DYI is a numbers game. The more people who know about your film (or project, if still in the works), the more tickets, DVDs, and merchandise you will sell. There is one simple tool that any filmmaker can implement on their website or blog that I guarantee will help their DIY process: add a sign-up box. Sign-up boxes asks visitors to your websit to add their emails to your list so you can contact them when something new happens with the film or project. This is different from social network sites (like facebook or myspace) where people have to sign-up to become your friends. What happens when they aren’t facebook or myspace users?
Whenever you make announcements, add a video to YouTube or some PR about you or your film is released through the Internet, some number of people will come to your website. If they like what they see, you have a wonderful opportunity to start building a relationship with your project by adding their emails. If you offer them no way of staying in contact, such as adding them to an email list, then you’ve just lost a potential fan (and future sales).
There are plenty of free e-mail tools, including the one offered by Magic Rock called Box Office Widget. There is really no excuse not to add this to your website. It takes only 10 minutes.
See this website for an example how this works: The Sword and The Sorcerer
