Happy summer penguins, I hope you are getting some sun block on those white bits! I recently met some lovely film and tv freelancers at the BECTU Freelancers Fair and a question that seemed to come up a lot was how to get paid work from twitter. So, here we go….
Direct job ads
Follow the right people on twitter (ie. people in your industry) and every so often you should see jobs pop up on your timeline. ie. “I am looking for a DOP for a shoot on Monday, London based. DM me” these are pretty clear-cut so you can directly reply with a link to your website or ask for an email to send over a CV.
You can also help this process along by using the twitter search function and putting in some nice keywords. eg. writer, DOP, camera person, film, tv, producer and try phrases like “need producer” or “producer london” to find the right jobs for you.
It’s all about who you know..
However, the method that will get you the most job results is NETWORKING. (Read some tips about face to face networking here.) We know that the creative industries are all about who you know and we all want to work with people we like/can get on with. So, you need to get into the pool of people your industry contacts know and like before that great job comes up – this means that when that perfect job does come up the contact comes straight to you, as they already know what you and have seen/heard about your previous work (via twitter). Alternatively if they don’t come to you but you apply for the job, you will be one step ahead of all the other people applying as the contact will have already heard of you and spoken to you via twitter.
How do I network on twitter?
Use twitter primarily to interact! Follow the people you admire and want to work with and start conversations with them. Remember every time you reply or retweet them your twitter name and icon comes up on their profile so make sure it features your face/logo and your full name or business name!
Penguin in the Room @prartsmarketing is one penguin with an arts marketing dream: penguin stepping my way into the arts industry and helping creatives flourish! Specialising in online marketing, social media, branding, copy writing, media coaching and web design for actors, artists, casting directors, agents, production companies, theatre companies and creative individuals.
Contact me any time for penguin chats via email: info@penguinintheroom.com or Facebook.com/penguinintheroom or waddle over to my website: www.penguinintheroom.com
The Penguin in the Room Blog 