Don’t Let Your Social Media Die this Christmas!

I know what it’s like. Christmas is coming and you’re busy – you’re shopping, visiting family. Having one-too-many glasses of mulled wine. Your work mojo goes down the closer to Turkey Day we get – and sure enough, you’ll find yourself a bit less interested in doing the normal “admin” tasks, like keeping on top of your social media presence.

But it doesn’t have to be hard. If you’re smart, you can clock off on December 24th and not clock back in until January 1st. Whilst still keeping your social media accounts as lively and fresh as ever.

How?

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5 Quick Ways to Get More Traffic to your Website

If you have a website for your work (or even for pleasure) chances are you’ve gone into your stats and sat there and thought: ‘why aren’t more people coming to my website?’

Well, there’s a long and a short answer to this.

The short answer is because you’re not showing up on Google for people to click through and come to your website.

The long answer is why you’re not showing up on Google, and that has something to do with your domain ranking (which is the numerical value that tells you how relevant and awesome Google thinks your website is), your search relevancy, and whether your site is SEO optimised.

Now, I know. You see the word ‘SEO’ and your eyes glaze over. All the fun has been sucked from the world.

But it doesn’t have to be hard. Let’s look at 5 super quick, super easy tips that will help you get more traffic to your website without having to delve too deeply into the scary world of SEO.

1. Get other (bigger) websites to link to you

If a big website links to your little one, Google sees this and goes “oh wow, there must be some great content on there.” This is especially easy if you have a blog on your website, or somewhere you put creative content.

Have a look at websites that accept guest posts, and see if they will include a link to you in the author bio. That way, you can piggyback off other websites’ successes!

2. Make sure your website is doing what it says on the tin

Google likes this to be simple. If you say your website is a website about your acting and then spent 89% of your time posting reviews of your local coffee shops, Google is going to get confused. And that will hurt your traffic numbers.

So check your meta-description, check your website name and make sure what your posting on your website fits with what you said you’d post.

Think of it like a book. If you pick up a book called Fairy Tales from Germany you expect the stories to be fairy tales from Germany. Not recipes for seventeen different types of casserole.

3. Shout about your website

Tell people about it! This works in person, as well as on social media. Make sure you have your website link in all your bios, and if you publish an awesome new post, make sure this goes on your Facebook, your Instagram, your Twitter. And don’t stop sharing it either. Schedule it back into your feeds in a month’s time so people that missed it the first time around can read it then.

4. Get clever with your keywords

Now, bear with me, I know this sounds marketing-y. And that’s because it is. Keywords are your book synopsis, they’re what your website (or your post) is about. So let’s say you have a page on your website to buy tickets to your latest shows. Write some content in there for Google so that it knows that this page is all about buying tickets. Use the phrase buy tickets as often as possible without forcing it down your reader’s throats. Then Google will know what’s going on with that page and move it up the rankings.

5. Make sure your website is easy to use

If people click on your website and it takes 50 minutes to load up, chances are they won’t click again. And Google has the memory of an elephant. So make sure your images are small and aren’t holding you back (this is a great tool for making them smaller) and do a little walkthrough of your website from the point of view of your audience. Do you have something for them to click on at the end of every page that’ll keep them on your website? If the answer is no, try and make a little journey for them.

Think of it as a treasure map, with you leaving little bits of treasure all over your site.

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Penguin in the Room @prartsmarketing is a group of creatives with an arts marketing dream: penguin stepping our way into the arts industry and helping other 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 us any time for penguin chats via email:info@penguinintheroom.com or Facebook.com/penguinintheroom or waddle over to our website: www.penguinintheroom.com

3 YouTube Channels Every Actor Needs to Subscribe to

YouTube is a great tool for learning new things, getting the inside scoop on your industry and finding out what’s going on with your fellow actors.

Whether you yourself have a YouTube channel or not, you should make the most of it. So we’ve rounded up 3 great channels that’ll get you started into your YouTube foray.

1. Backstage

Backstage has over 50k subscribers already – and it’s easy to see why. With a selection of acting tips, insider info from casting directors and one-on-ones with agents, you can spend days going down this rabbit hole of information.

