I wish I had a dollar for every time an actor told me about an agent or manager meeting that ended with this: “We like you. You’re talented. But you don’t have enough credits yet. Once you get some recognizable credits, come back to us.”
How’s that for a classic Actor Catch-22?
Don’t get frustrated, get started!
Watch this week’s Acting Business Bite video to get tips on how to empower yourself and ATTRACT representation by stepping up and acting like your own dream agent.
Let’s brainstorm together! In the comments box below the video, tell me one bold action you can take to be the best agent you ever had. I’m sure together, we can form an awesome list!
Let’s face it… writing a cover letter feels like walking a tight rope. Striking the perfect balance between charming and professional, tooting your own horn without bragging, and cramming all the essential information onto one page takes a lot of work!
Now, you can take your cover letter from ordinary to excellent with four simple and effective tips in my latest Acting Business Bite Video.
Following these sure-fire tips will give you CONFIDENCE in your Cover Letter and make it stand out from the rest.
Once you’ve got my fool-proof cover letter formula, who is the first person you’re going to send your new and improved cover letter to? Tell me in the comment box below the video.
Let’s face it: No one really keeps their New Year’s resolutions. I know I haven’t. Admitting so allowed me to finally start accomplishing my goals. You can do it too. Here’s how.
First, narrow your goals down to fewer than three. Trust me, multitasking is a cunning form of resistance. So, if you’ve got more than three goals happening, you’re spending too much time managing your goals and not enough time accomplishing them. Ironically, you’ll achieve more in the long term if you focus on fewer goals in the short term.
Make your goals measurable. Set a timeline and define exactly what the endgame looks like. For example, shift your goal from “I want to support myself as an actor” to “I want to earn $40,000 or more acting in studio films before Dec. 31.” Write your three goals down and keep them where you can see them.
This was one major mistake I made with resolutions in the past. I wrote a long list of goals and tucked the list away in a special drawer somewhere—out of sight, out of mind—and my resolutions were quickly forgotten.
Next, create an action plan. An action plan provides you with structure and gives you a lot of freedom and confidence. Now you’ll know where you’re going, and you’ll be able to measure your progress along the way. Best of all, you can fall off track without falling off the planet. Identify, specifically, what steps you will take each month, each week, and each day to accomplish your goals. It’s not enough to define the steps; you have to schedule them as well. Make your goal-getting process easier to do than to avoid. This means scheduling focused time each day to work on your goals.
With your plan in place, identify what bad habits prevent you from committing and moving quickly toward what you want.
One of my students, Jeff, created a fantastic Web series this year. His goal for next year is to sell this series to a television network. He wants to make money. For that to happen, Jeff decided he must stop funding production out of his own pocket. Knowing he couldn’t pay for it anymore created the urgency Jeff needed to begin pitching his series to producers.
If you really want to rethink your resolutions, stop trying to accomplish them all on your own. Harness the power of teamwork by sharing your goals with people you trust and getting their support, feedback, and advice. Every successful person needs at least three key supporters to get to the next level. First, you need a cheerleader: someone who provides positive reinforcement and acts as a sounding board for your ideas.
Next, you need an accountability partner. This can be a friend or a career coach willing to crack the whip if necessary to keep you on track. Lastly, you need a mentor who has been where you want to go. They can not only offer advice but also show you that success is indeed possible.
The biggest key to accomplishing your goals comes down to your mindset. I’ve been working with actors for almost 10 years. So, I have a pretty good idea about what you dream of doing. But what is it that you really expect?
Most actors describe the entertainment industry as crazy, challenging, or even impossible. They believe that acting success relies primarily on luck. What do you really believe about the business and your place in it? How do your actions support those expectations?
If you think this business is easy or impossible, you’re right. And you’ll find evidence to support either belief. You must believe that success is inevitable and act accordingly—always. Only when your expectations align with your goals will you see the results you’re looking for.
Harmonizing your acting goals, your daily responsibilities, and your personal growth a dance of art and business. After all of the moving and shaking you’ve done this year for your career, it’s important to show your inner artist some love. Creating a Vision Board is just what the doctor ordered.
