How Facebook Has Impacted the Movie Industry

Image Source: Pixabay

To say Facebook has an impact on the lives of its s is a bit of an understatement. Since its original development in 2004, the social media giant has become an important part of how we live our lives.

The statistics behind people using the network and how they are using it is staggering. First of all, over 2.32 billion people log on to the website each month. An impressive 68% of all Americans use it. The social media giant has also been on a mission to acquire other popular companies and platforms. This includes popular social sharing apps like Instagram and Whatsapp. Imagine those statistics and acquisitions from a marketing perspective, and its no wonder companies in all different industries are clamoring to find new and inventive ways to boost sales through Facebook.

The film industry is no exception. Billboards, commercials, and even previews in movie theatres just don’t cut it today when it comes to marketing new movies. So, filmmakers and promoters have turned to social media to get people interested in their movies. Because of the large number of s and the social interaction involved, this type of movie marketing seems to be working.

Facebook and Film Marketing

So, how have filmmakers started to leverage Facebook to market their movies? First of all, movie trailers are being released on social media platforms first. Many times, before they play in theatres or are shown on television. Sometimes, marketers might tease a trailer on Facebook in an effort to get attention and hype from a wide audience. In fact, now that the platform has become so influential, it’s not uncommon for a trailer to be released and reach millions of views in just a single day. One recent example of this was the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The first trailer for the movie earned over a million views in less than 30 minutes on the social media platform.

One of the reasons movie trailers have become so popular on social media is because marketers can reach a wide target audience. People from all walks of life and all ages use the platform. These target markets are crossing into one another by doing things like watching trailers and movie clips, and then talking about them with one another.

Movie marketers can keep the interaction going by releasing things like:
• Games
• Quizzes
• Behind-the-scenes footage
• Contests, as the marketers for In Time illustrated.

Actors and directors often take to social media to promote their movies as well, sharing videos and posts that help their potential audience to feel more connected to the movie before it even comes out.

Simply put, movies have become more social, and it doesn’t stop after the film is released. In fact, 72% of people post on social networking sites after watching a film. What they say to their friends and followers can create a big difference in how interested people are in a movie.

Traditional Marketing Methods on Facebook

Facebook has made it easier for businesses to market themselves over the years. One of the most significant advancements is the introduction of ads and sponsored posts. Even small businesses can take advantage of ads on the platform, and many see great results when they’re done correctly.

The film industry uses Facebook advertising and boosted posts to get their trailers noticed and to get people talking about certain movies. If you feel like you’ve seen an ment for a trailer over and over again lately on your feed, there’s a reason for that — the production company is probably paying a lot of money for it to show up!

Video has also become a huge part of social media because it catches people’s attention. So, even if you had no intentions of seeing a movie, or you’d never even heard of a specific film, seeing the trailer d personally to you via your feed might at least make you stop and watch it. From there, you might develop an interest in the movie. Finally, you might end up seeing it. That’s the main goal of the film industry when it comes to spending their advertising dollars on sponsored posts.

Taking Movie Marketing to Other Platforms

Facebook may have purchased Instagram, but the two platforms target very different audiences. That’s why movie industries are also starting to use other social media outlets to their films, too.

Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, for example, tend to be used by a younger audience. Snapchat is highly favored by teens, and the highest group of Instagram s are between 25 to 34 years old. Movies catering to these younger audiences have started to use these social platforms similarly, by posting shorter videos, trailers, sponsored posts, and so on.

Instagram allows marketers to show off exclusive footage via Instagram stories, which have been a powerful tool used by marketers in many fields due to how accessible it is for interacting with customers. It also gives them the opportunity to create photo contests and build anticipation thanks to its image-forward design.

Twitter has seen a lot of success with movie promotion as well — a recent example being the movie Ted, which released in 2012. Marketers for the movie created a Twitter posing as the foul-mouthed bear called @WhatTedSaid. To promote the movie, they tweeted humorous (albeit inappropriate) lines from the film’s fuzzy lead, which helped it make $54 million on its opening weekend in theatres.

The Future of Movie Marketing on Facebook

As Facebook continues to change its algorithms and develop new features, the movie industry will undoubtedly adapt along with it. Already, you can purchase movie tickets via Facebook, in a discussion with other fans, and see exclusive footage you won’t find anywhere else.

The platform has shown great interest in the technology of the future, including things like augmented and virtual reality. You can expect these features to start being utilized in the near future, and marketers will continue to take advantage of how they can reach a wider audience by using them.

The marketing landscape for movies has changed, and a lot of it has grown organically. Yes, movie promoters are putting a lot of time, effort, and money into getting their ments seen on Facebook. But, the biggest form of advertising is word of mouth. What better place to share your thoughts, opinions, and interests, than on a social network? In part, we’re doing some of the marketing ourselves when we a discussion about the movies we want to see.