How to Make Your OTT Platform Stand Out in the Indian Market Original content primarily enables platforms to create differentiation and drive user engagement and stickiness.
By Nidhi Singh
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With leading international players like Netflix, Amazon Prime entering the digital space, the competition in the Indian Over the top (OTT) market has intensified. As more and more consumers are taking the digital route, the OTT players are betting big on bringing diverse content on one platform.
According to a recent KPMG report, the OTT video consumption in India has rapidly evolved over the last year, given the advancements in digital infrastructure and efforts by platforms to create compelling content for consumers at price points which provide value. Original content primarily enables platforms to create differentiation and drive user engagement and stickiness.
Entrepreneur lists out few ways to make OTT platform stand out in a crowded market.
Grab Eyeballs With Unique Content:
With the recent upsurge of the internet speed, the competition in this space is growing with every passing day. Simultaneously, it is increasing the expectations of the consumers from the OTT players
Shabir Momin, MD & CTO of ZengaTV feels the interesting and the most entertaining content will keep the game going to another level. Players which bring the content which is unique stands a chance to grab many eyeballs of the consumers
"We are at that phase where one gets latest information/news etc. on social media platform first in lieu of the news portal. Most of the news, videos are gaining popularity on the social media platforms with the consumers. Therefore it's important to showcase and distribute the content in the most engaging way on such platforms which can lead the consumers directly to the OTT services out of curiosity. It could be some with latest social tools, highlighting the most captivating points about the content which directs the patrons to the OTT platform," he explained.
Collaboration at the right time with the right business is very important in this business. Shabir added that collaboration with the individual creators indeed keeps the ball rolling, simultaneously offering the best to the consumers.
Discover Your Niche In The Market:
OTT in India is still new and its reach is fragmented. However, owing to the massive spread of digitalization and increasing the affordability of smartphones, OTT is reaching to the rural hinterlands of India. The same offer opportunities for brands to truly standout by focusing on the growing market for regional content.
According to Uday Reddy- CEO & Founder, YuppTV, It is important for industry players to discover their niche in the market.
"In addition, while there is an increase in the number of videos available online, the end user is spoilt for choices. An OTT platform should typically endeavour to make the online experience truly seamless. Using Data Sciences, Machine Learning & Deep Learning to understand preferences specific to a user and provide content best matching their interests and behaviour patterns would contribute towards the uniqueness of the brand,"he stressed.
Use Regional Content to Win Over Consumers:
Uday further pointed out that users today like to munch on snackable content that is perhaps light-hearted and filled with humor. The same can then be used to woo users into viewing the original web series.
"Besides, brands can follow a mix of different languages. The market for content in regional languages like Hindi, Tamil, Malyalam, and Telugu is growing and OTT platforms would benefit from including the same," he added.