Marketing & Distributing Your Video (page 2)
Using the Media
Using the media in as many forms as possible is not an option - it is a necessity when marketing a video. Your first task is identifying which media best suit your needs:
- Collect information on every possible source of media that may have interest in your video (magazines, radio, Podcasts, Web sites, etc.).
- Contact each and ask about their wants and needs.
- Sort according to type (print, broadcast and Web) and desirability.
- Record media lead times, preferred method of information submission (email, fax, snail mail) and type of information preferred (press release, Web link, video press kit, b-roll footage, photos, audio tape, etc.).
The Need for a Media Kit
A media kit entices the media to cover your project. A comprehensive package that provides detailed information on all aspects of your video, it is used by reporters, reviewers and anyone else who will help you get the word out about your project.
A traditional media kit usually consists of the following:
- Video synopsis
- Trailer or full-length copy of video on DVD
- Project fact sheet
- Cast and crew lists
- Production company backgrounder
- Production photographs
- Key art
- Business card
Depending on your budget and technological sophistication, you can create these items traditionally in print and place them in a folder, produce them electronically on a CD or launch them online, with all of the relevant information accessible via a Web site. The point is to make this information easily available to media and anyone else on your marketing list.
One warning: just as a good media package helps your efforts, a poorly-executed kit can severely hamper your project's potential.
Using Press Releases
The press release is the cheapest and easiest way to get your marketing campaign started. The most used (and overused) device in the industry, a press release is a one-page synopsis of the news you want to communicate to your audiences. Web sites, newspapers, magazines and broadcasters receive hundreds of these daily; if you want the media to take action on your release, keep it short and accurate, with no grammatical or factual mistakes. Clearly point out the 5 "W's" (Who, What, When, Where and Why) in the first sentence.
Securing Reviews
An objective, third-party endorsement of your project is always more convincing than saying the same things yourself. To get your project reviewed, submit your project to one of the thousands of media that exist solely for that purpose. Most review-specific media are more than happy to take a look at your project and give it some press.
Interviews
The interview presents you as an expert or interesting figure. Due to the popularity of reality programming and the world's obsession with celebrities, finding interview opportunities in the media isn't too tough. Sometimes it is the result of a well-written press release: a reporter will call, wanting further information. Other times you'll "sell" yourself as an interview subject to the various media relevant to your video. Remember that, during an interview, you are the expert on the topic. It wouldn't be happening if you didn't have something educational, informative, interesting or amusing to say. Hint: Podcasts are loaded with interviews; record your own and make them available via any virtual locations that make sense.
Festivals
Literally hundreds of film and video festivals occur around the globe all year, showcasing shorts, features, experimental, 8mm, digital video, animation, documentary, music and even made-for-cellular-phone movies. There really is a festival for everyone. Look for fests that offer a good match to your project. Events with added value, such as a film market component, free advertising for participants and other promotional opportunities, really help market your video.
Festivals are great for brushing shoulders with industry movers and shakers and attending workshops. They also provide an ideal forum for objective audience reaction.
