Do Actors Need Social Media - 4 Easy Tips
Social media can help you network, build relationships and advance your acting career, but when used incorrectly it can make you look foolish, unprofessional, and thirsty.
I'm Jazelle, I'm an acting coach in NYC as well as an actor, and I know what it's like to start a career in this industry, and I just want to help you make it a little bit easier.
Social media is where people go to get to know you. It's the first thing we do when we are interested in getting to know someone and it's no different in the Industry. Casting Directors will google or FB or Insta you! - BE IN CONTROL of what people see. You want to be familiar, next is being known. Create connections! Show who you are. Be someone you want to hang out with. Will having a lot of followers get you a job...yeah maybe! Networks and brands have always favored marketability. This has been going on from the beginning. Don't freak out about it.
Create an awesome first impression.
Have your name as the handle or username - no numbers, or Underscores if you can help it. Have that same name across all platforms.
Have an interesting bio - I should be able to tell what you do and what's important to you. It's not the place to make a cute joke if you're using it for business.
Be Professional
Speaking of business - Delete anything unflattering or that shows you in an unprofessional light. No face filters. Nothing too over-sexualized. Not only should it be age-appropriate, but it should also suggest your brand.
You need to make a decision right now about what you will and won't talk about. Right now we live in a very interesting time. A lot of people are using their social media to show where they stand and how they feel.
Some people will say don't share any of it...I'm not that type of person. There are some things that must be said. But just remember it's not what you say, but how you say it.
Do you need two profiles?
I know I just gave you a lot to think about and some of you might be thinking, “maybe I need a completely different profile.” You might.
The question is...how much do you care? If you are ok just posting things that are brand-appropriate, you don't need another profile, especially on Instagram. I save all of my questionable posts for my Instagram stories, and I only share those with my close friends. That's enough for me. Mostly because, this is my life, what you see is what you get.
If that doesn't work for you, make another profile, just know most of your energy really needs to go to your social brand.
Play the functions.
Whether it's IGTV for Instagram or Native Video for Linkedin, every platform has a new function that they want their users to use. They want that function to grow in popularity, therefore, they reward users that use their features, the algorithm favors it! When you make a story on Instagram, add hashtags, stickers, gifs...gifs...use it all.
Take up real estate.
All posts are not created equally. If you post a picture, aim to post size 1080x1350 or 4:5 to take up the most space on your feed.
Be a person, not a robot.
1/4 of your content should be self-promotion - the other third should be sharing your life and what you are up to. Don't post five photos of the same outfit in a row, break it up.
Show that you’re a real person - we know you're an actor, remind us you're a real person. Yes, tell us about how your audition went, but also tell us about your dog's birthday and the best pizza you ever had in Brooklyn. It's all a balance.
Join the party - connect with other people. Share the love and celebrate. Share what your friends are doing.
Set aside a few minutes each day to use social media - spend a few minutes engaging in responding to and liking comments, and more time showing love to people who follow you. Go like and comment on people's photos and stories. The trick is to leave more than four words, the algorithm loves it and you have now given some algorithm juice to a friend. My favorite thing to do is to go down the list of people who watch my stories and watch all of their stories and check out their profiles. I want to make sure I am sending them love and support on their journey, just like they are doing for me.
Alright, that's all the tips I have for you today. If there was one that really stood out to you, or if you do something I didn't mention here, let me know in the comments. I would love to share all of my secrets with you, and I don't want you to miss a beat. Give me your email address and I will make sure you don't!
As always, wishing you love light & all that jazz.