Month: April 2019

[MAPR Book Review] Social PR Secrets for Filmmakers and Content Creators

by Briana M. Andrews, posted in Assignments, Strategic Communication

CONTENT IS KING! I enjoy reading titles with actionable, real-world tactics and extracting elements for creatives occupying digital space, particularly filmmakers. I’d like to share my review on the fourth edition of Lisa Buyers’ Social PR Secrets: How to Optimize, Socialize and Publicize Your Brand. I recently devoured the Kindle edition of this field guide on public relations, social media and digital marketing. I recommend checking out, it’s an easy read with strategies for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Snapchat and LinkedIn.

Public Relations Impact Graphic – Social Media and Digital Marketing.

Social PR Secrets packs 32 chapters, yet remains a relatively simple and quick read with short, easily-digestible chapters.  Buyers personalizes each chapter and often details her experience while offering examples and leaning on associated subject matter experts.  She provides historical context, the current state and best practices.  She also outlines tools such as Xtensio.com and Hubspot to create free persona profiles, tools like Paper.Li and Scoop.It for content curation tailored to your audience and ScribeContent.com for content optimization, search engine visibility and social sharing.

From the standpoint of a creative filmmaker who blends art with digital media, below are several excerpts from Social PR Secrets that are poised to assist with the development of an online strategy:

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Awesome content lasts forever
  • Stay fresh, find inspiration
  • Create materials and content that addresses the needs of your audience
  • Think like your audience, create a persona profile for your audience

Another key takeaway that I felt was important to point out for creatives is to “Skip self-promotion and find your passion points.”  For instance, Red Bull rarely talks about their drink, rather, it details the passion that connects the brand to their audience and living life to the extreme.  For another example, I recall a recent ad slot by Bumble app starring Serena Williams.  The commercial never referenced what the product is, rather, it details an ideology – one that supports women taking the first move in work, love and life.  The message resonated with me, and prompted me to research the company.  It is important not to get so caught up in the act of promoting your services and accomplishments that you overshadow what the brand represents.

CONTENT CREATION CHECKLIST

  • Make sure your message is REAL and AUTHENTIC
  • Use VISUALS to illustrate your message
  • Ensure the content has a CLEAR VALUE PROPOSITION
  • Offer a clear next step or CALL TO ACTION

TYPES OF CONTENT TO DRIVE MORE TRAFFIC (50 different types listed in Ch. 4)
Video, How-To, Email Campaigns, Events, Promotions, Live Chats, Guides, Infographics, Blog Posts, Interactive Content, Interviews, Tweets, Photo Galleries

Personally, I love that Social PR Secrets offers a comprehensive list of free graphic and image sources.  I also like that Buyers’ chapters are broken down by subject and platform.  The book has a list of bullets in almost every chapter making the material visually scannable, which makes for great reference document.  I finished reading the book, but will definitely revisit.  In short, I recommend this book (especially the digital version for search-ability and hyperlinks) and encourage you to check it out.

Behind-the-Scenes, Still Photography – Film Set, Daughters of Solanas.

by Briana M. Andrews, posted in Personal, Portfolio, Women In TV & Film
Poster for Daughters of Solanas Film.

The film, Daughters of Solanas is now complete and on IMDb.   I am credited under Camera and Electrical Equipment for my work on the set handling BTS.  I also manage the social media presence for the film; you can read about this in the previous blog post.  The screening for Daughters of Solanas will take place next week at the Museum of Moving Image.  Here are a few photos I took of the crew, which consisted of 27 women.  Bravo!

  • Director Angele Cooper and DP Jodi Savitz – Photo by Briana M. Andrews – April 5, 2019
  • Jennifer Liu First Camera Assistant – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019
  • Actress Alexis Floyd on set – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 5, 2019
  • Actresses Rebbekah Vega-Romero, McKenzie Mayle and Malinda Logan – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019
  • Team Banks Cast and Crew for Daughters of Solanas – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019
  • Writer Chantel Simpson placing finishing touches on script – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 5, 2019

[MAPR Blog Post] SEO and Content Marketing for Filmmakers – The Basics

by Briana M. Andrews, posted in business, Strategic Communication
Graphic on SEO applicability to content creators and filmmakers

As a content creator, it is imperative to have an understanding of SEO and content marketing. This will help you navigate the online space and understand what “works” for the marketplace.  Most importantly, this will arm you with important tools for driving your works (and business) forward.  WE ARE ALL CONTENT MARKETERS NOW.  In this article, I’ll explore the intersection between content creation, search engine optimization and digital marketing.  I will also delve into Hyper Local SEO and Marketing – How US Marketers Win Global By Going Local by Donald L Dunnington, extracting the major points applicable to filmmakers and content creators.

