Launching a Series? Your Stories. Strategies?

Hey Guys,

I'm new here, so I apologize if I'm painting to wide, too soon.

Here's the deal. I am the editor and pretty much the entire post-production crew for a 3.5 hour/22 episode dramedy, sci-fi web series. It's pretty much in the can after 18 months work.

I was told there would be (was in place) an impressive web launch for the series. Not privy to the details, still based on everything I was told, this was going to be done/launched using all the best information and wherewithall when it comes to launching (and monetizing) a web series. God me hoped, because I'd spent the last year and a half of my life trying to make this series everything it could possibly be.

June 1 was launch date. Right at the get-go I was pretty much shocked that the executive producer decided not to use any of the web series distributors...not make a blip.tv channel (though he is using blip's server for the files)...no youtube channel. No vimeo or Koldcast or anything. His strategy was/is to keep/show the series only on the official website. And to promote it via Facebook and just internet word of mouth. Again, I was "Huh!!? What? We're going to try to make this series get off the ground completely indy?" By word of email/Facebook? Not use any of the internet braodcasters? 

Well, a month has passed. So far we've had about 1200 total episode views. 5 episodes released. 2 more coming in the next two weeks. The 1200 views by my estimation translate into about 300 maybe 350 souls...cast, crew, friends of cast and crew...associates probably make up most of these people. And a may have few stumbled into the site.

This "keeping it home" strategy seems absolutely and disasterously backwards to me. Frankly, I'm freaking out about what's going to happen if the producer stays with this plan for months and months. Even today, he reiterated that he believes it's going well. 1200 episode views in a month? The numbers are actually declining. Do I have a valid concern? Should I be pissed?

I'd love to hear the details of some other web series launches from the people who have executed them. Numbers divided by time. What and how many portals did you employ if any beyond your official site.

I'll gladly give a link to the series, if someone asks. But I don't think it appropriate right here, considering this is my first post.

Thanks!   

Tags: launching, page, series, views

Views: 366

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Comments

Permalink Reply by Guidestones on July 17, 2012 at 12:25pm

It's not easy getting noticed these days, that's for sure. There's a lot of great content out there, and more on the way. Certainly, knowing your target demographics is important. This will help to tailor your SEO strategies, and target your ads (if you're using any).

With GUIDESTONES, even though the series is experienced primarily through the website, we have still established a presence on other distributors, such as YouTube, where the first few episodes, a trailer, and bonus content can be discovered. There is literally no reason not to do something like this. You're not giving away all of the content, you're merely providing a taste, then directing traffic to the website.

Even with an active social media presence, positive articles and reviews, a YouTube channel, and recently our availability on Hulu, it is an uphill climb to get GUIDESTONES noticed. If your producer refuses to even experiment with these strategies, I'm not sure how they intend to build an audience.

Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on July 17, 2012 at 5:46pm

Are you being paid by Hulu to license this series? I'd understand if you're not at liberty to answer the question. Thanks. 

Permalink Reply by Guidestones on July 18, 2012 at 7:55am

It's a revenue sharing arrangement, similar to YouTube.

Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on July 18, 2012 at 7:59am

Thank you. Didn't realize that. :)

Permalink Reply by Freebird on December 7, 2012 at 2:56pm

It does sound like the producer hasn't done his research and thinks anything you put on the web will go viral.

Pretty much all the free time I have is spent trying to find ways to advertise my site and videos and I still have less then 100 views :(

Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on December 7, 2012 at 3:06pm
Non paid advertising and marketing efforts is akin to yelling in a room where everyone else is already yelling. You're gonna need a marketing budget to stand out or have a web series unlike anything else out there. Even with the latter, you'll still need marketing coin to promote it.
Permalink Reply by Freebird on December 7, 2012 at 3:35pm

Yeah that's what I'm finding out. I think I'll wait until we have a few more videos online and then talk to the rest of my team about a marketing budget.

Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on December 7, 2012 at 3:41pm
That's the problem in indie production. No money set aside for marketing. Anyway, Creators are learning.

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