10 How To Accelerate

Tricks on

Viewership Growth
on OTT/ConnectedTV

a simple guide for ambitious media startups

by Andreas Kisslinger
In need to boost your viewership on your
OTT / ConnectedTV Apps and Channels?
The times when it was enough to just
throw a Channel up on Roku to gain
huge viewerships, are over. Those were
the times when your App was a first-
mover on Roku, FireTV or AppleTV years
ago (or in the iOS Store or Google Play-
Store 10 years ago), or you were among
the first ones to publish in a specific
category and had little to no competi-
tion. Back then you were getting all the
viewership in your category.
Unfortunately, these times are over,
categories are filled to the max and
everyone now competes on viewership
– just like regular TV Channels and Radio
Stations. You are a media entrepreneur
and publisher of a significant Channel.
Think of your ConnectedTV Channels
and Apps as a TV Station you have to
market in order to compete and attract
more viewership.

Here are a few suggestions on creating captivating OTT / ConnectedTV Apps,

brand them correctly, and market them efficiently.

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Preparation
1. Branding of your ConnectedTV Apps:
Find a catchy and descriptive, but interesting name for
your OTT Apps/Channels. Use names of people only if
they are already a public figure.

2. Graphics:
Create catchy and appealing logo and graphics which stand
out. Do some research on OTT App Stores: which logos
appeal to you? Which graphics stand out? Which colors
seem dull and overused? Which colors are pleasing, but
haven’t been overly used and might pop out?

3. Category:
Select the right category. Submit your OTT / ConnectedTV
Apps in the most appropriate category. Don’t try to get
into a category you find cool, but try to find the category
which is most descriptive to your content, because that
is exactly what viewers are looking for when browsing
that category and the more your content “hits the spot”,
the faster your audience grows.

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 Video
Production
4. Produce appealing content which makes viewers
want to come back and watch more.
Tip: don’t give it all away in „one show“. Shorter episodes
can be effective as well. Keep some of your content for
the next episode. Close episodes leaving viewers craving
more and curious what the next episode will be about.
Cross-promote programs and point to other shows.

5. Develop a corresponding video graphics

package with an opener, credits, lower thirds
and other on-screen graphics all in the corporate
design of your OTT Channels.

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 Marketing
 6. Increase your ranking!
Mobilize your existing following across all your channels.

Got a thriving Facebook Page? Shout your ConnectedTV

Apps from the rooftops! Sending out regular newsletters
and “email-blasts”?

Point your readers to your ConnectedTV Apps! Publishing a

popular blog? Talk about your ConnectedTV Apps!

Speaking from platforms or on TV? Get the crowds excited

about your ConnectedTV Apps!

Got a website? Place links to your ConnectedTV Apps on

your website!

Why is it important to mobilize your existing following and

audiences through all your existing, conventional marketing
channels? Simply because ranking goes by popularity. Most
App Store’s rankings – the order by which apps are listed
in a category – is automated by an algorithm which takes
popularity into consideration, and popularity is often measured
pro
mot
e via by:
1. Number of App Installs / Downloads
2. Ratings: the “star-rating” of your viewers

Mobilize your existing following to download and install your

ConnectedTV Apps on their devices and to give them a 5-star
rating. You will see the ranking (the position of your listing in
your category) increase and your app moving up. Moving up
just by one row can mean doubling or tripling your number
of installs / downloads and organic viewership growth.

to boost your ranking

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7. Marketing Channels
Leverage the viewership of other ConnectedTV Channels,
capture their viewer’s interest and direct them to your own
TV Apps.

One way to drive more viewership to your ConnectedTV

Apps is by publishing your content in a branded marketing
Channel inside other ConnectedTV Apps as well. There are
many OTT / ConnectedTV Channels which will be open
to providing you a brand-channel inside their app – like
an additional category under your brand name – through
which you can publish all, or some of your content, at a
small fee. It is like distributing your music through iTunes
and other stores in addition to your own website and apps.
The wider your distribution, the more brand recognition you
will receive. Leverage their viewership to increase yours!
Check out www.megastream.com or www.connectedtv-
advertising.com and inquire on possibilities to feature
your content in branded marketing channels inside other
ConnectedTV Apps.

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8. OTT / ConnectedTV Advertising Campaigns
Probably the most powerful and efficient way of growing
your viewership, but one you need to budget for. While it is
not free, running a professional ConnectedTV Ad Campaign
with your 30 second commercial will boost your viewership
like nothing else.

You can run ConnectedTV Ad Campaigns across hundreds

of TV Apps and Channels across all platforms you operate
your own apps on. Nothing is more powerful than to have
your 30 second commercial run in front of content (pre-roll)
or during the content (mid-roll) of other Apps on the same
platform. The viewers of your ads are already on the same
platform, with their Roku or FireTV remote control in hand,
watching content on their favorite Channels, but not yet
introduced to your offers. Your app is only a click away and
you can address millions of viewers with your message and
offers, pointing them to your own apps. The conversion rate
is high and costs comparatively low. You can control the
costs and your campaign size can be tailored to your budget.

There are several ad networks which have started to focus

on delivering your video ads to numerous ConnectedTV Apps
simultaneously. Check out www.connectedtv-advertising.
com and ask for their best deals. Mention this whitepaper
and to receive an additional 20% discount.

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9. Place links on your website
Ask your OVP for hyperlinks to place on your website which
link to marketing pages for your ConnectedTV Apps with
instant install buttons, allowing your website visitors to
instantly download and install your ConnectedTV App on their
device instantly – with one click. Ask your OVP or inquire with
www.lightcast.com to receive hyperlinks for your website
with instant install button for your ConnectedTV Apps.

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10. Keep on pounding and branding!
Don’t forget that all branding will increase your ConnectedTV
viewership as well. As the recognition of your brand increases,
more ConnectedTV viewers will search for your content on
their devices and ConnectedTV screens. All your marketing
efforts are valuable. As mentioned in item 6 in this whitepaper
- no matter which channel you utilize – always point to your
ConnectedTV Channels as well and on which platforms you
are making apps available to viewers. From now on: always
include your ConnectedTV platforms in all your marketing
materials and efforts.

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Your viewership can only grow from here! Don’t let competition
get ahead. Choose a cost-efficient OVP & CDN for media
management and delivery, ideally one which offers business
and marketing consulting for your OTT / ConnectedTV Apps
as well, and stick to it. Don’t start over and over from scratch
again. Keep your TV Apps up and running and a long-term
strategy in place. No brand, no TV Channel, no radio station and
no OTT / ConnectedTV App got big over night. Stay with it for
at least 2 years and utilize all 10 viewership growth strategies
from this whitepaper and you will be successful!

Wanting to speak to OTT / ConnectedTV Specialist

and Business Consultant? www.lightcast.com and
www.megastream.com both offer free consultations to help
guide you along the way – and they have many more hands-on
ideas and strategies available for you.

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