Just keep a notepad and pen at the ready to jot down any great new ideas!

2. Tips on Acting

Run by Amy Jo Berman, who spent 20 years as a casting director and former VP of casting at HBO, she posts videos that answer a whole bunch of questions from the wider acting community.

Her mission is to take the “struggling” out of “struggling actor” – if that sounds good to you, you can find her channel below!

3. Act on This – The TV Actor’s Network

This YouTube channel is run by Ross Grant, a very enthusiastic Brit who has pulled together an online community of TV actors and populates his Vlog with a series of videos on what you need to know about the acting business and how to pay your bills using acting (and just acting!)

A bit of a newer blog, but with over 1k subscribers already, surely one to watch!

Happy watching!

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Penguin in the Room @prartsmarketing is a group of creatives with an arts marketing dream: penguin stepping our way into the arts industry and helping other 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 us any time for penguin chats via email:info@penguinintheroom.com or Facebook.com/penguinintheroom or waddle over to our website: www.penguinintheroom.com

Grow your know-how: 3 Free Online Writing Courses

We all like to think we’re good at what we do. But that’s not to say we can’t get better!

We’ve rounded up 3 of the best free (yes, totally free) writing courses for you to grow, develop and generally become more awesome.

An Introduction to Screenwriting – UEA (Online)

You’ll learn from a mixture of basic theory, script analysis and practical exercises. We will explore key principles as they’re expressed in great films, then immediately apply these concepts. Videos, articles and discussion steps will offer you the opportunity to learn and engage with other learners on key concepts and ideas.

By the end of the course, you will understand the key concepts necessary to write an effective screenplay and be fluent in the language used to discuss the form.

Start Writing Fiction – The Open University (Online)

On this online course, established writers – including Louis de Bernières, Patricia Duncker, Alex Garland, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Tim Pears, Michèle Roberts and Monique Roffey – will talk about how they started writing.

You’ll consider the rituals of writing and keeping a journal; learn how to develop your ideas; reflect on your own writing and editing; hear writers talk about their approach to research; and start turning events into plot.

Scribble: Writing for New Writers (Online)

This course will take students through the process of writing from simple paragraphs to more complex writing structures and eventually research writing. Writing is often seen as something we do in order to remember grammatical forms and words to learn.

Writing is becoming increasingly important as we communicate even more online. And increasingly we have to communicate with people from other countries. This means that we have to be able to express our ideas clearly and in a way that people can understand. If you want to get more information on writing, this is the course for you.

 

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Penguin in the Room @prartsmarketing is a group of creatives with an arts marketing dream: penguin stepping our way into the arts industry and helping other 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 us any time for penguin chats via email:info@penguinintheroom.com or Facebook.com/penguinintheroom or waddle over to our website: www.penguinintheroom.com

How To Get More Gigs as a Freelance Writer

Freelance is awesome. You get to set your own hours, play by your own rules and (hopefully) spend your time doing something you love doing.

But there’s also a downside to working freelance.

And that’s if you’re not working, you’re not earning.

But how do you get good, regular gigs?

4 Casting Websites You Need to Bookmark

As an actor, chances are you’re already either thinking about booking jobs, searching for jobs to book or actually booking jobs.

Regardless of which stage you are in the process, we’ve rounded up 4 websites that you need to keep in your bookmarked folders at all times.

These websites list free casting calls that you can come along to without necessarily needing agent representation.

And whilst, yes, that means there might be some stiff competition – it’s nothing you can’t handle.

So let’s dive in shall we?

1. Spotlight

Membership: £150 a year

A list of casting websites wouldn’t be complete without Spotlight holding the Number 1 spot.

Generally speaking to book jobs in the UK you need to be a member of either Equity, the actor’s union, or Spotlight. It’s not a pre-requisite, but it’ll certainly get you taken more seriously when you’re giving it your best to the casting director.

Spotlight is the home of casting in the UK. Big productions like Episodes and House of Cards used Spotlight to book their talent.

So keep that in your number 1 spot.

2. Backstage

Membership: £100 a year (6 months free here)

Backstage requires you to be a member, but it posts casting calls from all over the world. You can, of course, narrow your fields down (unless you’re willing to hop a flight to LA as and when) and it also boasts “over 6,000 industry jobs” for you to take a gander at.

