Using various web-based audience development tools and adapting methods to collect the data that is needed to project sales across multiple channels will allow you to make a more informed choice about how you want to distribute. Do not say “I don’t need to do this, I plan on getting a distribution deal.” Instead, build a core fanbase to give yourself stronger negotiating power. At the very least, this will serve as a “fail safe” should you not get a desirable distribution deal and choose a more favorable “Do-It-Yourself” distribution model. You may even simply want to retain the rights to sell your movie from your own website because you have already pre-established your consumers and can estimate sales.
It’s never to early to start using these tools, and you are probably aware of many of them. In later articles we will discuss how to use these effectively, but here is a list of 10 things you can do right now, for about $10:
1. Go to Godaddy.com and purchase a domain name. Get one that ends with .com. Get your movie title. If it is unavailable add “movie” or “themovie” or “film” to the end. (You don’t need to purchase any other services during check-out.)
2. Sign up for WordPress.com. Make your blog the title of your movie/ domain. Start posting press releases and other articles, such as reviews.
3. Sign up for Youtube.com. Make your username title of your movie/ domain. Post your trailer, or you can do a video “pitch”.
4. Sign-up for an account on Facebook.com.
5. Sign-up for Flickr. Get your username title of your movie/ domain.
6. Sign up for an account at del.icio.us. Bookmark your domain, facebook page, blog page and you tube page.
7. Sign up for a google account, to use their alerts, place connect with people who talk about you.
8. Sign up for Box Office Widget. Place this on your website and on your blog. Use it as your signature on forums.
8. Sign up for Spottt. Place this banner code on your myspace page, blog, and the thank you page from Box Office Widget.
10. Go to Yahoo! Groups and find all the groups that may have interest to your film and join. Participate in the group, rather than just spam the group.
All of the above will cost you about $10, (that’s for the domain name.) You will get a free web-hosting account with Godaddy. You can begin to develop this page as you go, and later “upgrade” this hosting account. Even though you may have a main “business” website, you still want to develop this.
Boxofficewidget is our service, you can use this for now, its free to use to collect addresses. (As you become more familiar with things you can switch if you want, but we would like to see you stay.)
Remember to always provide links to your blog, email list and website and after a while of participating in the groups, forums and blogging you will start building your audience.
I will try to update this list to keep it fresh and relevant. There are many similar services available to the ones mentioned above, I selected what I consider “Best of Breed”.