Social Media Changes the Game for Marketing Movies

By now, you’ve probably noticed an influx in social media usage amongst the entertainment industry. The film business is a natural fit for social networks – movies are innately social, and people want to talk about them. Following suit to the Classic Hollywood star system and legendary fan magazines, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs and even entertainment check-in sites have created a new way to market movies, all while collecting invaluable market research along the way.

Among the plethora of movies being marketed with social media, one in particular really caught my eye – Tim Burton’s Twitter-Written story.

In a nutshell, Burton announced he wanted Twitter followers to help write his next script. He began with one line, and encouraged people on the platform to complete the plot by contributing content while including the hashtag #BurtonStory within the tweet. Starting November 22 and ending December 6, the @BurtonStory attracted 11,307 people to follow the campaign – a good indication of the type of audience the movie would have if ever produced. Burton and Co. also set up a website for people to track the story where they can also download a PDF version of the final copy – another resource to measure whether people are attached to the plot or not. The tale began with an offbeat sentence, and one can only imagine where the storyline ended, but ultimately, the campaign was successful in connecting people with the potential film. All in all, the campaign is a great attribute to social media and its presence within the movie biz. Whether or not Burton plans on turning the fan-written story into a reality, he has shown how social media can successfully create buzz around a movie or script – all while collecting measurable data about the film’s target audience in the meantime.

Another example of how studios use social media to promote a film is Paramount Pictures’ Facebook campaign for low-budget horror flick, Paranormal Activity. The particular campaign demonstrates how to create buzz around a movie online, and also convert sales at the box office. The studio set a goal of one million Facebook fans as a prerequisite to release the film nation-wide, and sure enough, the goal was met. Not only were people eager to participate online, but they also felt ownership over the campaign – motivating them to actually purchase a ticket to go see the movie. The film grossed more than $150 million at the box office, and was ultimately a social media success.

Social media goes hand-in-hand with the film industry. Not only do platforms such as Twitter and Facebook allow studios to connect with a larger audience of viewers, but they also capture invaluable information that may indicate the success of a particular film in a certain region. There are plenty of examples pointing to why social media is the next big thing in marketing for the film industry, now it’s a matter of how both industries continue to evolve with one another to determine its full potential – stay tuned.

Continue reading here: Social Media Measurement- Measuring the Success of Your Social Media Program

Was this article helpful?