Networking is your job as an actress. My opinion about networking is that it's all about collecting your number of potential fan's and your colleagues' contact information. You need to rely on networking to build your brand as an actress. I stay tuned with everyone I've met in person or connect with online. There are some people whom I've probably haven't seen in person in 4 years. I still DM them on Facebook and Instagram to watch my content. Collectively send a sweet note about the content to the to all of your followers which becomes potential viewers of your content. Tell them why they should view your content when you share the link. The numbers will increase. Send a note to everyone's dm say something like;
" Hey! Watch my radio show episode. It's about relationships. "
Most of your followers on social media might even know each other. Moving up in the film industry does not look like climbing the corporate latter. It's all about what bubble of colleagues you work with. This means that it's all about who you know in the film industry. The people you connect with can hire you or work with you on a certain job that will propel your career forward.
The networking part comes first. Then the sharing content is next. Any person that you pass a business card to, meet at an event, or connect with online is a potential viewer. You should be sharing your content with all these people all of the time on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. There are people who you went to high school with, DM them too. Don't leave any stones unturned. The best places to network at are business conventions such as the Los Angeles and Las Vegas convention centers. Events that hold a gathering for networking is an obvious choice. I attended a networking event for writers in 2020. It was held at the Cats Fiddle restaurant. Film festivals are a good one. Movie premieres, screenings, and Q&A gatherings work well for networking also. Part of your hustle is connecting with people in person and online. I was networking at comedy show in Beverly Hills one time. They had an ice cream bar in the front of the venue. There was a drag show in the theater in the back. The event at the location was a very a creative networking idea and fun very to attend.
Stay connected to anyone that you have met. A person that has ever given you their Instagram needs to watch your content. I don't recommend what I am about to tell you. During the pandemic, I networked at underground parties. Even strippers were there at times. I didn't drink. I wore a mask. The last thing I wanted was being viewed on social media wearing a mask as a Casting Director. I felt that I had to do what I had to do. I was naive. Please don't network with the party scene that much. You don't want to be those people who are running the wrong crowd. Don't be around drugs. Alcohol is iffy. If there is alcohol I would be there on your own discretion. It's best not to drink.
Like everyone's post. Connect with people. Build relationships with people from other countries. Find out the demographic of your fan base and cater to these viewers. My largest fanbase comes from the U.S., Nigeria, and India. I don't know if you noticed, but all of these countries have one thing in common - a strong film industry presence. Along with Hollywood; Nollywood and Bollywood also exist. My fanbase on Instagram, it's mainly American. The majority of my Facebook followers are from Nigeria. This inspires me to want to work in Nollywood. I was honored to work with two Nigerian actresses in both of my character debuts. Elizabeth Obu and Bitota Mpolo are the two actresses in the I worked with in the mini-series. Both of these mini-series episodes are available to watch on YouTube. Episode 1 is Hot Girl Down and the second episode is called Joe Not Joey.
Don't be shy to inbox everyone! Don't be afraid that sending a mass inbox to your followers will come across as spam. That's not necessarily the case. You are connecting with people that you have met before or sprung up a relationship with online. Instagram's algorithm will see previous conversations in your DM and comments with the followers that you know. It's not spam when you send content to the followers that you know.
Networking is crucial. I believe that it's 50% of your success rate. You need to have a fan base, you need to build relationships, and be a doll to work with. Now get to work!
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