How to Market an Acting Career

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When you are selling any product or service, you must market it. As an actor, your product is yourself and you must market yourself to prospective employers. This means agents, managers, casting directors, producers, directors, and writers should be apprised of the happenings in your career.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Head Shots
Resumes
Postcards
Demo Reels

Step1

Compile a list of all the industry people you have met. This should include anyone involved in the industry, from agents and managers to casting directors and producers.

Step2

Make a second list of industry people you would like to meet. While you can include anyone you wish on this list, it should primarily consist of casting directors, agents and managers. If you are already happy with your representation, you do not need to include agents and managers.

Step3

Send regular postcard mailings out to your respective lists. Since you've already met the people on your first list, you can make those postcards a bit more personal. Adding a hand-written, short note on the postcard makes it more likely that the person will read the postcard before it ends up in the trash. It's wise to do a mailing every six to eight weeks but you should be sharing relevant information with your recipients, such as a booking or airing. Do not just send postcards to say hi.

Step4

Create a website for your acting career. The URL should be your professional name. Put your career news in a prominent section on the website so people can read what you're up to professionally. Include this URL on all your mailings.

Step5

Make business cards. Your head shot should be on your business card. As an actor, people need to remember your face. Your business cards should also include your name, phone number and email address as well as your representation's information if applicable. You should also list any union affiliations on your business cards, such as SAG, AFTRA, ACTRA, or AEA.

Step6

Compile an email list of industry contacts, and send out email blasts when something exciting happens in your career. People do not want spam so make sure the news is significant. While you may send out a postcard mailing with news that you are taking a new acting class, that is not unique enough news to send via email. A good reason for an email blast would be a television show airing.

Step7

Attend industry events and mixers. If you a member of any acting union, they regularly hold special events for their members. These can include seminars by prominent actors and directors or panels with working, mid-level actors. They also hold festive parties and mixers. Go to these events, and make contacts with others in your industry.

Step8

Perform in acting showcases and workshops. The people who can get you jobs--casting directors, directors, producers and agents--need to see you in action. You won't get anywhere in your acting career sitting at home on your couch. Get in front of people and perform. After a showcase or workshop, keep in contact with the industry people that attended via thank you cards and postcard mailings.

Step9

Create a demo reel that showcases your best acting work. Put your demo reel up online, especially on your website. You can then send links to your reel to anyone who requests it. Have hard copies available as well.

Step10

Keep headshots, resumes and demo reels in your car at all times. You never know when someone might request them so keep them handy.

Tips & Warnings

Make sure your head shot is an accurate representation of how you look. If you change your hair, gain or lose a lot of weight or make any other physical alterations, it's time for new photos.
Know social boundaries. If you are a non-industry event, do not hound casting people. Oftentimes, they don't want to think about work when they are off the job. Instead, just be cordial and friendly. You'll set up the grounds for future communication if you don't annoy them.