Anyone who has attended any of my social media marketing workshops will know how much I harp on about blogging.
I’m pretty much of the mind that everyone should have a blog. There are few people who wouldn’t benefit from blogging. Think of it as an online home – a place to collect together everything about you or a certain topic.
In particular I think filmmakers – nay – ALL content creators must have a website or blog – call it what you want (invariably I use the two terms interchangeably).
I hear a lot of grumbling when I tell people this. And it’s usually because people don’t feel confident about writing or simply have no idea what to write about or how to present themselves or their work effectively. Or they’ve convinced themselves that they simply don’t have time to ‘blog.’
I don’t pretend upkeeping a good blog is easy. It isn’t. It takes lots of hard work. And there’s nothing worse than starting a blog or website and neglecting it. It needs nurturing, loving and feeding. Constantly.
But when you come out the other side, chest puffed up with your shiny blog attracting readers, it makes all that effort worthwhile. Especially if it means more people are hearing about – and becoming excited about – your latest film or project.
I almost did a happy dance when I read this guest post by Lila Yomtoob on Jon Reiss’ blog about the added value of blogging for filmmakers.
Lila gives some nice examples of projects she’s worked on that have used blogging effectively.
I actually come at blogging and websites from a slightly different angle than Lila. Rather than set up a blog specifically for a film, it’s much more effective to add a blog section to your own website.
Think of all the hours you’ll put into that blog while you’re trying to promote your film and get people to pay attention to it. You’ll keep doing it as your film (hopefully) hits the festival circuit. But what happens to that blog when your film is done its run? Your blog becomes yet another tome in the digital graveyard.
It’s far better to put all that effort into a blog that lives on your production company website. That way, you’re constantly nurturing and feeding something that doesn’t have an expiry date and is directly tied to your ongoing career and online presence.
Many folks also don’t realise that blogging is part of social media marketing. It’s not just Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Blogging is equally as important.
Kudos to Lila for writing her post. I hope it will help content creators better understand the benefits of blogging.
*This post was written by Liz Hover of the National Screen Institute. You can check out her articles and other great information here.
About the National Screen Institute – Canada:
The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is a non-profit organization with headquarters in Winnipeg. We are Canada’s national film, television and digital media training school for writers, directors and producers. Training is anchored in the philosophy that the best way to learn is by doing.
Contact us or see a map of where we’re located
Our market-driven training programs have led to employment and successful careers for graduates by giving them a competitive edge. According to the 2008 NSI alumni survey, 96% of respondents are working in the film and TV industry.
- Training programs are led by experts in film, television and digital media – they deliver workshops and seminars and mentor participants.
- Participants do not pay tuition fees or relocate.
- Training is intensive. Participants train in one centre for a short period and then return home to work with local mentors on their projects under the leadership of the program manager.
Find out about all the training programs provided by the National Screen Institute.
After more than 24 years of training and with over 620 alumni, NSI continues to develop and deliver training to meet the industry’s needs. We produce works that:
- appeal to Canadians
- help advance careers that will grow the Canadian industry and contribute to the regional and national economies stimulating employment for the long term.
NSI leads in the design and delivery of programs that provide training to Canada’s visible minority and Aboriginal screen professionals.
NSI also commits to showcasing Canadian short films and providing professional development resources online.
Visit the NSI site here.
