Ed. note: The following is a guest editorial from Gennefer Snowfield, who returns for another article on web series marketing and business strategy. The following represents the opinions of the author. For a complete bio, see the bottom of this article.
One of my core specialties is web series strategy, promotion and branded entertainment experiences that augment show content. As such, I work with a number of web series, many of whom overlap in genre. In a recent DM conversation with a web series producer on Twitter, he mentioned that one of the shows I’m working with is a competitor of his because they are both sci-fi series. That point immediately struck me because it never occurred to me that any online programs are in direct competition with one another as they are in a traditional TV environment. And if anything, TV programming is more about competing with coveted time slots to feed an antiquated ratings system of measurement, which has largely been eliminated due to DVR and Video On Demand options anyway. In fact, as the space continues to evolve, I see the biggest competitive challenge to be mindshare as viewers don’t have the time to consume programming every second of the day. Yet with the saturation of content available between tube and web TV, they certainly could!
The fact is that most consumers don’t even realize the wealth of web TV that is currently out there, so the underlying issue isn’t competition… it’s discovery. Even as someone immersed in the web series space, I’m not familiar with every single show, or all of the channels for viewing them, which seem to pop up daily.
But online content producers can actually surmount this hurdle collectively by banding together to build the web TV category overall, attract new viewers, and dare I say, share fan bases. Although we’re seeing more longer form content being produced — and consumed — online (according to the recent Pew report), overall webisodes are much shorter than traditional TV, making it even more feasible for viewers to adopt several series within the same genre. And with the added benefit of being able to watch them on their own time.
So, where do you go from here?
Form Your Own League of Extraordinary Super Series
It’s not rocket science that a collective of super heroes is infinitely more powerful than one. Each have their own strengths (and weaknesses), so joining forces allows them to advance on a much greater scale. While web series creators may not be battling evil villains, they can follow this principle by joining forces to penetrate the market and generate increased visibility for their respective shows. In that collaborative spirit, you could take reciprocal linking one step further by offering clips of other series within your genre in a very Amazon-esque way… i.e.“If you liked this show, you may also like…” At the point of interaction recommendations offer a higher likelihood of clickthrough because you are tapping into an audience that is pre-disposed to a particular type of content. Think of it as COMPlementary, not COMPetition.
You could also create an online forum where viewers can discuss shows and interact around a central topic. Fans want the ability to share content with others and talk about storylines and characters, so facilitating a social vehicle where they can do that builds affinity for each participating series. Plus, having several web series involved allows you to pool your resources and expand your development efforts (and fan base) beyond what you could do individually. A venue like this also gives fans a voice to make recommendation of other shows that they’d like to see included, delivering on viewer wants while adding more juice to your network.
And a genre-specific directory like the one Steve Lettieri, creator of Zerks Log, is building for the sci-fi category called SciFinal is the perfect example of harnessing the collective power of the web TV community to foster discovery, raise awareness and visibility for associated series and generate increased traffic and fans. Through a multi-series-supported gateway, you can maximize promotion for all involved. Bottom line, there’s strength in numbers. Oh, and more viewers, too.
‘Exclusive’ Starts with ‘Ex.’ ‘Extinct’ Starts with ‘Ex.’ Coincidence? I Think Not.
One of the key advantages of the web – and web programming – is that it is not bound by channel exclusivity like broadcast TV networks. The ubiquitous nature of the online space allows you to get your series out literally anywhere across the worldwide web. While there are channels popping up that are seeking to force antiquated models onto web TV through exclusive distribution (and even commercials!), it is not always beneficial to series whose primary goal should be to first get the word out that they exist. And you can’t do that through a single venue that most consumers don’t even know about. Even with all of the mainstream press and celebrity adoption that Twitter has gotten, a recent study showed that 70% of the population has still never heard of Twitter. Consider that before diving into an exclusive arrangement with an even less well known site.
Exclusive distribution agreements work for the channel in differentiating themselves from the myriad of sites hopping onto the web TV bandwagon, but unless they are reaching a lion share of the market (which most aren’t yet), it limits a series ability to reach and cultivate fans across the nooks and crannies of the web. Unfortunately, when it comes to web TV, Kevin Costner was dead wrong. Just because you build it doesn’t mean they’ll come. It’s up to you to seek out your audience wherever they might be online, and go to them. Channels are fine for reaching the low hanging fruit of early adopters and web series seekers, and offer halo benefits through the site’s own promotional efforts, but you need the ability to make your content available elsewhere as well.
This is a perfect opportunity for like genres to work together to make their shows available on established sites that serve their particular segment of the population. By approaching them together, you are able to offer the web property more substantial content of interest to their users that will help expand their own site traffic and visibility in the process. I’ve been a fan of After Judgment for a while but happened across a post on the popular sci-fi blog, Sci-Fi Scoop, last week where they had only just come across the series and made the entire first season available on their site. Their glowing review plus Sc-Fi Scoop’s loyal sci-fi lovin’ users plus full episodes on the site served to instantly increase After Judgment’s exposure among a targeted audience (and it didn’t cost them a dime). Sites are craving good content, and if you ask me, there should be a web series section on every niche site where users can discover relevant shows. So, identify the sites, assemble your fellow web series cohorts and go forth and multiply.