The secret to successful content marketing isn’t actually a secret. It involves the commitment to producing a continuous stream of useful and engaging content. A poignant statement from Dunnington is, “SEO is the new PR and PR is the new SEO.” While SEO media relations are focused on online media and search engine results pages (SERPS), there are comparable objectives with public relations professionals, since the emphasis for both are increasing brand awareness, relationship building and boosting placements.

The digital age takes content production to a hyper level and there is a premium placed on consumer-friendly, authentic content. This holds true for various platforms: websites, blogs, YouTube channels, social media etc.  As filmmakers, we are all looking for innovative marketing strategies to engage our expand our audience.  This involves researching your niche audience and how to reach them.  I mention this to stress the importance of SEO and relationship building.  I will write additional articles on avenues, such as posting behind-the-scenes moments, creating graphics, strategically hashtagging and personalizing the experience for your audience.  Stay tuned, and bookmark my site.

Key Takeaways:

  • CONTENT IS KING. Quality in-bound links start with producing original, quality, authentic and compelling content for online, social and mobile platforms.
  • WE ARE ALL CONTENT MARKETERS NOW. This is the prime driver of sales leads for B2B and B2C industries.
  • SEO is the new PR and PR is the new SEO.
  • Develop a personal touch, stay in contact, maintain a two-way relationship.
  • Relationships are built in relevancy, quality and the value they bring to the vertical market they serve.

Sidebar: One lesson I learned directly from the author, Donald Dunnington, who happens to be the professor of my grad-level public relations course at Rowan University is that Google penalizes sites that contain duplicate content. This was important because I had a secondary site geared toward women in tv and film where I would republish some of my articles and blog posts first featured on this website.  After this discovery, I later elected to create a category page.  There are important technical considerations involved in our quest for SEO relevance.  Oftentimes, creators share the same content across social media and various platforms, however, with blogs in particular, even if you are the original author, you should be mindful of mirroring duplicate content across sites because there are associated search engine penalties.

Daughters of Solanas: Dramedy Short – Women’s Weekend Filmmaker Challenge

by Briana M. Andrews, posted in New Media Production, Portfolio, Women In TV & Film
Daughters of Solanas, Film Graphic – designed by Rachel Fischman of Planet Papaya

Creating the dramedy, Daughters of Solonas was an incredible experience and I’m excited about our screening next week at the Museum of Moving Image in Astoria, NY.  One of the items on my filmmaker bucket list was to work on a film with an all-female cast and crew.  This month, I will have the opportunity to complete that, twice over.  The Women’s Weekend Film Challenge bought together women from all walks of life … different races, different socio-economic statuses, different religions, different education levels … complete strangers, all coming together with the common objective of creating a short, in a really short period of time.  The footage looks amazing, the film was submitted, the screening is next week and at a later date, the festival submission activities will commence.

Personally, I would like to thank Tracy Sayre and Katrina Medoff for their work organizing the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge, and for all of their efforts for women in film.  They emphasize how much representation and diversity matter.  These are causes that are obviously very close to my heart.  Some of the challenge sponsors include RED cameras, Gotham Sound, IDX, Zeiss Lenses, AbelCine Brooklyn Lighting and Grip, Lightbulb Grip and Electric and Below the Line. 

I handled BTS photo / video on this project.  I also created and manage the socials. Check out and follow @DaughtersofSolanas on Instagram and Facebook.  A photo-story BTS montage can be found below.  I’ll be sharing some video of the crew (Team Banks) in action in the near future, stay tuned.

60-second social-video containing behind-the-scenes stills photography montage for Daughters of Solanas by Briana M. Andrews

[MAPR Blog Post] The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How the Web Changed the Rules

by Briana M. Andrews, posted in Assignments, Strategic Communication
Social Media Bullseye Graphic: PR Spam, Marketing Activities

One of my latest Kindle readings include, The New Rules of Marketing & PR – 6th Edition by David Meerman Scott.  In coming weeks, I’ll post more of a comprehensive book review, however, for this blog post I’ll highlight some of the gems highlighted in Chapter 20, New Rules for Reaching the Media. 

For a long time, public relations professionals viewed coverage as a numbers game … full-on blitz, reach out to as many journalists and outlets as you can.  The process was literally, “throwing crap against the wall to see what sticks.”  The non-targeted e-blasts and sleezy methods to lure people to open the messages are partially why strategic communicators received a reputation as spammers. 

