Acting, Facebook, Instagram, Social Media |
There’s no doubt that mastering social media as an actor can be difficult. You want to post content that is interesting, useful and helps build you a loyal audience but there are so many different social media platforms that it can sometimes get overwhelming trying to keep on top of them all. So how do you figure out what to post? And how can what you post help to further and promote your career as an actor?
We’re going to break it down into an easy step-by-step guide so you can worry less about what you’re posting and focus more on what you love – acting!
Step 1 – Choose a content category
When trying to create a cohesive and interesting social media presence as an actor, it can be hard to know exactly what to post. In our experience, the type of content that is perfect for you to post can be broken down into 5 categories, regardless of where you’re posting it.
1 – Projects I’m working on
Any media that shows you rehearsing, auditioning, working or in the middle of a project. These kinds of posts help promote you as an actor – they show people that you’re busy, you’re working, and what’s more, you’re in demand! Being busy with work proves the quality of your acting, and will also prove your passion for your craft.
2 – Projects / people I love
It’s important to talk about yourself and what you’re doing, but it’s just as important to build a backstory and add some personality to your profile. Whether you are looking to use social media to increase your profile, help you network, or help you get jobs (or a combination of all of these), social networks are designed for sharing not only what you’re doing, but who you are. Sharing what inspires you, or what continues to motivate you helps your audience to understand you better.
3 – About me (as an actor)
There’s thousands, even millions, of actors in this world, with many of them vying for the same roles and same opportunities. When it comes to *really* standing out, you have to show what makes you unique – what you can bring to a role that nobody else can. Maybe you have a unique story to tell, maybe you are inspired by someone really eccentric, or maybe you have a real-life experience that makes you the person who can really stand out in a particular role… whatever it is that makes you YOU is worth highlighting!
4 – About me (as a person)
Just like showing off who you are as an actor, you also need to show who you are behind your job too!
Personality is what sets you apart from the rest. What you have to offer is special and unique – there is no other you in this world! So why not highlight what makes you uniquely you, and use it to your advantage? At the same time, personality is what draws people to you, creating relationships, friendships and professional contacts. Don’t be afraid to show who you are!
5 – Fun posts!
You want to show you’re serious, motivated, professional and passionate… but balance is the key to life and sometimes you have to cut loose!
Showing how you like to have fun, telling jokes, sharing memes (especially those related to your art), and general silliness is advised! The acting world is full of fun characters and eccentric personalities so don’t be afraid to show yours – you’re in the business of entertainment, after all! 😜
Step 2 – Choose your media
1 – Photo
Photos can be the easiest type of content to post – it’s quick, it’s easy, and you can get pretty amazing quality even on a smartphone.
Great for: selfies, action shots, behind-the-scenes, headshots, silly posts, etc.
2 – Video/ Gifs
More and more people these days like watching videos, with an amazing one-third of all online activity consisting of watching video! Whether it’s a short video, a Boomerang or a gif, your audience will always enjoy you posting some video content!
Great for: showing auditions, acting, monologues, previews of shows or film, behind-the-scenes, showing your personality, etc.
3 – Link (to websites, blog posts etc)
If you have a blog or a website, or if you find something that’s so interesting that you feel you want to share it – go ahead! Links are especially good on Facebook, where people can easily click through to the website.
Great for: sharing your thoughts, sharing news about your industry, sharing links to other social media or your website, linking to projects you’re working on or involved in, promoting tickets to shows, etc.
Step 3 – Choose your hashtags
Hashtags are important when it comes to social media (especially Instagram and Twitter); in fact, posts with at least one hashtag have 12.6% more engagement than those without. Imagine how much more engagement you could get with more hashtags, all targeted specifically to your audience? The answer is – a lot more! And this could be the key to building an audience that really enjoys following you on social media!
Need help making your Instagram captions POP? CLICK to read how to write engaging Instagram captions
You can use online websites to help you find the most popular hashtags (particularly suited for your audience) at places like All-Hashtag.com and Hashtagify.me, but you can also find which hashtags are popular in your niche by analysing what other people in your niche are using. Be careful not to use too many or you can seem spammy and desperate for likes, which will turn people off. Sometimes less is more, but ultimately it’s up to you to decide which ones are effective and suit you.
