The winter months can be a slow time for cinemas. Now is the perfect time to maximize your marketing efforts and drive customers to your theatre! In this post, we’ll provide you with some tips to make the most of the winter movie lull from ways to activate in-cinema to optimizing your SEO.
1. Create buzz: Get the word out about upcoming blockbusters by creating a sense of excitement and anticipation. Use social media, email marketing, and other channels to tease upcoming films and generate buzz before they hit the screen. For example, you could create a countdown to the release of a highly-anticipated film, like The Bikeriders or Despicable Me 4, on social. Try short form videos to share why your employees or customers are excited about this film! Your followers will get a glimpse behind the scenes at your cinema, and your employees may even share your post with their followers, thus gaining you more exposure.
2. Utilize influencer marketing: Partner with popular social media influencers in your area to promote your cinema and any upcoming films. Influencers can help you to reach new audiences and entice people to come to your cinema. For example, you could work with a local animal shelter or famous pets from social media to promote The Garfield Movie and create a campaign on Instagram that showcases their experience at your cinema and encourages their followers to come visit.
3. Get creative with your promotions: Offer deals and promotions like dollar off concessions for early bird ticket purchases or try activating around fun holidays to offer your customers special deals. For instance, February 20th is National Comfy Day. You could create a pajama day party at your cinema! Encourage moviegoers to wear comfy (and appropriate) PJs, create a PJ party photo booth with a hashtag (ex.PJsat[YourCinemaName],[YourCinemaName]PJParty), post photos of your comfy cinema seating, create specials on popcorn or pizza, and promote your cinema private label blankets & pillows! Check out our blog from National Cinema Day for similar ideas or check out our promotions and digital content calendar here.
4. Are you listening? Use social listening tools or review your hashtags to see what customers are saying about your cinema. Do customers love the ease of purchasing tickets online? Do they wish you had a loyalty membership program? Did moviegoers love your last in-cinema activation? Review your Google reviews & Yelp reviews in addition to using listening tools across all social media platforms to see how you can improve your business.
5. Optimize your SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Use market research to understand who your audience is and which types of films are most likely to attract them. Compile a list of keywords that audiences are likely searching for. From there, you can use these keywords in your website and social media content. Update regularly to ensure your content is as relevant as possible!
Creating buzz on social media and getting creative with your promotions will drive audiences to your cinema and boost ticket sales, even during the winter lull! If you’re looking for more information on optimizing your cinema marketing, check out our ICA Live presentation or view our capabilities. Turn the winter movie lull into a marketing advantage by using our tips to keep your theater buzzing and movie-goers entertained!
Interested in our cinema marketing services? More questions? Want to get in touch with us? Contact us at hello@onnicreative.xyz.
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