Let’s face it, there’s a lot of competition out there for independent filmmakers when it comes to getting their films noticed. And if most of the budget is spent on getting the film produced, promoting an independent film afterward might be a challenge. Unless you’re loaded with extra cash.
There’s not much point in producing a video, film or feature of any kind if no one ends up watching it afterward. If you’re a new filmmaker starting with a minimal base of fans, there’s no time to waste. Increasing your online fan base during production is imperative.
Fortunately there’s something you can do about it and it doesn’t cost anything but some time and consistency. Let’s keep it simple, shall we? There’s two free tools available you can put into use immediately.
Google and Email
Yep. Those could be your best tools.
Why? Thing is, just about everyone, regardless of age, knows how to search on Google AND they have an email address. Both are tools you can use to your advantage without a lot of know how. Forget focusing on social media. Should you establish a presence on social sites? Yes. But don’t focus on them only. A blog you can own, social sites can be taken away from you. If you establish a huge presence on Facebook and the Page gets deleted, what then? Besides, we all know people who still haven’t figured out Facebook or Twitter. Probably because they keep changing how they work!
Create a blog on WordPress or Posterous.com. Get a friend to create the look you want or do it yourself if you can. Then blog everyday. Just write something every day. It doesn’t have to be about your film all the time. Just express yourself. Make it part of your routine.
Once you get used to blogging every day, it will get easier.
After about 50 blog posts or so your blog will start getting picked up by the search engines. Google and other search engines like new content, and if you add content all the time, they will come back for more. Search Engines love content, and every blog post (over 150 words) creates an indexable page from their point of view. From your blog you can distribute your content to your social networks (whichever ones you have).
At the same time, establish an email newsletter. Most email newsletters have a built in way to collect identities, such as a form you can post on your website. Or a least a built in form you can link to so people can submit their email addresses. You’ll probably have to offer something in return for their email addresses, so that’ll have to be figured out. Constant Contact has a variety of plugins for social media interaction already built in. For example, a form that integrates with Facebook to allow people to sign up for your newsletter.
If you do a good job, people will find your blog, sign up for notifications on your progress or future showings of your project and then you’ll have a list of people to market to when the time comes.
That’s really the simplicity of the basics. Content and a newsletter. Content leverages the tendency of fans to search for content, and email newsletters keep them in touch afterwards. There’s more to do, but if these two things aren’t mastered first, you won’t be found online at all.