Introduction
The purpose of the following communications audit is to analyze Netflix’s use of social and traditional communications channels, with a soft focus on Netflix’s content posted or published in Sept. 2021 and Oct. 2021. This report will analyze traditional media coverage as well as social media use and content. Social media content, in particular, will showcase what steps Netflix is taking to build brand loyalty among its subscribers.
Current Strategy
- Social Media: Netflix’s social media activity is perhaps one of the more notable aspects of the brand’s communication strategy. Netflix uses social media to inspire loyalty in consumers and offer a more personalized viewing experience. Netflix puts effort and money into producing original content exclusive to its social platforms that give subscribers a behind-the-scenes look at their favorite films or series. More users interact with Netflix on Instagram than on any other social platform.
- Traditional/Digital Media: Netflix shows that it works to maintain a strong and consistent relationship with traditional media organizations. As a leader in the streaming and entertainment industry, Netflix receives media coverage from thousands of media sites.
- Press Releases: Netflix is extremely active in utilizing its newsroom or media center, often releasing multiple news releases per day. Releases are typically categorized by location and provide insight into Netflix’s plans and actions as a company, as well as updates and announcements about its content.
- Key Messages: Through social media and traditional media campaigns, Netflix essentially brands itself as a platform that has something for everyone. Over the past year or so, Netflix has branded itself as a platform for inclusion and a changemaker in the entertainment industry.
Social Media Assessment
Facebook (@netflix) and (@netflixus)
As of Oct.4, 2021, Netflix’s main Facebook page had 78,003,817 followers and 78,582,403 likes. This account seems as though it was abandoned, as the most recent post was just over two years ago on Sept.9, 2019. Instead, most of Netflix’s Facebook activity seems to take place on the Netflix U.S. account.
On this page, Netflix promotes its content in a very straightforward manner. The posts found here announce the premiere of a movie or television show and the content is pulled straight from the official trailers. There are no other kinds of posts except to announce new content, original or otherwise, on the platform.
The tone used in the captions of Netflix’s Facebook posts feel relatively dry when compared to the tone used by the brand on other social platforms. Overall, there is a good amount of variation in engagement from one post to the next. Some posts have tens of thousands of likes, shares, comments and reactions. Others might only get a few hundred. A pattern that can be observed in many of Netflix’s posts is that posts with higher engagement rates tend to revolve around content that the audience might already be familiar with. Examples include older movies and shows that were not created by Netflix, and sequels and new seasons of already-existing Netflix original shows and films. In these two examples, the more popular of the two posts was announcing that the movie “Freedom Writers” had been added to Netflix (Figure 1). This is not a movie created by Netflix, but it is one that has earned its popularity and might be more recognizable to the audience. In contrast, the post that was not as popular had to do with a newer Netflix original series, “The Circle” (Figure 2). Entering its third season, “The Circle” is a popular program that inspires lots of social media discussion. Despite this, this post might not have been as recognizable to Facebook users as “Freedom Writers” might be.
Instagram (@netflix)
According to Socialtracker.io, Netflix had 280,387,988 followers on its main Instagram account as of Oct. 5, 2021. Netflix followed 1,017 users and had a total of 4,326 posts. Netflix earns an average of about 266,206 likes per post and about 857 comments. This translates to a 0.94% engagement rate. Netflix’s Instagram averages about four posts per day. Netflix does not tend to use hashtags on Instagram posts and captions are usually kept to about one sentence.
On Instagram, Netflix takes a more casual approach to its content and tone. Netflix goes beyond trailers in promoting its content on Instagram. Content on Instagram is a good mix of both photos and videos. The photos or videos might come straight from a film or series, or it might be altered to fit a meme format. Netflix also produces original social content, often featuring the stars of popular Netflix films or television shows.
One of Netflix’s more recent successful Instagram posts showcases Netflix’s strength in social media. One of Netflix’s biggest strengths is its ability to stay relevant and make its posts timely. The success of the post shown on the right (Figure 3) can be attributed to just that. First, the visual element in the post is a screen cap from Netflix’s show “Squid Games,” which has quickly become one of the most popular shows on the platform and has inspired many memes and online discussions (Lawler, 2021). The second part of Netflix’s success with this post comes from the caption and subsequent comment. The caption and the comment both address the global Facebook outage that occurred on Oct. 4, 2021, which not only resulted in a loss of access to Facebook, but to Instagram as well. This outage received significant media coverage and was a main topic of discussion on other platforms such a Twitter. Netflix’s ability to not only respond quickly to the situation, but to also do it in a humorous and colloquial manner, was likely a driving factor behind the success and popularity of this post.
Another example of a successful post is similar and features images from two popular Netflix shows— “Squid Game” and “La Casa De Papel” (Figure 4). The success of these two posts demonstrates the growing influence and popularity of international shows on Netflix. Netflix’s main Instagram account, as opposed to auxiliary accounts such at Most, Con Todo and Strong Black Lead.