In my last post, I shared my favorite year end process to help you celebrate this year’s successes and clarify your goals for 2012. Now it’s time to create a vision board that will serve as an excellent reminder of your 2012 goals and priorities. You can design a Vision Board to create a physical representation of your career vision.
Vision Boards allow you to use your artistic skills and creativity and play with the physical picture of your future. They’re a lot of fun to make and an effective way to supplement your actions with internal focus. Here are 5 simple steps to help you manifest success with a Vision Board.
Step One: Purchase a large poster board in whatever color you like. While you’re at it, pick up a glue stick and a pair of scissors too.
Next, gather an assortment of old magazines, pictures, catalogs, and snap shots. You can even print out dynamic or meaningful words that inspire you.
Step Two: Dedicate some time to clear away a space where you can relax and enjoy yourself. Creating your Vision Board should be a fun and fulfilling experience. Feel free to pour yourself a beverage, light a candle, or play some music that speaks to you.
Now relax, breathe deeply, close your eyes, and imagine the goal you wish to achieve. With your vision clearly defined in your mind, explore how each area of your life and career is impacted by this plan.
Step Three: Now open your eyes and begin to flip through the magazines. Tear out any pages with pictures, words, phrases, and thoughts that inspire you. Don’t think about it too much. Trust your gut and set aside anything that grabs your attention.
Don’t rush. Give yourself a few hours or a whole evening to do this project. Once you feel you’ve reached a stopping point, cut out the words and images you’ve selected from the pages you set aside.
Step Four: After you have cut out all the meaningful images and phrases you want, glue or paste them onto your poster board. Reserve space on your board for each of the areas outlined below and be sure to place a picture of yourself (one you love to look at) in the center of the board.
Career
Health & Fitness
Friends & Family
Industry Relationships
Finances
Craft & Creativity
Marketing Tools & Business
Personal Growth
Fun & Adventure
Step Five: Display your finished Vision Board in a place that you will see it often. As you concentrate on these visual intentions, inhale the sensation of having exactly what you want. Here’s to an exciting vision of the future and a Happy New Year!
As 2011 comes to an end, it’s time to clean up any unfinished business, clear the space for next year’s successes, and create the framework for your best year yet! I’ve provided 13 simple steps to help you organize your goals and make sure you cover all the bases.
This is my favorite year-end exercise. So, I’m really happy to share it with you.
Celebrate 2011
Before you head into the new year, take a moment to look back at all of your hard work over the past 12 months. What worked? What didn’t? And what can you change?
STEP ONE: Set the Tone
Make yourself comfortable. Play some music you love, grab some yummy food, light your favorite candle. With a notepad, pen, and this year’s calendar, begin your Year 2011 Reflection.
STEP TWO: Toot Your Own Horn
Review 2011 and consider what you are most proud of in each of the following areas of your life:
Career
Health & Fitness
Friends & Family
Industry Relationships
Finances
Craft & Creativity
Marketing Tools & Business
Personal Growth
Fun & Adventure
STEP THREE: Look for Themes
Identify 3 primary intentions or beliefs that guided you this year. Perhaps you might notice that certain values popped up consistently throughout your year. In other words… if 2011 had a theme, what was it?
STEP FOUR: Pinpoint Your Weak Spots
Now look back through the year and consider what didn’t work as well as you had hoped. With compassion, consider the unrealized expectations, unexpected circumstances or interruptions, challenges, upsets or losses, gifts given and gifts received.
STEP FIVE: Tie Up Loose Ends
Consider what, if anything, you feel incomplete about. What actions can you take to tie up any loose ends?
STEP SIX: Celebrate
Finally, create a year-end ritual. How can you celebrate the challenges you moved through and successes you’ve enjoyed? How can you make a renewed commitment to yourself for the coming year?
Create 2012!
Now that you know where you’ve been, it’s time to map out where you’ll go.
STEP SEVEN: Set Your Sights
What are you looking forward to in 2012? What 1 to 3 specific goals would you like to accomplish by the end of next year?
STEP EIGHT: Brainstorm the Obstacles
What changes do you anticipate or hope for in the next year? How would you like to create these changes in your life? Who might be able to help you succeed at these changes?
