Believe it or not, social media is a serious public relations platform. It doesn’t matter if you hate it. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have time for it. What matters is – are you a creative, and do you want people to see your work?

The key is to make it easy for people to connect with you.

For the people just starting out, who are on a zero budget, and who have no idea where to begin when you become a Stage 32 member, this post is for you. Of course, if you already have a publicist and have enlisted them to manage the digital sphere for you, it doesn’t hurt for you to understand how important your PR point person really is.

How powerful is social media? It’s where the universe lives globally. According to Kepios, in October 2022, there are 4.74 billion users globally, equating to 59.3% of the population. That figure grew by 190 million from 2021.

A typical social media user visits 7.2 different platforms each month and spends 2.5 hours a day. Sadly, most social media users do not optimize their platforms or manage them well. It’s usually less than 20% that create over 80% of the content.

However, this is where the audience for your creation lives.

Making Social Platforms Work for You

I am going to give you five simple tips to help you become your own publicist for free.

1. Maximize Your Profile

Of course, before you do anything, ensure you have maximized your Stage 32 profile. A decent picture that reflects who you are, a bio (most important), reels, and any other portfolio information that showcases your craft. Add your social media links.

Note that you do not have to be on every social media platform. Choose the ones that fit your narrative and the audience you want to attract. For example, Instagram is a visual platform for reels and photos. Here the audience is largely 18 to 35. Eighty percent of TikTok users are 16 to 34.

While it may seem that social media platforms cater to a younger audience, there are still several million in the 50+ age that are active daily.

Like with Stage 32, you need a picture of yourself. Write a bio on every platform. You would be surprised how many find business contacts here. If they don’t know who you are, why would anyone want to connect with you?

2. Find Your People

You’ve just signed up for Stage 32 and, filled out your personal profile, added links, and information about yourself. Now what?

Social media platforms make it easy to find people you know through your email contacts. Don’t connect with everyone, only the people you actually like and who will provide value to your feed. If all you see is trash in your feed, find better people and empty the garbage.

This is how you find your people:

1. Check your friends’ connections and see who you know and can connect with.
2. Check your friends’ connections for people you might want to connect with. Sometimes, it is better to send them a personal note as to why you want to connect. (“I see you are also in the entertainment industry. I would love to connect with you and learn more about your work.”)
3. Use the search bar to find people in the genre you wish to connect with and just follow. You can follow people on LinkedIn without trying to connect with them.
4. If someone tries to connect with you and you do not know them, check their profile to make sure they’re not a bot or spammer, then connect with them. Who cares if you don’t know them? How are you going to meet anyone new if you don’t connect?
5. See d) and remember this if you remember nothing else: YOU DO NOT KNOW WHO PEOPLE KNOW. The janitor of a retail mall might be the brother of a Ron Howard.

3. Don’t Just Sit There

Have you ever been to a house party where you know half the people in the room? Do you sit on the couch by yourself and ignore everyone or hide in the bathroom, hoping that nobody will talk to you?

Consider a social media platform like that house party. Don’t just post and ghost. This is where most people fall short.

You will know some of the people there, and there are many you might not know. The rule of networking, which is also the rule for being an interesting person, is to be interested in other people, let them talk, and learn more about them.

Promote other people in your feed. Ask questions. Comment on someone’s post. Image posts, behind-the-scenes content, quotes, testimonials, videos, what inspires you, best advice, a personal fact, a unique story, lessons learned when you screwed up – these are all things that make for a great post on any platform.

The content of your social media should indicate your personality, what you care about, and whether you have a common interest with the person seeking your service.

Use hashtags. They help people find your post. These are keywords that people will search for to find content. Make your hashtags relevant to your post.

4. Don’t Be That Guy

Getting back to that party. You know the guy. The one who barely lets you finish your name before he starts spieling about his book, his screenplay ad nauseam. You try to inch away, but he keeps coming in closer, getting more animated with his sales pitch. Finally, he goes away, but you see him come out of the bathroom, so you inch away and hide, hoping he doesn’t see you.

Don’t be that guy on social media. The one who direct messages you his sales pitch as soon as he gets the connection notification. Get to know people first. These platforms are for relationship building. And for goodness' sake, NEVER use automated messaging, ever.

An influencer friend of mind calls this human-to-human marketing. People want to feel heard and seen. See them. Listen. Be respectful. Be a good digital citizen.

It’s a long game. It’s not a quick, easy post, and boom! You’re viral. Social media is just what it is: social conversations around digital media.

5. Be Consistent

Like, share, and comment on at least three other accounts in your home feed every time you are on the platform. You don’t necessarily have to do this every day but be consistent enough that people see you every few days.

The more you post, the bigger your reach and the more connections you will attract. This is how you harness the power of your profile. Have good content, a good profile, and engage with your people.

It may seem like a lot, but if you map out 30 minutes in a day, you can even do it while you’re watching television.

If you don’t list your website, Stage 32 profile, and/or email to make it easier for someone to connect with you, they can still direct message you inside the platform. Make sure you turn those notifications on. You don’t where an opportunity will come from.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Emily at blog@stage32.com, and let's get your post published!

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