WeEvil Blog

I would like to tell you there is a magic formula that you could use to build buzz about your project but I have not found one. If your on a budget or don't even have one, your going to scour the net like me every day for hours looking for that one thing that works. What I have found is that it's not just one thing but a bunch of little things that do the trick. Here is a short list of things you can do to improve your project, grow an audience and keep them coming back.

One other thing, don't plan on overnight success, it's going to take time especially without money.

1.  Have patience - Most people expect overnight success and then quit when they don't achieve this. Instead set small goals for your project and then strive for those. For example instead of setting un-realistic goals like "I want 5,000 new video views this month", try "I'm going to get 10 new subscribers this month". If you get more great! If not then you won't be disappointed. I'm also not suggesting that you can't achieve overnight success; I'm just saying it's not probable.

2.     Have great content - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say. That means make content you think is great. If you think it is great, there are others that think so as well. Don't get discouraged when others don't like what you've created. There are multi million dollar projects that come out of Hollywood that people hate. It does not matter what you do, someone won't like it. Who cares, the internet allows people an opinion no matter how bad it is. One great thing happens when people comment about how much they hate your stuff , it brings out true fans to defend it as well. This means more traffic and visitors for you and your project.

3.     Create an appealing website - It's easier than you think, it just takes time. If you can shoot video, edit etc. Then you can create a great site that will keep them coming back. There are so many free options, from Joomla a free content management system, to Wordpress a free blogging platform. The only small expense you could have is your domain registration and hosting fees. There is nothing worse than going to someone's website that looks as though they spent fifty cents to create. With all the free stuff out there, show a little pride, if not for you, then for your project. Roll up your sleeves and get building.

4.     Add a blog - If for nothing else, then to look great to search engines. I doubt you have time to update your videos every day, but you do have time to write something in you blog more often because it's easier. The more you update and add content to your site the better. It will make search engines happy and your fans coming back. The goal is to create something someone will want to read. I choose to write about topics that others can use and learn from. I choose to be a destination location for Indies. We want them to come here when they need a little help on their project, and maybe they'll become fans as well.

5.    Be transparent - Call it like it is and don't claim to be something your not. If you're a small Indie with no experience, let everyone know. I promise you're not going to fool anyone. In time, you're going to get better and people will notice. My philosophy is to let my work speak for itself. The WeEvil project is a prime example. I don't claim to have the best horror flick out there, or to be the best at editing, or to be the best writer. What I do tell everyone is that this is a cool project, we have a lot of fun and were trying to learn and grow from our mistakes. People, especially fans can respect this. What they won't stand for is you being something your not.

6.     Get involved - Don't just go to forums and blogs to promote your stuff. Just like you, the owners of those sites are trying to promote their stuff. If you're not contributing to their community, but just spamming, your more than likely going to get kicked off. You might even create a backlash from prospective fans or others who could help in your endeavors. If you do decide to join a community please see tip five, they can spot a fraud a long way off. Contribute what you know, and get involved. Once you have become a contributing member of the community, others will take notice and then you can get the word out. Once again this will not happen overnight, but you will have made a few friends and built ties that will help you in the future. One more thing, most communities allow you to place a link in the signature section. When you're done posting, your link will be prominently displayed for all to see, but you must contribute for this to work.

7.     Join a social network - I've joined them all and have better success on some then others. For those that have no fans, limited contacts and just need to get the word out, Myspace is the way to go. For ease of use, finding followers, I find that Myspace fits the bill nicely. I'm going to write a whole article on my experience with social networks, what to do, what works and doesn't. But for right now just take my advice and get started on Myspace. There are tons of tutorials out there to help you, and I'm sure if you're reading this, you've been on Myspace for years.

8.     Learn from your mistakes - There is no rule that says you have to create a masterpiece the first time around. In fact most people expect your stuff to look cheesy at first, but expect you to get better. One of my peeves is when I see someone producing the same mediocre material year after year, project after project and the material never improves. Forget the acting, that is just a small part of the whole process, I'm talking about the sound, lighting, camera work, writing, effects etc. I think a lot of Indies forget to actually look at the finished product or ask others for their opinion. You should always want to improve. Your videos or projects should be consistently better from the previous ones. There are so many resources out there it is sickening. I don't claim to know it all, or even a little bit for that matter, so I look and learn from everything I can. I take others advice and try to improve a little each time.

9.    Take advice - Don't be so arrogant as to think you know it all. I promise you, you don't. I know it is your project, you have a vision and you're going to do it your way. That's fine, but you should still listen and take advice. One thing I've found is that every time I think I know it all, I realize how little I actually do know. There are experts all around you. You just have to look in the right direction. For the WeEvil project we really thought we had a hit for the first part. What wasn't to like we thought? We had decent sound, the acting was passable, we shot widescreen and the quality was far above most stuff on Youtube.  My many years in business and many failures have given me insight into the simple fact that it's best not to assume anything. Taking my own advice I let a couple relatives, huge B-Horror fans, view Part one of WeEvil. Their response was not what I expected. That was ok, I used the advice, made editing changes then made sure to change the way we shot and wrote for future parts. Now were editing our fifth part and you can see a huge improvement over the first part just because we listened.

10.    Have fun - The main key to getting viewers and keeping an audience is consistency. That means you have to keep plugging away and producing great stuff to keep them coming back. Nothing is going to derail this process more than you quitting. I have seen more projects end, not because of money but because the project had become boring and wasn't fun anymore. I have one rule prior to each shoot, have fun. I don't tolerate attitudes on set, I like to have fun and we enjoy ourselves. I tell everyone that if they can't get along then to leave. I won't let any one person cause turmoil and end my project. That's the great thing about a horror flick, anyone can die!

Hopefully these tips help you, they're not meant as rules but as a guideline from what I've learned. Hopefully this site and the community can help you in your project.

I'd love to hear your ideas and comments as well.