Your Indie Film Just Hit Tubi. Now What?

So your film just got picked up for AVOD. First of all, congrats. You’re officially in front of a real audience. Not just a theater of friends and family, not just a festival screening with a Q&A, but actual eyeballs. Now here comes the part that matters more than the pickup itself:

How are you going to make people watch it?

Because AVOD doesn’t come with built-in buzz. It’s not theatrical. It’s not curated. No one stumbles into your film on Tubi or Pluto TV unless you give them a reason to click. If you don’t hit the ground running with your promotion plan, your film gets buried faster than a bad Netflix thumbnail.

Here’s your battle plan for Day One

Step 1: Treat This Like a Launch Day

AVOD may be free to the viewer, but it’s not free for you. You paid with your time, your budget, your energy. So treat this release like a product drop. Set a release date. Build anticipation. Count it down. Frame the release like an event, not a slow leak.

And no, a single tweet doesn’t count.

Step 2: Create Platform-Specific Graphics and Links

You need assets, and they need to be built for every platform you post on. That means:

• Square graphics for Instagram grid
• Vertical clips and graphics for Instagram Stories, TikTok, and Reels
• Horizontal thumbnails for YouTube and Facebook
• Captions optimized for each platform
• A short, punchy logline overlayed on every piece of content

And for the love of discoverability, don’t post “My film is out now” without a link to the platform and a visual. AVOD platforms don’t have good internal discovery. You are your film’s best SEO.

Step 3: Tell Viewers Where to Watch, and Why Now

You’re competing with everything else on the internet. “It’s available now” is not a compelling CTA. What is compelling:

• “Only free for a limited time”
• “Available worldwide starting today”
• “Streaming now on Tubi. No login required”
• “Help us hit 100K views in the first week!”

Give your audience a reason to act now, not later. Urgency drives clicks.

Step 4: Use the Cast and Crew as a Street Team

Every actor, producer, cinematographer, and intern should be posting, reposting, and tagging like their rent depends on it. Because it kind of does.

Send them pre-made assets. Share a posting schedule. Give them talking points:

• “Here’s my favorite scene from the movie.”
• “This was the wildest day on set.”
• “Streaming now on Tubi. Check out my first horror role!”

The more authentic and personalized the posts, the better. You’re not just marketing a film, you’re marketing people.

Step 5: Submit Your Film to Watchlists and Film Blogs

Sites like AVOD Central, Indie Film Hustle, Screen Anarchy, and even Reddit threads like r/Filmmakers or r/TrueFilm are places where niche titles can break through. Send a short pitch with your trailer, key art, platform link, and why the film matters.

You don’t need a publicist to get attention. You need hustle and a short, sharp pitch.

Step 6: Email Your Audience Even If It’s Small

If you’ve done any amount of crowdfunding, newsletter-building, or festival circuit-ing, you’ve got a list. Use it.

Subject lines that work:

• “It’s finally out. Watch [Film Title] free today.”
• “We made a movie. You can watch it right now.”
• “Streaming now: [Film Title]. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Keep it short, personal, and direct. People respond to excitement and clarity. Give them both.

Step 7: Make Noise in AVOD-Friendly Spaces

Tubi fans hang out on Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube. Make a behind-the-scenes video, react to your own film, roast your most ridiculous scene, share fan art, turn bloopers into memes.

AVOD viewers love content that feels approachable and personal. You’re not trying to be HBO. You’re trying to be fun.

Step 8: Encourage Reviews, Ratings, and Shares

User reviews and social buzz are what separate a buried film from one that algorithms start to notice. Ask your audience directly:

• “Watch it? Rate it!”
• “Liked the film? Leave a quick review. One sentence helps!”
• “Tag a friend who loves weird indie horror.”

People are way more likely to help when you tell them exactly what you want.

Step 9: Track the Data, Adjust the Strategy

Platforms like Filmhub, Tubi, or your distributor’s dashboard will show you where your views are coming from, how long people watch, and what platforms are performing. If TikTok’s working, double down. If your traffic’s coming from Mexico, promote with Spanish-language assets.

Don’t post and pray. Post and pivot.

Step 10: Keep Pushing Past Week One

Your film’s AVOD life isn’t one weekend. It’s a long tail. Keep posting. Keep pitching. Keep finding new angles. Every new review, watch milestone, holiday tie-in, or cast update is an excuse to reignite interest.

Your film is only as alive as you keep it. If you ghost your own movie, everyone else will too.