Twelve Ways to Market Your Film for Self-Distribution
One of the biggest questions I get asked by filmmakers who are interested in to pursuing self-distribution is how they can spread the word in order to drive sales of their movie, whether it is ticket sales, DVD sales, or downloads.
In my mind, one of the most important things to consider when developing your marketing strategy is to define who your core audience is. The major studios hyper-analyze a movie’s core audience before they decide to go into a production with it, so for independents considering self-distribution, analyzing your core audience is a must. Once you define who your target group is, you can develop your marketing strategy from there.
Remember, the anchor of your marketing strategy should always be your film’s website or blog because this is where people can go to get additional info or buy your products.
Here are twelve effective ways to market your film for selfdistribution, whether you have a budget or not.
1. Post Your Trailer Online
I gave some examples of where to post your trailer online in the book, but what I didn’t mention is that by posting your trailer online, it is actually a great way to spread the word for your film. Posting your trailer online gives you a shot at harnessing the power of viral video, the possibility that your trailer will be spread around the internet, and access to hundreds or thousands of people who will link back to your website where they can purchase your DVD, pay for a download, or learn about a theatrical screening in their town.
2. Hire A Publicist
As I mentioned before, publicists are worth their weight in gold and one of the easiest and most effective ways to market your film to the masses is to hire a professional publicist to get you press. They can work on both national press (like magazines, television, and radio), as well as local press if, for example, you are releasing your film in specific markets.
3. Buy Advertising
Advertising is an instant way to grab the attention of your potential audience and get them to your website. You can go the route of buying small ads in trade magazines or newsletters, as well as getting in the Internet advertising game. Go to specific websites where you think your potential audience frequents (example: gaming websites can be a great way to reach a young male audience), and look into buying a small ad there. The great thing about buying advertising is you can start small, and then if it works, you can roll it out bigger. And you can link people directly to your site where they can purchase a copy of your film.
4. Post On Message Boards
If you trying to market your film on little or no budget, posting on relevant message boards is a great way to spread the word on the cheap. Simply go to community-oriented websites that are related to your core audience (i.e.: are you trying to market to a Christian audience? A teen audience? A Hispanic audience?) and participate in the message boards while inserting the link to your film’s website in your signature. If you are going this route, it is important to keep in mind that you should actually contribute valuable advice and opinions on the message boards before starting to heavily promote your film. First gain the trust of the community, and then introduce them to your film. You are much more likely to have actual buyers that way!
5. Contact Local Radio
v People tend to overlook radio as a significant source of PR, but it is actually a great way to reach a core audience. Flip through your radio dial and check out all the talk networks that do interviews with local artists, entrepreneurs, and business people. Call them up and tell them you want to submit a press release for your movie and request an interview, but make sure you give them a good reason to want to interview you (such as you just finished shooting your film locally, or some other similar hook). You can also do all this through the radio station’s website. If they agree to interview you, you’ll gain an incredible reach of an audience and you can link people back to your website to hopefully purchase a copy of your film.
6. Contact Local Newspapers
Like radio, don’t discount the power of local newspapers either! The easiest way to get an interview in local newspapers is to pick up a copy (or look at a copy online), look at the list of editors usually on the first page, and contact them directly to offer up an interview. Again, you’ll need some kind of hook as to why they would interview you (like you shot your film in the local café, or you’re getting ready to do your theatrical premiere in a week). However, in my experience, local papers are always on the lookout for new stories and believe it or not, people read those things!
7. Get Interviewed For A Pod Cast
There are so many pod casts out there now and they are gaining bigger and bigger audiences every day. Start with iTunes or Podcast Alley (www.podcastalley.com) and do a search for pod casts that are related to your core audience. Otherwise, search for indie film podcasts (there are many!) and contact the hosts and tell them about a creative way you utilized to shoot your film, a new camera you used, or a particular tool you used in post, and offer to be interviewed about it. I’ve gotten several pod cast interviews myself by contacting the hosts directly, so I know this works. And it is a great way to direct traffic to your site where you are selling your DVD’s!
If you are unable to find a podcast that you want to contribute to, then create your own and get it listed on iTunes and other podcast directories like Podcast Alley. These days, all you need is a simple microphone attached to your computer to record a pod cast, and then convert it to QuickTime to upload to the web. I know several filmmakers who created a series of podcasts for their films, and soon they gained an audience and momentum and it helped tremendously with sales of their DVD’s. They also were able to launch platform theatrical releases off the back of successful podcast series since you only need to take a survey of where most of your listeners are, and then look into releasing your film in those markets.
9. Enter Film Festivals
It may seem obvious, but entering your film in film festivals can also help spread the word for your film. Heck, you can even sell copies of your DVD’s right there at screenings, which is a perfect time to catch people (right after they’ve enjoyed watching your film hopefully!). The other great thing about film festivals is that you have the opportunity to gain some local press, especially if you win any type of award, and in that press you can include the link to your website where your DVD’s are for sale. If your film creates a serious buzz at a festival, you can always return to the city where the festival is and put your film in the local theater for a week and see how it does. In other words, you can leverage the buzz your film got at the festival and turn it into a theatrical release.
10. Email Campaigns
Another obvious way to promote your self-distributed film is to do some email marketing campaigns. Start with everyone you know and send out a couple promotion emails with links to your website where people can view the trailer and purchase your DVD. Ask people in the email to forward the email on to anyone they know who might be interested in your film, and start to build word of mouth that way. Another way to harness the power of email is to ask related websites if they will send an email out to their community on your behalf with a little review of your film and a link to your site. Trust me; if you have a film that appeals to a core audience, (anything from skateboarders and gore seekers to Alaskans) related Web sites’ communities would want to know about your film!
11. Have House Parties Or Local Screenings
House parties and local screenings at churches and schools can be a form of self-distribution in its own right, as well as serve as a great marketing tool for selling your DVD’s and building a buzz for your film before putting it in theaters. The way to set up house parties and local screenings is by picking a date and place, emailing invites to everyone you know, posting fliers around, and collaborating with the venues for cross-promotional opportunities (ex: maybe the church can put an announcement in their weekly bulletin, etc.).
12. Make Fliers and Posters
Another obvious solution for marketing your indie film is good old-fashioned fliers and posters. Print them up yourself or get them done professionally, but make sure they don’t look amateurish. Remember, you’re trying to sell a product here! You can place the posters and fliers in local theaters where you will be screening in order to promote your film in advance, and get people to show up and buy tickets. You can also place them in local cafes, bookstores, and anywhere else they might be picked up by a potential buyer or customer. Be sure to list the screening locations and times as well as your Web address for additional info. Spend time studying what other professionally done film posters and fliers look like and stick to the format that works. For example, if you go into your local video store you will see posters of movies that studios are promoting … just copy that format and then see if the video store will hang your poster in there and agree to sell your video!