04/06/2012

Seven tips to gather an audience for your film online

At Euromed Audiovisual’s third conference in Cannes, Domenico La Porta, editor-in-chief of Cineuropa, gave tips on how to market a film online

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Whether you have made a film or have one to sell, your goal is the same: You actually want people to see it. But how do you bring people to the screenings? Here is advice from Domenico La Porta, editor-in-chief of Cineuropa, on how to use social media intelligently to generate interest for your film online.

 

First, start early!

“Even if your project is at a very early stage, you can start communicating about it and create some buzz around it.”

Research your audience

“The first thing is to learn. This word is very important. There are a lot of ways to reach people. You have to learn about the social habits of your target audience. You have to identify your target audience.

You have to stay up to date with social habits. You have to know how these tools work.”

Be everywhere

This includes, but is not limited to, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.

Start up a community on Facebook, by creating a personal account and page to generate interaction with internet users.

“You can also create applications, which can reach a lot of people!”

Perhaps even more essential is microblogging website Twitter, to be used for short, quick messages.

And then you can upload a video and create a community on Youtube.

Tumblr, “which is basically a blog”, can also be useful in the early stages of your project, when you are not ready to create your own website: “It’s a way to behave as if you have a real website.”

All the time

But going viral takes a lot of time. How does one manage?

“The person who has to manage all that is the community manager. They are in charge of spreading your label, your project.”

Their job is to attract people's attention and stay in touch with them, through constantly engaging with them both as a group and as individuals.

Be mobile

“You have to be there as much as possible”, if not permanently, and to achieve that, you must have a mobile internet connection, whether on your phone or via a USB modem for your laptop.

Social media platforms are important at all stages of your project: crowd funding, shooting, post production, and finally -- “the most important time” -- when the film is released!

“This is the moment when your communication has to be really effective and powerful.”

Map out the year!

“There has to be an agenda for the all year: When you do it in advance, it's easier to spot events.”

Draw up a social calendar, with goals to achieve for your community manager.

Use Analytics

Finally, with a tool such as Google Analytics, analyse traffic data to your website. Weigh up your success and adapt your strategy accordingly.

 

More videos and interviews:

• Elie Mairovitz, producer of Sharqiya
• Merzak Allouache, Algerian director
• Histoires Tunisiennes screens at the Cannes Film Market
• Euromed Audiovisual holds second conference in Cannes
• In Cannes, experts discuss crowd funding films
• Euromed Audiovisual brings filmmakers and investors together in Cannes