Step 4 – Publish your post & respond to your audience!
You’ve followed the steps in this post and you’ve posted some GREAT content…. but your work’s not over!
Make sure you respond to all your comments and acknowledge everyone who engages with your content. It’s the sure way to build a relationship with your audience and get people coming back for more!
Still need content ideas? Download the free 31 Days of Instagram Content (For Actors) Calendar!
Branding, Instagram, Social Media |
Trying to build an engaged audience on Instagram but can’t seem to get people to care?
Constantly looking at other successful social media accounts wondering how they get so many comments? Want to get more people to notice you?
Oh, the wonderful world of Instagram.
Having a bright and engaging Instagram account is one of the best tools for building an audience, creating awareness of who you are, and communicating with others who are also interested in (or part of) your niche. But like all businesses trying to build a brand (and as a “creative”, YOU are your personal brand), you have to have a strategy for success.
So how can Instagram captions help? Do they help? Does having a long or short caption make a difference? Should you use emojis? How many hashtags are acceptable in a caption? How do you even write a good caption?!
Have no fear, because we are going to tell you everything you need to do to create the BEST Instagram captions.
Why are good captions important?
The new Instagram algorithm favours posts that get lots of engagement. So the more people like and comment on your photo, the more your photo is going to show up in people’s feeds. Makes sense right? The more people comment on your posts, the more your post will show up on their friends’ feeds. The caption is just one of the many factors that can encourage more people to interact with your post – as well as showing people who you are! And social media is all about personality.
So how can we use our captions to get engagement?
1. Adding value
Look at your caption as something that should add value – for your audience and your post.
We can add value to our Instagram photos with a few specific things (or a combination of all three):
- Giving some context
Explaining what’s going on in the picture not only helps the reader to understand who you are and why you’re sharing it, but also gives you the opportunity to give them more valuable information. It also builds a relationship between yourself and your audience, who begin to feel like they know you better.
- Showing off your personality!
When we make friends with people, we show them who we are as a person. That’s what people are attracted to – whatever makes you uniquely you! Just like the way we make new friends in real life, we want to approach social media in this way too in order to build relationships and show people what makes you unique.
- A call-to-action
Or in other words – asking your audience a question!
When you ask someone a question you’re inviting them to engage in a conversation with you. This builds the relationship between you and your audience as they feel you value their opinions and are interested in what they have to say. With Instagram cutting off your caption after a few lines, the need to suck your readers in super quick with a really engaging first line is paramount. Add a call-to-action!
But note…
Don’t think you have to use this formula for every post. Sometimes just a simple statement will suffice. Or even just a single emoji. It’s all about trying to gauge how your followers will respond to it, and whether it’s going to be beneficial to both your audience and your brand image.
2. Creating a consistent ‘brand voice’
Are you going to write informally or formally? Do you want to sound like you’re talking to a friend, or like you’re informing people in a professional, formal manner? Are you going for a laidback tone or a serious one? Do you want to be jokey or do you want to be informative?
Whatever you choose, try to stick to it. A consistent brand voice will make your profile look more professional, and like an honest representation of you. Viewers know when you don’t sound genuine, so speak your truth!
3. Using emojis 😊😄🤔
Did you know that emojis were created as a way to mimic non-verbal communication online?
Whether to use emojis is really dependent on what sort of image you are trying to portray. In general, emojis are more colloquial or lighthearted way to express yourself, so they may not be appropriate for those who want to portray a more formal tone.
Try to remember that when people are reading a caption, they are reading it as if you are sitting right opposite them, saying it to their face. Except, on social media they can’t see your facial expressions or body language as you’re talking. Using a smiley or angry emoji face can be a good way to express body language when the other person can’t see you.
Using emojis can also be a fun way to add some lightheartedness, sarcasm or informality to a post. For example, if you’re eating sushi you might want to add some sushi emojis to your caption, or if you’re going on a trip somewhere a plane emoji is fun to add. The point of emojis is to make the text the person is reading more fun, more light-hearted, and more interesting. It also makes the person reading feel like a friend is talking to them – and that’s a great way to build an audience that really cares about you and your projects!