STEP NINE: Gather Your Tools
What life and career goals or intentions do you have for 2012? What are you building on or recommitting to from 2011? What’s new? What resources will you bring from 2011 to 2012? What resources will you cultivate?
STEP TEN: Build Relationships
Who do you wish to build stronger relationships with? Who would you like to attract into your life? How will your personal and professional relationships blossom in 2012? Make a list of at least 10 people you wish to build stronger relationships with. You may already know who they are. You may not.
STEP ELEVEN: Let Go of Bad Habits
What principle or action are you going to give up in 2012, so that you can experience a fuller life? For example: I give up being late. I will be early or on time. I have more than enough time to take care of myself and all that is important and meaningful to me.
STEP TWELVE: Visualize Success
How do you want to experience 2012 – what color, taste, texture, smell, sound does it have? If 2012 had a theme song, what would it be? What images come to mind when you picture the coming year?
STEP THIRTEEN: Have Fun with Your Future
With those images in mind, design a vision board to represent all that 2012 holds for you. Your vision board should be a physical representation of your career vision. They allow you to use your artistic skills and creativity and play with the physical picture of your future. They’re a lot of fun to make and they are an effective way to supplement your actions with internal focus.
Stay tuned for the next edition of The Actor’s Advocate Blog, where I’ll show you step-by-step how to create a successful vision board.
I just love this article by Deborah Norville. With Thanksgiving around the corner, here’s a little scientific data on why gratitude rocks from Norville’s book “Thank You Power: Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You”
Making Progress
Some days, you just want to stay in bed and hope the world forgets you exist. David Patrick Columbia was having one of those days. New to New York City, he was worn down by the hustle and bustle, no longer excited and proud about relocating to Manhattan, as he had been weeks earlier. He’d imagined himself a hot young talent taking the magazine world by storm, only to end up doing grunt work as a low-level assistant on a barely-making-it salary. He couldn’t afford his own place and felt uncomfortable sponging off a friend.
“I was rethinking everything—my ability as a writer, my career choice,” he recalls. That Saturday morning, he wanted to stay in bed. But no, he had to fetch a photo for work.
It was cold, gray and damp when David headed across town. “I don’t know what possessed me, but I decided to start counting things along the way that made me happy,” he says. “I just wanted to see how many pleasing things I came across.”
First on his list: a mother walking her baby, all bundled up in a stroller. “That little face just made me smile,” he says. Then he saw a jet in the sky. “Flying has always captivated me.” And so it went. From the sizzling smells at bistros to eye-catching store-window displays, David acknowledged one thing after another that brightened his mood. By the time he picked up that photo, he was feeling thankful he’d made the move to the Big Apple.
“I was reminded that I lived in an exciting, interesting and invigorating place,” he says. “Whenever I’m feeling down, I do this. It makes me feel better.” It’s been more than 20 years since David took his “walk of thanks” across Manhattan. Now he’s a successful entrepreneur in the media business and says his gratitude stroll helps him stay focused to this day.
What if, instead of wallowing in our misery, we all chose to focus on being valued by a dear friend, for example, or the memory of a colleague’s face when she receives a surprise birthday cake at work, or the smooth ride we’ve had to work in the past week? As science is now proving, feeling grateful can actually make us healthier, literally.
Practicing gratitude, acknowledging the blessings in our lives and making it a point to recognize the good things can change us positively. We’ll sleep better and exercise more. We’ll feel more optimistic. We’ll be more alert and active. And if we do this over a period of time, we’ll realize that we’re making progress toward our life goals.
A Higher Quality of Life
What David Patrick Columbia discovered in his own life, Robert Emmons, PhD, has proved in his lab. A professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, Emmons has long been interested in the role gratitude plays in physical and emotional well-being.
Along with psychology professor Michael McCullough of the University of Miami, Emmons took three groups of volunteers and randomly assigned them to focus on one of three things each week: hassles, things for which they were grateful, and ordinary life events. The first group concentrated on everything that went wrong or was irritating to them, such as “the jerk who cut me off on the highway.” The second group homed in on
situations they felt enhanced their lives, as in “My boyfriend is so kind and caring—I’m lucky to have him.” And the third group recalled recent everyday events, as in “I went shoe shopping.”
