Vinayak Shrivastav is CEO and cofounder of VideoVerse.
Multiscreen viewership represents a continued opportunity for broadcasters to engage audiences, expand their reach and create more revenue streams. A 2019 Ars Technica article cited a Nielsen report claiming that 88% of Americans “use a second digital device while watching TV.” The second device is often used to interact with content, whether it’s live polls, social media or companion apps.
Some broadcasters might assume the rise of the second screen is a threat. Viewers scrolling on a smartphone or tablet are dividing their attention, a fact broadcasters would not want to share with partners and advertisers who count on viewership.
However, forward-thinking broadcasters see multiscreen viewership as an opportunity; it’s another channel to connect and engage with viewers. For broadcasters, examples of this type of multiscreen strategy could include related articles on their website, polls that capture public sentiment on the topic and additional videos and engagement opportunities on their social media channels.
The Technology Side Of A Multiscreen Strategy
Media organizations need to digitize every element of their workflows to create the volume and diversity of content necessary for a multiscreen strategy to be successful. To achieve this goal, businesses must accomplish the following:
Personalization At Scale
Repurposing linear TV for digital platforms creates redundancy. Broadcasters have an opportunity to create native content that feels natural to the platform on which it’s published, thereby creating an entirely separate channel.
For example, when breaking news about the wildfires in Los Angeles, they could provide on-the-street interviews with locals, a timeline of the containment efforts and an interactive map of evacuations. Diverse content leads to personalization where viewers can choose the supplemental content for stories that interest them.
Accelerated Production And Distribution
With traditional workflows, producers can only edit and publish limited videos in a given news cycle. To bypass this limitation, AI-powered video editors can assist news broadcasters in autogenerating draft stories in minutes.
Since news stories aren’t created from scratch, they can be published at exponentially faster speeds with AI-supported tools. What previously took hours can now be done in minutes, showcasing how speeding up the workflow is providing the crucial missing element for populating multiscreen content.
Optimized Multiplatform Livestreaming
The second or multi-device screen is both an entertainment and a technical challenge. Broadcasters who distribute over-air content are accustomed to a one-size-fits-all approach for television, and this uniformity is not applicable with second screens.
Devices vary, spanning every model of smartphone and tablet. Channels vary, featuring different social media platforms and sites. To succeed in a multiscreen world, broadcasters and content producers are required to produce different versions of their videos, each tailored to the ideal orientation and dimension of devices and channels.
AI-powered auto-resizing provides the fastest and most affordable way to create optimized versions, and news/content brands that embrace this automation technology will have a competitive advantage when it comes to production and distribution. Their content will be tailor-made to capture attention and be available on a variety of second-screen channels and digital platforms.
Before Beginning The Multiscreen Journey
Adopting this approach comes with its challenges. Organizations must be prepared to do the following things before implementing a multiscreen journey:
Implementing A Big-Picture Strategy
Contrary to popular belief, implementing AI is not a silver bullet. In actuality, the technology aspect of AI is only a small part of any implementation. Business leaders must also consider other operational changes that should coincide with the tech adoption.
For example, broadcasters must provide training to production teams on the new types of creative they will need to make to populate the new channels. Overlooking learning and development may result in half-baked multiscreen strategies that don’t maximize the potential of the other mediums.
Anticipating Likely Challenges
The biggest challenge with any new implementation is change management. Staff members are familiar with the status quo of producing linear television, and some may be hesitant to change. To address their concerns, organizations must also have an equal focus on a program of change management to reduce the organizational friction that usually accompanies a major pivot in strategy.
Planning For Post-Implementation
Don’t neglect the initiatives that will be necessary after implementation. For example, there should be procurement for new tools so production teams are equipped with the best technology for their multiscreen strategy as well as ongoing learning and development to ensure they’re familiar with them.
In short, production teams that view their multiscreen journey as an ongoing, long-term process rather than an ad-hoc initiative will see the greatest success.
Reviewing The Checklist
While every production team will have a unique transition to multiscreen, a few commonalities exist that every business must consider.
1. Conduct a self-assessment of how well the organization is executing its current content strategy.
2. Define the goals of implementing a multiscreen content strategy.
3. Canvass widely for tools that can assist with a multiscreen content strategy, and vet each software provider through a thorough evaluation process.
4. Plan each part of implementation—such as training, market education, change management and solutioning—and how these initiatives will continue post-implementation.
The Second Screen: A Catalyst For Content Engagement
The second screen (a.k.a. multiscreen strategy) becomes even more crucial during peak content cycles. As viewers tune into the main story or telecast on television, they seek out more information on their other devices.
For example, as news programs aired the latest election coverage on TV, viewers may have turned to a second screen for additional content such as a data visualization of state-by-state votes and additional analysis from commentators.
Catering to a multiscreen and multiplatform audience ensures broadcasters will attract more viewers, increase audience engagement and boost revenue from advertisers. A multiscreen strategy is a key opportunity to win over the next generation of viewers and monetize content.
Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
This post was created with our nice and easy submission form. Create your post!