4. Tagging people
If somebody’s in the picture, tag them. If somebody took the picture, tag them! If the picture is related to something in particular, tag it! When you tag another account it’s like you’re recommending other people for your audience to follow. It can also give the appearance of you being “well-connected” or… social! Use common sense when tagging. You don’t want to tag users in a post that is not relevant to them.
5. Using #hashtags
You can add some key hashtags to your caption (3-4 max) but any more and the caption starts to look messy. If you want to post more hashtags, put them in a comment. That way your audience don’t get distracted by useless text, yet you can still make the most of the hashtag discovery tool.
Using hashtags can make a huge difference to the amount of engagement you get on your post so don’t be afraid to use them – just make sure they’re relevant to what you’re posting. There are people out there looking for what you have to offer – and hashtags are going to lead them to you!
With these tips, you should be able to now go on and write amazing Instagram captions that actually engage your followers (and potential followers!). But remember – great captions are just one piece of the Instagram success pie. To build the audience you dream of it takes time, patience and commitment. Good luck!
Did you learn something new? How do you create engaging Instagram captions? Let us know in the comments below!
Artist Marketing, Branding, Instagram, Social Media
Does having a standout Instagram feed sound like a job that requires constant dedication and extra time that you don’t have? Well don’t fret, because that’s why we’re here! We’ve put together this list of 5 Tips For Creating a Compelling Instagram feed that is sure to get you started off on the right track; you’ll be killing it on the gram in no time!
Find Your Insta-Aesthetic
Finding your Instagram aesthetic and creating a common theme throughout your content is a great way to stand out amongst the crowd and have a recognizable style that followers will come to know you for. Are your shots clean and sophisticated, or colourful and full of energy? Figure out what it is you are trying to say with the content you are creating, and try to reflect that through your posts. The same goes for your captions; short and sweet captions pair well with simple shots, while more engaging, longer captions may pair better with posts that tell a deeper story. Neither option is wrong, it just depends on your brand and the persona you are trying to create for it. Think of your Instagram page as an art gallery for your brand; everything should be reflective of the message you’re curating.
Get Creative With Instagram Stories
The Story feature on Instagram just keeps getting better. Posts on Stories last only 24 hours and appear on top of the home feed. From starting off as a basic photo and filter method for sharing a quick moment from your day (think Snapchat), it has turned into a storytelling tool that can really let you flex your creative muscles when it comes to producing quick content. Polls, gifs, and photo in picture tools all allow for fun content creation, and provide a space for letting your imagination run free! Not to mention, using polls or posing questions is a great way to stay engaged with your followers, and keep them interested in your Instagram page as a whole!
Instagram Stories Are Awesome!
Mix Up Your Content
Getting too repetitive with your content can be a quick recipe for disaster when it comes to any social platform. Unless posting the same content over and over again is somehow churning up engagement for you time after time, you will want to get creative with your post variety. For example, if you’re a painter, posting nothing but your artwork can be great for showcasing your talent, but this method misses the potential for showing off the many other aspects of being an artist! Creative studio setups, time-lapsed videos of art being made, and stylized shots featuring your tools of the trade are just a handful of prospective ideas for content that can bring your followers a little closer into a day in the life of you!
Quality > Quantity
This is a pretty consistent premise in many aspects of life, and it continues to ring true when it comes to creating content. While it may be tempting to pump out post after post from fear of missing out, there is nothing worse than spamming out content that tries to make up for lack of quality with overcompensation in quantity. Take your time, create a post you love and are proud of. Your hard work and patience will definitely pay off this way!
Spend Time In Post Production
Spending that extra bit of time using Instagram’s photo editing tools can sometimes be the deciding factor between a good post and a bad one. Luckily, Instagram makes it easy to tighten up any photo before showing it off to the world. If a basic filter isn’t enough to do the trick, you can manually adjust the brightness, contrast, colour and so much more, with a variety of tools that can have a huge effect on your content. Even the dullest of photos have a chance to be livened up in the editing suite, and spending the time adjusting the multitude of settings can go a long way in prettying up any picture.