The results: The people who focused on gratitude were just flat-out happier. They saw their lives in favorable terms. They reported fewer negative physical symptoms such as headaches or colds, and they were active in ways that were good for them. They spent almost an hour and a half more per week exercising than those who focused on hassles. Plain and simple, those who were grateful had a higher quality of life.
Others around them recognized that too. “They noticed that these people had more joy, more energy. They could see that they were becoming more optimistic,” says Emmons. The grateful group “even seemed to be perceived as more helpful toward others, going out on a limb to help people.” Emmons was surprised by this result. “This is not just something that makes people happy, like a positive-thinking/optimism kind of thing. A feeling of gratitude really gets people to do something, to become more pro-social, more
compassionate.” This did not happen in either of the other two groups.
Emmons and McCullough took their study, published in 2003, one step further. Rather than focus on hassles or blessings on just a weekly basis, they rounded up college students to do it every day. The researchers asked for specific personal details as well: how many alcoholic drinks the volunteers had, how many aspirin or other pain relievers they took, the quantity and quality of their sleep. They also asked volunteers to compare themselves with others: Are you better or worse off?
If you were going to have dinner with anyone, you’d want someone from the gratitude group at your table. Right off the bat, Emmons and his team recognized that there was something powerful about a regular gratitude check. And in a follow-up study, those who found something to appreciate every day were less materialistic— less apt to see a connection between life satisfaction and material things. They were more willing to part with their possessions. The bumper sticker that reads “The one with the most toys wins” was unlikely to be found on any of their cars.
Amplify Positive Feelings
The grateful people were less depressive, envious and anxious, and much more likely to help others, a fact not lost on those around them. When others were asked their impressions of the daily-gratitude students, they generally judged the students as empathetic, helpful and pro-social, more likely to put themselves out for others. The study found that the people who were consciously grateful:
- Felt better about their lives.
- Were more optimistic.
- Were more energetic.
- Were more enthusiastic.
- Were more determined.
- Were more interested.
- Were more joyful.
- Exercised more.
- Had fewer illnesses.
- Got more sleep.
- Were more likely to have helped someone else.
Related studies have found other benefits as well, all of which could arguably be linked to a grateful mind-set: clearer thinking, better resilience during tough times, higher immune response, less likelihood of being plagued by stress, longer lives, closer family ties, greater religiousness.
Along with thinner thighs and six-pack abs, this is a fairly comprehensive list of what most of us would wish for in life. “I have studied a lot of topics in the nearly 25 years since I’ve been in graduate school, and no topic has gotten more interest from people than this. It’s exciting,” says Emmons.
But the science doesn’t stop there. After being given a little bag of candies, doctors in a study conducted by psychologist Alice M. Isen, a Cornell University professor, were better able to process the facts of difficult medical cases and to think outside the box about what might be causing the ailments. It turns out that this way of being thanked—by receiving a small sweet—had a big payoff.
“The doctors who got the candy didn’t jump to conclusions,” Isen says. “They realized quickly what the domain of the illness was, and they were correct. But they continued to check their diagnosis against new information as it came in.” The doctors who received no candy at all were less likely to be as methodical.
Isen’s hypothesis is that the good feelings generated by something as simple as an expression of appreciation intervene in the release of dopamine, the chemical in the brain associated with happiness. As Isen explains, dopamine is released when people are feeling good or are excited by a challenge. It activates the parts of the brain in which complex thinking and conflict resolution are thought to be headquartered.
Isen has also found that positive emotions make people more helpful to others. And since helping someone else makes people feel good about what they’ve done, the positive feelings continue and even amplify, creating more good feelings.
The Power of Gratitude
So how do we use all this science of gratitude in our lives? The power of gratitude takes just a few minutes a day. But it requires consistency and an open mind—and dedication. Says Emmons, “I think gratitude is a demanding quality, a rigorous quality. It’s a discipline, an exercise.” It may not come easily, but it can be developed. Here’s how:
Record your thanks.
Take a moment during the day—right before bedtime is usually best—to jot down three things that happened that day for which you are grateful. Anything that made you feel uplifted, that brought a smile to your face or your heart, or will contribute toward your future happiness, works.