May the Brand Force Be With You.
Though the bailouts might suggest otherwise, there is only so much money to go around. And as labors of love morph into labors of debt, more web series are looking for brand sponsorship dollars to fund their shows. The problem is, in many cases, they’re all vying for the same piece of the pie. But, fortunately, so are the brands.
As more traditional marketing efforts – and especially TV advertising – continue to wane in reach and effectiveness, brands are increasingly turning to web entertainment as an interactive way to forge emotional connections with consumers. In other words, they need you as much as you need them. But many are just dipping their toes in the water and not allotting a significant portion of their ad spend to branded content (why can’t they all be like Southern Comfort and shift their entire media budget into digital?). So, you can create a more palatable value proposition for web entertainment naive brands by pitching an ensemble of web series as a package deal.
If you think about it, it’s no different than a brand advertising to the same demographic across multiple TV/cable networks and competitor shows. Bringing together a group of series that each represent a slice of the market the brand is trying to reach will not only give the brand greater exposure among its desired audience (and a more meaningful, one-to-one way of doing it), it will also allow each series to tap into the brand equity of the sponsor to advance their individual shows, and the web TV category as a whole. Plus, it represents the difference between five series getting funded vs. just one, and if the branded experiences are customized to the lifestyle and emotional triggers of the audience you’re trying to reach, both brand and series will be successful. And you can build on that momentum to feed ongoing production and promotion through your brand sponsor.
These tactics will likely evolve in the future once discovery is no longer a core issue and web channels become as recognizable as NBC or HBO. Or, as David Nett, creator of GOLD the series, so eloquently put it, “… once people accept that TV is just ‘television,’ and not the broadcast method.”
My hope is, at that time, more nimble models will emerge that allow for revenue-sharing opportunities with content creators over an archaic ratings system or ambiguous affiliate programs. Ideally, the content will have the monetary value – not the the distribution channel — and any remnants of a competition-based paradigm will be overshadowed by experiences that are simply an extension of users’ lives and viewing preferences — not their remote control.
Top photo by Paolo Camera. Second photo by ittybittiesforyou. Third photo by manyhighways.
Gennefer is a writer, producer and CEO of Space Truffles Entertainment, a boutique digital strategy shop specializing in branded entertainment, web series promotion and immersive transmedia narratives that extend the brand experience through custom multi-platform content. A new media strategist and advisor, Gennefer is considered a thought leader in branded entertainment and speaks on topics ranging from digital storytelling to augmented reality. With over a decade in traditional and web marketing, Gennefer develops compelling brand encounters and multimedia experiences that are changing the face of interactive entertainment.
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“Fans want the ability to share content with others and talk about storylines and characters, so facilitating a social vehicle where they can do that builds affinity for each participating series.”
One web site any series creator should check out is Anchor Cove. http://forum.anchorcove.net/.
A show’s needs in terms of financing, marketing, awareness and discovery determine it’s distribution. IMO opinion there are 3 types of distribution:
1) narrow distribution where you have an exclusive unique site or blog or ning, etc. This is suited for a show that has been established or has an established star, where the audience is seeking the content out and not vice versa. Or you have unmatched marketing resources.
2) targeted distribution: while maintaining an exclusive site you syndicate your show to a “network” site such as KoldKast, Strike.TV or StayTunedTV. Sites like these offer one stop shopping convenience for the viewer.
(Side note: love to see an article on these sites because I don’t get what they are doing and I feel like they have huge potential. As a viewer you’d go to these sites for community features, quality of viewing experience and exclusivity of content. I have yet to find a site that offers all three at a high level.)
3) Wide distribution: where not only do you have a unique site, maintain a presence on a network site but you syndicate to every site known to man that will take your show. Everyone needs money, money requires eyeballs and the way to get eyeballs is wide distribution.
Now I feel narrow distribution is the best option for growing an audience and promoting interactivity. You can’t be everywhere at once and if you could a lot of places where you can put your videos don’t have community features. If money is what you need to keep your production going though you don’t have the luxury of choice, you’re going wide.
Where I do agree is that web series should band together in terms of marketing and to generate awareness. It’s already being done for comedy with Axis of Comedy, Funny or Die, etc.
Anthony,
I don’t disagree that targeted distribution is key (and the ultimate goal). My stance has always been that niche engagements are the most fruitful in building a community around your content, and reaping the interactive benefits of the medium.
In addition, most of the tactics I proposed are geared toward blanketing specific genres to reach those pre-disposed to your content. But the fact of the matter is that those potential viewers are not yet ‘hanging out’ at the distribution channels you listed. Perhaps they will in the future, but they aren’t right now, so by building the web TV category as a whole, and your series under that umbrella, you may be able to lure them to those channels. i.e. “Wow, my favorite web series is now on KoldKast… I’m going watch it there.” Awareness first, targeted distribution second.
