Video blogging vital for film festivals to win audiences

The BFI London Film Festival opened up an account with youtube this past month and began a video blog to promote Q and As and premieres at its annual event. This is one important marketing tool that will play a big role in the coming years for major film events.

Video blogging is still fairly new for film festivals because as of now there are no 'broadcast guidelines' for publicising events using free video tools. After all, youtube has only been around for the last few years, and it is still a platform in development in the minds of those looking to use it as a publicity tool. However, finding a creative objective and using the platform to market events can do wonders to expose it to current and future attendees.

Video blogs create accessibility and transparency which will be key to the success of major and independently run film festivals in the future as the big broadcasters won't necessarily cover them. We have for so long relied on media agencies to film events, but there is nothing better than having a clear editorial direction from within the organisation that shows exactly what it does, through video.

Although this is early days for structured 'media channels' on youtube, I feel that businesses across the entertainment industry should embrace the potential of video to add a whole other dimension to marketing. It is also a great way to share what's happening to people in other parts of the world who want to get the in-depth details that even mainstream media won't catch, and you might even make some additional advertising revenue from it. Isn't that worth it?

Find out the latest videos from the BFI London Film Festival here