Social media comes with its own set of rules. Engage, don’t sell. Be present, but not too present. Interact, but don’t complain or get too political. This doesn’t scratch the surface of where to be present or when either. While this article discusses actors, keep in mind these tips can help anyone attempting to market themselves, reach fans, and maintain a positive social media presence.
1. The Famous 80/20 Rule
For actors, especially aspiring actors, social media is about fan connections and professional networking more than shouting the loudest about your new movie, role, audition, or show. The 80/20 rule puts emphasis on forming relationships, sharing interesting ideas, and actively communicating 80% of the time. This includes responding to others.
Why Only 20% Promotion
Imagine your followers. Now imagine you’re one of them and following yourself. Would you want to see promotion all day? After a while, wouldn’t it become white noise amid all the other uproar? Would you unfollow or silence yourself?
Switch gears now. Instead of constantly promoting, ask your followers questions or share relative information that doesn’t scream “Buy me.” Do you notice a difference?
By keeping promotion limited, your posts will no longer seem like white noise or be lost in the folds of other promoters. You’ll also leave a better lasting impression on your fans so that when the time comes for you to promote they might be more receptive to purchasing, viewing, or celebrating your success.
2. Be Respectful, Always
Whether it is another celebrity or a fan, please remember your manners. You are a professional. While you should be yourself online, you should be your best self with your best manners. It’s easy these days to be swept up in debates, flame wars, and to call people out for XYZ. You are an actor. You are not a keyboard warrior, hiding behind a screen, hammering your device and saying things you would never say to a person’s face. The other person who is egging you on is still a human, even if their behavior is trolling you.
3. Keep Dirty Laundry Where it Belongs
You wouldn’t attend a dinner party and scream at the host or guests because they were too slow with your food. So your manners should extend to more than your career and social media. Respond to negativity with grace or silence, and if laws have been broken, take the information to the proper authorities. Don’t plaster it on your social media accounts. This applies to pictures and screenshots meant to hurt or disarm others too.
One final tip is to be reachable. The more you’re actively engaging fans about their lives and non-promotional topics, the more fans you will gather. Talk about your passions, hobbies, and the smallest details that will make followers want to speak with you. Respond to your fans when you can and make them a priority. Build relationships online, and when it comes time to promote, your campaigns can be more successful.