This week I watched an interview with Manager/Producer, Seth Jaret, on MyTeeVee. He is currently focusing on New Media and creating webseries. The whole interview is full of great information for any independent producers out there.
Throughout the interview he keeps bringing up the same thing: MARKETING. He says marketing can be up to 2/3rds of your job as a producer. This is something most creators forget about, because we are creators not business people.
I know this very well because I am one of those creative people lacking that business edge. I am not a natural salesperson (I'm probably the exact opposite of "always be closing.") It's one of the reasons why I am not great at typical networking.
So, what do us creative-non-business-types do to get our work in front of the audiences we want? Especially when we are low-budget producers who lack the funds for billboards and commercials?
Well, the wonderful thing about the internet is that it is very democratic. Anyone can create something that can become a huge hit, but the downside of that is that almost anyone can create something - so how do you stand out among all the rest?
First, of course, you have to produce quality content. But beyond that, Seth mentioned in the interview that on the internet it is often good to focus on developing work for a micro audience of really involved viewers. After that, it's important to produce regular content to keep your audience interested.
How do you build this micro audience? As I said at the beginning of this, I am terrible at marketing ... so I don't have all the answers.
I've noticed the people on Twitter who maintain a large quantity of followers tweet multiple times a day, often about the same sorts of things or at least in the same voice (for example: Patton Oswalt's tweets are comedic and the Dalai Lama is inspirational.) On Tumblr, I've noticed the same thing. Those who post regular content geared towards a specific theme are the ones with the most followers.
What I gather from this information is the importance of developing a brand and make sure you keep that brand clear across all your social networking sites. And it's important to keep your followers engaged by creating new content often.
I wish I was better at selling myself since as an actor I am the product. It's definitely something I am planning on working on more in the New Year. Something to go on the goals list ...
Johnny Carson once asked Bette Davis "the best way an aspiring starlet could get into Hollywood," Ms. Davis replied "Take fountain!" In traffic-packed Hollywood this is still good advice. I don't pretend to know as much as Bette Davis, but I've been around Hollywood long enough to make tons of mistakes and learn lots of lessons. So, this is my advice to actors trying to make their way in Hollywood. www.MichelleCoyle.net
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ReplyDeleteJust remember that MARKETING is STORYTELLING. The best examples of great marketing are extensions of the story. Telling your personal story well and in an entertaining fashion is the way to successfully market yourself.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found the talk inspirational. There's more great advice available in my weekly web series, Hollywood Drive & Talk.
Keep at it, Michelle!
-- Seth Jaret
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