Debunking 5 Myths About Social Media for Actors

Everyone seems to be talking about social media for actors these days!

You hear it’s good for your career, a waste of time, all about followers, not about followers, easy to use or hard to figure out. With all these conflicting opinions it’s easy to get confused.

Once you’ve taken the time to distinguish between fact and fiction you can take advantage of the tremendous career-advancing opportunities social media offers! Here are 5 big myths about social media for actors that should be put to rest for good.

Myth #1:  “If you build it they will come.”

Many actors think all they have to do is set up their social media accounts and start posting their work on YouTube, their Twitter Page, or Facebook Fan Page and the fans will start rolling it. Simply setting up your accounts will not help build your audience. Even the biggest YouTube stars worked hard to grow their channels after that first viral video. You need to post and engage with your friends and fans on a regular basis to see results on social media. If your goal is to be ‘social media famous’, you should pick a different goal. Fame isn’t something you pursue it’s a result of hard work, talent and luck.

Myth #2: You have to be good with technology to understand social media.

Perhaps the biggest myth of all! There is a learning curve to mastering social media but that’s why I’m here to help out. Most social media platforms are actually easy to use once you figure out their language. If fear of technology has kept you from becoming more ‘social’ on platforms like Twitter, “Fear not!” You can get my free video class “Twitter for Beginners.” It walks you through the sign up, set up and basics of your account so you can start rocking your social media for your career right away!

Myth #3: Social media follower counts are more important than talent.

It’s true that social media follower counts and subscriber numbers have helped actors get cast in everything from blockbusters to network TV to indie films, reality TV and webseries but, at the end of the day, your goal as an actor should be a lasting career not a million followers. No one will keep watching your work if you can’t deliver on-set or on stage. Keep in mind that although follower counts are not more important than talent, they are part of your brand (and your first impression online). If you only have 50 followers it makes me wonder if anyone cares about your work or if you have any experience or connections in the business. Be sure to collect your new friends and fans on social media with every gig you book.

Myth #4: Social Media is a waste of time… I should just be acting!

This myth was started by actors who are either #SocialMediaScared or who tried social media for a few months, had no plan, saw no results and are now on team #SocialMediaStinks. If social media was a waste of time, Academy Award-winning actors wouldn’t be jumping on the Twitter bandwagon. It’s probably not a coincidence that Cuba Gooding Jr. joined Twitter the same time “The People v. O.J. Simpson” debuted. Social media can be a waste of time if you spend hours watching videos of cats, miniature pigs or cute babies. However, when it’s used correctly, social media can help accelerate your acting career by helping you build relationships, connect with your fans and increase your influence.

Myth #5: Social media is too time consuming.

Many actors think social media takes a lot of time to manage. After acting classes, auditions and your day job who has time for social media, right? Wrong! Once you’ve setup your accounts and learn social media 101 for actors it’s easy, quick and fun to maintain an active social media presence for your career. PRO TIP: You don't need to be active on EVERY social network. It's better to give 100% to 2 platforms than 20% to 5 (because you're burnt out)!  

Need help figuring out what social network is best for your #Actorslife? I created a fun quiz to help you that you can access here:

See you on Social,

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*Originally in Backstage*