An example of an unsuccessful post is one that left followers somewhat confused about the purpose of the post (Figure 5). The visual content of the post had no recognizable characters or scenes. While the post still received just over 75,000 likes, there was clear confusion in the comments, as it didn’t fit with any of Netflix’s other posts.
TikTok (@netflix)
As of Oct.5, 2021, Netflix’s TikTok following had grown to more than 20.3 million followers and the account had earned over 308.5 million likes. Netflix’s TikTok account follows 366 other TikTokers and according to Socialtracker.io, had 1,290 videos posted. According to Socialtracker.io, Netflix earns an average of 375,900 views, 34,190 likes and 1,108 comments per video. This translates to a 0.18% engagement rate. Netflix shares about four posts per day. Netflix’s strategy on TikTok is similar to its strategy on other platforms, in that its content promotes shows and films on the platform. Similarly, Netflix has adjusted its content to fit the social platform in the same way it did on Twitter and Instagram. For example, Netflix uses popular TikTok sounds and references to trends. Netflix also uses TikTok to post short clips from films and series, as well as original content produced for social media that can be found on its other platforms as well. TikTok also provides another example of Netflix’s strong use of internet slang.
The post featured above on the right (Figure 7) is one of Netflix’s most popular recent TikToks and features a clip from “Squid Game,” following a trend seen with Netflix’s other platforms where “Squid Game” content is receiving a significant amount of engagement. This TikTok received 125.9 million views and 12.9 million likes, well above the average.
The post on the left (Figure 6), however, did significantly worse and fell below average in many metrics. This post earned 8,283 likes and 128 comments. Many of the comments had nothing to do with the content of the post itself, rather were requests from fans of different shows, many requesting that Netflix bring back their favorite shows for another season. The purpose of this post was to announce a new series or program on Netflix, one that is in a foreign language. It can be compared to the other post because they are both foreign-language programs, however, one is much more popular than the other.
One notable social media campaign that Netflix ran on TikTok sought to recruit TikTok users to become influencers for the brand through the use of hashtags and a video filter. In late 2020, Netflix had TikTokers use the #CobraKaiChop hashtag and a special filter to spread awareness about the show’s third season, which premiered in January of 2021. Stars of the show, along with popular TikTokers, posted their own videos using the filter and hashtag. Videos under this hashtag earned a total of about 5.8 billion views.
Twitter (@netflix)
Netflix’s Twitter account boasts a following of just over 13.4 million followers with over 41,000 tweets, as of Oct.5, 2021. According to socialtracker.io, Netflix receives an average of 4,831 likes per tweet and 400 retweets per tweet, resulting in a 0.04% engagement rate. This engagement rate is much lower than that of Netflix’s Instagram and Facebook accounts. Netflix does not use any hashtags very consistently and hashtags that are used tend to be of shows and actors discussed in the respective tweets.
Twitter is perhaps the best example of Netflix’s strong social media use. Netflix interacts with other users in a way that cannot necessarily happen on other platforms. For example, Netflix makes good use of Twitter’s retweet feature and will retweet conversations about content or fan art. Netflix also often responds to its followers either through comments or quote tweets. Additionally, Netflix often provides prompts in their tweets and invite followers to respond with a favorite character, movie, episode, quote, or scene. Netflix seems to interact with followers more directly than on any other platform.
Netflix often adjusts its content for Twitter specifically. For example, Netflix will post memes on Twitter that are often directly related to other trending memes or trends.
An example of a success post on Netflix’s twitter was posted on Oct. 4, 2021 (Figure 8). Much like Netflix’s other successful recent posts, this post had to do with “Squid Game.” One reason this this post was successful could have been its timeliness. Similar to one of Netflix’s successful Instagram posts, this post poked fun at Facebook’s platform crash that same day, which brought down Instagram as well.
On the other hand, an example of a relatively unsuccessful tweet is one that uses more formal language and adopts a more standard format to promote Netflix’s content (Figure 9). This post is nearly identical to one that might be found on Facebook and does not necessarily invite interaction from other users. It almost ignores the causal nature of Twitter and differs from the tone used in other posts.
YouTube (Netflix)
On YouTube, Netflix has about 21.7 million subscribers and more than 4.5 billion views. There are nearly five thousand videos on Netflix’s YouTube channel. On average, Netflix’s YouTube videos earn 431,618 views and 13,214 likes per video. Netflix’s YouTube has a 97.58% like ratio and a 0.06% engagement rate.
