Why branded apps are the best way to grow your subscriber base

<p>Paula was a member of the Content Marketing team at Vimeo. She's a film and theatre buff, trivia champ, and bunny enthusiast.</p>
Paula Rosenberg
If you're thinking about starting an OTT service, branded apps can help you grow and retain your subscriber base.

Streaming video is here to stay, folks.

70% of American households subscribe to at least one subscription video on demand (SVOD) service, according to a recent report.  In fact, most people are “over the top” (OTT) channel connoisseurs — the average American subscribes to 3.4 different OTT apps.

Some people may be streaming through their laptops, but a majority of those watchers are accessing their favorite content through their smart TV, tablet, or smartphone. If your video subscription channel doesn’t have branded OTT apps, you may be missing out on your most active subscribers. Of all Vimeo-powered networks with 1,000 or more subscribers, 93% have branded apps.

Branded apps can be downloaded by your customers for in various app stores. This allows your customers to watch your content on their preferred streaming device.

Vimeo OTT currently offers branded apps on iOS, tvOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One, and Roku. Having apps for your SVOD not only increases awareness of your brand, but also helps grow your subscriber base and reduce customer churn. 

93 percent branded apps stat

How can OTT apps help me gain subscribers?

Having your brand appear in a platform’s app store can increase your visibility to prospective subscribers. If they’re looking for the type of content you offer — whether it be original programming, fitness, instructional videos, etc — being present in app stores is a great way to get discovered.

In 2018, 57.5% of customers across Vimeo OTT networks subscribed via an app. You can increase your chances of being featured in an app store by making sure your brand message is clear and that customers quickly understand what type of content is included in your subscription.

Before your content appears in the branded video player, use Vimeo’s powerful editing suite for tasks such as cutting video, combining footage, video compression, and making GIFs.

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