Branding yourself - ONLINE!

Today, the Bollywood industry is over-registered. With lakhs of actors moving to Mumbai to establish their acting career, there are certainly not enough projects to give them all a break. Most of them are finding it difficult to carve their niche in this highly competitive industry. Industry professionals hardly have/get time to meet these actors. Reaching stardom in Bollywood is challenging but not impossible.

It is important to set yourself apart from others in order to taste success. For this, the first step is to start thinking yourself as a “BRAND”. Like any company which markets their products, even you as a company should know how to market your products (talents). For that it is necessary to believe in the product (talent) that you're trying to promote. Today, there are various mediums that offer you a platform to showcase your skills and one of them being Social Media sites.

Social Media networking in simple terms is “meeting different people online”. It is a powerful tool to attract lot of attention just by talking about your interests or by uploading photos and videos. For budding actors, the subject of Social Media promotion is extremely important to the success of their acting career. Most of them don't know the potential Social Media has as a branding tool for promoting themselves online. They are also unaware how to use these tools to increase their online visibility. Today, Social networking sites are the fastest growing self promotional tool, and if any new actor who is not utilizing on its numerous capabilities could be at a loosing end to its other fellow actors who are using these sites. It gives you the liberty and power to take an active role in managing yourself as a brand. You will also enjoy this experience because you are marketing yourself and at the same time connecting with new people. With social media self promotion, you as an actor can promote yourself easily and effectively. The best professional social media websites are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. You can take advantage of these social media platforms by posting your latest photos, videos or writing blog posts on relevant topics, and connect with industry professionals. In short, you can also connect- Interact- Showcase/ Promote- Express- Share- etc. There are a unlimited ways that help adding success to your acting skills through these social media sites.

Using different platforms:

Facebook: Facebook is one of the largest networking sites available. It is necessary to often update your Facebook page in order to allow your friends to comeback to you. Use your online account to post what you are doing with your acting career and get your contacts to support you. Post pictures, upload clips etc in order to increase visibility.. The more time you dedicate on these sites the more it is beneficial for you and your career. For example, make your acting video and share it on Facebook ,your friends would be able to view your video and if they like they can share it with their friends. Thus, your videos could be shared with majority. Connecting with specific groups like the ones on Facebook, opens you and your work up to more networks. Post your work on the wall of each group to grab attention. This will build your contact base, as you will be communicating directly with like-minded people. Starting a Facebook fan page can take you to the next level. Keeping your profile updated with your recent work and getting a lot of support from your family and friends can attract lots of eyes.

Blogs: The next self promotional activity you can do to enhance your acting career on social sites is to start a Blog to publish your thoughts and opinions on the industry. You can express your views about the acting career and where you as an actor is heading. Try to write good content in order to attract people towards your blog. Paste your blog URL in your email signature every time you send an email to industry professionals.

Twitter: Starting a Twitter account will give you the access to follow the people you admire, other actors or people in the same industry. You can also use Twitter to express your views and opinions about the industry. If you manage to create a successful Twitter profile, you can build a solid fan base.

LinkedIn: LinkedIn is designed for professional networking unlike Facebook or Twitter. Remember,on LinkedIn, people are specifically looking out for business contacts. So try to make your online resume look more professional, fill in your correct details and keep updating it on a regular basis. Industry professionals keep hunting for actors who are in need of serious work. You never know which casting director views your online resume that could lead you for an audition. 
 

By using the above interactive platforms you can start promoting yourself as an actor who is different form others. These sites will also help people know who you are to build a trust in you. Your chances increase for being approached by any industry professional for work. Your success entirely depends upon how successfully you interact with the people from your industry and how vast your exposure becomes.

So keep socializing!!!