Prep Phase

Product Lifecycle Stage 1: Launch Phase

Our project promotion is a whole different service that most filmmakers don’t like to do, but it is one of the most important tasks after and before making a film. Project promotion is done in various creative ways. Promoting a film means making the correct audience aware of an upcoming film. The main cast and director usually promote a film by talking about it in talk shows, interviews, reality shows, etc. Other essential ways are releasing a trailer, teaser, having posters circulated, driving incremental awareness and impressions through social media channels, and much more.

For an independent film, the above-mentioned high-end formulas and film marketing strategies might not be possible. As a low-budget filmmaker, the best way to promote and market your film is through digital campaigns. The sheer vitality of film promotion brings us to this article where we discuss the top 16 online marketing and PR Strategies for your independent film. Before one decides on a marketing strategy for a film, one must analyze three crucial factors which lead to successful marketing:

Budget: An independent film has a minimal budget allotted for marketing and promotion. Thus, as a distributor or producer of the film, it is imperative to precise the final account that needs to be invested in the marketing campaigns. Once the budget is vivid, you can proceed to plan an effective marketing campaign.

Target Audience: When you decide to make a film, your instinct will let you know your primary target audience. Target audience is the concept that narrows down the infinity of viewers to a specific age group and class. The familiarity of your film’s target audience helps to design the perfect marketing campaign in the ideal medium that tends to make your movie a commercial success.

Medium of Marketing: The final step is to narrow down the medium of marketing. The decision of either choosing a traditional media platform or a digital platform must be vividly taken. You can also venture out to transmedia methods of marketing.

After you know the perfect media for promoting your film, the process of the positioning of your campaigns can begin. Once the primary factors narrow down the objectives of marketing designs, you can finally decide how to market your independent film.

For the last decade social media has played the most important part in promoting a film. From YouTube to Facebook and now Instagram, film studios create so much enthusiasm about the film months befoe the release date.

Merchandise and the suspense keeps people searching for more information on social media and websites and the word ultimately spreads out to everyone. And that’s the reason, without an online marketing plan, films have lower chances of box office success.

Several filmmakers have made their independent films a commercial success by applying correct promotional strategies. Marketing strategies and public relations strategies are very close yet different from each other. One uses direct techniques to promote films, and the latter uses subtle formulas to create a feeling of desire among the masses. Both techniques contribute to the effective promotion of your film.

ONLINE PROMOTION

Let’s get into some detail about the above mentioned film promotion strategies for your independent film.

1. Film Trailer

Independent films are known to be creative and fabulous in their own ways. The trailer of your film must be a thrilling glimpse of your film. Remember not to reveal too much through your trailer or make it long. A trailer must engage the audience with its storytelling elements in the first few seconds.

2. Social Media Campaign

One of the biggest boons to the world is social media. With the introduction of social media, the marketing scenario has seen a drastic evolution. A social media campaign promoting your film might just be what you need. Social media marketing has stepped up in the marketing game with the popularization of hashtags. An independent film can be popularized among the exact target audience by using algorithms. However, more than technicalities, the content matters. You must have engaging content that will make a generic social media user who’s a compatible target audience stop scrolling.

3. Influencer Marketing

Social media campaigns promoted via an influencer works 10x times more. We use online influencer marketing that has contributed to the efficient growth of publicity. Influencers with high followers can be hired through us to promote your film in their own innovative way. This appeals to their audience, and your film spikes up engagement. Another reason why online influencer marketing has gained popularity is comparatively inexpensive than traditional influencer marketing. One can consider this method as an effective marketing technique for an independent film.

4. Online Ad Agencies

The copyright game has been strengthened in the online world after the sheer popularity of internet services. With an upsurge of multiple online ad agencies, we have witnessed brilliant success stories and some great advertisements. Hiring our inventive ways to market brands can be another best choice for low-budget film promotion.

5. Film Websites or Blogs

We work with a plethora of websites that celebrate film. Our online marketing strategy always targets websites that have a dedicated audience. Film websites can be paid to review your film or talk about it. As a result, their audience will come to know about your film from an influential medium. Thus, your low-budget film will attract the right audience. We can also create a website of your film with blogs and news about the shoot, release dates, and interviews.

Movie franchises like Marvel and DC, are great examples of creating a social presence online. These franchises make a unique presence over the viewers months before a film is finally released through their aesthetic, social media profile.

We create profiles on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter with an open space for creativity. We keep your fans updated about your movie and behind the scenes. Sticking to a dedicated format or aesthetic increases engagement. We have found Instagram and Twitter to be great mediums for film marketing and promotions because of obliging algorithms. Social media marketing techniques have been creatively used to promote films in the digital era.

7. Viral Marketing

Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight was marketed extensively through a very creative technique called viral marketing. It is so far the best marketing of film on a transmedia platform. With the liberty to use the online medium, we can develop several techniques and content that tend to go viral. Contests, surprise gifts, some transmedia games, etc., are minute inspirations to learn from. The only purpose of viral marketing is to make people talk about your film with a thrill. It is vital to analyze geographical and psychological factors before experimenting with content designs so that your movie unintentionally doesn’t attract negative publicity.

8. Radio Channels

You might consider radio as a forgotten mass communication platform, but it is still a prevalent medium that plays a significant role in brands’ marketing. Radio jargons and jingle are effective ways to grab audience attention and make a long-lasting impact. Radio shows talk and review your film and develop innovative techniques and contests that grab instant audience attention. Not the primary, but a fundamental approach is a radio.