How to Build an Audience for Your Web Series: Market, Motivate and Mobilize

Provides A Practical Framework for Launching a Show and Building an Engaged and Loyal Audience

Toronto, March 25, 2011 – A new guide from the Independent Production Fund (IPF) seeks to unravel the mystery behind the marketing and promotion of original web series. How to Build an Audience for your Web Series: Market, Motivate & Mobilize addresses many of the marketing challenges web series creators face and provides a practical framework for launching a show and building an engaged and loyal audience. The English language guide is available for download from the IPF Website. A French language version will be published soon.

“After funding, the biggest challenge for most web series producers is how to market their show,” says Andra Sheffer, Executive Director of the IPF. “This guide is our attempt to provide the kind of practical, hands-on advice that creators need to help them stand out in a crowded marketplace.”

The 74-page guide covers basic strategies integral to the development of a marketing plan – from organic search to content marketing, social media and online publicity. Each section of the guide addresses an essential aspect of digital marketing and provides specific tactics for building an engaged and loyal audience. Sample budget, resources, links and timelines are included. The author has also provided an in-depth section on video marketing for YouTube.

The IPF began to finance web series in 2010 after 20 years of funding television drama series. Current productions include a range of genres and projects for all demographics. They can been seen via the IPF’s Web Series Dashboard. In December of last year, the IPF extended support of the Web Series Pilot Program for another year. Funding decisions for this year’s productions will be announced in mid-June.

How to Build an Audience for your Web Series: Market, Motivate & Mobilize was written by Julie Giles and edited by Andra Sheffer. Julie is Chief Madhatter at GreenHAT Digital, a Toronto-based digital marketing agency.

About the IPF – The Independent Production Fund (IPF) was established in 1991 by Maclean Hunter Limited with an endowment now valued at $35M. It is mandated to support the production of Canadian drama series and to encourage professional development and training for the television industry. In the past 20 years, the IPF has invested $52 M in the production of 250 Canadian television drama series. In 2010, it launched its new funding program to support drama series created for digital platforms.

The Fund is “certified” by the CRTC as an independent production fund, eligible to receive BDU (Broadcast Distribution Undertaking) contributions. It is incorporated federally as a corporation without share capital and has been granted charitable status. The Board of Directors which represents the industry makes all funding decisions. The Fund is administered by offices in Toronto and Montreal.