Social Media for Actors: Complete Guide

1. Why is Social Media Important for Actors?
2. Setting up an Effective Social Media Profile for Actors and Models.
3. Exploring the Best Social Media Platforms for Networking.
4. Avoiding Common Mistakes While Posting on Social Media.
5. How Often Should You Post on Social Media as an Actor?
6. Is Social Media Good for Actors?

Why is Social Media Important for Actors?

For actors, models, and any other professional in the entertainment industry, social media can be more than a platform for learning, sharing, and keeping up with the latest trends.

It can be a valuable resource for meeting new people — the right people. These include casting Directors, Producers, and other industry leaders whose connections may lead to gigs. 

Ashley-Lauren Elrod is an award-winning triple-threat, a Producer, Casting Director, and Production Designer. For the past 15 years, she has dabbled in casting, coaching, directing, acting, modeling, dance, and production design for commercials, film, television, & editorial. She's known as an upcoming industry dynamo by many of her peers. She leads with the heart of diversity, safety, and inclusivity in entertainment, media, and marketing.

In an interview with allcasting, she shares, from experience, the best ways to utilize social media as an upcoming actor or model.

Setting up an Effective Social Media Profile for Actors and Models

Actors, models, and entertainment professionals should approach social media as a business model, not just a personal platform. 

Here are some of the best practices to follow for social media success: 

• The Actor should prepare professional headshots and a short video (this can be a skit) explaining what they do. This can serve as an intro for new audiences just finding their page.
• The bio should reflect what the professional dabbles in. If they are an actor, they should put "actor" on their bio; if they're an actor and producer, it's okay to put "actor/producer" too. It should also have a link to their website or any other relevant social media platform, portfolio, etc. This makes it easy for the casting director to reach out directly to the creative for work without first asking for photos or other information.
• All social media should be a clear representation of the person. It will hurt the effectiveness of the social media strategy if one reflects a different brand from the other (for example, a completely different look on IG from the one on Facebook, LinkedIn, and so on)
• The Actor should strike a balance in their social media post. The content posted should reflect my personal life but also showcase my work. A good tip is to share clips or footage from real work that matches current trends. For example, if Halloween is the current trend, they can post pictures or footage from work relating to Halloween. Also, the media on social media should mirror how the Creative looks currently to not come off as deceptive. 
• The content should engage the audience. The Actor can niche down to an actor-baker brand that will appeal to the acting community and baking enthusiasts. Likewise, the captions should be worth reading and can be questions to improve interaction.

If they still do not have it covered, actors can partner with an agency or acting coach to help them set up their social media accounts. This will give the actor access to resources and knowledge from the agency.

Exploring the Best Social Media Platforms for Networking

Every beginner actor or model should get a website before looking to land gigs through social media. This website can serve as a portfolio containing work experience.

The website should also follow SEO best practices. This can be done by using keywords alongside relevant photos, such as "NYC actor," Hellofresh Actor," and so on. This makes it easy to find the Actor's website on Google when these keywords are searched. So optimizing their website is a must for every Actor or model who wants to get leads.

All the platforms can be useful for building connections for social media, but Instagram and Facebook are still at the forefront regarding generating leads as actors. Linked.

However, LinkedIn is the place to be for professionals who may want to connect with other industry experts regardless of how wide the seniority gap may be, such as sending a direct connection request to a Netflix producer, even as a beginner.

If used properly, TikTok, Threads, and X (Twitter) are good social media platforms for creatives to network, build connections, and land gigs. 

Nevertheless, the Actor or model should only feel obligated to open an account on some of these platforms because it can get a bit overwhelming. It's best to start out with a maximum of three (3) that they can handle.

Avoiding Common Mistakes While Posting on Social Media

• The posts should not be insulting or come off as hateful towards any group.
• There should not be a link to the Actor or model's Onlyfans page on the bio if they have one.
• If Talent changes its brand, it should be done in stages so the audience can evolve.

How Often Should You Post on Social Media as an Actor?

There is no perfect answer to how often the Actor should post on their social media. On one hand, it's a great idea to post frequently and stick to a schedule because this helps the algorithm. If the Actor decides to go this route, they can create a content calendar and integrate a scheduling feature that automatically allows the posts to go live at the due time. Some apps that can help with this are Facebook Manager and Canva Pro.

On the other hand, the Actor can post whenever they feel it is best. What matters most is that the content engages the audience.

Is Social Media Good for Actors?

Social media is necessary for professionals searching for leads in today's world. Not utilizing the tools of these platforms will mean leaving opportunities on the table. 

In the interview with Ashley, she reiterates the benefits of social media and discusses how Creatives can make the most out of this tool.

For more interactive interviews and live sessions, check out our YouTube page.