How the "Insidious" Series is Storming the Industry through Social Media (12/1-12/5)

   With the prevalent emergence of digital technology and connected communication being incorporated increasingly into general society, horror film companies and distributors have turned to social media as their outlet for marketing these movies. Grag explains that, "Hollywood or Bollywood, both the worlds are making an active presence on this medium and are trying to influence the users by swaying them with their fascinating campaigns." One recent production, Ouija (2014), utilized "Snapchat" ( a picture-messaging app) to post video clips and trailers featuring scenes from the movie in order to incite fans as well as connect to target audiences on easily accessible platforms. Widespread attention to elaborate campaigns and interactive, user-friendly sites creates intimacy with moviegoers, especially those anticipating the continuations of the Insidious series.
   Through Facebook, the Insidious fan-base expanded with the film's page reaching approximately 2.9 million likes. Status updates, replies to messages, and feedback to comments were used to obtain constant interaction on a global scale. Still-shots, cast interviews, and sneak-peek videos were posted to retain viewer attention as well as to continuously provide users with fresh content. One specialized strategy maintained in the beginning of the process was known as 'Casting Call', where submissions were accepted to potentially receive small roles in the movie. Users asked to share their knowledge and admiration for the series as well as offer trendy hash tags that increased the brand's recognition.

   Twitter was an immense aid in the film's promotion. It served as a manner for users and company media representatives to 'blog' alongside users. Tweets posted included video clips, soundtrack information, and dialogue snippets; the aim was to keep viewers wanting more until the movie's release. The account retained about 4100 followers in total. A goal of social campaigning was to incite "viral" awareness by "retweeting" trending hash tags, creating a worldwide following throughout the course of the film. Grag states," It is very common to use the trending feature of Twitter for these movies such that as and when people start talking about them, they become a globalised trend and the virality increases automatically." The series is set to have a new addition added in 2015, entitled Insidious: Chapter Three. 

   Social media is one of the most widely used forms of communication and interaction in the modern Digital Age of this emerging generation. The film industry is taking advantage of the opportunity to reach users daily and connect in ways that engage moviegoers, creating the sense that viewers are part of the experience. By constantly updating, I, as a potential viewer, will be more likely to have the desire to watch the film; therefore, making the social media outlet an effective strategy for marketing and brand recognition. Twitter and Facebook pages have also already been created for the upcoming chapter to the series being released in  2015 known as Insidious: Chapter 3.


Garg, R. (2014, September 19). Insidious- Chapter 2, social media it is [blog]. Retrieved December
4, 2014, from SocialAppsHQ website: http://www.socialappshq.com/blog/2013/09/19/
insidious-chapter-2-social-media-it-is/