Social Media research
As I am involved with running Martha Rosenweir’s social media page for her film The Long Way Home, I did some research into social media strategies for promoting the release of films. I split my research into two sections, attracting audiences and the type of content that should be posted. As well as looking at marketing strategies from organisations such as Independent Cinema Office, I looked at tips and advice from various blog sites. I also looked back on my notes from when Clea Tammes, an experienced publicist, came in and talked to us about her job. There was lots of useful information within her talk, and a lot was relevant to social media as she is involved in collecting the creative content that goes on to be used for marketing purposes. One of the most important things that was highlighted throughout my research, was that in order to reach the right audiences you have to identify and understand your target demographic.
Growing your account
Social media allows you to reach wider audiences, so it can be a cost-efficient way of promoting a film. By posting engaging content and placing targeted ads, it helps attract people who are likely to go and watch your film. Timing is also important, if content is posted too frequently it can overwhelm followers and also exhausts the supply of material to post. On the other hand, consistency is key and you want audiences to be reminded of your film so it stays relevant. Additionally, Clea Tammes reminded us that momentum is something to bear in mind, as you will lose audiences if you stop posting. Therefore there is a balance between being consistent but also holding content back for the future. In terms of reaching a wider audience and growing your account, hashtags are an important tool as it helps your content appear on people’s feeds – but they should remain relevant to your content. You should also use any means possible to promote your account, including the films website and social media accounts on other platforms. Having people share your content can also help promote it to a wider audience.
Content
A short trailer or a teaser clip can be one of the most important forms of content to post, as it gives a glimpse into what the film is about and will attract your target audience. As we’ve established, maintaining momentum is key so regular posts are important. Once the main promotional content – such as the trailer and poster – have been revealed, other updates such as behind-the-scenes photos and short videos, interviews with the cast and stills from the film retain the interest of the people who were initially drawn in. Visual posts are the most engaging and get more views than content posted without visuals. Social Media Today provided the following statistics on content, highlighting the importance of visually appealing posts:
“Content with relevant images rack up 94% more views than content without images”
“Compared to other types of content, visual content is more than 40x more likely to get shared on social media”
“Instagram photos showing faces get 38% more likes than photos without faces”
Creating a cohesive social media also makes the film look more professional and more appealing to audiences. Determining a colour scheme that fits with the film makes all the posts look more coordinated, and it is also useful to decide on a specific font and other visual details that can be used consistently. Below I have included examples of instagram accounts that have used the colour scheme of their film effectively.
I looked at Wonka, Dune and Barbie as examples as they all have very distinct colour schemes that were used across their social media pages and promotional material. I made a small colour palette for each film that you can clearly see within a majority of their posts. All three of the accounts also posted similar content, making sure to include the following:
- The movie trailer and poster
- Character posters
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Interviews with the cast/crew
As a promotional tool, Wonka organised their Pure Imagination contest as a way to generate more engagement with their film. They encouraged followers to post artistic video content inspired by the film, with the chance to win “something sweet”. They collaborated with Beats, Xbox, Fandango, Chanel and Nike to give prizes to the lucky winners. They also reposted some of the artworks, which are still featured on their account in their story highlights. This provided extra incentive to post content and tag the Instagram account. Although this would be hard to recreate for a small film, without a large budget or the connections for collaborations, you could still offer smaller prizes such as the chance to appear in the credits of the film. Any way to encourage engagement, such as using polls on Instagram stories, can be positive for promoting the film.
Articles Referenced: https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/advice-support/marketing/social-media-marketing-for-cinemas/ https://www.blog.thefilmfund.co/the-ultimate-guide-to-social-media-in-a-film-marketing-plan/ https://www.streamsemester.com/articles/promote-your-short-film-on-social-media https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/11-ways-to-grow-your-social-media-audience/570984/
