Indie Film Marketing Part 4: Social Media

This month’s independent film marketing tool is one of the most creative and fun: social media! Many films, small and large have used this ubiquitous form of technology to form viral campaigns that made their films successful. Today we will introduce some strategies that may include things you are already doing to market your film and how you can use social media to generate more buzz.

Website & Platforms

It is absolutely essential that your film has a website and at least a Facebook page, Twitter profile and Instagram. Snapchat and Pinterest are also great platforms to leverage depending on your film’s audience. Click here for a list of cheap web hosts to start a website, and all social media platforms are free to create pages and profiles on.

Facebook Page

It’s a good idea to make your film’s page visually with profile and cover images that are unique. Get creative with the design of these images. Facebook Apps can be used as games to invite and share other fans to like the page. You can also use these to create engaging contests. Photos and videos are the best content to share on Facebook.

Persona marketing

A spin on the social media profiles for your film is to create a profile for a character. This is best done on Twitter, and works especially well if they have a distinct voice and appeal to a certain audience. There are many profiles for TV and movie characters online including the Mad Men cast and TED the stuffed bear.

Video ads

You can use clips from your film to advertise it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and more. Some of the best clips to choose are those that convey emotion or your trailer. You may want to consider using paid advertising on these platforms to share these clips. Videos are engaging and give the viewer a sneak peek at your content. Be sure to create unique hashtags for your film to use on the appropriate platforms. We recommend uploading clips to your film’s website as well as YouTube in order to publicize your website as well.

Events

If your film has a built-in niche audience (i.e. horror, pets) consider inviting influential bloggers to your premiere along with the press. They can conduct interviews with the cast, which can serve as great content to go viral. If you have celebrities or sponsor partnerships in your film, be sure to invite them as well so they can leverage their own social channels.  

Graphics, Memes & Quizzes

Create unique graphic content for your film that fans can share. This is part of experiencing the film’s story. A great example of this is the film The Hunger Games strategy to create a virtual Hunger Games where people online could join and compete against other districts. The best graphic content is customized and allows one to feel like they are part of the world like the badges of the  Hunger Games. You can also auction off the props in your film on eBay in an effort to create buzz. Creating quizzes that people can take centered around your movie  is also a great way to immerse your audience.

IMDB Listings

IMDB is a site millions of people use daily to look up films. Make sure yours has a page so people can find your movie. You can use this link to see how. It may also be worth it to invest in IMDB Pro. You  can also use the IMDB Top 10 or Top 50 Movie Lists to advertise your film among more popular ones.

Those are just a few ideas on how social media can help market your film. If you are looking for online digital distribution, email your inquiry to info@quiverdigital.com.