A clever online marketing move
I stumbled over an intriging and clever online marketing move today.
I have an account at Twitter, the mobile misco-blogging web site. I rarely use it and I've never connected it to my mobile - I'm way to busy to distracted by another thing. My Facebook updates automatically repost to my Twitter account, and a few of my friends follow my activities through the Twitter feed.
One of the great (and possibly scary) things you can do on Twitter is you can start following people, every now and then I take a look at who is following me and block a couple of the more dubious ones. Today I found someone following me who I wasn't expecting. Cardinology.
The Cardinals are the backing band of one of my favorite performers, Ryan Adams, and Cardinology is their latest album. I've blogged about Ryan Adams before and my love of his work is well known. But surely I should be his fan - not the other way round. It's very clever that someone in Cardinal land trolls the internet and makes connections with an artist's fans.
I clicked onto the Cardinology Twitter feed, their update from earlier today announced that Adams alter ego DJ Reggie had posted some more rap tunes online. The link led me to the bands You Tube account and this beautiful new song, 'Dear Impossible'. I didn't know this song. What album is it on? A google search revealed the answer. Even though 'Cardinology' is only just in the shops, the next album is already underway. My seach also revealed Ryan Adam's blog, on the tour bus he's been learning Final Cut Pro and posting simple videos to share the new songs, I found another one 'Sunflowers in Hotels' on Vimeo.
So what's all this got to do with filmmaking. Well not a lot. It has a lot to do with online distribution and marketing though.
The BIG thing is that they didn't just create a online presence and hope I'd find it - they reach out and made contact with me. Now I don't think anyone in the Ryan Adams camp is actually following my Twitter updates, mainly because they have 1995 friends to follow - but they made me feel like they were interested in me.
How many filmmakers just create a web page to promote their film and leave it at that?
The band is also cleverly getting me to like the songs from their new album - before it's released. They're getting to me before the critics and the reviews. Could this work for filmmakers? Would you ever let me see your rough cut online? Some footage from the shoot? Something beyond the standard trailer?
Listen to Cardinology on the band's My Space page.
Ryan Adams is playing Metropolis Fremantle in January - he's more than welcome to drop by FTI for a FCP tutorial session.
..and while I don't believe that The Cardinals have a connection with all 1995 of their Twitter friends, I would like to take a moment to recognise my 584 Facebook friends...your all great.
I have an account at Twitter, the mobile misco-blogging web site. I rarely use it and I've never connected it to my mobile - I'm way to busy to distracted by another thing. My Facebook updates automatically repost to my Twitter account, and a few of my friends follow my activities through the Twitter feed.
One of the great (and possibly scary) things you can do on Twitter is you can start following people, every now and then I take a look at who is following me and block a couple of the more dubious ones. Today I found someone following me who I wasn't expecting. Cardinology.
The Cardinals are the backing band of one of my favorite performers, Ryan Adams, and Cardinology is their latest album. I've blogged about Ryan Adams before and my love of his work is well known. But surely I should be his fan - not the other way round. It's very clever that someone in Cardinal land trolls the internet and makes connections with an artist's fans.
I clicked onto the Cardinology Twitter feed, their update from earlier today announced that Adams alter ego DJ Reggie had posted some more rap tunes online. The link led me to the bands You Tube account and this beautiful new song, 'Dear Impossible'. I didn't know this song. What album is it on? A google search revealed the answer. Even though 'Cardinology' is only just in the shops, the next album is already underway. My seach also revealed Ryan Adam's blog, on the tour bus he's been learning Final Cut Pro and posting simple videos to share the new songs, I found another one 'Sunflowers in Hotels' on Vimeo.
So what's all this got to do with filmmaking. Well not a lot. It has a lot to do with online distribution and marketing though.
The BIG thing is that they didn't just create a online presence and hope I'd find it - they reach out and made contact with me. Now I don't think anyone in the Ryan Adams camp is actually following my Twitter updates, mainly because they have 1995 friends to follow - but they made me feel like they were interested in me.
How many filmmakers just create a web page to promote their film and leave it at that?
The band is also cleverly getting me to like the songs from their new album - before it's released. They're getting to me before the critics and the reviews. Could this work for filmmakers? Would you ever let me see your rough cut online? Some footage from the shoot? Something beyond the standard trailer?
Listen to Cardinology on the band's My Space page.
Ryan Adams is playing Metropolis Fremantle in January - he's more than welcome to drop by FTI for a FCP tutorial session.
..and while I don't believe that The Cardinals have a connection with all 1995 of their Twitter friends, I would like to take a moment to recognise my 584 Facebook friends...your all great.
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