The web changed the rules and traditional PR techniques are becoming less effective.  To provide an example and illustrate using layman’s terms; there are parallels between a PR rep securing coverage, and an individual securing a job.  I say this because in one point in time, people were able to blast resumes and play the numbers game, with hopes of landing some interviews.  Now-a-days, attempting the same wouldn’t be effective, in fact, you’d be agitating people.  The process takes time, and personalization.  You have to KNOW the company, understand what comes along with the role, research the applicants they are likely to hire, understand expectations etc.  Letters and resumes need to be customized and even then, it needs to be keyword heavy since pretty much every company has software to scan and eliminate who they deem to be unqualified.   Your resume may never even reach a human. 

Networking is key, because nothing trumps personal relationships.  You’d be surprised how many companies post positions as a formality when they already know who they want.  In both the PR example and the  individual finding a job example, it is very much a “Don’t call me … I’ll find you.”  Correspondence must be personalized, pay attention to the stories a journalist is likely to cover, develop personal relationships; send individualized pitches and target one reporter at a time.  Do what you can to build your audience and showcase your own brand in the best possible light.  This includes having a comprehensive online media room including photos and videos.  “To get noticed, you need to be smart about how you tell your story on the web – and about how you tell your own story to journalists.”

Some key takeaways are as follows:

  • Refrain from sending non-targeted broadcast pitches
  • Develop personal relationships and send an individualized pitch, tailored to the needs of the journalist
  • Target one reporter at a time and pay attention to the types of stories they cover
  • Content drives marketing … make sure your information is up to date, define your niche and use hashtags

Women in Film, Meet the Team Behind Drama-Comedy Short, Daughters of Solanas (Part 1)

by Briana M. Andrews, posted in Women In TV & Film
Elizabeth Banks – Industry Producer, Actor, Director

For the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge, Team Banks was named after the Elizabeth Banks. A long-time supporter of female-centric storytelling, she is largely known for her starring roles as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games and Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the Pitch Perfect Film series. She is also a producer behind the Hulu series, Shrill and co founder of WhoHaha which spotlights women in comedy.

Cast Actresses – Daughters of Solanas. Actresses Rebbekah Vega-Romero, McKenzie Mayle and Malinda Logan – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019

Here are the profiles and some fun facts about some of the women involved in the creation of the film. You can also visit the Instagram and Facebook pages.

Shanna Riker, Associate Producer Daughters of Solanas

Shanna Riker is the ASSOCIATE PRODUCER for the film. Shanna is a writer, producer and director from Brooklyn, NY. Her first feature, Unfinished Works is currently in post-production. Fun fact about Shanna: Her first acting role was the icicle in a kindergarten Christmas pageant.

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Liana Edward, Boom Operator Daughters of Solanas

Liana Edward is the BOOM OPERATOR for the film. Liana is a master of many: a creative director with photography, film producing and writing talents. You can check her out at www.behance.net/invisionaryimagery

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Jayde Kim, Editor – Daughters of Solanas

Jayde Kim is the EDITOR for the film. Jayde worked as a film / video editor for many years. Fun fact about Jayde, she enjoys watching horror movies before she goes to sleep.

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Rachel Fischman, Assistant Editor – Daughters of Solanas

Rachel Fischman is the ASSISTANT EDITOR for the film. Rachel is a sophomore at Hunter College in New York studying Film and Media Production. She is a graphic designer on Planet Papaya as well as a theatrical Technical Director. Netflix’s Explained and Heathers fully encompasses her TV and movie habits.

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Upcoming Events for Women in Film (Festivals) – NYC

by Briana M. Andrews, posted in Women In TV & Film
Events for Women in Film NYC

I’d like to pass along information on a few upcoming events in the New York City area.  Established and aspiring female filmmakers alike can benefit from these events.  Check these events out for opportunities to network, learn and support fellow women in TV and film. 

Women’s Film Festival
Thursday – Saturday, April 4-6th 2019 (FREE)
St. Francis College – Brooklyn, NY

Banner for St. Francis College Women’s Festival in Brooklyn, NY

This program has shown continuous commitment to emerging and established women in film.  Their stated goal is to “create a bridge between female college filmmakers and professional female filmmakers which will encourage collaboration, cooperation and coordination.”

2019 Bowery Film Festival – The Female Gaze
Friday, April 12th 2019 – 7-9pm
DC-TV 87 Lafayette Street – New York, NY

This program will highlight works by female filmmakers, including short-films, experimental works and web-series.