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Life After Release: How to Maintain a Film’s Momentum

We all know the excitement leading up to a film’s release. The reviews are out (raves!), the interviews are running, and sales are going well. However, what do you do after all of the excitement fades and the film has been available to audiences for a while? 

Believe it or not, there are ways to extend the life of your film and continue to reach new audiences even after its release date. We’ve included a few suggestions below to help you extend the life of your film’s campaign, reaching new audiences and driving additional sales. 

PARTNERSHIPS

You’ve spent the ramp-up to release building your audience; now, it’s time to speak to someone else’s. Partnerships are a great way to continue to spread the word about your project. Based on the themes of your film, compile a list of organizations that also champion those ideals. For example, if you are a female filmmaker, you could partner with an organization that promotes women in film or with a media outlet that focuses on elevating female voices. Through these partnerships, you can explore being included in newsletters or possibly hosting a screening for their members/subscribers. 

Film Momentum

EVENTIZED SCREENINGS

Just because your film is available on VOD doesn’t mean that you can’t move forward with an eventized screening! Whether the screening is through a partnership (as mentioned above) or a watch party hosted online, it gives viewers another chance to connect with the film outside of traditional media. These screenings could be online or at socially distanced venues if you wanted to look into a drive-in option. Although in-person events can be pricey, eventizing them by adding activities create a desirable option for a fun (and safe) night out for your audience. At these screenings, there is also the possibility of hosting a Q&A or additional theme discussions that help promote the film’s core themes. 

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Social media (both organic and paid content) offers a lot of flexibility in terms of promoting your film and the importance of these platforms cannot be understated. Although there are multiple ways to promote your film on social media – both prior to and after the film’s release – we’ve compiled a few suggestions here to get you started:

  • Paid Digital Ads – An experienced ad manager can get you a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to awareness of the film and driving to direct downloads. Paid Digital Ads is an art and it takes a lot of A/B testing to get it right, but in the end, the measurable results speak for themselves.
  • Groups – Facebook is an example of a platform that offers groups based on interests, which is a powerful way to connect with your audience. Engaging with and posting within these networks gives your film added visibility and a connection directly to your target audience. That being said, make sure you read the code of conduct for the group prior to joining, as some frown upon posts they feel are direct advertising – only post if you feel it would be a positive experience.
  • Trends + Holidays – Don’t be afraid to jump in on a trending hashtag, viral trend, or holiday in order to increase the film’s visibility. For example, could Bernie Sanders in a chair be photoshopped into a still from the film? Do #NationalSiblingsDay or #NationalDonutDay relate to scenes or relationships in the film? Be creative with your content and have fun with it! When posting, make sure to use the correct hashtags to help get your content noticed. Socialbakers has created a social media calendar filled with a variety of dates that can be incorporated into your social strategies.

This is just a snapshot of a variety of ideas you can use to prolong the life of your release. Whether you’ve tried these tactics before or have new ones to add we’d love to hear from you! Find us on social at @jiveprdigital.

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