Long story short, Instagram is great. It’s a platform that allows for complex creative expression without being overly complex. If you stick to these tips and continue to post regularly, engage with followers, and follow trends, your Instagram page will definitely be turning some heads before you know it. Now get posting!
Acting, Artist Marketing, Branding, Social Media
To be or not to be on social media, that is the question. We’re here to say that the answer is definitely to be. Social media is an undeniably powerful networking tool and an absolutely essential aspect of creating your personal brand as an actor. But if that isn’t enough to convince you, here are 5 reasons why actors should be on social media:
Make New Connections
The most obvious and most important aspect of social media is engaging with other people and making connections. Reaching out to potential followers and like-minded individuals through liking, commenting and even creating a 1 on 1 dialogue is a great way to build a network. You can meet new fans, fellow actors who you admire, as well as casting directors and agents who can get you in the audition room. Making connections has never been easier than it is now; using relevant hashtags and posting on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or Twitter can bring you new, relevant followers fast. Social media is a party and the only way to meet new people is through interaction, so don’t be shy!
[Tweet “Social media is a party and the only way to meet new people is through interaction, so don’t be shy!”]
It’s Your Online Resume
Using IMDb Pro can give you the chance to showcase the work you’ve done as an actor, including the roles you’ve earned, training you’ve gone through and education you have under your belt that qualifies you to be the amazing actor that you are! Using sites like YouTube or Facebook are also great for uploading direct photo and video content to demonstrate your talent and personality, showing people what it is that sets you apart from everyone else out there. Also, having an online resume/portfolio showing off your experience gives those with work opportunities a much higher chance of finding you and all that talent of yours!
Connect with Your Fans
Having a relationship with your fans and showing them some love and appreciation is a great way to keep them around, and possibly even bring some new fans in along the way. Reply to comments, share interesting content if it’s relevant to you, give fans a follow back, and advertise upcoming performances. Let people easily know when, where and what you’ll be performing, and how they can come to see you. Don’t be afraid to thank people for coming out; if you noticed specific individuals in attendance, reach out and show your gratitude. Be there for your fans and they’ll be there for you!
Find Work
Finding work with social media is much easier than finding it without. Making connections with the right people and having an online resume can boost your chances of finding work opportunities significantly, and many people looking for talent will post notices on social media sites quite frequently. Social media also presents entirely new opportunities for work in itself. YouTube web series, vlogs, sketches and more are all popular potential options where many now-famous actors got their start in the entertainment industry. It also gives you the freedom to make your own decisions and express your own creativity in a medium that has proven to be quite popular in online communities.
Find Communities
These are a great way to find alike people with similar interests. They could be a community of theatre actors, a community of film students looking for talent for their next short film, or even a community of fans who just appreciate acting and enjoy talking about what’s trending in the world of entertainment. The point is, these are groups of individuals who already like what you like and are talking to each other about it. If you insert yourself into these discussions, you can dramatically increase your chances of finding new followers, work opportunities, exciting offers and more!
Social media is only growing bigger and more prevalent in our world, and it is definitely here to stay. Having an online presence opens up more doors for possibility, provides a better outlet for building a name for yourself, and is essential for self-promotion…so what are you waiting for?
Art, Artist of the Week, Social Media
By marrying movement and performance with photography, E.S. celebrates and explores dance in Canada through all its forms and people. With a particular passion for intimate performance photography, she brings viewers into the experience through the portrayal of dance and all its range of emotions.
We sat down with E.S. to discuss her passion in the world of photography, and how she incorporates social media into her personal branding strategies. See the full interview below!
1. How Did You Get Into Photography?
I’ve had a camera in my hand since the age of 13. My Dad was an enthusiast and imparted his love onto me. I barely remember a time where I haven’t always had a camera by my side.
2. In 3 Words Or Less, How Do Your Friends Describe Your Personality?
Creative, Adventurous, Curious.