Netflix in a way treats YouTube as an extension of its own platform. In addition to releasing trailers and teasers as Netflix does on other social networks, Netflix uses YouTube as a primary hosting platform for its original social content. Netflix hosts mini-shows and creates behind-the-scenes videos to supplement the content found on its platform. This is another example of Netflix’s strength at adjusting social content for the platform on which its posted. Original social content includes reaction videos and “challenge” videos, which fit a popular type of video format often found on YouTube.
This is also where Netflix pursues more diverse content and creates content aimed at more marginalized demographics. For example, Netflix’s YouTube channel features a mini show hosted by drag queens Trixie and Katya, who react to scenes and shows on Netflix (Figure 10). This series not only provides representation for the LGBTQ+ community, but it also uses the popularity of drag queens to promote content in a new way. Another example is a selection on Netflix’s YouTube page called “Strong Black Lead,” which is also the name of Netflix-branded Twitter and Instagram accounts. This section offers commentary on Netflix shows and films as well as content that could appeal to African American audiences. Another example is a sketch mini show called “Go Off”, starring Latinx Netflix actors Julissa Calderon and Jessica Marie Garcia, and featuring stars of other Netflix shows and films.
Influencers
On most of Netflix’s social media channels, brand influencers have largely consisted of actors from notable Netflix projects, as they promote their own projects and others. Original video content often features the casts of original shows and movies doing “challenges” or interviews in attempts to promote their projects. ”Go Off” is an example of using stars of shows to create additional content. Jessica Marie Garcia plays a lead character on the show “On My Block” and Julissa Calderon plays a leading character on the show “Gentefied.” Garcia and Calderon have 2.2 million and 196,000 Instagram followers, respectively. Netflix will also repost images or tweets from notable actors or artists to promote their content, even if the photos are simply a selfie or a behind-the-scenes shot.
Specific social content
Another unique approach that Netflix takes to its social media strategy is using Twitter and Instagram to create different social profiles so audiences can get more specific and personalized social content. In 2018, Netflix created Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead), a social profile for Black Americans to see posts geared towards their communities and have centralized discussions about Netflix’s content. This account also promotes black artists and creators on Netflix’s platform. There is also Con Todo (@contodonetflix), which does the same for members of the Latinx community; Most (@most), which is aimed towards the LGBTQ+ community; NetflixFilm (@netflixfilm) which focuses on Netflix’s film content; Netflix Family (@netflixfamily), which promotes family-friendly content on Netflix; and Netflix is a joke (@netflixisajoke) for comedy fans. These accounts seek to help build brand loyalty and foster excitement about Netflix’s content.
Traditional Media and Communication Strategies
According to media analytics platform Muck Rack, there were 50,166 news articles written about Netflix in the United States during the month of September. Significant reporters covering Netflix include Lynn Elber of the Associated Press, freelance reporter Cassie Sheets, iHeartRadio editor Emily Lee, Kieran Doody of UK Today and film writer and critic Jake Coyle of the Associated Press. In the month of September, Netflix also had just over 15,000 unique outlets writing about the company. Coverage related to Netflix typically has to do with the platform’s content such as movie and television reviews, and announcements about updates to Netflix’s lineup.
Netflix uses its newsroom very frequently, often issuing multiple news releases per day. Some of these releases provide media outlets with information about which shows or films are coming to or leaving Netflix in a given month. Netflix also uses releases to announce events that it is hosting, social consciousness initiatives and the stories behind Netflix’s content. Netflix breaks its releases into four main categories: business, entertainment, innovation and social impact.
In addition to its newsroom, Netflix has developed other branded publications and written content. An example of this is a digital and print magazine, called Netflix Queue, which gives insight into the creation of Netflix’ content. Established in 2019, Queue delves deeply into the process of creating entertainment at Netflix and helps brand the company as a forward-thinking, high-end company looking to revolutionize the entertainment industry.
In addition to social media, Netflix reaches out to its customers in more direct ways as well. One way Netflix does this is through email. When customers begin a show and do not continue or take a while to return, they might receive a promotional email such as the one on the right imploring them to return and finish the show or film they started. The email might also include other popular titles on the platform that the user may enjoy. Netflix’s advanced algorithm has been part of its brand identity and these personalized emails have become an extension of that algorithm.
Comparative Analysis
Background
HBO Max is a relatively new competitor for Netflix but has already become a powerful one. In just over a year, HBO Max, combined with the original streaming service HBO, grew to a total of 44.1 million subscribers (Lee, 2021). HBO Max is a streaming service that was established in May 2020 and comes from HBO and Warner Bros.