After each situation or event for which you feel thankful, write down why this was good for you. Perhaps you received an e-mail from an old school friend who hadn’t been in touch for years, and this reminded you of the good times you had together. It forced you to realize that people think of you even though you’ve had no contact with them, which must mean you’re a pretty special person.
Also, make a note of who, if anyone, played a role in what you’ve recalled for the day and how that person had an impact on your life.
None of this sounds hard, right? Given the choice between this exercise and 50 sit-ups plus 25 push-ups, you’re much more inclined to pick up a pen, aren’t you?
The gratitude journal makes you look at life in a positive, concrete way, reminding you of its interconnectedness in a fast-paced, impersonal world and how much others add to the quality of your life. It forces you to focus on what went right instead of the inevitable things that went wrong. And it enhances your self-esteem.
See the patterns.
Over time, you’ll notice a consistency within the list of items you’re grateful for. Many entries will underscore the importance of people in your life. Others will highlight meaningful experiences. Still other items will be things that began with you, things you created that you can point to with pride and say, I made that happen. It’s called eudaemonia, the happiness or fulfillment that comes from the action itself, not the result of it. Any other benefits that come along—someone is grateful, your project is a success—are icing on the cake.
Catch the boomerang.
Gratitude, when expressed to others, almost always comes back around. People who feel appreciated are more willing to make an effort for those who make them feel valued. In one study, waitresses who simply wrote “thank you” on the check before handing it to their customers received, on average, 11 percent more in tips that those who didn’t. Waitresses who wrote a message about an upcoming dinner special on the checks also
received higher tips—on average, 17 to 20 percent higher. In a world where personal connections seem increasingly limited, and sometimes stressful when they do occur, gratitude resonates.
Seize the moment.
Look around you: What’s right with your world? If you have a hobby, practice it. If you don’t, find one. Reach out to others; share something. A small gesture toward another individual costs you little but can bring many benefits. All these actions increase your opportunities to feel grateful.
Says Barbara Fredrickson, a psychologist at the University of North Carolina, “Gratitude
has the potential to change everything from its ordinary state to being a gift.”
It is very easy to see successful actors and admire them for their craft, their business savvy, and their lifestyle. It’s easy to see a powerful teacher and admire them for their insight, their communication skills, their level of expertise. The reason you admire people is because they’re just reflecting back to you who you REALLY are.
That’s just how judgment works.
So, stand on your own pedestal. Know that the qualities you admire in others exist within you. Perhaps they just haven’t been fully nurtured yet.
Now, this does not mean that you shouldn’t respect others, take classes, or learn from people. I’m simply suggesting that you have no need to compare yourself to the so-called experts in your life. They’re in your life to just show you who you are. The opportunity here is to own it when you find yourself positively judging someone else and then explore how you can cultivate the qualities you see in others within your own life.
There is one expert in your life and that person is you. Trust yourself above all others. Respect yourself beyond anyone else. Honor where you are and where you’re going. That way, when you learn from others, you can absorb that information deeply and apply it with ease because it’s information you already had.
The life an actor can be quite unpredictable. You might have your whole day structured perfectly and then a last minute audition throws your planning out the window. Most actors can agree that flexibility is crucial when it comes to your day job, your rehearsal schedule, and even your down time with family and friends, but flexibility can also create a major drawback to your acting business.
Many actors are allergic to structure. With a desire to stay open to unforeseen auditions and bookings, too many actors live week to week with no plan in place. Instead, you spend your days simply reacting to what happens around you rather than proactively creating the career you desire. Without a structured plan, it’s too difficult to measure how far you’ve come, to know precisely where you stand, and to visualize what’s possible for your future.
The secret to juggling your day job and your personal commitments with your acting opportunities is structure. And though it may sound like an impossible notion, structure will truly set you free.
Imagine two people with no improvisation training attempting to improvise together. Sure, they may create some funny moments, but the best improvisation happens when all players operate with the same rulebook. You must know some basic guidelines before you can create incredible improvisation.
The same is true with your time. If you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, you probably lack the structure you need to make the most of your time.
So let me share three tips to help you create structure in your life while leaving plenty of room for creativity, flexibility, and of course, auditions and bookings.
