Two emails to share regarding last week’s piece on Social Networking and Acting.
Hi Bonnie,
As always, I enjoyed your latest article on networking on the Internet. As someone who has done quite a bit of that in recent years, I can definitely appreciate how much care with which one must approach it. And you gave superb advice on how to handle it!
On that topic I wanted to add a suggestion for you and your readers about another networking site. It’s called Nextcat.com and it is strictly an entertainment industry networking site. Nextcat has a great team of people who are easily accessible and always willing to prominently feature actors, directors, producers, casting, etc., on the site for further exposure. Much like MySpace, you set up a profile but you make “connections” instead of “friends” and that — along with a few other distinctions — allow for less personal communication and keeps everything more professional.
Nextcat is the only networking site I’m still on (I’ve deleted my MySpace, Facebook, Indiewire and other accounts) because I feel less vulnerable. So for that reason, it is also a good site for people who may be reticent about getting a MySpace page but who still want to have more web presence.
I hope to see you there! 🙂
Happy New Year! I wish you and your family much happiness, harmony, and good health in 2009.
Continued success,
Heidi Klefstad
Cool! Thanks, Heidi. I’ll have to check that out. One of my other readers posted a couple of blog entries about streamlining her web presence, after reading last week’s column, and it got me to thinking that I’m probably “too many places” too. Early in 2008, I cut out all of the message boards I frequented (I was doling out advice at a half-dozen message boards, down from a dozen the year before) because I wanted to funnel the questions here for future Your Turn use. I wanted the place people came for advice to be The Actors Voice, rather than one of many message boards.
I think this year might be about doing as Karen Commins did, and pointing all of my web presence into two or three key places, rather than having it scattered all over. Still trying to figure out exactly what would be best for me, since I have a ten-year-old personal blog (which I now cross-post at MySpace), do video blogs exclusively at Facebook, and have all of the Twitter, LinkedIn, The Biz, etc., profiles as well. It is getting a little “everywhere,” but until one site emerges as the place everyone I might potentially want to connect with congregates, I guess I have to be in at least a few of the bigger places out there. I’ll check out Nextcat. I’ve also heard buzz about the Tribe and ReelGrok, but it’s always so hard to know how much of what you’re hearing is “real buzz” and how much is publicist-generated hype. I guess that’s why I haven’t minded being a late-adopter at Facebook. It reached critical mass. All of my casting colleagues were asking why I wasn’t on it. Agents were asking why they couldn’t find me there to discuss a deal or forward a client’s profile. It was time.
As always, I welcome any suggestions, as I endeavor to streamline a bit in 2009.
Hello Bonnie Gillespie,
I enjoyed your article on Social Networking and Acting. I have a nine-year-old son that I think I created a really nice YouTube page for.
We chose the branding LaNovelaKid because, even though he is not Hispanic, that seems to be all he auditions for. We were also careful not to include his last name anywhere or any contact info except through his agent.
I feel YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, etc., are going to be used more and more by everyone everyday… mostly because they are FREE! They are a way for actors, casting, agents, managers, and producers to streamline and downsize from having to have to pay for hosted websites. An excellent way to market oneself.
Most appreciated,
F&KA
A great example of branding and a way to address the safety issue which is especially important where children are concerned. Thank you for the “yes, and”! Always appreciated!
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000970.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.