A SOLUTION TO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROBLEMS
by: Natalie Lipka & Wayne Frazier
When’s the last time you went on a trip and used a roadmap?
I (Natalie Lipka) believe mine was in 2004 as I was mapping out my drive from Savannah, GA to Los Angeles. I remember I opted for MapQuest directions and used the roadmap as a backup.
Mine, (Wayne Frazier) was back in 2005 when I was trying to finagle LA traffic with my trusty Thomas Guide on my way to an audition at 200 South. This was before GPS was really mainstream and the Waze App was just a glimmer in someone’s eye.
For us, social media has been a journey filled with many stops along the way, including finding our voices, learning the proper way to post on each platform, and balancing our time between connecting with our peers in the entertainment industry as well as being able to stay connected with friends and family.
For the longest time, we thought we needed to figure out all of this on our own.
Then, we met Heidi Dean of Marketing 4 Actors through Twitter.
She has basically created a “social media roadmap” for actors with her 21-Day Social Rockstar Challenge. The challenge provides actors an efficient way to get the most out of their social media in a short amount of time per day. This is one “map” Natalie will not opt out using.
After taking the challenge ourselves, we decided to sit down with the social media maven to ask her a few questions about why social media is so important and how actors can tackle it.
HCU: Why is social media important now, more than ever for actors?
Heidi Dean: The industry has changed so much in the last few years. Using social media used to be optional, but it’s really becoming part of your job as an actor. Posting requirements and live tweeting obligations are popping up in contracts all the time. Let’s face it! You don’t want to be calling me up when you book an awesome project to learn social media 101. You want to focus on being the best actor you can be.
HCU: How can Social Media help our acting career?
Heidi: Social media helps you build relationships with the people you’ve worked with AND the people you want to work with. It helps you connect with your fans and take back control of your career! If any of these are important to you, I invite you to start making your social media a priority.
HCU: What are your top three pieces of advice for actors in regards to social media?
Heidi:
1. Always put the ME in your social media! Your social media is an extension of who you are as an actor AND a human being. So, remember to give your fans and followers a backstage pass! A backstage pass not only #onset or #onstage, but also give them a backstage pass into who you are.
2. Listen more than you talk! Sometimes actors treat social media like a big megaphone “Look at my reel! Look at my headshots! Look at my video!” 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, and get to know them before you start asking for favors of your own.
3. Be Patient! Social media can be frustrating at first, but it’s a valuable skill that you can learn. The biggest career advantage it offers is in building relationships. That takes time. Remember the three P’s: Stay positive, patient and persistent!
HCU: Heidi, all of this is so great, but how do we actually achieve this?
Heidi: My 21-Day Social Rockstar Challenge gives you the step-by-step strategies you need to always know what to post, build a thriving fan base, and build real relationships to help you book more work! At the end of 21 days you’ll have a system so you can rock your social media in less than 10 minutes a day. You also have direct access to me in a private Facebook group where I’ll be hosting live Q&As and you’ll be surrounded by a super supportive group of actors.
To help you start rockin’ your social media, be sure to grab your free copy of Heidi’s Ultimate Social Media Guide for Actors HERE.