You've Got 99 Problems, and Social Media is ALL of Them

Social media can be a very powerful tool when it comes to defining your brand, networking with other industry professionals, and hate stalking your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. 

Unfortunately it can also work against you, and even cost you work! In the same way that Human Resource reps for corporate companies check out your social media before calling you in for an interview, or offering you a job, many casting directors are now doing the same. Let's face it, their butts are on the line when they call you in for a job, and they want to be able to make sure you aren't going to make them look bad if they vouch for you. 


Here are a few quick and easy guidelines to stop you from self sabotaging via social media suicide:

---

1. Chill with the drama. We all have things we feel passionately about, sports, politics, shoes, etc. While it's fine to express your opinion about things, try not to come across as a raging maniac who is this close to bursting a blood vessel. While most professionals in the arts tend to be more liberal than not, tweeting something about how much you hate Republicans might not win you any points if you just submitted to a republican casting director. Also, if social media is where you vent your life's frustrations, a CD, or producer might think you're like that all the time and might not be the type of person they want on their film set. Think of your Twitter and Facebook feeds as places where you can post about cool things you're doing, and things that interest you.

2. Don't be a creeper. There once was a photographer who used to post tons of selfies of himself shirtless, alone in his dimly lit apartment. It looked very unprofessional. He probably missed out on some potential clients because his brand was giving off less of a "savvy headshot photographer" vibe, and more of a "human trafficking ring" vibe . This is a bit of an extreme example, but we think you get the point.

3. Remember that social media is social. Interacting with casting directors and agents via Twitter, Facebook, etc, is a great way to get them to notice you and your work (this is why you need a link to your website and demo reel everywhere you're active online). However, if you act overly selly, only tweeting them links to your webseries, or new headshots the only thing they are going to notice is that you're annoying. Instead interactions should be authentic. If you enjoyed a project they worked on then let them know. If you have a good question for them that google didn't know the answer to then ask them. Hopefully from there curiosity might get the better of them and they'll check out your stuff. But, they are definitely not going to if all you do is hit them with a shit storm of self promotion. 

We know what many of you are probably thinking at this point, "But Alicia, and Lauren, I don't want to be fake!" And we don't want you to be either. We want you to be your authentic self, and "do you" and all that good stuff. But your online presence needs to reflect your "job interview" self. If you wouldn't want your grandma to see it, you probably don't want a casting director to either.