You won’t reach your target audience in only a few months, but marketing is an ongoing process. Marketing is an ongoing process you need to make sure to follow every day for your film, for your company, and even for your personal brand.
I understand that big studios start a very aggressive marketing campaign only a few weeks before the movie hits the cinemas. Of course, that works for them because they invest half of the budget in promotion.
But let’s be honest; your film is not a blockbuster, and you don’t have half of the budget allocated to marketing, not even 20% of it.
I always say that if you grow your audience, you need to start way before your film starts producing; this way, you will have the time to build a solid audience, a brand, and a following.
You don’t need to make it complicated. Have a list of 3 or 4 marketing actions to repeat every day for 5 days a week. You can rest during the weekend if you want to. This will help you to strengthen your marketing muscle, and you will feel better by the day.
So, what can you do to get the best out of your marketing?
Very simple…
Start your marketing when your film is in preproduction or even production.
Allocate money to the marketing budget, and
Have a marketing plan in place.
Think about it: you have a great advantage if you start building an audience 2 or 3 years before the film hits the screen. Not only will you master marketing and won’t feel that horrible anymore, but I am sure you will even enjoy it. Next time it’s your turn to hire marketing people, you will know what you need and want for your film.
Your film will have more opportunities to be sold and seen.
Do you want to keep rushing out every time you have a film because you haven’t marketed the movie properly, or do you want to build a solid audience that will allow you to sell this film and the next ones?
I know what I would choose because it’s totally worth it.
If you are ready to take the next step and get serious about your marketing, join me inside Filmpreneurship Network, a membership program for film producers and filmmakers who want to master the business side of films. This is your opportunity to learn how business people work on the other side of creativity.