Actor Networking Takes Work!

Casual tweeting, posting, sharing, pinning are easy. Social Networking for the sake of building relationships is work. Hard work that can definitely pay off in the acting business.  This business, more than any other, is one where every callback, every contract signed, and every Academy Award won was a result of a relationship.  Ok- You set up your twitter, facebook, and instagram accounts, but are you actively trying to meet people in your field and engaging in meaningful conversations? Most of you are probably shaking your head no. Here are 3 quick ways to ‘work’ on your social networking…

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1. Join “Groups”

Whether it be joining groups on facebook or linkedin, taking part in Twitter Chats or joining a group board on Pinterest these social circles can be amazing for finding industry folk to rub elbows with. This is a group of people with like-minded interest that you can begin to talk with and share your reel, resume, recent headshots or pictures of you on set.  On Pinterest a site called pingroupie.com/ can help you find groups with your similar interests. I talk about finding industry groups on facebook in my recent blog HERE.

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2. Be Social.

Yes! Be social on social media. Don’t just set up an account and expect it to do the leg work.  Join groups. Actively follow people on Twitter by doing #Hashtag searches or bio searches using the Advanced Twitter search. Here is the LINK to the Advanced Twitter Search since it is not accessible from the main page of your account. Look for bios with ‘director’, ‘actor’, ‘casting director’, ‘screenwriter’, ‘producer’ in the title. Then follow them! The great thing about twitter, unlike facebook, is even if they don’t follow you back you can engage with their tweets and start a conversation.

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3. Build relationships.

When someone writes you a personal message or comments on something you have posted take the time to respond. If someone shares or retweets your content acknowledge them, especially if they do so repeatedly. Tag people if you think something you post may be of interest to them. Be careful there is a fine line between networking and being annoying. If you followed a fellow actor, casting director, director, agent, etc the first step is not sending them a link to your website or link to your 10 minute short. This is step #5 or sometimes #100 depending on the person. First build the relationship. Show them you like what they are saying by sharing their content, commenting on their blogs or content on social media. Then and only then, if it seems appropriate, take the conversation to the next level and share your work. You will have a better shot that they will actually look at your stuff. For an in depth discussion about what not to do online as an actor READ THIS.

This idea of building relationships can be extended offline as much as online. Make sure you see your friends shows when you can (the whole show not just ACT 1) and celebrate their achievements. This will help build up your Good Karma Bank Account (more on this little piggy in another blog…). Then when you do need a favor or an introduction to someone they know in the biz the answer will be yes since you have already laid the foundation for this introduction to occur.

Spend 15-30 minutes every day (maybe while you have your morning coffee) ‘working’ on your social networking & building relationships.  I have a client that after 6 months of this strategy, he booked 2 indie films, did 3 interviews (which boosted his profile even more), booked a reading in NYC and made countless other connections that will lead to work down the road for him. Give this strategy time- you may not see results for months. But I promise you if you build meaningful relationships on social media with industry colleagues, opportunities will be right around the corner.

So get to “WORK”… netWORKing, that is! REMEMBER… Be patient! Actor networking takes work! Let me know the connections you make by doing this in the comments below.

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Until soon,

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“Social media marketing for actors made easy!”