5 Steps to Grow Your Filmmaking Email List

At least as of right now, if you’re going to sell anything on the internet, you need to build your email list.  Since most filmmakers aren’t really marketers, here’s a basic guide to building your email list of potential customers so that you’ll have an easier time selling your film once it’s time to distribute it.

1. Provide Value in the form of content.

Marketing is telling people how great your are.  Content marketing is SHOWING people how great you are.  You need to provide a steady stream of content to your followers to really build your following and your brand.  This content can be something as simple as behind the scenes photos, bits about how the film production is going, or even quick little livestreams talking about how everything is going on set.  You can also blog using your own site, or share you blogs on ProductionNext.com.
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2. Offer an Exclusive Value Add in exchange for signing up for an email address.

If you want to sell something on the internet, you need to provide value before you do.  The product itself can’t be the value add, no matter how awesome you thing your content is.  You need to build a relationship with your customer, and giving them a simple gift is a great way to start that relationship off on the right foot.  It’s good to think of this as a sample of your future value, similar to a Pink Spoon and a Sample at Baskin Robbins. 

​For ideas on what sort of giveaway to use, check back for next week’s blog.
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3. Drive traffic to a form built using Mailchimp or another platform.​

Once you make the offer of the free giveaway, you have to capture their email.  Generally, it’s good to categorize people to help get them on the right list as well.  I use checkboxes on my list to sort by event locations, and associations with film schools or book stores.  I’d recommend that you do something similar, but be careful not to go beyond 3 sets of questions.  If you do, your rate of return is going to drop significantly. 
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4. Have the confirmation email automatically deliver the Exclusive Giveaway.

The less work you have to do on this the better.  I recommend you have your email list automatically deliver a link to the final giveaway.  A setting on mail chimp will let your final opt in take the new subscriber to an hidden page on your site where you can set up a download or viewing link for whatever you decide to use as a giveaway. 
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5. Provide valuable content in the form of emails, as well as the occasional sales hook.

Finally, the work isn’t done after you get the email.  You need to provide valuable content to each new member of your mailing list, as well as make the occasional sales hook.  The way I strike a balance is with using simple Mailing Automations provided for free by Mailchimp.  I use the automated mailings to send out blog digests to each new member on a monthly basis based on when they signed up.  I keep adding to these automations when I have time, and I try not to include sales hooks in the first automated emails.

Anyway, Thanks so much for reading.  If you like this content, you should check out my email list!  As I said above, it gives your free blog digests organized by topic, as well as access to a free film market resource package and a whole lot more!  You’ll also stay up to date on new releases and events from Guerrilla Rep Media.

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