Continuing Jon’s tips of the day as we run up to the Distribution on 2010 Workshop on May 8th / 9th. Over to Jon.

Jon Reiss’ Tip of the Day 5 – Budget for Distribution and Marketing

In order to successfully execute a marketing plan for your film, a budget must be developed in tandem with your production budget.

This is not an optional expense to be decided at the end of post production.

A marketing and distribution budget is a tool that balances what needs to be spent against what can be afforded, and helps make choices about which methods will be priorities and which ones cannot be implemented due to cost. A well analyzed, affordable budget will help to focus achievable marketing efforts without wasting time and money. Doing this will also make it seem that you have a sense of how you are going to make your investors money back (and that you care).

Jon Reiss’ Tip of the Day 6 – Indentifying and Engaging Your Audience

Here is the Jon Reiss TOTBO three step approach to audience development and engagement:

1. Know WHO your audience is. This is not 18-25 year old boys/men. Or 35 – 55 year old women. As an independent filmmaker, if you cross over into a mass audience great – but you need to be much more specific. Tomorrow’s tip will discuss niche vs core audiences.

2. Know WHERE your audience derives information/congregates. In other words how you can contact them, engage them, communicate with them?

3. Know HOW your audience engages media, or HOW they will support you.

I want to know what you think!  Comment here or on my blog, or @Jon_Reiss on twitter, or on the TOTBO Facebook page. Check out the book here. I look forward to hearing from you.

PS I was going to address budgeting this week, but I have shifted that topic to next week.

Thanks Jon – You can read more about the workshop we are running with Jon on my blog here, and also watch Seth Godins excellent video on ‘tribes’.

Onwards and upwards!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
mail@livingspirit.com