What is a B2C company? This is the first question which must be answered before we enter into a discussion about the social media promotion of Netflix, a B2C company. “B2C” stands for “Business To Consumer”. In short, B2C companies sell their product/service directly to the customer, as opposed to selling their wares to another business that will sell for them. When you hear this description, your thoughts may go directly to bake sales, quilt shops, and farmers’ markets. However, Netflix is considered a B2C company because they offer movie/television streaming subscriptions directly to their customers, although only some of their content is produced by Netflix themselves. Anyway, this gives you a little bit of information about the type of company Netflix is. Now, we can dive into their social media techniques.
Marketing Methods
Personally, Facebook is the most effective marketing tool that Netflix has used on me. While scrolling through Facebook posts, I am constantly distracted by posts by Netflix. In addition to posting commercials, they also share clips of videos and tv shows from pivotal moments, such as dreamy-eyed scenes during romantic comedies or explosions during action movies. They also share movie trivia, countdowns to show releases, etc. I have actually ended up watching things in response to Netflix posts I have accidentally stumbled across while on Facebook. Netflix promotions show up in my feed. However, you can check out Netflix’s official Facebook page here.
Being a video streaming company, Netflix also has a very good YouTube page, with hundreds of trailers and behind-the-scenes videos. They actually have multiple channels, including a Netflix Jr. channel which can be found at the bottom of their main YouTube page.
Netflix’s Twitter page is set up similar to their Facebook page, with commercials, trivia, movie posters, and memes:
Overall, Netflix does an excellent job of assuring they have coverage on social media. Their company has become such a large part of social media that it has found its way into movies and tv shows:
Communication with Customers
The tone of the posts shared by Netflix really stands out to me, because they read as though they are being posted by an individual, not a company. One example would be the Gray Man meme posted on Twitter shown above. Along with the meme, Netflix adds the caption, “me and my friends making plans every weekend.” Here is another example: On August 2nd, Netflix posted, “The Gilmore Girls title sequence is perfection, no one can tell me otherwise”, with a clip of the title sequence:
This posting style makes it feel less like a corporation trying to market to you, and more like a friend is suggesting a good show for you to watch.
In order to see how Netflix is communicating with their potential customers, I checked in on a few conversations they have been involved in. Scrolling through comments on their Facebook page, I was surprised to find that Netflix appears to rarely join into conversations. Rather, they get things started with a post and allow people to enter into a discussion in the comments. It reminds me of the style of a book club, where everyone reads the same book and a host gets the group started on talking about a specific aspect of the story. This strategy seems to work well for opening up dialogue, although it doesn’t necessarily show off Netflix’s listening skills.
Overall, it would appear that Netflix’s marketing strategy is working. They connect with potential viewers through a variety of social media outlets. In their posts, they write with a friendly tone, contributing to their “Netflix & chill” vibe. They do not seem to engage in many conversations, rather, they post conversation starters that get people talking.
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 
Catherine,
This post was so effective in communicating your opinion and keeping the reader engaged. I loved all the images you used as examples and they flow of your post. I actually never knew what B2C was until you explained it. I also liked that you began your post with a definition! This really helped me understand some context and learn more about the topic as your piece continued on. Pesonally I really have found that Netflix uses internal and external communication with consumers very effectively as it seems that if you arent an active user as of yet you are for sure aware the company exists but also as a user they ensure they continue to maintain your presence as they also provide recommendations on their site as well.
Great work!