Successful Web Series For Audiences

Last night, I attended Digital LA’s  Actor-Producer Panel. The panel focused on the creation of web series and online content. The panelists discussed striking digital deals (sponsorships), series development and content distribution.

Since many fashion brands and retailers have begun to create their own content and are launching branded channels, I wanted to see what Hollywood’s digital, indie pioneers were doing and find out what was on their radars.

While enlightening and well put together, my feelings on this event were mixed.

Positive Panel Insights

During the first half of the event, the panelists offered valuable, sensible information that anyone working on creating online content could follow.

Key Points:

1. Web producers should use social media to build audiences for their work. Audiences equal eyeballs. Views and followings are valuable when pitching your series in content distribution deals.
2. Know your audience. When you build a viral, cult following (aka community), will they follow you to a branded portal if a sponsor endorses your series?
3. The web series success model is: Create. Market. Distribute. Get Sponsors.
4. The Internet offers a portal for actors to move away from studios breathing down their necks. It enables actors/producers to take back their individual brand power.
5. Key production components: You have to have professional sound, great actors and great writing – even it’s for the web and done on limited budget. Even if there is NO BUDGET.
6. The quality of independent web production is important. Producers should shoot in HD so that in the future they can transfer their content to other mediums.

These six key points were made as the moderator asked the panelists questions.  The panelists only conversed among themselves and talked at – not with – the audience.

Then, the audience started to engage and ask more in-depth questions.  The audience sought more concrete advice/examples on the six points mentioned above – wondering how to effectively use social media to build their fan bases, where to distribute their content and build their brands so that they could create successful web properties that companies and agents would be interested in.  This is when the panel started going south.

Questions Left Unanswered

As the questions started became more succinct, the panelists started passing them back and forth to each other or just responded with generic statements. Their answers offered no concise examples or answers to the room of more than 150 actors, producers, writers, directors and digital media professionals that turned out for this event.

I believe this happened  because they didn’t have the answers to some of their questions. I must say, it’s okay not to have all the answers.  We’re human, and no one can know everything.

But instead of dodging participant questions, it would have been better to have said, “I don’t have an answer to that question right now, but you know what, give me your email after this session and I’ll help you find it.” People respect that professional courtesy and look up to you for it.

When questions of branding came into play, this phenomena of dodging questions and ambiguous responses got worse.  One of the panelists gave the example of how successful Katalyst (created by Ashton Kutcher) was in obtaining sponsorships for their projects. I stood up and asked:

What About ROI?  ROI in the form of revenue? Katalyst is a successful, creative agency building its client roster and implementing digital campaigns for their clients. The awareness campaigns that Kutcher built around himself and wife Demi Moore have been successful because they lent their celebrity, thus their influence, to generate support.

Two examples are the The Malaria and the Kellogg Cares campaigns, but in my opinion, those campaigns wouldn’t have been the same successes without the celebrity endorsement. If  Katalyst has generated notable ROI in the form of revenue for their clients, it’s been because of celebrity cache. On the flip side, Katalyst, like many agencies, has had its share of campaigns that have had limited success or were complete flops (see the article in Fast Company).

The years 2008 and 2009 were about experimentation, awareness, testing and “trying things out”. Taking a page from the retail playbook, I continued with:

2010 goes beyond simple engagement. It’s about creating deep relationships with audiences and using those relationships to generate revenue. Not just views, like and comments. If you want sponsors and endorsements, figure out how your content is going to positively effect your sponsor’s bottom line. That’s what will get them to open their wallets

A Little Help From Our Network + A Little Sage Wisdom

In the past year and a half, I’ve become quite adept at speaking on panels, at conferences and teaching classes. To the best of my ability, I’ve always addressed the questions presented to me. If I didn’t have the answer, I found someone who did and put them in touch with the person who posed the question in the first place. As industry leaders, it’s our responsibility to help others develop their companies and personal brands.

Becoming An Industry Figurehead

I’m not going to hide my disappointment at the second half of this panel. Based on what transpired, here are my takeaways:

1. We can’t tell budding professionals that Chris Anderson’s Model of FREE is a  great business model that eventually will convert into revenue later. It’s better to sell an app for $1.00, have 50,000 downloads and have $50,000 to show for it than have a free app with 50,000 downloads and no money.
2. When someone asks us for five blogs we read, we need to give them something beyond Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Tubefilter. I read 40 plus blogs per month, and they focus on multiple industries. Blogs that you read aren’t secrets; half your industry probably reads what you read. Give examples – make them GOOD. We all have a few gems that would love new loyal readers. Promote your sources to help them grow and stay viable.
3. If you can’t cite at least 10 blogs off the top of your head that are relevant to people in your industry, you shouldn’t have a job. As digital marketing professional, we should consume content as much as the people we’re pushing our content to. And for good measure, we should then be figuring out how to CURATE that content.
4. The content we consume, then learn to CURATE (something along the lines of mastering) allows us to become trendsetters and industry influencers. So when someone asks us what’s next, we can tell them what we want to see. How is this possible? Because we’ve become so adept at seeing how things are moving across multiple verticals that we just KNOW.
5. Treat everyone you meet with respect.  You never know who they will be or what they’ll create 6, 12, 24 or even 36 months from now. You could be overlooking brilliance because of ego and arrogance. If you don’t like the way someone approaches you, figure out why. Is it your personal preference on how you want to be approached or do you need to guide them to change their pitching tactics so that they can be successful?

Because of this experience, I’ll be publishing How To Build A Digital Cult Following – Without Killing or Cloning Yourself – for entertainment producers next week. I will answer every question you could possibly have on developing your personal brands, complete with a list of resources and links.

• If you have more questions, other than the ones presented in the panel, leave them here in the comments or email them to me directly. And if I don’t have the answers, I’ll find them.
• If you’re a web producer, content creator or digital professional who has some fantastic advice for those just starting out, please leave a comment with your advice or email me directly. Include any necessary links or references you’d like me to include.

Thank You!

Macala Wright

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