3. What Inspires You About Working With Dancers?
I love dancers’ willingness to make mistakes. They are so used to pushing their bodies and art to the line of being uncomfortable. It’s always a joy to witness the process of finding where those boundaries are.
4. What Has Been The Most Helpful Social Media Platform In Promoting Your Work?
Facebook for generating new clients locally, Instagram for meeting people around the world and getting inspiration for my next project.
5. What’s The Most Difficult Part Of Promoting Your Work Online?
Standing out from the sea of similar photographers and people wanting instant results/likes.
6. What Advice Would You Give To Other Creative Photographers That Are Getting Started?
Be consistent; be kind; share what you learn. It only elevates the whole artform if we learn from each other.
Below you can find links to E.S.’s personal website along with all of her social handles; give her a follow and maybe spot her snapping photos at nearby dance shows, battles, and performances!
Website: www.escheah.com
Instagram: @escheahphotography
Twitter: @escheahphoto
Facebook: E.S.Cheah Photography
Facebook, Social Media
The Facebook algorithm changes many times a year, forcing marketers like us to adapt quickly. In the last weeks before 2018, Mark Zuckerberg announced a change to the ad algorithm, that I believe will seriously impact brands and individuals. This post is inspired by the Social Media Marketing Talk Show, where its founder, Michael Stelzner reviews these algorithm changes. I highly recommend listening to it, here (46 min).
This algorithm change will affect almost every business page, brand and personal page. Rather than placing sponsored and sales-driven posts in users’ news feeds, Facebook will prioritize content from friends and family. In the past, the algorithm’s goal was to “show users relevant content”, which helped targeted, sponsored content get seen. Now, there is a shift towards “showing content that sparks conversations and meaningful interaction between people”. This is a radical change, favouring longer comments on posts, over clicks and likes. The idea is to convert users from passively viewing content, to actively engaging with it.
Don’t believe me? See it from Mark himself here.
Why is this happening? For the most part, I believe Facebook is using this strategy to reduce fake news and mismatched content. With this change, Facebook will increase their advertising prices, making it harder for illegitimate publishers to reach their viewers – unless they pay for it. I expect many of these publishers will drop off and use other less restrictive social media platforms to do this.
When Facebook first started in 2004, it was designed to be a platform to connect with friends and have unexpected conversations (this is prior to the days of Messenger). Over the past few years, you might have noticed a growing sour attitude towards social media; to Facebook in particular. I’ve been following this shift, noting that many users are annoyed with the trend towards clickbait and superficial attention grabs. Multiple studies show that social media can have a negative impact on our wellbeing, encouraging people to isolate themselves as they passively binge content, distancing them from actual heartfelt conversations. Many feel that the platform has become ingenuine, and is used increasingly as a way for brands to sell to them. The meaningful social connection that Facebook was famous for, has slowly disappeared.
How do we as creative marketers combat this big shift? How do we fight this cynicism and still get our brands seen by the right people? Here are some predictions and optimization techniques I hope you find helpful:
Comment Strategy
Facebook is favouring longer comments (a sentence or more) and shares to likes and clicks. As marketers we need to be creative, encouraging engaged discussions between users. Posts that encourage generic ’me-too’ comments, like “awesome” or “cool post”, don’t inspire conversation or tell stories, and won’t be prioritized in the news feed. The algorithm will also flag copy that specifically encourages users to comment and like their posts, otherwise known as ‘comment-bait’. No more ‘Tag a friend if you agree’ or ‘Comment below…’ in the copy anymore.
Shift your social media goals from driving traffic to community building. Focus on content that encourages storytelling. Once you build your community, only then should you go back to your sales-driven goals.
To create more visibility on your posts:
Visibility Tip #1: Get your employees to start commenting on your posts. Ask them to ask questions and create longer posts that drive conversation among each other.
Visibility Tip #2: Create a list of followers or other brands that could add value to the conversation. If there is a post that would make sense for them to see, tag them. Consider tagging them within the comment section, rather than the post itself. You want to use this tactic sparingly and tag 1-3 people at a time. No one likes to be spammed.
[Tweet “Get your employees to start commenting on your posts. Ask them to ask questions and create longer posts that drive conversation among each other.”]
