Although writing and producing the film are integral parts of film making, their execution may not be the hardest task. A successful movie must move from script to action to audiences sitting in theatres – which means bums need to get on seats as soon as possible!
Marketing plays an essential role here; it helps get viewers into cinemas to watch your film and pay for their tickets – ultimately providing filmmakers and studios with the revenue they are hoping for.
Nowadays, there are numerous marketing techniques that are readily available to marketers to create interest and attract viewers. While traditional methods are still effective, modernized techniques have helped form newer marketing strategies which can be utilized.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing has proven itself as one of the most efficient methods available for product promotion, offering marketers access to creating cheap promotional tools which reach millions. According to statistics, it is understood that around 4.59 billion people were using some form of social media in 2022, while most access 6.6 platforms on a monthly basis.
Social media campaigns can be improved at an expense, however. Horror movie directors may wish to target their ads at people with an affinity for similar or related themes that can help draw in an audience that will enjoy watching horror flicks more efficiently than trying to attract everyone with generic ads aimed at appealing to all tastes – given that horror does not appeal to everyone equally.
Trailers and Posters
One of the oldest methods that is still utilized today is the use of trailers and posters. Although they are a classic marketing method, technology has allowed marketers to be more inventive and creative with these options, thus adding a new dimension to them and helping to make them more engaging. They can also be depicted on social media and shown to millions.
Designers of these tools are able to integrate certain clips and imagery from various platforms to help build promotional resources, such as horror-themed posters. Platforms that offer stock photos and videos are more accessible than ever before, and they can be just as impactful as those that may have been created. However, they can also come at a cost and time benefit, as they are already available to use instantly and cheaply compared to having to create the shots from scratch.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing has really taken off over the last few years, especially with the use of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. While horror filmmakers have been able to post trailers and movie posters to their own profiles, they are now able to use people with a large count of followers to improve their reach and potentially obtain viewers.
By having an influencer create their own content and provide a positive word about the film, marketers are able to spend a little more time elsewhere. At the same time, they are able to try and leverage a specific type of person in a way that was never possible before.
In-Theatre Promotions
Marketing strategies have been able to achieve success by involving potential customers. For instance, there have been campaigns that have given away products once competing in a certain task or challenge, while there are others that simply give out the product as a promotional tool.
While horror films are unable to do anything like that, they could still look to form partnerships with theatres which could then help them to build interest in the movie that they have created. They could look to offer out merchandise for the first X number of viewers, or they could provide other special incentives in order to attract attention, such as a special-themed ticket.
Numerous Marketing Strategies are Available
With an emphasis on the importance of the marketing strategies being adopted and used, marketers of horror films now have a plethora of different ways in which they can generate interest which can potentially be converted into paying audiences. Technology has certainly helped to increase the methods available, while it has also helped to improve some of those that are tried and tested. Getting the strategy right, though, might just be as hard as getting the film from the script to the screen!