes from Instagram, with TikTok close behind thanks to accounts like Netflix growing by more than a million followers each month this year.

This is according to the “Social Guide for Streaming 2021“ report from Conviva which examined social engagement for more than 87 global streaming platforms and 695 streaming TV shows from January 1, 2021 to October 21, 2021.

The report found Instagram delivered 81% of social engagements for top streaming services, despite having only 17% of the audience. Posts that include multiple photos or videos achieved the highest engagement rate of any content on any platform. Top content on Instagram featured new shows at 64% followed by legacy shows and nostalgic content coming in at 22%.

Facebook is declared “a great discovery channel” for streamers to use with show announcements, teasers, and trailers making up 73% of the top content pieces. Facebook has the largest audience for streaming publisher accounts, holding 47% of all followers across the top streaming services. Yet the platform only saw 8% of overall engagements.

TikTok ranks third in audience for top streaming services, with more followers per account than more established platforms like YouTube and Twitter. Show clips with funny captions, cast videos, and content tailormade for TikTok were among the top performing content.

It won’t be long before TikTok overtakes Instagram for second place, as the report shows streaming platforms like Netflix have grown by more than a million new followers per month on TikTok during 2021.

“TikTok will likely become a first stop when building a social presence in the near future, because that’s where viewers are and it’s imperative to be a part of the conversation rather than watch from the sideline,” Conviva suggest.

Fifty-eight percent of the most viewed content for top streaming platforms on YouTube were show trailers, with teasers coming in second at 13%. Commercials commanded the most engagement of any content on YouTube with 5.6 million views per video on average.

When it comes to the volume of content, “Twitter is unmatched” with companies averaging over 1,000 posts per month, 89% of those posts being individual replies. Twitter also provides the space for announcement posts, making up the highest percentage of Twitter content at 17% followed by trailers at 16%.

Eight top streaming services — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount Plus, Peacock, and CW Seed — captured more than 227 million followers across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube in 2021. Netflix unsurprisingly led the pack as a “powerhouse on social media,” with its main account capturing more than 75% of all engagements and 70% of the audience among the top eight streaming platforms.

“While streaming platforms’ pages are the cornerstone of a streaming publisher’s social strategy, it’s the individual show pages that can truly build the brand affinity craved by publishers,” says Keith Zubchevich, CEO of Conviva. “Streaming show accounts on social have become intimate forums where fans feel they can truly connect with the show’s cast in ways that would normally be reserved for close friends.”