How to Build an Effective Online Presence as an Actors | Ep 66

MAX: 00:02
Two unemployment. Two unemployment. Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Two Unemployed Actors. Don't forget to like and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I am Max, and without Sam today, don't panic. Plenty to talk through today. Today is all about social media. How we approach social media as actors, what to do, what not to do, what most of you are doing. In fact, I reached out to other up-and-coming actors on a few online platforms just to get a sort of an idea of where we're at at the moment. And then where we should be, and also what's working for me. So there's a bit to get through, and hopefully from this, you'll be able to sort of refine your strategy or update your strategy or hell have a strategy for online social media. Most of you, and thanks again for getting back to me. Most most commonly, as up-and-coming actors, you're using Instagram, you're using Twitter, you're using Facebook, and it's one account. They're your personal slash actory accounts. And you might be considering having a special, you know, special, it's obviously special because it's about you, uh, a separate Facebook actors page. Um, but you haven't executed that yet. And you don't really have a strategy, you're just kind of posting when you've got something to post. So that's okay. I mean, it's a start, right? You you you you you probably naturally have more creatives as friends than not. Um, you're probably talking to them and looking at what's coming up and going to see friends shows and what's happening and and staying connected to industry, following a few industry pages, that sort of thing. So you you you're most of the way there. But I think you really need to sit down and have a think about a strategy. 

And I know it can get all boring corporate-y, kind of, oh my god, a strategy, let's write down a business plan, yuck, but it can be as simple as what I'm doing, okay. So we're moving into what I'm doing now. Um for Instagram, I try and post a photo a day. I don't because sometimes there's a day when I don't have anything to post. I'm not just going to post something because for the sake of it, right? So I'll have a goal of trying to post a pick a day on Instagram. And when I do post, there's a few hashtags in there, not a whole lot, because I find that most of people who find that photo or video that I'm posting don't find it through hashtags. I have a Twitter account. It's not as big in Australia as it is in the US, but I'm mindful that it's big somewhere. And I still get a lot of people interacting with me on oh, a lot of people. I mean, I think I've got 40 followers, but um uh people still interact with me on Twitter. So I keep a presence there, but I'm probably like once a week, if that. And this is a platform that really you can use as many times as you want in a day. Um Facebook, I have a personal Facebook that's private. And yes, there's a lot of creatives on there. Yes, we talk a lot of creative stuff, but it's also what I do and everything else, and you know, my personal, and a nice way for me to communicate with my friends overseas and interstate, especially in COVID times. It's so easy for me to click on the the video icon and have a chat to someone. And I have a separate Max the Actor page, which is all public, and I post there probably once, maybe even twice a week, what I'm working on, what's interesting in the industry, um, and you know, my show reel updates, that sort of stuff. And I also have LinkedIn. 

Now, most of you don't have a LinkedIn page based on the feedback I've got, and it's understandable. Uh, me with my corporate background, it was just a part of me doing business. When I update my CV, I'd sort of update you know, LinkedIn. Yep, I've now moved to a different company or whatever. Um, but think about the industry and where are people that you'd like to reach? Casting directors, uh, production companies, production assistants. Um, you know, these are big studios, even this is where they are. Um over the last couple of years, I've grown quite a network of um connections in the industry from directors, casting directors, uh, production uh companies that I follow, um, production assistants, producers in Australia and overseas, also following various studio pages. Uh, it's a nice way to cut through the type of stuff you'd normally find on Facebook and get the businessy side of things. You know, this is what our slate looks like for the next six months, and this this is what we're we're gonna be looking for. Uh casting directors posting their latest success, even other agents, um, obviously my agent, but other agents too, and interacting with you know what their talent's doing. Um, and it's a more reserved policy. 

Just like my engagement on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter with other professionals, it's a more reserved policy. And by that I mean it's not just liking every single thing that they post, it's not just engaging with every single thing they have and saying, yay, whoopee, I'm a great, you know, whatever. It's more substantial stuff. So it's gotta make sense, it's gotta be relevant. And um, if it's not, then maybe it's just a like or or or a smiley face or something. But but it tends to be a more reserved policy. So I've got like a filter if you like, and you know, is this worthy of an actual comment on you know, on an industry, you know, post in Facebook or inst or LinkedIn. So my current LinkedIn, and I know I'm talking about LinkedIn a little bit because it's it's a space where most of you aren't in. Um, but in LinkedIn, um, I've got over 500 um a community of over 500 people now. And three years out of corporate, um, there's a sizable chunk of that that's industry related. And I found a lot of engagement with my posts, certainly from corporate people, but also from the creatives now, um, on me updating, like I probably post once a fortnight, if that, uh, of here's my latest show related, here's my project. And it might be something like, Look, it's it's great with COVID times to be able to be in a play that is a comedy when we need it, and it's great to see people coming back to the theatre in Sydney, and you know, here and then I post a link to the play. 

That's kind of a LinkedIn post versus my Facebook Max Actor, which is come and see this play. It's a comedy farce, it's great, it's in Sydney from this date to this date, but so it's slightly different, slightly tweaked. Um, Instagram, you know, see the link in bio. Here's a great shot of me behind the scenes in in in play rehearsals. Um, and Facebook to friends, guys, come on, support the arts. We all know you need a comedy after 2020. Um, this is a great one. It's selling fast, Friday sold out, hurry up, there's only a few tickets left for Saturday, and it's only four nights, then we're gone. So that's kind of how I approach different posts and how I include LinkedIn. And I've found a lot of engagement on LinkedIn. Um, a lot of engagement on Instagram, and then probably my Facebook acting page is a bit of engagement. So that's kind of where I'm at and where you guys are at. And my advice is to yeah, get that Facebook acting page up and running. The sooner you do that and invite your friends to support it and other people, you know, the sooner you can get that that that hard part of the first initial momentum sort of going. Um, and regularly post to it. Sit back, think about a strategy. You don't even have to write it down, just consciously make a note that yeah, I'm gonna be more consistent with my approach to Instagram. Yeah, I'm gonna be more consistent with my approach to Instagram. I'm going to be more um proactive when it comes to um maintaining my LinkedIn presence. So I want to move on to what you really need to do, okay? Regardless of what your strategy is, which platforms you're on or not, how often you post or not, you need to make sure that you are a brand and thinking about yourself as a brand and you are engaging with others online as a brand. 