Create your talent profile, network with fellow professionals, get email updates about upcoming roles and auditions and apply to casting calls quickly, all through their online portal.

3. Mandy Actors (UK)

(Free registration, paid memberships too)

Mandy Actors (formerly CastingCall Pro) is a leading casting website in the UK . Find and apply for acting jobs, create your own portfolio; showcase your skills and get noticed!

Just like the others you’ll receive casting notifications to your inbox, but you can also create your own website through the website (which includes hosting) which is pretty cool!

4. The Stage

(Free registration)

The Stage features the latest film, TV and theatre auditions. The Stage Castings is packed with auditions and casting opportunities for anyone looking for acting, singing, dancing or presenter jobs.

The great thing about The Stage is you can access all their job vacancies and casting adverts for free (and read up to 5 articles!) without opting for the paying membership.

Happy booking! 🙂 And let us know if you think we’re missing a gem in our list 😉

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Penguin in the Room @prartsmarketing is a group of creatives with an arts marketing dream: penguin stepping our way into the arts industry and helping other 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 us any time for penguin chats via email:info@penguinintheroom.com or Facebook.com/penguinintheroom or waddle over to our website: www.penguinintheroom.com

Working in Radio? Here’s Why You Need a Blogcast

Now anyone with a passion for radio will know that if you sat behind your microphone and read straight off a script all day, your listeners would be bored as heck.

That’s because writing a blog and actually doing a radio show (or podcast) are two wildly different things.

When we speak, we make fun little inflections with our voice and odd sounds as we pause and try and remember the word we’re looking for.

When we write, we’re doing it at our own time and at our own pace, (and we can totally just Google that word).

So why on earth then are we telling you to combine oil and water into a Blogcast?

Do Twitter Hashtags Still Matter?

Hashtags tend to be all over the place on Instagram. It’s hashtag city over there. Twitter, on the other hand, seems to be a little bit more reserved. A bit more chill.

But does that mean that hashtags don’t matter on Twitter?

Keeping Your Social Media Alive During Edinburgh Fringe

We know you’re busy – August is nuts for anyone performing. If you’re not touting your show on the Royal Mile, performing or having a well earnt post-performance beer, the last thing on your mind is probably tweeting, updating your Facebook or even (heaven forbid) posting a blog.

Who has time for any of that?

Well…

You do.

Why it’s important to stay active

Edinburgh Fringe creates a lot of its own buzz – people are excited to be there, they’re excited to see new shows and they’re wandering around looking for something new. Even those not at the Fringe will be following what’s going on, whether that’s through something like the BBC or through the Instagram and Facebook posts of their mates who are there.

So this is no time for a social media blackout!

You don’t want to be the person that misses a great reviewer because they’ve tweeted something about having a free slot and you’ve missed it, do you?

No.

So listen up.

What you should be doing

If anything,  you need to be more active than usual. Remember, social media is a key tool in your arsenal for promotion. And that means:

• Tweeting stuff about your show (back stage pictures, images of the queue, boomerang videos of the cast/yourself making silly faces – LITERALLY ANYTHING that’s not “hey, come see my show, promise it’s awesome.” – People will see how much fun it is from all the other content you’re posting, you don’t have to labour the point.
• Retweeting literally anything that mentions you/your show/your venue. You want people to know who you are, where you’re performing and when. So if someone gives you a shoutout with a tweet – give them a shoutout right back! Retweeting shows your follower list (and a wider pool of people) just how awesome you are, straight from the audience’s mouth
• Replying to people who are at/coming to the Fringe. Set up some searches on Twitter (here’s one I made earlier, with the location for Pleasance Courtyard) and here’s how where set up an advanced search and get down to replying to people. “Hey, if you’re hanging around [VENUE] come and see [SHOW]! We’re on at 8pm!” is a very basic example of the stuff you can send back.
• Asking one of your mates to take a few shots during your show and live-tweet it (if you’re allowing phones/images, otherwise it’ll encourage other people to succumb to the blue screen of death)
• Chasing reviews. Now if you’ve already had a tonne of reviewers in, then bully for you – but if you haven’t you need to chase. them. down. Tweet them, FB message them, email them, send a darn pidgeon if you have to – but be active in trying to get your reviews coming in. Not only will it help this year, but it’ll stand you in good stead next year when people see your awesome review and think “oh no, I missed [your awesome show], I’ll have to make sure I catch them next year.”

