Why does your VOD content need trailers?

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Marketing your content with trailers is one of the most effective ways to take it to your audience. The trailer makes them curious about the movie/show and gives them a glimpse into what it will be about. By telling them what to expect, you can set clear expectations that don’t fail them at the release time.

What are trailers and how does it benefit your content?

A trailer is a compilation of scenes from the movie/show. These scenes are edited together to run for one to three minutes. 

These few minutes create the first impression of your content. For that reason, it must arouse the viewers' interest and excite them. 

A trailer must be compelling enough to make the audience anticipate the release of the actual content.

How to make the most of your trailers?

Trailers provide a quick view of content that the user may have skipped otherwise. Trailers not only help users with content discovery but also acts as a great tool in acquiring and engaging your audience.

1. Trailers help viewers choose content

With so many streaming options available, it is nearly impossible to pick out what to watch next. The audience typically decides this by watching the trailer. There are a lot of options available, so they need to be certain that they are spending their time watching a movie or show they would enjoy.

By adding content information and a trailer, you're not only helping your audience pick a movie faster but also ensuring that they watch something they like.

2. Trailers promote content on social media 

Besides helping the audience pick a movie, these trailers can promote your content on social media

How do you think people become aware of a movie or show? Even if they are aware of it, how do you grab the attention of your audience? Social media becomes a great booster to flex your hype muscles. 

What better way than to give your followers a taster on social media to invite them for a buffet?

Apart from sharing trailers on social media, Disney+ Hotstar allows users to share them on their social pages, this wins them a lot of earned media. Also, people tend to watch content recommended by their friends. This way Disney+ has nailed its trailer marketing

3. Send push notifications to create a hype

You can also send push notifications to users from the moment the trailer is released to create a buzz around your show.

Netflix creates a sense of excitement, capturing relevant user segments from the moment they release the trailer.

It is important to plan your trailer release carefully, you should start promoting your content early enough to create a buzz, but be sure to keep it alive for the time of the release. This can be done by releasing multiple trailers on schedules and sharing them with your audience periodically.  

4. Trailers can be lead magnets

You can also make the trailers and promos available for non-subscribed but registered users on your platform. You can later invite users who have watched the trailer through emails to subscribe to your service or encourage them to rent it individually.

5. Introduce your video library

Immediately after signing up with Netflix, you are presented with an autoplaying video trailer from one of their original productions that is similar to your preferences.

This assures users that you have the right kind of video collection that will keep them entertained.

Now that you know how to make the best use of your trailers, here is how to add trailers to your content.

Isn’t it simple?

Wrap Up

It is also an art to edit a movie trailer, just as it is to make a movie. You must make the audience look forward to the movie with your trailers. This makes it necessary to plan every detail before you start editing a trailer.

Make sure your trailer conveys the mood and gives a taste of the plot without revealing much. Once you make the trailer, make sure you use it as a tool to invoke the curiosity of the audience.

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