Creative SMS Crowdfunding Campaigns for Independent Film Productions

No matter what the task is, any campaign can be boosted by SMS marketing. It’s great for businesses and charities but could be especially utilised for the creative industry. From the largest scale (mainstream TV shows, Hollywood blockbusters) to low budget independents, there is an SMS campaign to fit all needs and perform a vital profile-boosting function.

There has been a huge rise in independent productions worldwide, but especially in the UK. With a film industry that doesn’t have the funding to match the US, which constitutes the vast majority of our movie diet, from the top down we have a more independent feel. But low down on this scale has seen the biggest rise and this comes with a huge shift of technology and the rise of web series and YouTubers.

Online drama and web series have been about since the mid-90s but have grown to such an extent even online broadcasters like Netflix and Amazon Prime could be considered as being web series providers. But if we focus on independents, that is where we can see the true importance of SMS marketing.

One of the most vital outcomes of undertaking a creative endeavour is that people watch it. Writing or performing something only gathers meaning if it is seen. SMS marketing can help in this in the first instance by letting people you know in on what it is you’re creating and building the buzz. Everyone you know has a mobile phone and can receive and send text messages. Once out, your message will spread. And when you upload the video, you can include marketing strategies to grow your SMS marketing database. The list of people you send to will expand.

Where SMS services become vital for low budget independent productions is helping with the most difficult aspect. That is getting a budget for your production. Over the years, crowdfunding has become more popular to fund independent productions; even bigger names use it nowadays. Even if you’ve managed to get some videos online to monetise your project, you’re going to need some kind of budget and as a creative, maybe marketing isn’t your forte, you want to be more focused on creating your vision. That’s where it becomes a good idea to leave the marketing to others, and there is no better way than SMS marketing as you can reach potential contributors directly and in a personal manner.

One of the most important aspects of crowdfunding is to let people know about the campaign in advance. They might not be able to contribute at the time but they need to know it’s coming to build up anticipation and buzz, and then your fan base needs to know when the project has launched. This can all be achieved with SMS marketing.

A well-choreographed crowdfunding campaign needs frequent updates. When in the middle of the campaign this can seem hectic, so it’s best to plan these in advance. One of the benefits of online SMS is that you can organise updates in advance and have your campaign ready before it even launches. You’ll also be able to include a link and a call to action which will take recipients to the host of the crowd funding campaign and get people funding. This will offer you more chance of a successful campaign.

Another great thing about SMS is that you can send a personal note of gratitude when people fund you. Everyone likes to be thanked for helping and it will build loyalty for your project.

Online drama is often cited as the future of television, and with BBC Three moving online recently, and the rise of platforms like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, maybe there will be more of a shift that way and more need for SMS marketing to get your message out there in a competitive market.

More importantly, when it comes to the future, what will happen to your project after your successful crowdfund campaign? That’s when the hard work starts, making your creative project. But when it launches online, you have an established audience all logged for you in an SMS database that can be told about when trailers are launched, release dates, competitions and so on. You’ll be able to keep them informed of what you are creating with their generous donations every step of the way.

The most important factor to maintain and connect to an audience is that you engage with them, and as a growing small independent, it’s best to do this on a personal level. The more personal it feels, the more the audience will feel connected to the project. There is something that feels more personal about a text message arriving in their inbox than any other form of marketing. At Fastsms, we provide SMS marketing services in the UK on our cloud-based platform; you can not only send but also receive text messages from your customers, fans and supporters. This offers full immersion within the project as they feel more connected to you.

One of the best reasons to use SMS marketing in a campaign like this or in this industry is how adaptable it can be to fit your needs. As a creative person, working in a creative industry, you’ll probably be brimming with ideas – all of which online SMS would be able to match. Maybe you’d like to utilise SMS Q&As with your fans, for that personal touch, or even have SMS become part of your story, with characters from your show or film sending out messages regarding the plot. Whatever the need, SMS marketing is an innovative choice to match the creativity of your independent production.