Getting a little help 

Now we’re not saying every second of your spare time needs to be spent on Twitter or Facebook. Here are some things you can do:

1. Set up some rules on IFTTT – such as “whenever someone mentions you in a Tweet, send them a thank you as a reply”

2. Schedule some Tweets/Facebook posts using Buffer so that you’re never silent (more on how to do this here)

3. Schedule a blog post to drop in the middle of the Fringe, and then go in and add some news images just before it posts. You might want to write something like “Having an awesome time” or “best night ever so far at the Fringe,” or even “Funniest moments of my Fringe so far” – you’re scheduling it, so you’re going to need to get *cough* creative *cough* with the content, but reason images will add authenticity. You can change this where it says ‘Publish Immediately’ on WordPress, click the arrow and select ‘Schedule’.

All of these things will help you be active on Twitter, Facebook or your blog during what’s going to be a very, very busy month!

 

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Penguin in the Room @prartsmarketing is a group of creatives with an arts marketing dream: penguin stepping our way into the arts industry and helping other 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 us any time for penguin chats via email:info@penguinintheroom.com or Facebook.com/penguinintheroom or waddle over to our website: www.penguinintheroom.com

3 Tips for Promoting Your Edinburgh Fringe Show During the Countdown

It’s very nearly Fringe season, and if you’re a performer or a freelancer working with one, chances are ‘promotion’ is pretty high on your agenda right now.

But what should you have wrapped up and sorted before you move into August and the feet-slapping groundwork begins?

We’ve created a handy list to help get you started.

1. Create some quirky social media chatter around your show

July is a great time for some publicity stunts, guerilla marketing, and the like. The Fringe is close enough for people to have it in mind, and this is when the media starts to really ramp up their coverage. So why not create some quirky social media chatter around your show?

No, we’re not saying send out the time-old “Make sure you get your tickets to @myshow in time for the Fringe”

We’re thinking:

• Jump on trending hashtags with something hilarious (just make sure it’s not a hashtag for something deadly serious where a joke will go down like a lead balloon)
• Tweet some big names to see if you can get a response
• Start a funny (but related) competition
• Start a Twitter treasure hunt
• Preview some jokes (or some jokes that didn’t make the cut in order to save the spoilers) in a conversation between you and your other cast members tagging random followers

Temple Newsam House in Leeds, UK brings its characters to life in a staged Twitter show

2. Get your printed ducks in order

Flyers are vital for the Fringe, as well as the lovely friends/boyfriends/girlfriends/distant third cousins once removed who will be helping to hand them out. Make sure you have the following ticked off your list as sorted this month:

• Flyers (A5 normally, or DL size)
• Posters (A3 is more common, but some A2 might be good as well.)

Think about how long your show run is and how many people will be touting for you when you’re considering quantity. If you run out, you can always order more, so make sure you use a local printer (and check the price of reprints).

3. Make sure you have all your press shortcuts sorted

When your show takes off as “the next big thing” people are going to want to know who you are, what you’re doing and why it’s so awesome.

So here’s what you need to prepare in advance:

• A short bio of your troupe (& individual cast members if it’s a trio or smaller group)
• A short press release that’s catchy, with high-quality images to run alongside it
• A blurb of your show that’s short and tailored for the general public. Basically: why your show is unique, why people should care about it and where they can go see it.

If you have this all prepped in advance it means you can respond quickly and in a timely fashion when people need it, which is a BIG priority for journalists.

For your full guide, hit up the Edinburgh Fringe promo pack here.

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Penguin in the Room @prartsmarketing is a group of creatives with an arts marketing dream: penguin stepping our way into the arts industry and helping other 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 us any time for penguin chats via email:info@penguinintheroom.com or Facebook.com/penguinintheroom or waddle over to our website: www.penguinintheroom.com