Answering YOUR Questions: Marketing for the Beginner Actor

Robert Montgomery asks: "My question is, as an actor just starting out, where do you begin with marketing?" 

An excellent question, since most of the information I distribute here is for the established actor! But in a way, you're in a great position--you have the opportunity to start off on the right foot, versus doing years of crappo marketing the way that most of us do before we get it right. ;)

(And Robert, you may have done a number of these steps already, but I'm just gonna start from square 1!)

1. Get clear on what you want to do. It might seem like you're limiting your options. Actors, especially new ones, love being open to whatever is brought their way! We love theatre! We love film! We love commercials! We love voice-overs! But the downfall here is that we master none of these things; we so widely disperse our seeds of focus that nothing can be sown. So imagine your IDEAL career--mine is to be a series regular on a sitcom--and make that your focus. 

2. Get some killer headshots, with your focus in mind. Do headshot research--specifically, who's really good at photographing your type. Then book them. Then take shots that (1) reflect your brand well, and (2) target your dream jobs. I'm not going to use this headshot to reflect my career goals, know what I mean? Read this before the shutter clicks!

3. Choose your target list. If you're starting out, you're likely unrepresented--and that's totally cool. Being your own agent can be quite freeing and exciting! You chose WHERE you'd direct your energy; now it's time to decide to WHOM. If you chose off-Broadway theatre, who's casting those shows? Write down all the CDs, then pick a maximum of 12 (and pick the ones who cast the most, of course!). This is your target list. Cozy up, you're going to work on getting very intimate with them! (Ack! You know what I mean.)

4. Keep practicality in check. Yeah, if you're BRAND new, you're probably going to need to get your feet wet before you get some good traction in your career. That's okay! While your target list gets familiar with you, now is the time to take classes and do (likely) unpaid work--webisodes, non-union jobs, maybe community theatre; student films, too. 

5. Start sending those ships. If you're brand-spankin'-new, order some simple headshot postcards and send updates like, "Charming, Effervescent Character Dumpling is new in town and taking sketch comedy classes over at PIT! I'll invite you to our next industry night!" Don't get discouraged by your lack of experience; you're laying important groundwork for when you DO have a killer resume! Without credits you can also send one-sheets, castability sheets, press releases...you can do all kinds of ships without a packed resume!

6. Get face-time as much as possible. Again, you may not be able to get into big TV auditions, but if you're getting really good, it would be great to get in front of your targets and show them your chops. These are workshops, and they can be either very beneficial or a giant waste of dough. You're much more likely to reap their rewards if you, again--STAY FOCUSED. Don't workshop with anyone who's not on your list! Even if you have no resume, if they like your work and you're appropriate for a role, they may call you in. 

7. You've got the flow, now stay consistent. Don't add or subtract from your target list, yet. Stay steady and mail to them every month. Need help with creating compelling ships? Just ask me! But you can absolutely find something relevent to send or say on a monthly basis, even as a newbie.

8. In the meantime, build your empire. Create a web presence. Contact a great web designer (ask your actor friends who they love; I adore Erin at The Actors' Enterprise) to design a simple site for you. Open social media accounts--Twitter, Facebook Fan Pages, YouTube. Film yourself doing sides and put it on your channel! Start a blog! Create a presence and find your peers. :)

Hope this was helpful, Robert! :) What questions do YOU have, readers? Did you love this? Need more guidance? Let me know in the comments, FB or Twitter! 

Ahoy, Mateys!

Jen