Social media is a powerful tool for developing relationships with directors, producers, actors, casting directors, and other industry professionals. It’s also an excellent way to build an audience for your creative work. Here are five social media rules you can apply to your life as an actor:
1. Tweet others the way you want to be tweeted.
This is the Golden Rule of social media. If you don’t agree with someone, unfriend or unfollow them. (Or simply “mute” them in your settings if it’s an important industry relationship.) You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to. Whatever you do, don’t leave hateful comments or try to teach them a lesson. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated offline and online.
2. You are what you tweet.
These days, it’s quite possible you’ll make your first impression online before you ever meet someone in an audition room. Your tweets are a direct reflection of who you are—what do yours say about you?
This goes beyond preaching about your political views or other controversial subjects. It includes your daily correspondence on social media. Say you had a bad flight experience. You tweet about your displeasure with the airline, but then you should move on. If you’re having a hard time connecting with customer service, ask if you can take the conversation to direct message.
If you don’t, an outside will only see an angry person they probably won’t want to work with, even if your in-the-moment rant doesn’t really reflect the person you are.
READ: 3 Important Instagram Tips for Actors
3. Listen before you talk (or tweet).
Sometimes actors treat social media like a big megaphone: “Look at my reel! Look at my headshots! Look at my video!” But before you ask people to look at your stuff, think about what you can do for them.
Listen to their conversations and respond, share their content, get to know them before you start asking for favors of your own. The great thing about platforms like Twitter is there are conversations about almost everything going on 24/7. It’s fine to jump into someone else’s conversation, but be sure to read the whole stream of comments before you do.
4. People trust actions more than words.
You’re not only judged by the words you tweet or post, but also by your actions. The best way to create a loyal following is to lead by example. No matter how tempting it sounds, don’t buy followers. It’s super obvious when you have zero engagement and 10,000 followers. It’s also very easy to expose your dirty little secret using sites like TwitterAudit. Don’t let your actions overshadow the great content you’ve shared online. Remember: Your reputation is everything in this business.
5. Believe in your selfie.
Social media can be frustrating at first, but it’s a valuable skill. The biggest career advantage it offers is in building relationships. That takes time. Remember the three p’s of social media: stay positive, patient, and persistent.
To give you that extra boost of confidence on social media grab your free copy of my Ultimate Social Media Guide for Actors, 30 pages that will have you rockin’ your social media in no time.
Mastered Twitter and ready to take on the big screen? Check out our film audition listings!
The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
