A couple of months ago, while surfing the Instagram feeds, I was led to an IGTV video. It was only a short piece of an episode from Filter copy. The brief tidbit has impressed me immensely and it took me to the full episode on YouTube. Following this, I started savoring all the previous episodes of the web series without much delay.
So is this how a web series supposed to work?
Ostensibly, yes.
This is apparently the success of its creators.
Web Series: A Trend
Web Series is an art form which is featured in the social media at regular intervals as episodes. Youngsters, most commonly are very much enamored of investing their time and skills in popularizing their web series and winning the interest of the masses.
A single episode, if succeeds to strike the viewers can make you famous overnight. The rate of earning fame and money is velocious. This draws people towards venturing into this field.
Web Series: A Tempting Bait
When you plan to prepare bait, ensure that it delivers a cent percent scope for temptation. This is what the whole team behind a web series must strive for.
Today, web series has equal or more number of viewers than television series and cinemas. This is partly because of the uniqueness of the content and partly because of the distinguished acting performances that enchant the viewers. It doesn’t take much time for the viewers to admire newbies if their performance is mind-blowing enough.
What to do Before You Inaugurate Your Series?
- Spread a Word
The first appearance you make should be influential enough to entice the viewers. The way you introduce your web series matters. If you fail to capture the eyes of the audience before the launching of the first video, the chances of your success are rather low. For this, you need to come up with a strong teaser akin to that you see in films.
The mystery is to the audience, as fish is to cat. This coaxes the audience to wait for the launching of the whole video. The mystery here does not mean that the content has to be crime-based or a ghost story. Even it is a fun-packed series the teaser should house an element of mystery to create anxiety among the audience.
If you become a pro in editing and creating teasers, the audience will start waiting for the teaser launch too.
- The Cover Image and the Tagline
The Cover image that you use should be as effective as the teaser. It would be better if you could feature all the characters in the posters. It is also important to use different posters for different social media platforms.
The tagline you provide should be very crisp and short. But it should contain all those you want to convey. For this, you certainly need a professional scriptwriter who can come up with incredible snippets.
- The Theme Song
Theme Song is not a necessity but if you can manage, go for it. It should cater to the needs of the audience and should also match the theme of your web series. If the composition strikes the audience, it is more than enough to increase the viewers.
Festive Launch: What Next?
Once the door to your web series is thrown open to the viewers to watch, enjoy, and comment, it is your turn to assess your endeavor critically.
- Be Open to Criticism
React to the comments be it positive or negative in a humble manner. This works towards establishing a bond with your audience. Hence, you cultivate a virtual friendship with your soon- to- be fans.
In a way, you are building an audience even before you create a niche in the web series arena. It is always fun to see the responses where the regular viewers make predictions about what will follow next. Respond to the comments by mentioning their names to deepen the already built bond.
- The Ensuing Teasers
The ensuing teasers must be as intriguing as the previous one. Launch the episodes only after you acknowledge the reactions and anticipations that the viewers reveal through social media. This helps you find out their level of expectations. Hence, inciting you to work more.
- Bloopers
The viewers are forever dying to watch behind-the-camera scenes. This provides much scope for humor too. Often, it is this segment at the end of each series that the viewers relish the most. After all, it is the trait of human beings to have a peek in at what is behind the curtain rather than what is brought to the spotlight. So allow the allow to partake in the comic situations that you make in the video-making process.
- Bits and Pieces Here and There
Circulate short clips which also serves the function of a teaser and give amazing caption and create hashtags. It should be remarkable such that every social media user who happens to click on the video is instantly dragged to the whole episode. The videos and posters can be circulated in all prominent social media platforms for better promotion.
Conclusion
The escalating number of views and followers effortlessly paves the way to make it a branded one. In this field, where people are competing with each other to create a mark on their own, it is not so easy a task to draw people towards you.
Even if you have easily won the audience's hearts, it is yet another gigantic responsibility that falls on your shoulder to keep up the pace and entertainment level.
So, plan well, execute well, and stabilize well to keep the audience glued to your masterwork.
Written by - Maryam Salim
Edited by - Kashish Chadha
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