It’s not like launching a show on a major broadcast TV network that already has an existing audience you can tap into. These web properties are still in their infancy and only beginning to build their respective brands and create visibility for themselves as an online TV destination (plus, most don’t have the ad budget of a Hulu in making a big media splash at launch). So, if series can cultvate fan bases, and increase viewership through multiple vehicles, they can bring those viewers back to the channel. Not to mention the fact that you can likeky strike an even better distribution deal by supplying content for which there is actual demand.
In the long-term, I think destination content portals will be viable once people a) know that the content exists and b) where to find it. If you ask 10 users about StayTuned TV, I guarantee 9 will have never heard of it, so limiting your distribution exclusively through that channel at the onset will not benefit the series in generating exposure, traffic and viewership.
I don’t think offering content in multiple venues will cannibalize those channels. It will be the added value features you highlighted (delivery, participatory elements etc) that will draw viewers to choose one site over another. Whoever can figure out how to present the content in a compelling, user-friendy way while nurturing a community around those experiences will become the premiere destination — even if you can watch those same shows elsewhere.
The point is, in a space where most consumers still think web series are tantamount to viral YouTube videos, it is too early for exclusive content segregation. More far-reaching content saturation allows the type of wide accessibility you need to attract eyeballs, and you can scale back the delivery methods after that — with a tangible fan base in tow.
I completely agree. We often used the phrase “if you build it they don’t come” when explaining the difficulty of working so hard to create a series and then having to work as hard to find someone to watch it.
Very good information and it makes points we also have been realizing. Its nice to see it in print.
Tom Konkle
Creator Safety Geeks: SVI
e.g., Parlaying web series into social networking. Who knew. Thanks for the great article. I’ll be sure to put this on my project activity to-do list.
What about competing over merchandising, genius? People still have to choose where to put their money and resources are not unlimited. And also the fact that time is still spent watching those videos and the mental stamina following them. For instance – not everyone is going to want to follow every sci-fi series on the net – so if they find a better one, they might drop the old one.
Anonymous – Merchandising is a whole different ballgame. These shows are first trying to let people know that they even exist and build fan bases. The web TV category itself is still in its infancy, and as such, merchandising, and other tactics of more mature shows, are not applicable. Will they be in the future? Of course. And I clearly state that these tactics will evolve as the category matures, which will of course, lead to competition. There is no industry that exists (or thrives) without it. The point is that content creators are in a unique position *right now* to work together to build the category overall, and help each other gain exposure in the process. How they build upon that in the future, including vying for mental bandwidth, is not the issue at hand. Let’s build a solid foundation before we start decorating the house.
Gennefer, I completely disagree. Merchandising is a viable form of monetization for a web television series, even early on. The success of any web television property is directly proportional to its ability to build a base of fans that are committed to the success of the show. While you may not be able to sell advertising inventory against a show when your audience is in its infancy, you can certainly realize meager (but important) cash flow from the sale of merchandise to your fan base early on. Tiki Bar TV is a great example of a show that was supported entirely through the sale of merchandise through its first four years of production.
In fact, I recall you writing an entire article on specifically this phenomenon.
Brady – I don’t think we’re in disagreement on this topic. In fact, I reference merchandising and various fan-funded tactics in my ‘Odd Jobbing Your Way to Web Series Success’ post (http://news.tubefilter.tv/2009.....-success/), including Tiki Bar TV. But there are two issues here — one is around promoting and cultivating your show, the other is around getting exposure for your show, the former of which can’t yield results until you have viewers who want the merchandise, and are invested enough in the characters and storyline to purchase it. So, I believe the distinction lies between promotional vs awareness tactics. The focus of this post is on generating awareness, and as such, the strategy is first to attract viewers. Once you’ve got people watching, you can deliver added value items to support it. But you’re never going to get people to buy products for a show they’ve never heard of. I’m all for finding creative ways to monetize production and more deeply engage fans, but you need to have fans first, or viewers who have tuned in at least once that you can turn into merchandise-buying fans.
Gennefer — I was responding to your comment that ‘The web TV category itself is still in its infancy, and as such, merchandising, and other tactics of more mature shows, are not applicable’ — with which I disagree wholeheartedly.
While I do agree that you need an audience first before you can monetize a show in any way, I think that in many cases you can generate revenue through merchandising before you can generate substantial revenue through advertising. Merchandising shouldn’t be viewed as promotional activity (although that is an important side-effect), it’s revenue generating activity.
So yes, I think that we’re on the same page here — just debating the semantics.
Brady – Thanks for clarifying. Yes, we’re definitely on the same page. My comment you referenced was about it not being applicable to this particular discussion, where my focus was solely on awareness generation, and leveraging the strength of multiple series to first get the word out. I agree 100% that merchandising is an important revenue-driving activity with a promotional byproduct, and a monetization strategy should be developed early on. In fact, I don’t think an advertising model alone is sustainable, making it even more critical for series to explore other avenues for creating transactional value exchanges that feed production.
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