Promotional Tool: 7 Ideas for Sharing Your Press Success

Trust me…it’s always exciting when you land a little press coverage.

 

An Actor recently told me, “It was like magic. I clicked on the link you emailed me and up popped a lovely article all about me.”

 

She was thoroughly giddy and I was thrilled for her.

 

But, then I realized that she also thought that was the end…that her marketing work was done. And, if you’re thinking the same thing, I want to tell you – treat it like it’s the beginning.

 

For most Actors, your career goal is to book more jobs, right?

 

Well, one of the key steps for doing that is grabbing the attention of the decision makers, including: Casting Directors, Producers, Directors, Studio/Network Executives and beyond. Of course, that’s not always easy.

 

This is why I want to encourage you to think of every single press article as a valuable promotional tool for your career. Each fresh piece of press gives you the opportunity to toot your own horn without feeling or looking like you’re bragging.

 

How? Because it’s a story all about how amazingly talented you are, written by a third party source (a.k.a. a trusted member of the press). And, just like that…anyone who sees this article immediately gets a sense that you are someone worthy of paying attention to.

 

This is why it’s essential to share every press article as far as wide as you can.

 

To help you get started, here’s 7 Ideas for Sharing Your Press:

 

1. Be Socially Savvy

Social media sharing is a fast, easy and friendly way to share your latest news. You can write your own original posts or repost/retweet posts from the press outlet. Don’t forget to tag the Reporter who wrote the article and the outlet they work for. It never hurts to show them some love by posting a public “thank you” message, especially if it’s the only way you have to contact the Reporter directly. Plus, this is a way to connect with their regular readers, so they become your new fans.

 

2. Website Worthy

Treat your personal website as a hub for your career. You have total control over it, so don’t forget to include a press page that highlights your latest announcements and press articles. You can pull a quick blurb from the article for your homepage and/or post the entire thing on your press page. Drop in the press outlet’s logo and insert a clickable link to read the original article. I would also save the full article as a pdf file just in case the outlet disappears.

 

3. Biography Blurb

Some press clippings offer useful tidbits to include in your Bio. Think of these as a few hype words or phrases that you can pull to insert. For example, if a story or review calls you a “tremendous talent”, add this into your bio…just remember to cite the source. Another opportunity could be if you’re included in an article or listicle titled “One of the Top 10 Faces to Watch”. Again, this is a fast blurb pulled from an article that can be worked into your Bio touting your talents.

 

4. Newsletter Noteworthy

Use a fresh press article all about you as the main story of your newsletter or e-blast. What a great way to share your big news with friends, fans and industry, without being pushy. You can cut and paste the entire article or just pull a quote and drop in the link to the original. Add the logo of the press source to give it a nice visual and you’re good to send.

 

5. Print and Send

Some industry folks don’t always give out their email address for you to keep in touch. So, consider saving your fresh press article as a pdf file, print it out and send it to them via the good old fashioned hard copy mail. And, this could be a nice surprise for those offices that don’t get much mail anymore. Plus, it’s more attention grabbing than just a regular postcard.

 

6. Reps Resource

Your Reps should be looking for ways to help get you in the door with Casting, so make sure they’re aware of your press outreach. Be sure to share with them links to any fresh press articles as they come in and don’t be afraid to ask them to share it with Casting. Hopefully, they’ll be excited about this unique resource tool and use it when pitching you to all those gate keepers and beyond.

 

7. EPK Element

Inserting a few quotes from your press articles into your EPK (electronic press kit) is always a smart way to share additional information about your talents. You can include the outlet’s logo and links to read the full article, which will immediately position you as “in the game” to anyone reviewing your EPK.

 

Overall, there are numerous ways you can share your press successes. My biggest tip is simply get started going after press articles about what you’re doing in your career — and then don’t forget to share them with the world.

 

THANKS!