The Woman in The Yard is generating buzz ahead of its upcoming release, thanks to an innovative influencer marketing campaign that has captivated horror enthusiasts.
Approximately four weeks before the film's scheduled release, coinciding with the drop of the second trailer, the official The Woman in The Yard social media account launched an influencer marketing campaign with a unique tactic. Horror influencers, spanning various follower counts, received direct messages containing an unsettling audio file. Most influencer campaigns send press kits full of novelty gifts or some other prop that ties into the story. This was the first time that I’ve seen a simple audio file being used in a movie influencer marketing campaign, so I was intrigued.
The recording featured The Woman herself, delivering the eerie phrase: "Today's the day" in her creepy, ominous voice followed by a longer message from the movie. The unsuspecting, minimalist yet haunting nature of this message immediately captured attention, prompting influencers to share their reactions across platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Blumhouse amplified their content on the official channel, promoting it to the company’s almost 1 million followers.
Why we love this: This strategic approach not only showcases the film's chilling main character but also underscores the power of influencer collaborations in modern film promotions. In an era where digital interactions heavily influence consumer choices, The Woman in The Yard has taken an innovative approach for cost-effective and impactful film promotion. Many of the influencers who received the audio file were nano-influencers (1,000-5,000 followers), who I’m sure were eager to participate in the campaign. Despite a small following account, nano-influencers can boast an engagement rate of 2.19%, proving that even those with smaller audiences can drive significant interactions.
Steal this tactic: Sample strategic influencer marketing timeline for any movie launch
📊 Marketing Strategy: Coordinating the timing of influencer content with the movie's marketing phases ensures sustained audience interest and maximizes ticket sales.
🎯 Sample Influencer Posting Timeline:
Pre-Release Teasers (8–12 Weeks Out): Share behind-the-scenes snippets and influencer set visits to build anticipation.
Main Campaign Launch (4–6 Weeks Out): Release trailers, influencer challenges, and interactive content to engage audiences.
Final Push (1 Week Before Release): Utilize influencers to create urgency with countdowns, ticket giveaways, and exclusive clips.
Opening Weekend Activation: Encourage influencers to share their viewing experiences and audience reactions to maintain momentum.
☑️ Result: Integrating influencer partnerships into movie marketing strategies can significantly enhance audience engagement and authenticity. Repurposing user-generated content that the influencers created about the movie for digital advertising not only enriches content diversity but also leverages the genuine experiences of viewers, fostering a deeper connection with potential audiences. This approach aligns with findings that 86% of consumers prioritize authenticity when deciding which brands to support, and 60% perceive UGC as the most authentic and influential form of content when making purchasing decisions.
Comparison: See how The Woman in the Yard’s opening weekend box office revenue compares to other Blumhouse movies
With The Woman in the Yard projected to generate $10-$15M in Opening Weekend revenue, it is tracking similarly to Blumhouse’s other recent release Wolfman which drove $10.9M in its opening weekend.
Take a look at Blumhouse’s record box office opening weekend revenue below. Although, many on the list are sequels or were created from pre-established IP, The Purge (2013) and Split (2017) standout as two movies two impressively successful opening weekend for new horror concepts.
Blumhouse’s opening weekend revenue records
Released | Title | Opening Weekend |
|---|---|---|
Oct 27, 2023 | Five Nights at Freddy’s | $80,001,720 |
Oct 19, 2018 | Halloween | $76,221,545 |
Oct 21, 2011 | Paranormal Activity 3 | $52,568,183 |
Oct 15, 2021 | Halloween Kills | $49,404,980 |
Oct 20, 2010 | Paranormal Activity 2 | $40,678,424 |
Jan 18, 2019 | Glass | $40,328,920 |
Sep 13, 2013 | Insidious Chapter 2 | $40,272,103 |
Oct 14, 2022 | Halloween Ends | $40,050,355 |
Jan 20, 2017 | Split | $40,010,975 |
Jun 7, 2013 | The Purge | $34,058,360 |
Read more about The Woman in the Yard:
🪑 She moves in shadows in horrifying trailer for The Woman in the Yard - Syfy
When the Sun is bright and the wind is still, she comes to you like a sudden chill. Draped in black from head to toe, how she got there you’ll never know.” Those are the words which accompanied the first teaser for The Woman in the Yard, an upcoming supernatural horror from Blumhouse Productions, distributed by Universal Pictures.
💰 Long-range box office forecast projects $10-$15M Opening Weekend for The Woman in the Yard - Box Office Pro
Initially scheduled for a theatrical release over MLK weekend—a frame that ended up being dominated by aforementioned actioner Den of Thieves: Pantera ($15M domestic opening, $36M domestic total)—The Woman in the Yard is the second 2025 release for Blumhouse, whose Wolf Man opened well below expectations to $10.8M domestic opening in mid-January ($20.7M domestic total). Without the hook of a classic Universal monster to aid marketing, predictions for The Woman in the Yard are more modest than they were for Wolf Man—which it very well may end up out-performing, at least on their respective opening weekends. Universal also released two Blumhouse titles in Q1 of last year: January’s Night Swim ($11.7M domestic opening, $32.4M domestic total) and March’s Imaginary ($9.9M domestic opening, $28M domestic total).
