Netflix Look to Mobile for Long-Term Customer Acquisition Growth
Netflix knows a thing or two about customer acquisition. During their recent Q3 earnings call, the streaming media giant shocked industry analysts by completely crushing their predictions for new subscribers. The pundits predicted 5 million, Netflix hit 7 million, sending their share price soaring.
Netflix now has 137 million members and hopes to add a further 9.4 million new subscriber in the fourth quarter.
A Mobile-First Strategy
Mobile is a huge part of Netflix’s growth strategy, both in the US and internationally, and you don’t have to look too hard to see why it’s so important for the company to get it right.
Take a flight or ride a train anywhere in the world and you’ll see a large number of your fellow passengers streaming video content on their smartphones. They’re not reading books, they’re not listening to music – they are catching up the latest box set or streaming the latest Hollywood blockbuster.
Note: In today’s busy world, the only time many people have to catch up on their viewing is while on the move.
However, the battle for eyeballs on streaming content is intense and so it is vitally important that companies like Netflix put their services directly in front of viewers at the point of consumption.
Preloading the NetFlix App
Preloading the Netflix app on smartphones is just one of the many routes Netflix is adopting to win new subscribers.
Speaking on their Q3 earnings call, Gregory K. Peters, Chief Product Officer at Netflix, said: “We’ve done a bunch of preloads with Verizon on their Android phones in the United States. So there’s just all these different ways which we can use that as a vehicle to bring more subscribers to the service. But there’s also a great sort of subscriber experience component of it too, which is something that we’re exploring more and more.
“It’s not only just a direct content enjoyment part of the experience but things like previews and teasers and what’s coming now and how can we sort of create a continuum of experience … but also things that sort of lead up to that, which maybe don’t take a 30- or a 45-minute viewing session, but you can get 5 minutes. You’re waiting in line and you can catch a preview of a show that you are excited to watch and maybe you watch that when you get home later tonight. That’s the kind of experience, I think, we really can invest in and see good returns from in the years to come.”
Learn More
Preloading isn’t just for big corporations like Netflix. The team at Digital Turbine work with app developers from organizations of all shapes and sizes, helping them position their apps in front of the right people at the right time and at the right price.
To learn how Digital Turbine can help your app acquire new subscribers, talk to one of our preloading experts today.
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