By: Brian Gilleece
***THINK ABOUT THIS*** "A Tree Falls In a Forest, nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"... Do you guys know what the answer is to this age old question is?... NO IT DOES NOT!!!
If the tree had a better marketing plan and strategicly fell closer to the town, MAYBE somebody would recognize it, find it special, cut it up, make a nice table and chairs... maybe it would become part of a house or a beautiful sculpture or a desk to write on and live for years and years in the minds of those who use it and hand it down...
BUT just like acting, because the tree did not have a plan it will wind up rotting in the woods until it becomes food for termites, gets rained on, becomes soft and disappears...
I know, Grimm, BUT, If know body is there to see or hear it........It... did.... not.... happen.
No matter how good you think you are, if nobody sees you it does not matter.
SO, Dont be the non strategic tree. #facts
WHAT IS MY MARKETING PLAN? DO I HAVE ONE? DO I JUST SAY I HAVE ONE BUT DON'T REALLY DO SHIT?
1. DEFINE YOUR GOALS: First develop a big-picture vision — become the top producer in your area, retire in 10 years, dominate a certain niche of buyers and sellers, book a co star, book a guest-star, be a series regular (its all the same). Then quantify that vision with measurable goals. Measurable goals might include: -Booking 25% of my auditions -Making $12,500+ in 2018 to get SAG Health Insurance -Booking 4 Co-Stars -Booking a SAG Feature Lead -Etc.
2. TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE: Select one or two groups to target with your marketing efforts. Analyze the characteristics of your best prospects. Characteristics might be: -What offices am I in often? -What Shows would I like to be on and who casts them? -Do I have any contacts I can leverage? -Do I have fans at certain offices?
3. DIFFERENTATION: To focus your thoughts, write down what makes you different in 15 words or less. Then read your ideas aloud several times and edit accordingly. What makes you unique? Setting yourself apart from other actors is essential in a crowded marketplace. Consider your own strengths and weakness, and focus on the qualities and skills that make you special. -Do you have exceptional Training? -Are you supper good looking? -Does your look have alot of traction right now? -Do you have a special skill set? -Do you memorize well? -Do you speak a language?
4. POLISH YOUR MESSAGE: Match your media choices to your target market. Your media choices should reflect the interests, habits, and needs or your prospects. Select a message and sales approach that will grab the attention of the people you want to target. -Do you have a tag line for YOUR brand? -If not, why the hell not? -Do you use it? -Do people associate it to you? -Is you brand tag to "Loosey Goosey"
5. DETERMINE BEST MEDIA: Wherever you choose to focus your attention — Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Linkedin, Instagram, monitor and update your page regularly to maintain and heighten that level of communication. Your Creating Fans, Mindshare, locking in a created perception of you as an artist, actor and person. You can CREATE the you, that best sells you! If you don't do social, what ELSE are you doing to push your marketing agenda because going to class and sitting around hoping your agent gets you an audition is not enough........ It never was despite what people will say.
6. CREATE A MARKETING PLAN: Don’t change your marketing message because you’re bored.......I repeat DO not change your marketing message because you are bored...... you have heard it many more times than the average prospect. Repetition is what builds recognition. An action plan is a to-do list for a set period that lists every activity you need to do to market yourself and your services. Consistency is a key component to successful marketing IN ANY BUSINESS. Changing your look, hair, style etc can be severely damaging to brand recognition. Advertising experts say that people must hear a message 11 times before they remember it. Make a commitment to use one marketing approach for at least six months, and budget accordingly. SO, until you have been in an office, or in front of a casting director, 11 times...... Your brand message is not locked in............ You can speed this process up with some dynamic BOLD work.... But this is the baseline.
PREPARE A BUDGET: 7. Acting can be expensive, but only if you don't make any money at it....How much is your actor marketing budget for the month? You should know what you breakeven is and what you need to make to get above it. Having a bare minimum expenditure vs income threshold can be a great starting point in stepping forward. -How much is your AA? -How much is your LA? -How much do you spend on self tapes? -How much do you spend on IG Marketing/ Website/ Domain name etc amortized across the year? -What is your "Actor" clearing rent?
8. MEASURE RESULTS: Analyze the results of your measurement and use your conclusions to update, revise, and improve your personal marketing campaign. Don’t continue to spend money on something that isn’t working. -Track your Audition Wins -Track were your auditions come from -If you have gone to Cast 100 times and never booked there, maybe its time to stop going to Cazt etc. -If you are in a certain class, still having zero results, it may be time for a new class.
Was it the most exciting morning post ever, nah, but it is grey out, not everything has to be fun and exciting AND this is really important stuff!!!
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