1. Start a Slush Fund
Reserve ninety minutes of open space on your calendar each day. This will allow you to catch up on tasks when you run behind schedule and move appointments easily when auditions arise. With the extra time built in already, unexpected changes won’t stress you out.
If you have a day job, you can bookend that commitment with extra slush-fund time. This way, if an audition arises, you can take an extended lunch break from work and still have time to catch up on work before you head home for the day.
2. Assign a Theme for Each Day
You’ll save a ton of time and energy when you group similar tasks together. So, assign a theme for each day of the week.
For example, every Thursday could be an errand day. Begin the day at the laundry mat, then pop over to the grocery store and finish up at the post office. As errands arise during the week, there’s no need to drop everything else because now you’ve got all day Thursday to run around town getting things done.
Let’s say you have acting class on Tuesday nights. Tuesday’ theme could be s creativity where you work on writing your screenplay, do some reading, and arrive at acting class already artistically plugged in.
3. Get External Accountability
Checking in with a buddy about your daily actions, your weekly accomplishments, your monthly roadblocks, and your yearly goals will keep you on track and help you generate bigger results quickly.
Find a like-minded actor from a film you shot or a class you attended to form a powerful accountability partnership. Then, commit to a phone call at least once per week where you share your weekly goals and celebrate one another’s progress.
If you can’t find the right accountability partner, check out www.astrid.com. This site features productivity tools and community support to help you knock out your to-do list.
Structure is not the enemy. In fact, structure provides the confidence you need to make quick decisions, the energy to finish your to-do list, and the time to be creative. So –just like improvisation– with a little structure, you can finally play.
Even in this age of Facebook, Twitter, smartphones and iPads, traditional media outlets still have a lot of sway. You can bet that a large portion of the news you read everyday comes directly from press releases crafted by publicists, media experts, and even interns. That’s how news happens.
Publicists use press releases to share current and compelling information with the news media. Celebrities, large corporations, political figures, and even small businesses rely on press releases to communicate with the general public. As an actor, you too, can utilize press releases to make a splash! Whether you want to garner interviews and media attention, or you just want to inform certain industry contacts, press releases are a great addition to your marketing arsenal.
So, I’d like to share three quick tips to help you make the most of press releases.
It’s All About Perception
People often perceive the information in a press release as “newsworthy” simply because it’s presented in an official format. The next time you send a mailing, use a press release instead of a postcard or headshot and cover letter. The release itself provides validity to the reader.
Bypass the media all together and mail, email, or fax your press release out to the industry contacts you want to stay in touch with. I don’t know about you, but I find it easier to toot my own horn in a press release rather than a personal letter.
Not every press release is sure to result in a news article, interview, or review, but the release itself can be a very valuable marketing tool for actors at every level.
Get Back to Your Roots
Sure, Variety may not be interested in the co-star you just booked, but your hometown newspaper will eat that report up!
Reach out to hometown publications, smaller news outlets, Internet outlets, and your alma mater to generate some media buzz. The Internet is home to thousands of media outlets begging for quality material. You might be surprised by how easy it is to get your release published online. You can then use the articles featured in local papers to create another great marketing tool.
I had a client who booked a co-star last year. She issued a press release to her hometown newspaper, which was thrilled to run an article. She then used that published article in a mailing she did to agents and casting directors, which resulted in two agent meetings.
Invest in Your Wins
Most actors wait too long before hiring a publicist because they don’t exactly fit in the average actor’s budget. That doesn’t mean you have to wait to embrace the power of the press release though. If you can’t afford to fork over several thousands dollars each month for a full-blown publicist, let me suggest a fantastic alternative.
Press release submission services are a great way to generate media buzz without breaking the bank. Whenever you book a job, win an award, appear on network television, Broadway, or in a film, I suggest you utilize a service to spread the good word. For just a nominal fee, you can hit hundreds of media outlets with your press release and create some media momentum.
My favorite PR service for actors is Spotlight PR Company. Spotlight’s owner Tammy Lynn caters directly to actors, and she’s a pro at press release submissions. Her website is www.SpotlightPRcompany.com. Other solid services are www.prweb.com and www.ereleases.com.
So, if you’ve got a major win, I recommend investing some money in a professional service that can really help you get in the news. Those articles and interviews will serve as great marketing tools for months to come.
