Movies and TV shows typically have enormous marketing budgets that they use to promote their productions.
Studios pour in millions to market the latest movie and get spots on TV, various platforms online, and even in print media and signage.
As an indie filmmaker, you’ll have at most a few thousand dollars to invest in a project. So to effectively promote your production, you’ll need to get creative.
Thanks to social media, it is now easier to have a wide reach for little to no cost spent to market your movie.
It still demands a lot of marketing effort, but you can use multiple strategies to make it easy to promote your indie film as described in this article.
Identify Which Platforms To Focus
Your social media strategy will be much better implemented by deciding to opt for a particular platform to advertise. Not every online application is the same, and some are better suited for certain works.
By prioritizing YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, you can reach a wider audience. YouTube is the best platform for video content sharing for trailers. Facebook creates a community of like-minded people, and Instagram is best for short-form visual content.
This allows a much more optimized social media strategy without getting carried away with promoting the movie. You will also have more time and effort to dedicate elsewhere instead of posting on apps that won’t do any better.
To create a certain type of post, you can use the PosterMyWall’s theatre and film poster templates. These will be major marketing collateral, which can be utilized for both online and offline sharing.
With these templates, it’s easy to create a professional-looking poster in minutes that is professional and attracts investors.
DO YOU KNOW?
The 2014 winner for the Best Picture indie film, Birdman, directed by Alejandro González, was shot in a single take by carefully choreographing key scenes of seven to ten minutes each.
Offer Behind The Scenes Footage
While regular advertisement and promotion are fine and all, nothing builds as much hype with some behind-the-scenes footage for the audience.
Not only do they get a sneak peek at the good stuff, but they also get curious and excited as to what awaits them.
You don’t need to share much to spoil the fun, but just a few minute’s worth of footage or some impactful and dramatic images can do wonders.
This can work even after the movie releases because it helps reach the audience who haven’t yet seen it. Share the making of the movie or deeper insights into the filmmaking process and show how much work and effort went into the project.
An indie Filmmaker shared a video on YouTube detailing the process of making his movie. He talks about the set design, camera angles, effects, lighting, and various other aspects of the movie production.
You can do something similar by recording similar short videos on set and sharing them on social media or YouTube.
Apply To Film Festivals
An excellent way to promote your indie film is to submit it to various film festivals held locally and internationally.
You’ll have to do some research into what festivals align with your movie’s genre, theme, and target audience.
Some festivals also have a submission requirement, so do check what the festival you’re applying to requires.
These festivals attract lots of local and international press coverage and can grant your movie a chance of getting widespread media coverage.
Consider setting an interview with the media and get reviewed by some of the most prestigious critics in the field.
EXPERT TIP
Develop strong relationships with the people who will have an impact on your film career, such as distributors, sales agents, and journalists.
Find Niche Groups
On the internet nowadays, it is easier to search for a community for pretty much anything. These are groups of people who come together to discuss something they are passionate about and enjoy their time.
You can search for them on various sites such as Reddit, Facebook Groups, and other forums. Do the same for your indie film as well, and look up communities where you can promote your movie. Check the aforementioned sites and forums like IndieTalk.
This allows them to interact with individuals who are passionate about indie films. You can present your project for them to enjoy and comment on. They can offer valuable feedback, which will in turn allow you to get better for the future.
The graph below shows the most successful independent movies worldwide as of March 2023.
Final Remarks
While having a large marketing budget is always good, you won’t have it as an indie filmmaker. As such, it forces getting creative with how you use the few resources available for the promotion of your production.
The strategies listed above have very few monetary requirements and can be done for a fraction of the cost of promoting big studio productions.
If done right, you can get a lot of exposure and build hype among the movie lovers community to make a successful movie. So ensure that you consistently follow these strategies for the best results.
Bill has been writing for getassist writing team for more than one year now. He loves to write about gadgets, social media, movies, music, and whatnot. His keen interest in gaming and sports has made him write numerous blogs about the same for several popular magazines and blogs. He even writes lifestyle
