New Production Company Branding / Marketing - The Value of Viral Marketing etc?

Hi everyone,

Please forgive the very general nature of this post. I am slightly at a loss how to proceed...

I am in the process of setting up a new theatre production company. I won't bore you with all the specifics, but our aim is to take new shows to various arts festivals around Europe (UK, France, and Germany specifically).

What is the true value of viral marketing (blogs, social bookmarking/social networking profiles, forums, websites with viewer interaction etc.)? As we are a very small startup, our marketing/PR budget is minimal (not quite zero, but not too far removed from it!).

Some ideas that were floated were to have our own social networking site as part of our main site, but frankly, that seems to be reinventing the wheel a little. Certainly we plan on having production blogs and vlogs - with cast members / production and creative team people b/vlogging away, but as there are so many networking sites out there already, it seems redundant to get people to sign up to *another* (very specialised) one.

Many thanks,

Martin Hughes

Hi Martin,

I have to admit Branding is everything in business, in order to start a good and profitable business you need to create your own unique and creative brand or identity. The brand that you created will boost your online and offline presence, when that happens more sales will be coming in to your business.It is that Brand that draws customer to your business.

I've known this site brandmelive.com that helps and guides and individual or startup company on how to create your own unique brand that stands out from the rest. In less than a month, I assure you, you will start to experience great amount of success with the efforts you put in. Believe me, I'm one of the million that benefited from that site.

Hope that helps.

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Hi Martin!

Good luck with your new company, live theater is one of my true loves, so I'm always happy to hear of folks putting productions together.

In my experience, social network and viral marketing is of use to only two groups. Major brands, who can afford to invest ungodly amounts of money to saturate every nook and cranny and small start-ups with a specific target audience. Fortunately it sounds like you are a member of the latter.

Why fortunately? Because I feel that the social network marketing actually works best for smaller businesses, and in the way it works best, through fans and volunteers, is a no or low cost option for you. Your idea of having blogs and vlogs by the cast is a brilliant one. Spread the seed of that idea through the social circles that you would like to attract to your performances. friends of friends of friends can spread your updates and to those most likely to benefit from them.

But yes, you are right, there is no reason to reinvent the wheel! Set up a blog on blogger, a fan page on facebook and do the rest through an email network of friends and families.

Hope this helps!

Douglas Gregory
Promotion Products