Appscend / Mobile, Media and Real-time Insights

Why Second Screen Apps Keep Users Engaged

Appscend Team
secons screen apps

secons screen apps

A second screen app it’s a unique opportunity a business has in terms of enhancing engagement between the TV viewers and their favorite shows. Let’s try to see why.

What You Need To Know About Second Screen Apps & Users

Why do people use a second screen while watching TV? Are they doing it as a distraction or as a way to engage more in-depth with the content they’re watching? According to a recent Nielsen survey, it’s both.

Let’s get some insights into why second screen apps have the potential to keep users engaged. Here are the most common tablet and smartphones activities while watching TV, in a descending order:

  • They look up for information in general
  • They surf the web
  • The visit a social network site
  • The search information about actors/plotlines/athletes/teams
  • They read and engage on conversations about the program on social networking sites
  • They buy a product/service advertised
  • They watch certain TV programming because of content they read on a social media site
  • They vote or send comment to a live program
  • They purchase coupons/deals related to TV program

Mobile device owners visit social networking sites and read discussions about the program they are viewing. Many tablet and smartphone owners use the second screen to either interact with the show or post about it.

The delicate aspect here is that second screen apps can distract mobile users from the content on TV. Timing matters a great deal. The winning approach is to integrate ads into interactive mobile app content at the specific point when second screen users are most engaged with the app.

For example, when it comes to gamified apps, ads can be impactful during emotional moment, while loading screen or when the game is successfully completed.

App developers need to answer some key questions on second screen behavior, learning the context of all the actions taken by viewers: how much time do they spend with the brand? Where do they come from? Where do they go next? Who do they share content with? How much impact does their voice have? How about more data on demographics and psychographics?

Also, don’t forget about these essential questions regarding the purpose of your second screen product: what is the core function of the app? What are the benefits to the user? How is it different from other mobile apps with the same aim?

Interactive Second Screen Apps Drive Attention

What drives second screen users attention? It’s definitely interactive content or better said interactive second screen apps.

Here are some attention-grabbing types of mobile content, according to a Time Warner Medialab study.

  • Games, trivia, social feeds & co. – the most likely to grab attention when it comes to second screen apps, especially during ad breaks
  • Downloads, coupons, trailers – in-app ads that are complementary to the TV ads but bring something new

Do you want to know more about creating premium experiences to complement TV content? Are you thinking about developing a second screen app but you don’t know where to begin? We have an answer for any question here.