Introduction To Online Marketing For Filmmakers

Intro to online film marketing

Photo by BMC Labs at TIFF Bell Lightbox

A bit about me • Head of Marketing at Distrify • I'm an online media professional with over ten years of

experience in marketing.• I co founded two startup companies, FilmDIY a direct to fan

movie platform, and Hyperclip a contextual content engine matching VOD with publishers networks.

• My experience with online film marketing started back at 2007 with a movie I produced and directed, it made the top selling list on iTunes, and as a result was sold to CNBC.

• I'm constantly writing and speaking on the state of digital distribution and marketing.

A film, like any other product needs to reach its target audience

Photo by Justine Wise

Dude where is my audience?

Photo by Nina Matthews

“Go Find Them!” Good luck


Photo by Nina Matthews https://www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/8153587951/

Online marketing lessons from our startup

Photo by Heisenberg Media


Average Startup Team

Soluto Team

Production Team Marketing Team


Film Team

Production Team Marketing dude

“We filmmakers are in the game of survival, and this is what we do, we survive through excellence, we define our story, and create dialogue channels with our audience.

If filmmakers’ mindset will become more like startups, and learn how to put the user - your audience - in the center, create more dialogue channels, and focus on execution, I believe that the whole film industry will be a lot better.”


Film $ Startup $Early Stage No Investment No Investment

Investors Privet / Public Angels / Privet / Public

Production Stage 80%-90% Get the film finished 10% Marketing

2/3rd Marketing1/3rd Product

Go to Market No budget, social, early engagement

Social, Publishers network, ad network, costumer acquisition, A/B Testing, engagement

Goals Get the film seen by millions, film festival awards and recognition, message, social change, cinema chain, distribution deal

ROI, Get the product consumed by millions, impact “make the world a better place”, exit

Life Time 1 – 3 Years 6 Months – 2 Years

Film Industry Vs. Startup

Business Plan Photo by Nina Matthews

#Film #Startup

Business Plan

Distribution deal, Digital, DIY, Film Tour, Institution

???

Freemium, Ads, E-commerce, critical mass, exit

???


Crowdfund independent film – Fox Acquisition


Web Series indie creators – Lionsgate deal

Taken from tubefilter.com

1st Startup Lesson - Marketing Strategy



Content = TrafficTraffic = Audience

Photo by William Brawley

Filmmaker = Content Machine



Marketing Strategy:•SEO (Search Engine Optimization) •Content Creation•Social Media / Email Marketing•Influencers•Video and Visual Marketing•Mobile Distribution Tools•Data Analysis and optimization

Employ your marketing team from the get go! Engage with your fans early, find out what they like about your film!

Photo by William Brawley

Understand Your Audience and Opportunities

Photo: Andy Wise

The type of people who will most likely be your fanswill also most likely be interested in _________.


People get value out of informational content when they: • Become informed• Get professional advice• Learn new technical skills• Entertainment


• Visual • Infographics • Video • Written content

Your content kit must include:

Photo by Justin Wise

The other goals of your content should be to• Generate people sharing your content on

Facebook or Twitter.• Links from other sites mentioning or

sharing your content.• Get comments and interactions on the

content you are creating.

Become part of the conversation


Bonus Features are not valuable content marketing for your film

Jump in to Social Media• Search Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Vine, Instagram, LinkedIn,

Quora, for relevant people, groups, comments• Follow read their tweets, check their blogs,• Tweet your own be original• Join relevant groups on Facebook and LinkedIn• Join forums “lurk” for a while, than start discussion • Correspond with people who enter the discussion• Reach out to influencers, they are people and most want to help

Startup Filmmaker– Pawan Kumar

http://muvi.es/w3254

Lucia – Data and Statistics• 473,837 Page loads • 113,242 Trailer View• 6.4% Trailer Conversion Rate• 5,170 email sign ups just from the Distrify Player• 45,000 worth of online pre-orders• $66,000 in gross online rentals for Lucia• $7346 Copies bought• Opened in local theatres in India - $685,000, bought for TV

$15,678, bought by Fox Star Studio• Lucia engaged 1200 fans to market and distribute the film

“Inbound marketing is about LOVE. Get people to love your content and they will become a customer.” Hubspot CEO, Brian Halligan,

Lucia – SEO, FB, YouTube, Blog, Publishers…

http://luciakannadamovie.com/

http://luciakannadamovie.com/

Documentary – Inbound Marketing

EngageDelightLanding Page

Email Marketing

Delight – SmartCall to action

I Am Breathing – Data and Statistics• 144,492 Page loads • 29,300 Trailer View• 4.4% Trailer Conversion Rate• 1,143 email sign ups just from the Distrify Player• 40 different broadcast deals Lucia

Ad Network – Display Media Reaching Millions Unique Users

Ad Network – Outbrain Reach Target Audience

Drive Traffic to your film site from publishers with millions of impressions

Ad Network – Taboola Video Seed

Ad Network – Taboola Video Recommendation

Sponsored content via Distrify and The Guardian• Content owners paid by brands in advance

Distrify Video Content Seed • Vertical Categories across multiple publishers

These filmmakers will have a lot to gain from all the disruptive going on

These filmmakers will be struggling

Thank You!

Introduction To Online Marketing For Filmmakers

Marketing

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