How to use Social Media Film Marketing to Your Advantage 

So you just finished pre-production, production, and post-production on your feature length film.

You finally feel like all of your hard work has paid off and now the only thing you’ve got to do is get people to go and see your film!

But how do you do that if you don’t have the money to take out a bunch of billboard ads, or hire a top notch publicist? Well social media film marketing might be for you. Social media film marketing is a great and inexpensive way to reach a large audience.

There’s a variety of options when it comes to which platforms you’d like to use and which strategies you want to implement in order to get people interested in your film. 

With our help, you’ll be able to confidently execute a social media campaign for your show-stopping film in no time. 

What is Your Goal?

You want to start with your personal goals for your film. Do you want people to buy tickets to your screening? Do you want to build awareness around upcoming projects and have people provide funding? Starting with these types of questions will help you map out your social media film marketing plan. 

With a goal like getting people to buy tickets to your screening, you can first decide which platform would best suit your film. Would instagram better showcase beautiful shots in your film? Or are you trying to give the film a mysterious vibe by only using X to engage people with the story? 

Figuring out your goals and finding the right platforms are great first steps in creating buzz around your film. 

Find Your Audience

A huge part of the writing process for film is finding your audience. This is also true of social media film marketing. When you are trying to figure out who is going to come out and see your film, a helpful place to start is by creating a persona for your ideal audience member.

Are they a horror fan? Romance girly? Or are they just there to see Jacob Elordi? Whatever it may be, it's good to know who exactly you’re trying to share your story with. A good example of this would be this year's release of Wuthering Heights by Emerald Fennell. When the marketing was rolling out for this film there was a huge response from women and fans of the book.

There was clear demographic targeting in terms of who they were trying to get to come out and see the film. The film's release date was on Galentine’s day which was a clear indicator that it was meant to be a fun movie for single women to see with their friends.

Charli xcx also collaborated on the score for the film and there was a trending sound on TikTok featuring a song on the soundtrack called ‘House.’ 76% of the people who came out to see the film were women and 53% were between the ages of 18 and 34.  

The best way to speak directly to your ideal audience is by using comparisons of your film to other films to give people an idea of what kind of story you’re telling.

Otherwise known as ‘comps’. Comps are a great way to pitch your film visually and tonally. When you use examples of describing your film like ‘Twilight’ meets ‘Jennifer’s Body’ you give the audience a sense of familiarity and intrigue. 

Sharing your story directly to audiences and getting them engaged and excited about seeing your film is a sure-fire way to get people to tune in to your social media platforms.

Dynamic Content

Now that you have a plan and identified your audience you can get into posting your content. You really want to immerse your audience in the world of the film. You can do this by posting behind the scenes footage of your film that gives people a peak into what filming looks like on set.

This could also include a set tour that shows the various props and costumes used by the cast. 

In social media film marketing it's also very important to make sure that you showcase material focused on the characters. Something as niche as a social media profile made for certain characters can bring a lot of anticipation.

This could also include interviews with the cast or table readings of the scripts so audiences can get a sneak peak into the inner workings of the characters. 

When you have content that is eye-catching, and intentional, people can’t help but feel like they’re already a part of the world you’re building. 

Make Note of Trends

Part of getting your film noticed in social media film marketing is staying up to date on current trends. When Barbie premiered in 2023 and was competing for the same weekend release slot as Oppenheimer, the internet was in an uproar and coined the viral term ‘Barbenheimer’ which was meant to show a level of excitement for seeing both  movies in the same day.

This naturally created a lot of buzz around the movies, with both of them going on to see major success in the box office turnout. Barbie had also been rolling out an unmatched social media campaign that featured different Barbie inspired looks, Barbie filters asking what kind of Barbie you are, and so much more. User generated content really propelled this film into stardom.

People felt invited to participate in these trends which made them feel invited into the world of Barbie. 

Keeping an eye on trends for social media film marketing is imperative if you want your film to stand out. Trends bring people together across the internet and create a sense of community. If you can associate that sense of community with your film, you’re already ahead of the game. 

Take the Audience on A Journey

All of these methods are a way to ultimately get people to care about your film. You want people to really understand why you’re telling this story and to understand the emotional impact of your film.

There has been a major shift in social media film marketing from ‘launch marketing’ to ‘journey marketing.’ People don't want to be told to go see a movie, they want to know why they themselves should want to see your movie. 

If you take your audience on a journey from the conception of the film, they are more likely to be fully invested in how everything comes together.

There is a level of exclusivity that you’re selling when promoting a film and you want the audience to feel that they are in the know, and they’re a part of something big. 

All of this is to say, you don’t need a huge publicity team or the biggest billboard in Hollywood to get people to want to see your film.

By choosing the right platforms, finding your audience, making compelling content, and making note of trends, you can use social media film marketing as a way to reach people organically and find people who are just as passionate about your film as you are. 

🪽 Written by Jourdan Amen