In the realm of film, marketing is a crucial component. Studios, especially large ones, spend a lot of time in marketing. Because of this, most independent filmmakers set this as their blueprint to get their films across.
Even though there are many free online marketing courses available, it can be challenging to imagine applying common strategies for movie promotion. Here are some tips for building a successful marketing strategy for your film.
1. Know Your Goals and Audience
“Buyer personas” are significant in traditional B2B or B2C marketing. These personas assist a firm in anticipating and comprehending the demographics they are targeting, including the needs, wants, and pain points of potential customers.
The same ideas are crucial in the creation of films. Identify what demographic you want to reach. Think beyond genre. Consider other comedies this audience enjoys instead of picturing a group of comedy fans. Would they look for projects with female leads, diverse casts, or other noteworthy features that your project provides?
On the other hand, if you’re an independent filmmaker, you’ll want your work to speak to business people. If you were the film’s author, your target audience would include literary agents, producers, managers, and studios. Once more, be specific. Targeting specific professions interested in your brand and voice will be much more successful than generalizing your audience.
Take into account your project objectives. Are you promoting it to grow your audience, make relationships with industry insiders, or create clips for your reel? Setting this goal early on will help you select where to invest time and attention in further marketing your movie.
2. Set Your Mindset
It is much simpler to recognize your value once you have your target audience in mind and your goals established. Not everyone will like your project, and that’s a fact. If you want to achieve an effective growth marketing strategy, reach out to those that are interested in what you have to give. Creatives are reluctant to put themselves out there and perform the job when they lack faith in their unique vision. Spend some time learning about your target audience, your worth, and your distinct viewpoint so that you can confidently and effectively promote both your creative vision and yourself.
3. Create Marketing Content Early
Content marketing is the cornerstone of any promotional material. So, during pre-production, plan how you’ll produce behind-the-scenes videos and additional features like bloopers or cast interviews. Think about any promotional photos your team may use to promote the project. Creative posters are fantastic, but so are candid photos taken on the set, photos taken while in character, and stills from the finished product. Include the necessary social media usernames so people can tag you. Everyone on the team, including you, becomes more discoverable when you actively tag people in photos or highlight those who participated in the production.
Setting aside time on your calendar to produce press releases, host events, or submit festival applications is a good idea. You’ll stay on course by using these points of reference. Knowing how and when to achieve your goals makes it simpler to remain committed to them.
4. Never Undervalue the Influence of Social Media
The marketing potential of social media for your movie is enormous.
It allows you to get in touch with millions of individuals worldwide. Nevertheless, despite its vast potential, careful planning is necessary. Don’t just upload your movie on YouTube and hope for the best.
Larger productions like web series, TV episodes, and feature films generate excitement and a devoted fan base through new social media accounts and a project website. The production will benefit from having specialized online profiles because these projects have longer timelines and more content to give.
Ultimately, learn to build anticipation so that when the movie or TV show is released, people will wait for it.
5. Encourage Reviews
Feedback is crucial. Whether favorable or unfavorable, it reveals the true state of a movie and teaches the director where they can improve.
Ask others to post reviews of your movie to promote it. You can also create a Facebook survey to encourage engagements. Doing this will help you develop as a filmmaker and win people over. In social media marketing, reviews are essential because they boost search engine rankings on sites like Google.
6. Look For Alternate Coverage or Collaborations
Alternative means of promotion include podcasts, YouTube channels, social media pages or groups devoted to the filmmaking industry, and alumni news. Although sending a press release and an invitation for an interview is an excellent approach to getting in touch, feel free to be more casual and provide a personal link to your movie or marketing materials. If your outreach leads to collaboration, make sure to publicize it.
7. Learn From What Others Are Doing
Copying and pasting might not work, as we have stated, and this is still true. However, studying what others are doing and incorporating it into your movie doesn’t harm.
One thing to remember, though: you must customize. Any other plan can work for you if you modify it. Bring things down to your level, look through the essential details, and proceed.
Bottom Line
The art of filmmaking involves more than just making movies; it also consists in engaging audiences and cultivating interest. While it can be challenging to have movies seen and noticed, promoting films can be a lot of fun, especially when you can find and interact with new audiences that are enthusiastic about your work. You get to communicate and share some happiness with your devoted following, who can’t wait to watch all your hard work come to life on the big screen.
Chatty is a freelance writer from Manila. She finds joy in inspiring and educating others through writing. That’s why aside from her job as a language evaluator for local and international students, she spends her leisure time writing about various topics such as lifestyle, technology, and business.
