“It’s not about a movie, it’s how it’s about.”
– Roger Ebert
Unlike any other art, movies have a much greater impact on human mental awareness. It has the ability to impose emotional instability on the human mind. That is why it is said that making movies is more about observing and imagining. Now in this century, movie making is not just about the script, the script and all. It included many other factors. In fact, a successful movie promotion is simply about the movie marketing strategies related to that.
So what is film marketing?
Many of us believe that the success of a movie is based on how well it performs in theaters. Well, I would say that film marketing is about getting the desired audience to theaters. Sometimes called Film Junket or Press Junket, film marketing consists of several elements, such as press releases, publicity, interviews, media reversals, and most prominently, social media today.
It’s no longer about television, print media and outdoor activities
This is more like an enlightenment for all filmmakers these days. Back then, an efficient film marketing strategy relied on television, print, and everything. But now it has changed, because to reach the audience you have to find them at the beginning. Today, it’s all about the Internet.
Film marketing strategies went digital
Well, it’s no big surprise that the film industries have adopted digital marketing techniques as part of well-structured Film Marketing Strategies. In fact, movie studios are moving beyond typical techniques like teasers, trailers, and more by hosting Google Hangouts with gear, live music releases, contests, and more. And the most interesting fact is that movie marketing spending is digital. Strategies have increased tremendously these years.
I believe there are three main stages to a successful film marketing strategy: introduction, interaction, and engagement. Digital Media has participation in these three stages, a large participation in fact.
Search engine optimization for effective film marketing strategies.
Search engine optimization as an umbrella term for all the jobs and endeavors we are investing in to promote any service / product is not insignificant. Unlike any other digital marketing campaign, film marketing deserves more conviction and perception, even in your promotional campaigns – there are many factors involved in this, from keywords to social media.
How does social media influence the way movies are marketed?
As part of the digital marketing strategy, social media has become one of the reasons ‘behind the change’, as movies can gain a lot of interest through them. It means that you no longer need to rely on official reviews and announcements for the latest releases. Here’s a quick review of some movie marketing strategies in relation to social media.
Leaked Images – Although this seems to be an outdated technique, it still works. This type of technique is probably used for the promotion of superhero movies. The theory behind this tactic is that movie producers will generate some buzz years before their movies are released through leaked images. Since the images wouldn’t reveal much more about the movie and the characters, they will undoubtedly create a lot of publicity and online chatter.
Visual Microcontent – This is more of an emotional form of marketing I would say. A movie called ‘If I Stay’ recently implemented this idea of film marketing with great success. The initial step towards this type of campaign is always directed to the right social media platforms. And then generate visual microcontent suitable for the platform. Sharing the banners, posting the images behind the scenes is also effective.
Content Marketing Campaign – Content is always effective and will definitely bring you some results. Again, it is more related to social media channels. Even if a film marketing strategy has to do with the type of film we are dealing with, the content is always useful. Local news stations, discussion forums, and more can also be tried alongside Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc.
Video marketing: very familiar, very effective, this is how the role of video marketing could be interpreted in film marketing strategies. Whatever happens, we are willing to take a chance on some products that we have not seen or tested correctly, which is why trailers are important. Makes an initial impression and is a proven success. And I recommend viewing their trailer video initially through their official website, which obviously allows the audience to engage more through their social media outlets.
Social Contests and Contests – It will turn into a big mess if you think the introductory part is enough. The fact is, you will miss the whole party. The interaction is very significant, especially when it comes to film marketing. It may not be the most innovative thing you can do to improve engagement, but it can sometimes be very effective.
People Marketing – Your movie will certainly have some interesting characters that the audience can connect with in one way or another. Many movie marketing campaigns have already influenced audience emotions for particular fictional characters by developing a personality around those characters on social media. A perfect example of this is the character of Ted on Twitter. With almost 7 lakh followers, Ted started posting some funny comments that actually brought unexpected results.
Alternate Reality Games – A slightly more complicated and in-depth film marketing strategy is Alternate Reality Games (ARG). This develops a fictional world that real-world users can interact with through the use of online communities. ARGs are a wonderful way to engage your movie audiences and thereby create ‘brand loyalty’.
Make use of memes and other UGC forms – this is more like a win-win movie marketing strategy. Memes offer a great marketing opportunity, such that your audience will create highly shareable content that conclusively benefits your movie promotional strategies. The benefit of using memes is that they are easily customizable and quick to produce. Another possible strategy is to use caption contests, fan art, or any other user-generated content tactic.
Google AdWords for a more specific result: Every day, millions and millions of searches related to movies are made on Google. I’d say the fastest way to reach those people is always Google AdWords. Even if it is not a very profitable way, it is definitely an option for those who are concerned with reaching more specific audiences.
Final thoughts
How powerful are visual media or what impact can they have on humanity? The answer to your question is always about how well it reaches people. And movie marketing or movie promotion is the beacon that leads to this destination.
Health
Eetti team