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Twitter is great for establishing your brand, building an audience, and building relationships for your acting career. But to be successful, you must avoid these common mistakes.
- Using TONS of hashtags in your bio. Your bio is searchable whether you use hashtags or not. Only add hashtags if they define you or are #YourUniqueHashtag.
- Not optimizing your username. If you can’t get your actual name, avoid usernames like JohnActor721985 unless the number has significance for your audience. Keep it simple and memorable.
- Not saying you’re an actor in your profile. A-lister’s bios can be cryptic because we know who they are. Your bio is searchable, so adding your profession like this (actor, voice actor, musical theater actor) could lead to opportunities.
- Not utilizing the link to your website. Use it to send everyone to your website, IMDB, or YouTube channel.
- Not double-checking your tweets! Check your tweets before you post, especially if your autocorrect is enabled. There are too many “inspiring” actors on Twitter. (It’s “aspiring,” not “inspiring.”)
- Not adding a header photo. Use this amazing real estate to show us more about you. The blue background does nothing to distinguish you from everyone else. A field of flowers, ocean scene, or picture that cuts off your head doesn’t help either.
- Choosing a theme color that makes your text unreadable. Yellow may be your favorite color, but it makes your hashtags and links hard to read. (Pro Tip: Avoid light theme colors.)
- Keeping your account private. Actors using their account for their acting career need a public profile. No one will follow you if they can’t see what you’re tweeting.
- Not cleaning up your account. If you’re following way more people than are following you, this tip is for you! Twitter’s a party. Unfollow people who don’t reciprocate and people whose content you’re not interested in anymore. No one’s feelings will get hurt. If you need help, I walk you through it here.
- Posting when you’re frustrated, angry, or intoxicated. Enough said.
- Not taking your conversations to a direct message. Don’t @reply if you can direct message. There’s no 140-character limit on DM’s, so save yourself the time and frustration. If you’re brand new to Twitter (or not even on Twitter) and @reply is a foreign term, you’ll definitely want to watch this Twitter for Beginners Tutorial.
- Listen before you speak. Be sure to read the original tweet before reacting to someone’s reply. Do the research before you start schooling, preaching, or promoting.
- Thanking everyone who follows you. It’s nice to show gratitude but if your timeline is filled with thank you tweets, you look friendly but boring.
- Auto-linking your other Social Media accounts. It’s an easy trap to fall into since it makes your life easier, but a Twitter feed with all Instagram or Facebook links isn’t very interesting.
- Constantly retweeting without ever talking. Sharing other people’s content is fantastic, but tell us what you think once in a while.
- Publicly shaming those who unfollow you. This isn’t middle school. Don’t scold people who unfollow you. Look at your tweets and ask yourself why they did.
- Not giving proper credit. Sharing is caring when you credit the creator. If you share someone else’s article or photo, give them credit.
- Asking for something before you know someone. Build a relationship before you ask someone to check out your latest YouTube video, headshot, or reel.
- #FF Groups (or multiple groups of people). #FF used to be the day to tell your followers why they should follow one account. Now people create long lists of usernames in hopes of getting a retweet. You’re more likely to get noticed (and shared) if you thank them one at a time.
- Ignoring negative comments. Unfortunately, negative posts will happen—but don’t ignore them! Agree to disagree. If it’s a social media “troll,” block or report them.
- Hashtag abuse! Hashtags are an essential part of your social strategy, but use them in moderation. Two to three hashtags per post is ideal; anything more looks like spam.
Want more even tips to rock your social media for your career? Get my eBook The Ultimate Social Media Checklist for Actors (for free) here.
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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.
Heidi Dean
Heidi Dean is the industry’s top social media expert for actors. She was a working professional actor for over 20 years and a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA. Now she combines her years of industry experience with cutting-edge social media strategy to help actors open more doors for their careers.
See full bio and articles here!