Facebook Groups
To encourage a stronger community, create a Facebook group, rather than a Facebook Page to gather a group of like-minded followers. Learn how to speak directly to those followers and encourage them to engage with each other. The idea is to create value for your members by connecting them to each other. You never know whom you can connect together and what impact that has on them!
Community Optimization Tip #1: Create events within these groups. Followers will be notified once they are invited to an event. Whether it’s online or an in-person meetup, make sure to create value for your members.
Community Optimization Tip #2: Introduce members to each other by tagging them in the comment section of your post. Or you can create a specific post introducing them to each other. Perhaps these members have a complementary skill and can benefit from meeting each other online.
[Tweet “introduce members to each other by tagging them in the comment section of your post.”]
Community Optimization Tip #3: If you have a collection of posts from your community, try to get a sense of what they talk about and how to speak similarly. If you need help doing this, you can run conversations through a readability or text analysis tool (e.g. MS Word, Grammarly) and then test your copy to match. You can even run your writing through specialized tools and services like IBM Bluemix and Crystal Knows to help match tone. (Bluemix rated this post as analytical, and unsurprisingly, a mix of joyful and sad)
Facebook Live
Facebook Live gets 8x more exposure than organic posts. Although Mark Zuckerberg announced a decline in passive video content, Facebook Live will not get the boot because it is interactive. This may change in the future, depending on the long-term appeal, and whether the trend continues to decline.
Video Optimization Tip #1: Create different lengths of Facebook Live videos. Perhaps you have a quick 1-minute tip of the week you would like to share. Mix this in with longer pieces like interviews, product reviews, Q&As, tutorials, etc.
Video Optimization Tip #2: Promote your Facebook Live videos with a mini Facebook Live preview piece. In the past, I used to promote Facebook Live with images leading up to the event. However, to accommodate the new algorithm change, it’s worth promoting your longer form pieces with a promo video. For example, if you do a weekly interview with an industry pro, you can let members know the event time and details, introduce the interviewee and collect questions to tailor the interview in your shorter content piece.
Video Optimization Tip #3: Caption, caption, caption. If you live in Ontario, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires an accessible web experience by 2025. All companies will be mandated to share information in an accessible way. For video, this means captioning the video after the Facebook Live is recorded. Luckily, Facebook has an easy tool that does most of the work for you when you edit the video. Look for “Captions” under edit video and “Generate Captions” to automatically create captions for you. You may have to quickly review the generated captions to catch the occasional typo.
[Tweet “Promote your Facebook Live videos with a mini Facebook Live preview piece”]
Paid Ads
It’s no surprise that reach has been decreasing for advertisers year after year. Now, brands are forced to master Facebook ads to increase reach and accomplish their sales goals. Expect ad prices to increase to accommodate competing advertisers who rely on Facebook ads to accomplish their sales goals.
Reach Optimization Tip #1: Create a campaign with the ad objective ‘drive engagement’ to serve your ads to users who typically comment on posts.
Reach Optimization Tip #2: Boost your Facebook Live videos to improve reach on an already algorithm-friendly content type.
[Tweet “Boost your Facebook Live videos to improve reach on an already algorithm-friendly content type.”]
See Content First
The only way to ensure your followers are seeing your content organically is to encourage them to change their notification option for your brand, to ‘see first’. This ensures your followers will get notified every time you post something new, in real time. Note that this option is limited to 30 pages per user, so your followers must REALLY like your page to do this for you. Time this request for key touchpoints, such as after a positive direct message, in a successful video post, or when you have a spike in engagement in your community.
Are we all doomed? Not necessarily. Pages that have high engagement already, will not be impacted. Those who get a few likes once in a blue moon and have no advertising strategy… Yep, those are the ones that will get affected.
There’s no going back to a ‘free’ world on Facebook. If you want your content out there, you must pay for it. If that’s not your style, it may be time to try out a new platform, HELLO INSTAGRAM 🙂
What do you think of the new change? Have you noticed any differences? If you’ve given up trying to keep up with your own social media, leave it to a pro like me. More about me and how I can help, here.