All in all, a press release will help you make huge strides in your marketing. Whether you send it directly to your target agents, managers, producers, and casting directors, or you use a submission service to garner interviews, start putting press releases to work for you.
Recently, a casting director expressed her frustration on her Facebook wall about actors approaching her through Facebook to request auditions. This post sparked a lively dialogue among some actors and casting directors who all agreed that using Facebook as a marketing tool was rude, amateur, or even desperate.
I have to disagree. Approaching casting directors, producers, agents, filmmakers, directors, and artistic directors is not rude. It’s not amateur. And it’s not desperate. It’s business.
Facebook exists so that people can connect with each other. That’s the whole point. Virtually every business and businessperson today has a Facebook page and uses Facebook for promotional purposes. So, there is nothing wrong – at all- with you doing the same as an actor.
Now, different people have different boundaries on Facebook. If a casting director wishes to keep her Facebook page and her business separate, that is absolutely her prerogative and I support that 100%.
But that doesn’t make an actor wrong when he wants to use Facebook for self-promotion. Approaching your industry target list through social media is not the problem here. HOW you approach them is. Trust me, there is a right way and a wrong way to use Facebook for your acting career. Apparently, the actors who approached this particular casting director did so in the wrong way.
Last year, an actress named Eva used Facebook in a powerful way to build a relationship with a casting director that’s still paying off today. Eva saw a role she was perfect for and after exhaustive and unsuccessful research to find the casting director’s phone number or email address, the only contact information Eva could find was the casting director’s Facebook profile.
So, Eva sent him a direct message through Facebook. Rather than requesting an audition, Eva messaged the casting director to find out how comfortable he was with her using Facebook as a marketing tool. She wanted to respect the casting director’s social media boundaries and the best way to do that was by getting a buy in.
“What’s a buy in,” you ask?
A buy-in occurs when you get the consent of whomever you’re targeting before taking action. This may sound silly, but it’s a very simple step that will make a huge difference in the results you produce and in the relationships you build.
Eva’s buy-in to the casting director probably looked something like this:
“Hi Casting Director. I want to respect your privacy, so I’m writing to find out how open you are to receiving audition requests from actors through Facebook. If you’re not open to it, I understand. Just let me know either way.”
Not only was this casting director open to Eva’s request, but he also called her in for the audition she wanted. Since then, Eva auditions at his office regularly and the two of them have forged a healthy working relationship.
The moral of this story – don’t shy away from Facebook in your marketing just because you might offend someone. Instead, your job is to simply get a buy-in from the casting directors, producers, and agents you want to work with before you pitch yourself on Facebook.
Get the buy-in before you need it. That way, you won’t panic when an opportunity arises because you’ll already know how to reach out.
Your buy-in might look something like this:
“Hi Tom. It’s Jessica. I saw you speak at the SAG Foundation last week. I’m writing to find out if Facebook is the right venue to connect about projects or roles I might be right for. I know everyone uses Facebook for different reasons so I wanted to check in with you first to respect your social media boundaries.
If you’d rather not connect about the business on FB, I totally get it and will be sure not to talk shop with you here. Just let me know either way.”
The truth is that you’ll never know who is open to receiving requests from actors through social media. While some people only use Facebook socially, others rely on it heavily for their business.
The trick is to find out which side of the Facebook fence your target people live on before you pitch yourself online. Doing so will give you the confidence you need to use Facebook in a powerful way without offending anyone.
The life an actor can be quite unpredictable. You might have your whole day structured perfectly and then a last minute audition throws your planning out the window. Most actors can agree that flexibility is crucial when it comes to your day job, your rehearsal schedule, and even your down time with family and friends, but flexibility can also create a major drawback to your acting business.
Even in this age of Facebook, Twitter, smartphones and iPads, traditional media outlets still have a lot of sway. You can bet that a large portion of the news you read everyday comes directly from press releases crafted by publicists, media experts, and even interns. That’s how news happens.
Recently, a casting director expressed her frustration on her Facebook wall about actors approaching her through Facebook to request auditions. This post sparked a lively dialogue among some actors and casting directors who all agreed that using Facebook as a marketing tool was rude, amateur, or even desperate.