Media Trend: Cutting the cable cord
How to reach audiences across platforms with video streaming
As a broke millennial in the midst of starting my career, paying off student loans, and saving for my upcoming wedding, I’ve found creative ways to watch TV that includes digital options in lieu of a traditional cable subscription. I watch select programming with Hulu, Netflix, and broadcast channel websites on my computer, iPad, and by streaming it onto my TV. And I’m not alone. More and more of my friends are opting for the $8/month subscription and ditching cable altogether.
However, it’s not just millennials who are using these new technologies. Baby boomers aren’t far behind – my brother and I recently helped my dad set up his Apple TV, synced up our Hulu and Netflix accounts, and showed him how to access Downton Abbey via the PBS widget.
Due to these changes in television consumption, it’s not a bad idea to take a portion of your television media spend and put it towards digital video streaming. Through Hulu, the main advertisements I see are for national companies, mostly banks and weight loss options (ex. Weight Watchers, Crystal Light, Daily Burn), but more and more, I’m seeing local ads pop up. The most notable ones were for a local college and hospital system. Here are a few ways you can join in on video marketing:
- In-stream video/video pre-roll from specific services, ex. Hulu or PBS targeted to specific programming
- In-stream video-video pre-roll on an ad network targeted to news or health sites
- Facebook video newsfeed ads
- Post videos on YouTube and Pinterest
Traditional television viewership certainly isn’t dead, but allocating a portion of your television dollars to digital video streaming allows you to hit your audience across multiple platforms and increase your frequency.
Is your hospital’s digital marketing keeping up with the latest video consumption trends? Learn more in our newsletter, Protocol: The Changing Media Landscape.