Platforms vs. Your Own Media
Why You Need Both
Platforms are an essential way to reach new audiences, but they shouldn’t be where your relationship with your audience ends. The key to long-term success is building your own media, where you control the experience, keep your audience engaged, and ultimately convert them into loyal fans or customers.
Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are powerful for discovery. They have massive audiences, sophisticated recommendation algorithms, and frictionless access to content. However, relying solely on platforms is a dangerous game. The moment your audience can leave, they will—often lured away by platform recommendations. This is why businesses and creators must use platforms strategically, not as a destination but as a funnel.
The Right Strategy: Provide a Taste, Not the Whole Meal
A smart way to leverage platforms is by offering a sample of your content—just enough to hook new viewers and drive them toward your owned media. Disney provides a great example of this strategy in action.
Disney+ and YouTube: A Case Study
Disney+ has been experimenting with full-episode releases on YouTube as part of its marketing strategy. Take the recent release of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Instead of just dropping a trailer, Disney+ made the first episode available in full:
✅ On the official Disney+ YouTube channel
✅ On various media and entertainment channels embedding the content
✅ With no ad breaks, creating a seamless viewing experience
At the end of the episode, a trailer serves as a CTA directing viewers to sign up for Disney+.
On top of that, Disney+ invested in a sponsored ad campaign with direct links to the subscription page. The results?
🔥 Millions of views on Disney’s YouTube channel and other embedded platforms
🔥 Extensive reach thanks to external review sites embedding the video
Key Takeaways from Disney’s Strategy
1️⃣ Creators and External Media as Amplifiers
Beyond Disney’s own distribution, allowing external platforms and review sites to embed the content significantly boosted reach. These sites brought additional trusted audiences who might not have directly visited Disney+’s channels.
2️⃣ YouTube as a Discovery Tool
YouTube is not a competitor to streaming services—it’s a customer acquisition channel. With billions of monthly active users globally, and extended time spent on embedded content, YouTube serves as a crucial marketing platform.
3️⃣ YouTube and Review Sites Go Full Circle
Platforms like YouTube benefit by getting premium content in front of their paywall, increasing engagement. Meanwhile, streaming services leverage embedded content across various review platforms, extending their reach and reinforcing their brand.
The real question: Did it translate to subscriptions?
Only Disney+ knows for sure.
Should You Use This Strategy?
If your goal is to drive subscriptions, build brand loyalty, or increase engagement, this model is worth considering. However, the key is ensuring that platforms remain a top-of-funnel tool—not the final destination.
So, are you buying into this strategy? Or are you still leaving your audience’s loyalty in the hands of algorithms and ads ?