Netflix is ​​diversifying its content offering with games to retain users on its platform

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If the gaming industry was already competitive, ever since Netflix announced that it was going to enter the industry, all the players in this market — considered one of the most profitable in the world — predict that things will get even more difficult.

Netflix Games started with five titles available for iPhone, iPad and Android users, two of them related to the universe of one of Netflix's most famous shows: Stranger Things .


Source: Netflix
Netflix is ​​joining a trend started by large companies like Google and linkedin database Amazon that want to take a slice of a market that is growing every day .

According to Netflix, the games will be included in a dedicated category within the platform and will be included in the basic subscription, with no additional fees, ads or in-game purchases.

As we can see from this information, Netflix is ​​not planning to make money directly by selling games to the public (not at this time). Instead, they are aiming for something much more important and difficult to achieve, something for which games can be an excellent strategy to be used.

It's all a matter of time and attention
Yes, Netflix wants more time and attention from its customers, and to do that, they are investing in games. This sounds similar to a Content Marketing strategy, doesn’t it?

Have you ever looked at the face of a person who is playing a game? You've probably seen their eyes wide open and an expression of total concentration.

As reported by The State of Online Gaming Survey 2021 , the average gamer spends more than 8 hours per week playing video games (25% play for more than 12 hours).

This represents a 14% increase compared to last year's survey. This number is expected to be even higher in the coming years and that is exactly what Netflix (Google and Amazon too) is betting on.

During these times of high information, getting people to spend more time within your domain while interacting with your content is more valuable than gold. The idea now is not just to get in front of people, but to stay there as long as possible. It's basically about creating a relationship .

Netflix has been aware of this concept for some time now
In January 2019 , while publishing its business results, it reported that one of its main competitors was neither HBO nor Disney, but Fortnite (Epic Games).

The game, with more than 200 million users at the time, was seen as a threat because it managed to take away the most precious thing in the entertainment world: people's time.

And speaking of famous games, Netflix recently released Arcane , an animation that tells the origin of some League of Legends characters (Riot Games).

You know what they say: if you can't beat them, join them by diversifying your content!

Netflix is ​​diversifying its content offering to keep people's attention... and you should too
It's a truly tried and tested strategy: diversifying your content offering can help people become interested in you as an authority first, and then in what you have to offer.

With all content marketing initiatives, it's important to understand your audience and craft copy and images that make sense to them.

And if your content is really good, people will always be waiting for your next release. That's why quality is always one of the main goals for marketers, as it's a way to build a fan base.

While a fan-based model may seem like it only works for entertainment businesses like Netflix and Epic Games, a company in another industry can also have an engaged audience and organic promoters.


Stranger Things 3: The Game | Source: XboxOne HQ
Of course, content is the end product of every entertainment company and that might not be applicable in other industries. But content has power regardless of that. People will always consume it and if it’s good, they’ll come back for more.

And the more you diversify the types of content you offer, the greater your chances of catching people's attention and having a positive impact on them.

In other words, in 2021, it's not enough to simply post traditional content on your corporate blog. Netflix realized that just offering series and movies wouldn't be enough to retain people on its platform.

At Rock Content, we are leading this trend. We are a company that became known for creating evergreen SEO content that ranks high on Google.

That's great, but we needed more (and so did our consumers).

So, we started investing in interactive content like quizzes, solution finders, surveys, interactive ebooks and infographics, etc.

We diversify our content to improve its quality, reach more people and take advantage of different content formats to educate, engage and entertain our audience.

There's more: videos, podcasts, newsletters, thought leadership articles. What is your audience consuming in your field and how can you help them with valuable information?

We are in the era of content experiences , where people tend to ignore ads and at the same time want companies to keep them informed. What are your company's efforts in that area?

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