“Start with relationships NOT reach” | Chana Ginelle Ewing (littlebigworld)

How to authentically engage social & cultural groups.

Watch now on YouTube.

Chana Ginelle Ewing is the founder of littlebigworld, a marketing and communications agency specializing in digital marketing for film and media. With over a decade of experience, she has directed digital campaigns for 18 major entertainment releases, contributing to at least one Oscar nomination and six Emmy nominations. Chana is also the bestselling author of "An ABC of Equality" and serves as a trusted advisor for various women's groups and film organizations, including Black Film Space.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• Defining and engaging with specific socio-cultural groups

• How to think about digital marketing in film distribution

• The concept of "care-centered politics" in marketing

• Practical advice for filmmakers on building relationships with their audience

Key takeaways:

1. Define your audience specifically:

   1. Move beyond broad terms like "marginalized" to identify specific socio-cultural groups based on shared experiences and backgrounds

   2. What are you using to talk about the people you are serving:

      1. Are you targeting an hobby / interest group, (e.g., people who enjoy running) OR

      2. Are you targeting a demographic / psychographic

2. Think of digital marketing as how you are using the tools of the internet to reach, target, and connect with people.

3. “Move from humility.” Center the audience you’re trying to reach by assuming you don’t know everything and by doing your research.

   1. Who are the influencers, organizations, etc. that are most influential to this audience?

   2. Interview people in this audience to learn about their communities

   3. Focus on building relationships and focus on learning

4. Add KPIs to reflect well-being and care.

   1. Yes you are marketing to sell things but you can still layer in a care-centered politics piece where you are thinking about and valuing well-being and connection

   2. “Butts in seats” can’t be your only KPI

5. Before you offer a social media toolkit and ask people to share your film, build relationships well in advance of your release schedule.

   1. Identify the people who could be ambassadors before film release and have conversations with them (think “pre-paving”):

      1. Invite them to an in person or virtual screening

      2. Share clips

      3. Walk them through your materials

      4. Explore how your film can be used in their programming

6. When seeking support from influencers or organizations, consider what you can offer in return, even if it's not monetary.

   1. What do you already have access to:

      1. You may have a number of untouched gifts: wine, museum passes, etc

      2. People want to be in conversation – could you offer access to someone that could lead to an interesting content opportunity for that person

   2. People often won’t take you up on the gift, especially if they are cause-aligned, but appreciate the acknowledgement of their effort

7. Don't forget your immediate network: your existing connections, including family and friends.

   1. Your first audience will be people already following you. They are the people you can be courting along the way. Make them a part of the process and they will become your advocates

8. Begin marketing early: start your marketing efforts as soon as possible, ideally during pre-production, to build momentum and engage your audience.

   1. There are a number of moments and windows in a film’s journey — as soon as you know one, tell someone (ideally a social intern or marketer)

9. Prioritize accessibility: ensure your marketing materials and screenings are accessible to all, including those with disabilities.

   1. Alt tags on all images (don’t let the machines do this)

   2. Appropriate contrast in images

   3. Readability

10. Start with relationships, not reach: focus on building genuine connections with a small audience first, which will naturally grow over time.

    1. Focus on building relationship and not just talking to followers: e.g., share a poll asking for feedback, “what do you think about this 10 sec clip” vs. “here’s my poster”

    2. Be vulnerable, open up, and connect with audiences. This will build relationships over time vs. “here’s my finished project, can you share it?”

Where to Find Chana Ginelle Ewing:

• Website: littlebigworld.co

• Substack:

  Chana Ginelle Ewing

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chanaewing

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chana-ewing/

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Introduction and Chana's background

(02:00) Defining socio-cultural groups and audience targeting

(05:22) An explanation of digital marketing in film

(09:10) Strategies for centering the audiences you want reach

(12:45) What to do before actually screening your film

(14:45) How to make asks with a limited budget

(18:13) The Dos and Don’ts of film campaigns

(20:48) What Chana learned when marketing a film festival

(24:28) Advice for filmmakers on relationship-building in marketing

(27:10) How filmmakers can work with Chana and littlebigworld

Referenced:

• Book: https://www.littlebigworld.co/shop/p/an-abc-of-equality

• Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project: https://qwocmap.org/