Oscar season has officially ended, and with it comes a fresh perspective on marketing videos and films. The massive success of films like Anora raises an important question: How significant would the Oscars be without the onslaught of marketing dollars spent? As an independent filmmaker, I feel conflicted. On the one hand, I think about all the incredible indie movies that never received love simply because they didn’t have a huge marketing budget to put them in front of people. On the other hand, from a business standpoint, marketing plays an undeniable role in a film’s success.
Over the past two decades of producing independent films, one lesson has remained consistent: Without a dedicated marketing budget, the chances of success dwindle dramatically. Unfortunately, marketing videos and films are often an afterthought for many creators. They pour all their resources into equipment, production costs, cast, and crew while neglecting the necessity of marketing.
Why Marketing Videos and Films is Crucial for Success
Think of it this way: Imagine spending a significant amount of money on a fancy sports car. Now, imagine having no money to put fuel in the tank or no charging cable to power it. That’s precisely how most independent filmmakers approach their projects—they invest everything into production but leave nothing for marketing.
A common myth within the indie film community is that distributors will manage marketing for the movies they distribute. Sadly, this is not the case. In fact, distribution companies rarely spend money on promotion for these small-budget films. They don’t really need to. Their primary focus is placement, cataloging, creating misleading posters, and positioning for algorithmic happiness. However, they can secure filmmakers a spot on streaming platforms and digital retailers, which would be difficult to do independently. However, the filmmaker remains responsible for marketing videos and films once they are available.
Marketing Isn’t Just for Movies
While marketing is critical for feature films, it is equally important for other media projects, such as music videos, YouTube channels, and branded content like commercials. Many video creators and businesses invest heavily in creating the content but fail to set aside enough money to effectively promote and distribute it once it’s ready.
For example, indie music artists often spend thousands of dollars producing high-quality music videos. Still, once it’s done, only Grandma sees it. Why? You have to shell out the dough to get eyeballs to see your stuff. Remember, this is a “pay for play” entertainment landscape we live in. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are not offering their platforms out of the kindness of their hearts. So, if you are not putting money into the system, your videos and films won’t see the light of day. Similarly, businesses producing commercials without a solid distribution strategy waste marketing potential. So, the bottom line is that your content may never reach its audience without feeding the platform or investments in getting the word out.
To maximize the impact of your media, creators should:
- Develop a targeted promotional strategy for their content
- Invest in some paid advertising on platforms like YouTube, Vibe, and Instagram
- Aim to collaborate with relevant influencers or other industry partners to help you get the word out
- Start optimizing your films and videos for search engines and social media algorithms, including using keywords and metadata
- Continuously engage with their audience to build a loyal following
A Case Study on Marketing Videos and Films: Abigail Haunting
One of our past films, Abigail Haunting, is a prime example of why marketing is essential. Upon its release in early 2020, we allocated a significant portion of our budget toward social media ads, boosted posts, and secured online reviews. This strategic push helped us gain traction, and by Memorial Day 2020, Abigail Haunting shot up to the number one film on Amazon Prime. While we benefited from the unique circumstances of the pandemic, driving more viewers to streaming platforms, our proactive marketing efforts put the movie in front of audiences. Without this investment in promotion, Abigail Haunting might have been lost in the sea of online content.
This experience reinforced the importance of dedicating resources to marketing videos and films. No matter how great your content is, it won’t find an audience unless you actively push it into the spotlight.
How to Budget for Marketing Videos and Films
One of the most innovative things an independent filmmaker can do is allocate 30% of their overall budget to marketing. For instance, if your film costs $100,000, at least $30,000 should be reserved for promotional efforts. Here are some ways to effectively use that budget:
- Advertising Campaigns: Create and release targeted ads on social media to build an audience before you even release your movie or video.
- Social Media Marketing: Post behind-the-scenes content regularly, including cast interviews, set days, teasers, updates, and bloopers to keep people engaged.
- Hiring a Publicist: Have you ever considered hiring an actual PR person? A publicist can help secure interviews and reviews and even score your press coverage to increase your legitimacy.
- Meet the Press: Believe it or not, your local hometown news may find value in what you’re doing in your community. You’d be surprised how much love they can give to local filmmakers on a slow news day.
- Email Marketing: It sounds like an old tactic, but email marketing still works. Be sure to maintain an email list of interested subscribers to keep them informed about your film’s or video’s release.
Strategies to Market Your Independent Film Effectively
You must implement a structured marketing plan if you want your film to gain traction. Here are some actionable tips:
1. Start Marketing Early
What’s the best time to start your marketing? Well, it’s last week! You should start your marketing right after you get the green light. The best time to market your film isn’t after production—before you start filming. Begin generating buzz with teasers, crowdfunding campaigns, and social media updates.
2. Use Film Festivals for what they meant for
Many filmmakers still believe that getting into film festivals is where the buck stops. They will spend much time and money trying to get into festivals but stop their efforts once they get into them. Festivals are a major tool for marketing. A legitimate film festival can be an amazing way to introduce your movie to audiences, not just those attending. The social media power alone is massive. If you are lucky enough to get into a festival, consider spending a great deal of time using the event to capture audience reactions from your film, book, and images that can be used to entice people who may have missed your screening to keep a lookout. The more buzz you create, the better.
3. Leverage Influencers and Industry Connections
Influencers, bloggers, and social media personalities can be difficult to snag. Still, you can get them to join your side with a little effort. Of course, having a little money never hurts. These cool kids can help you reach audiences beyond any other traditional efforts. Best of all, they can add trust to your film. Influencers do what their titles suggest: They influence people to trust their values and preferences.
4. Optimize Your Film for Online Discovery
When marketing videos and films, ensure your film’s metadata is optimized and ready for search engines and streaming platforms. Do a little research to note what keywords work on platforms like Tubi, Roku, Prime, and YouTube. Use relevant SEO keywords and metadata for your film and videos to attract the algorithms. It also helps to create enticing key art and thumbnails to grab the scroller’s attention. Additionally, aim to write a solid slugline to help attract viewers to click on the “play now” button.
5. Build an Engaged Audience on Social Media
Last but not least is creating a loyal fanbase. Do you know all those people who are following you? Yeah, that’s your fan base! They are your customers. Don’t forget to nurture that relationship by always giving them more value. Every video or post you share should add value in addition to Marketing your film or videos. If people can find value in your posts and advertising, you can convince them to give up an hour to watch your little indie flick.
Final Thoughts: Investing in Your Film’s Future
While the conversation around Oscar season often ignites debate over the authenticity of the industry’s highest honor, it should bring the spotlight back to marketing. While some say, the Oscars should go to the best film and not the one that can afford to influence judges, at the end of the day, if the marketing wasn’t in play, we most likely wouldn’t have many of the films we love today. Marketing is the necessary by-product for bringing awareness to anything, good and bad. The real question is, how do you use marketing to bring awareness to your fantastic vision? Take it seriously. It might be more important than the fancy camera you shot your movie with.
That’s all I have for you today. I hope it helps. Enjoy your week and Peace Out!
-Kelly