If you sat back and looked at your brand and thought, who are you? What type of roles have you done? What type of roles are you going for? How committed are you? Like, do you want a full-time acting professional? Uh, what's your goal? That's kind of thinking about what your brand should look like. Who do you compete with if you want to look at it that way? You know, what are some of the people that you can relate to as up-and-coming actors or actors who've made it a little bit ahead of the game? Um, the how are they managing their online presence? Um, so have a think about that. And that all always sort of helps you then to think about that filter a bit better about you know what you should or shouldn't post, how often you should post, that sort of thing, when you're thinking about yourself as a brand. Um, and get over the fact that you know, don't get into that mindset that I've talked about it before where I've been to workshops and people have gone, oh you know, I don't want to post on my personal Facebook page or my personal Instagram because people will go, oh, she's still talking about that short film again, or oh my god, he's still talking about that play, you know. Don't get into that mindset, you're not doing it for them, you're doing it for you. I I've seen an actor recently, I've seen an actor's Instagram, and there isn't one photo of her on it. It's all minus the head, or it's location picks or food picks or something. It's all I don't really know who the this could be anyone. Um because casting directors, agents, um, even some producers, depending on what they're looking for and how close you are to the role. Like they look, they're Googling you.

My mum is 80-something, okay. She doesn't have social media, she doesn't do social media, but she knows what I'm doing because she just googles me, and there come there pops up my latest Instagram or tweet or whatever, and she knows exactly what's going on, which is also unnerving to a certain extent, but but it just goes to show um when you're doing it properly, you should be accessible online. And thereby, my point, you know, be careful what you post, have that filter because you are a brand. Casting directors are Googling you and looking at your social media. More and more contracts have social media in it. You must not post unless there's approval, you must post two picks, you know, before production. You need to have X amount of followers, you need to have uh professional engagement, you need to like there's always all these different um contractual obligations now that may require uh a more formal approach to social media when you get a role. So um what shouldn't you do? Uh look, you need to, and and especially for those who have grown up with social media, you need to make sure you go back and look at what you've got posted and and delete if you need to, or make everything private and and start afresh, or or whatever you need to do to make sure that when a casting director, when someone who's interested in working with you, hiring you as an actor, Googles you and checks your social media, there's no red flags, okay? You're not falling over drunk in every other nightclub every Friday, Saturday night. Um, you know, you're not you're not commenting unprofessionally, uh, very personally. You're not doing something that could be viewed as attacking someone or you know, trolling or any of that sort of stuff. Because  they don't want to risk any negative impact on their brand and on their project. 

There's already enough reasons not to hire someone as an actor. Don't give them one. Don't hand them one on a platter. Make sure you don't post lots of photos of you with other actors without their permission, without their consent. Make sure you credit stuff if you if you're using other things from from project you've done. Um don't bombard casting directors all the time. By all means, engage every now and then say, you know, congrats on that project. The the casting was fantastic. I loved so and so in the role, you know, by all means, but not all the time. And make it genuine, make it sincere, make it relevant. Um, don't be disingenuous, don't just post stuff because you think that's what they want to hear. Um, their bullshit detectors are pretty high, right? Because they see so many people who want to have a role so often. Um they're just focused on the right person for the role. And you might just be top of mind because, yeah, you shared a link on LinkedIn and you're a connection with them, or you're a connection with one of their friends, and they saw the first 30 seconds and went, Oh, that's interesting. Um, you just never know as an actor, up and coming, where your next opportunity is coming from. And social media is a great tool to get there. Don't give them a reason not to hire you because of it. Use it for what it is. A great way to engage with your audience and engagement comes from being relevant. Um, and relevancy comes from focusing on you as a brand. So, no, you don't need to sit down and write ten pages on a social media plan, but just stop and think about it. 

Think about what's worked in the last week with your social media, what hasn't. And make it a regular thing every couple of weeks. Sit down and think what's worked, what hasn't worked, and focus on your your social media as an actor, as a brand, and don't forget about LinkedIn, where the businesses are that are going to be hiring actors. So happy to take feedback on this because it's been a really huge topic. I've always had lots of questions consistently in person, in workshops, from other actors, from voiceover artists, from um emails and uh DMs on social as well. I really and again, thanks to those of you who've interacted with those posts when I had to shout out on various online platforms to get back to me with your feedback um and input on social media. Big thanks for that because it's helped to sort of shape the show and help me to sort of help others as we sort of navigate the world of up and coming as as it is, as hard as it is at the moment. So feel free to engage, uh, message myself, message on the social media, on the podcast, um, social media if you want to, um, or email if you've got some more input, some more questions around social media, or in fact, anything else, because we're here weekly, and as much as we learn, we help you learn, and hopefully we all we all get work together. Next week, stay tuned for another exciting episode. We've got more updates on Sam's project and another project I'm involved in. Some more do's and don'ts. So make sure you subscribe and like on your social media and your podcast platform. My name's Max, and this is Two Unemployed Actors. You'll hear us next week. Bye. Two Unemployed Actors.