Find Your Superfans Using Social Listening | Jo Jensen (Impact Marketer, Producer)

"I think in popcorn boxes...instead of bringing a policy one-pager, we bring popcorn boxes with a QR code and statistics. We found that that's highly effective way to get your message out."

Apr 08, 2025

Watch now on YouTube.

Jo Jensen is an entrepreneur, award-winning movie producer, and marketing strategist who has spent two decades at the intersection of digital innovation, public affairs, and entertainment. She is currently the SVP of Digital and Entertainment at Touchdown Strategies and she recently founded Moviegoer, a film marketing and distribution company, bridging entertainment and advocacy. Her work has helped to raise over $100M for cause-driven campaigns.

In our conversation, we discuss:

Building relationships online like you would offline
What is social listening and how to do it (and Jo generously offers to do one month of social listening for free for indie filmmakers)
How to cut trailers for maximum engagement
Mistakes filmmakers should avoid in digital campaigns
How filmmakers can start building their audience early

Key Takeaways:

Digital campaigns are about relationships, not transactions.
1. Identify and acknowledge your superfans regularly.
2. When someone comments, “I love this!,” don't just "heart it." Respond personally, e.g.,:
  1. "Thank you! Are you on our email list?"
  2. "Here's another video you might like."
  3. "Let's have an offline conversation."
3. "Digital is what we would do at an in-person screening—I just don't get to see your face."
When working with non-profits or potential screening partners, help them leverage your film for their cause.
1. Showing them that even if they're not mentioned in the movie, if it's not even about their state, they can have everyone come to see a really good, engaging, entertaining film and then use that momentum to talk about what they do locally.
2. Think in popcorn boxes. Instead of bringing a policy one pager, bring a literal popcorn box with statistics on it and a QR code to your one-pager.
80% of Your Effort Should Elevate Others. “Start sharing their content, following their events, adding comments—it naturally builds a community around your film."
1. Highlight stories of people featured in your film.
2. Share content from organizations in your issue space.
3. Comment meaningfully on related content.
4. Tag relevant accounts (sparingly and authentically).
Select social platforms that align with your strengths and preferences.
1. YouTube is great for video and helps with your SEO (because it is owned by Google).
2. “I say focus on a Substack. Bring people along on your journey. Now instead of having to go find your audience, they're coming to you. That's what I would do if I was making a movie.”
3. Jo herself uses LinkedIn and Instagram for personal projects.
Track conversations with social listening techniques: “Social listening is like a Google search for your brand—it helps you visualize the online conversation around your film."
1. Make a list of everyone interviewed in your film and their social handles.
2. Search relevant hashtags on platforms like Instagram to find active communities.
3. Use free listening tools or basic features like in Muckrack.
4. Search keywords related to your film's topic on Reddit to find niche communities.
5. Track search terms (including misspellings and variations) across platforms.
As you are listening, look for:
1. Who's talking about your film or issue area.
2. Where those conversations are happening.
3. Whether sentiment is positive or negative.
4. Potential allies and influencers beyond obvious big names.
Measure enthusiasm (engagement) over vanity metrics (followers, likes). ”Likes measure the size of a crowd—enthusiasm measures sustained engagement."
1. Identify users who engage within the first 20 minutes of posting.
2. Note who consistently comments or tags friends in your content.
3. Track who engages across multiple posts.
4. Look for users who take additional actions (joining email lists, attending events).
Tailor trailers to platform. “Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all trailers—you should have five trailers and test them out."
1. Social Media (Meta platforms):
  1. First 3 seconds must grab attention.
  2. Avoid fade-ins or black screens (often how trailers begin).
  3. Start with dynamic visuals or sound immediately.
  4. Create vertical formats for Stories/Reels.
2. YouTube:
  1. Optimize the first 22 seconds for retention.
  2. Include film title or most exciting moments upfront.
  3. End with clear call-to-action.
Trailer testing strategy:
1. Platforms like Meta and YouTube display view counts publicly.
2. Low view counts can signal lack of interest to new viewers.
3. Boost posts ($50) until reaching 1,000-2,000 views for social proof.
4. If performance is weak in the first 72 hours, recut and try again.
5. Start with your most sympathetic character (e.g., Jo gives the example of "Ian the Chicken" for a documentary on lab-grown meat).
Start building your audience early. “As soon as you have an idea for your film, start thinking about who will watch it."
1. Bring people along on your filmmaking journey.
2. Build email lists and social media groups around your film's topic.
3. Engage with organizations and individuals featured in your documentary.
4. Start market testing your film with your audience and focus groups outside your target audience (you might be surprised who connects with your film: e.g., a film targeting law students ended up being more interesting to folks not steeped in the law).
Most frequent pitfalls:
1. Not responding to comments personally.
2. Ignoring poor-performing content instead of iterating.
3. Using the same trailer across all platforms.
4. Starting audience building too late in production.
5. Assuming your target audience is who you think it is (test with diverse groups).

What do you think?

What's one organization or individual that became an unexpected champion for your film?

Kinema for Filmmakers

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