Social Media Metrics
Followers (Approximate)
| Platform | Netflix | HBO Max |
| 78,003,817 | 976,924 | |
| 280,387,988 | 1,631,209 | |
| TikTok | 20,500,000 | 1,000,000 |
| 13,471,123 | 569,382 | |
| YouTube (subscribers) | 21,700,000 | 999,000 |
Strategy Comparison: Facebook
Similar to Netflix, HBO Max uses Facebook to promote content on its platform. HBO Max posts visual content, mostly photos and videos to promote new films and programs, just how Netflix does. HBO Max seems to attempt a more colloquial tone on Facebook than Netflix does, but overall keeps its content more consistent. While Netflix has significantly more followers on Facebook, HBO Max has a faster growth rate, growing at 13.4% versus Netflix’s growth at 2.8%. HBO Max’s overall engagement rate is also growing much faster than Netflix’s. HBO Max’s total engagement rate is growing at a 369.2% rate while Netflix’s is growing by 18.9%. Netflix’s comments and shares on the platform are both declining while HBO Max’s are growing. Still, both companies seem to rely more on other social platforms than they do on Facebook.
Strategy Comparison: Instagram
Netflix has a significantly larger following on Instagram than HBO Max. Because HBO Max is a new competitor and has a relatively new social media presence, a difference in following is expected, however, HBO Max’s Instagram is also growing at a much slower rate than Netflix’s, gaining just over 3,000 followers a day. Netflix is gaining more than 16,000 a day, according to socialtracker.io. HBO Max posts approximately twice per day, which is lower than Netflix’s rate of about four posts per day. HBO Max’s content between Facebook and Instagram is relatively consistent and is intended to announce and promote content on the platform. Overall, the content on HBO Max’s Instagram is less diverse than the type of content found on Netflix’s Instagram. Netflix will share original content just for social media platforms, whether its mini shows, video segments or memes. There seems to be very little made-for-social content on HBO Max’s Instagram account. Netflix also incorporates outside posts in its feed, sometimes posting screenshots of tweets from fans.
Strategy Comparison: TikTok
HBO Max’s TikTok strategy is similar to Netflix’s, which includes posting clips from films and series that can be found on the platform. In this way, HBO Max remains consistent across nearly all its social platforms. This differs only slightly from Netflix, as Netflix will occasionally post edits or original social content in addition to clips from movies and series on its platform. On TikTok, HBO Max surpasses Netflix in terms of its engagement rate. According to socialtracker.io, HBO Max has a 0.55% engagement rate on TikTok, as opposed to Netflix’s 0.19% engagement rate. Still, Netflix posts much more frequently than HBO Max does, posting an average of four times per day, as opposed to once per day.
Strategy Comparison: Twitter
On Twitter, Netflix maintains a higher engagement rate than HBO Max, however, HBO Max’s engagement rate is growing more rapidly. According to Rival IQ, Netflix’s engagement rate grew by 165.2%, whereas HBO Max’s grew by 315.8%. HBO Max is also growing faster in terms of followers. HBO Max’s follower count grew by 7.3% compared to Netflix growing by 3.5%. Netflix posts almost eight tweets per day, whereas HBO Max posts about seven times. This platform is where the content posted by the two brands begins to differ. A vast majority of HBO Max’s tweets are original, or, if they are retweeted, they come from verified news accounts or other HBO-branded accounts. Netflix, on the other hand, uses the more casual nature of Twitter’s platform to recruit influencers through retweets and interact more directly with audiences. Another difference is that Netflix maintains a more meme-like trend and tone throughout its Twitter content. While HBO Max makes attempts to do the same, its Twitter content does not vary much from its content on other platforms.
Strategy comparison: YouTube
While Netflix has significantly more YouTube subscribers than HBO Max, this is another platform where HBO Max is growing quicker than Netflix. Netflix’s subscribers grew 2.8% to 21.8 million, whereas HBO Max subscribers grew 7.9% to 1 million, according to Rival IQ. Netflix also publishes much more frequently than HBO Max. Netflix is averaging 26.4 posts per week compared to 16.1 posts by HBO Max. HBO Max’s YouTube content is extremely similar to its content on other platforms. The posts consist simply of clips from shows and movies on the platform. There is one immediate example of a mini show from HBO Max, however it does not stand out from the other content. YouTube shows perhaps the most notable difference between HBO Max’s social content and Netflix’s. Netflix’s YouTube content is mostly original and made to go along with Netflix’s films and series.
Strategy comparison: Traditional media
According to Muck Rack, HBO Max was mentioned in the media about just over 14,000 times in the month of September. This is compared to the over 50,000 times that Netflix was mentioned. Similar to Netflix, HBO Max is consistent in its newsroom and publishes a release about every day. Most featured releases have to do with content on the platform and serve as releases for new content being added. HBO Max also has categories for its releases, classifying them based on their pertinence to programming, property and events. Because HBO Max is a brand owned by Warner Media, releases are managed and published through there. In addition to announcements for new content, HBO Max was frequently mentioned in stories pertaining to Disney Plus’s lawsuit with “Black Widow” actor Scarlett Johansson.
Marisol Ortega 