While the following stream of consciousness is for content creators as a whole, one persistent theme you might pick up in this short article pertains to YouTube and those who assume that success on YouTube = success on CTV. I need to add that what got me thinking about this was a recent browse of 'newly added' apps on Roku and the number of times I watched a piece of content where I was asked to 'Subscribe up in the top left'.
So, just because the content streaming revolution has put the biggest screen in the home within reach, should you aim to put yourself on it?
Knee-jerk answer: No.
More considered answer: Yes and no.
Real answer: Very possibly...but. There is a right and wrong way to go about putting your hard work on tv, but it requires respecting the difference in viewer environment, intention and expectation when it comes to screen size, and subsequently incorporating your content onto the big screen for them the right way - if at all.
Where is the content you create today consumed? Is it mainly on small screens and laptops? If it is, then you need to understand that someone's interests when they are on the throne (loo to some) trying to kill 5 minutes are existentially different to what they are when they're lying on the sofa with an ice cold (sponsor name here) craft beer in their hand. To lean forward is to learn. To lean back is to escape and enjoy.To the question above - what purpose does your content serve? Do people come to you to solve a problem or be entertained? I may want to learn how to 'life hack' a specific problem, but do I want to sit through hours of you teaching me never ending life hacks while I'm trying to unwind from the day?Imagine you just returned from a sh**ty day at the office and all you wanted to do was escape. You get your (sponsor name here) beer, dissolve into the sofa and grab the remote - would you watch the content you create for hours? Or would you get lost in another Netflix movie, a series you're rewatching or channel surf on Pluto TV while idly using your phone at the same time (91% of people watching TV are on a second screen at the same time).Do you create enough stuff? There's a statistic out there I'm sure, but I'm certain I'm not the only one who has gone to a channel or app, loved it, returned the next day to get more entertainment and bailed because I see nothing new.
You need to be incredibly careful about how you approach being on TV because it's easy to assume success and even easier to be misled. But here is the truth - those who know me are aware of how passionate I am about the power and potential of CTV and this is precisely why Stephen and I started Origin - to create a place for those who deserve to be on the biggest screen in the home, but need to do it the right way.