Crafting Effective OTT Content Strategies for Niche Audiences

Most creators that venture into OTT content dream of making it big, with millions of views on their videos and heaps of ad revenue. However, not every channel can be a juggernaut like Mr. Beast. Nevertheless, this doesn't mean that you can't make the most of your audience. Even smaller content creators that appeal to a niche audience can monetize their content and find success with the right OTT marketing strategies. Consider how to make your niche work for you.

Crafting Effective OTT Content Strategies for Niche Audiences

Overcoming the Struggles of a Niche OTT Segment

Niche audiences can frustrate content creators since their OTT channels don't grow as fast as hoped. OTT platforms rely on algorithms to recommend content, and these algorithms push content to new users, measure whether they click on the video and how long they watch, and then decide whether to keep pushing that content further. If your content initially performs well with a very specific audience, but falters once the video is brought to a wider group, you've got a niche audience.

If you're trying to appeal to a mass audience when your content doesn't have mass appeal, you won't overcome these struggles. Instead, fall in love with your niche audience and create content specifically for them. While you may not have millions of subscribers, your thousands of loyal followers can still become a significant revenue stream. What strategies work best for niche content?

3 Strategies to Employ Now

1. Multi-Platform OTT Marketing

Small channels often make the mistake of sticking to a single platform and a single video format. While it's normal for creators to choose one platform to start out and keep the workload manageable, you may be missing out on potential viewers within your niche who prefer other platforms. Twitch streamers, for example, often upload their recorded streams to YouTube with some light editing. Some people just can't watch your stream live, so give them an alternative.

Synchronizing your content distribution across multiple platforms and formats may seem like a lot of work. However, you can make it easier by using a media cloud system that can publish your content across multiple platforms instantly, saving you time and expanding your reach.

2. Stimulate Engagement

Engaging with your small community is essential, especially if you hope to sell a product or service later on. By building a relationship with your viewers and interacting with them, they'll become more loyal fans of your content. Eventually, some of them will become customers.

Try to promote engagement via live streams, contests, or encourage comments on videos. You could even create a pay-per-view event for your most loyal fans.

3. Take Advantage of Platform Features to Support Creators

Many platforms have features to allow you to collect additional revenue from viewers directly. For example, YouTube's channel memberships or Twitch subscriptions can provide steady monthly income. You'll need to offer something in return, though. Get creative and think about what your audience really wants.

When you apply these strategies across every platform, you'll see greater revenue growth, even if your audience is small. To make it easier, visit Lightcast.com and schedule a callback with us to learn how we can help your content find more eyes through our innovative Media Cloud and OTT solutions.