Marketing

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The average person on a typical day will be bombarded by 2,400 different message and advertisements. Only 50 we will actually process and hopefully recognize. Out of those 50, we will only act on 4. How can you be part of those 4 and not get lost in the hundreds of pictures the industry sees in a week?

No matter what you do for a living, whether you’re an actor, painter, accountant, dog walker; you’re in the business of Marketing. If you are not marketing yourself, how can you expect anyone to know who you are, what you do, and what you offer that's unique? You hear the term marketing for actors, but what does it mean?

Our Savvy Definition of Marketing For Actors is…

The creative promotion of your Essence, your Relationships and your Successes.

From now on every piece of your marketing should include your Essence and either a Relationship or Success. So lets break this down –

ESSENCE: There is no denying your essence its the energy you carry. For more on essence See Branding

RELATIONSHIPS: Who do you know in the business? Who are your friends and peers? Better yet who do your friends know who can help you and vice versa? This business is all about relationships.

SUCCESSES: Honoring our success allows us to show forward motion in our career. Successes include booked work, Callbacks, Reviews, Classes, etc.

Ways to Market Yourself

MAILINGS
Every piece of mail that you send has to be a pure representation of exactly who you are, as an actor and most importantly as a human being. It must convey your Essence. Agents and casting directors want to work with professional and friendly human beings who leave a good impression on their clients…Producers and Directors.

Whenever we refer to mailings, we mean targeted mailings, NOT mass mailings. Yes, the more people you target the better your odds. However, in regards to marketing for actors, success has more to do with the quality and specificity of your mailings. Know your target audience. A legit agent does not need to know about the commercial you booked.

Think big, and remember to embrace where you are in your acting career. Be true and authentic to you. If you want to do both Broadway and film and have no film credits, then only target agents who deal with theatre-for now.

Cover Letters
Some cover letters express desperation rather than professionalism. Remember, you are a business owner selling a product. What makes your message different from the other 40 headshots that came across their desk that day? What will make you stand out? What will make them know you take your business seriously? That you are up to date on your knowledge of what is being cast? A cover letter should sound like you, owning who you are and your essence. It should not sound academic or corporate.

Headshots
Before you begin your marketing, make sure your Headshot is in alignment with your brand. Many clients come to us who have chosen the shot that their mother, best friend, spouse or photographer said that they look “the best in”. Your photographer is choosing the shot that makes you and their work look good. Mom wants to see her little angel and the spouse wants to see sexy. They’re not looking for shots in terms of what you are selling. They have their own agenda. You need to take control and know exactly why you chose that shot and what you are selling.

Your headshot should be you on your best day, not you after $150 worth of make-up and hair styling. There is nothing that will aggravate a casting director more than someone who does not look like his or her picture. Think natural, open, and think about your Brand. When you get your proofs, call us and we’ll help you narrow them down. Do the work behind the scenes; it will pay off and save you money in the long run.

Resumes
One thing to remember about your resume is it will constantly change. It should always be a representation of how you are cast. There’s no need to put every show you have ever done. Focus on what you have, not what you don't have. If you're just out of school, training is the most important thing. As you gain more professional experience, those college credits will slowly go away. Make sure your resume is clear, legible, and honest. It is best to have an industry professional or a coach help fine tune your resume. Again, think Brand in designing this tool as well.

Meetings/Interviews
It takes time to create relationships with agents and casting directors. Many actors send one headshot to an agent get no response and then wonder why they hear nothing back. Or worse, they expect to hear nothing back. They don't realize that one headshot is just the beginning of the actor's marketing process.
Seek out the people you want to know and meet them in person at one of the many places that offer seminars, workshops and classes. (For a list, see Networking Facilities under our Resources section.) Then follow up those meetings with thank you cards, postcards and invites to shows. Do the work and be proactive.
Remember, be professional, be courteous, and realize your goal is not to land a job but to build and maintain relationships with all the people you are targeting.