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Tailored marketing drives web show success
[Tue 12/05/2009 06:03:18]
By Simon de Bruyn
OzGirl creator Nicholas Carlton approached the marketing of his online web show as if he was a viewer, by contacting users personally and giving away content for free.
“I asked myself how I, as a member of the public, would like to participate in this new show. Online there are fewer barriers between the filmmaker and the audience, and it’s the way I watch stuff. I don’t mind saying that I download stuff,” he told INSIDEFILM.
Carlton, who has just finished shooting season one of his Melbourne-set web series, knows that online audiences are savvy and don’t want mass marketing shoved at them. So he tailored messages for different people, and used the show’s characters to sell the show.
“The thing with web 2.0 is it’s all about being social online, it’s a big party. Like a party, you have to go up and talk to others before they will talk to you," he explained.
"So we sent thousands upon thousands of users personal invites in character to come and watch the show and sign up, and we tried to target people who we thought would be interested.”
As a result the show attracted 22,000 subscribers on the Bebo platform alone. In tune with viewers’ online habits, Carlton didn’t restrict the show to one video platform, adding the show to YouTube, Koldcast TV, and iTunes as well as Bebo.
OzGirl is an online interactive drama conceived, directed and produced by Carlton, a 19 year old VCA student. Starring Sophie Tilson (Sadie), Shanrah Wakefield (Megan) and Richard Askin (George) the show tells the story of Sadie as she moves from country to city to stay with her prima donna cousin Megan in Melbourne.
Carlton is currently writing a second series of the show.
For more on OzGirl, check out the New Media section on pages 32-33 in the May 2009 issue of INSIDEFILM.
You can also watch the first episode and series one trailer of OzGirl in our Video Content section.
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