Social Media Mistakes that Can Damage Your Acting Career

Social media mistakes come in all sizes – small and big. The smaller ones you can recover from (although it may take some time). But the bigger ones could permanently damage your acting career. What you have to understand is that when you’re online, you’re representing your acting brand. That means you’ll want to avoid engaging in these bad behaviors…

Posting about the Juicy New Job Offer

So, you just landed an AMAZING acting gig and you’re over the moon. You can’t wait to text your significant other or best friend. Without thinking twice, you quickly upload your big news to social media…only to lose the job just as quickly.

When it comes to talking about a role, wait until you have permission to share. Some directors may even ask you to sign a non-disclosure agreement (I had to for an exciting audition!). Keep your news under wraps and wait until you can publicly celebrate.

Getting into Internet Fights

Be careful about sharing certain content on your social media profiles. You may have a political stance or religious message you want to post.

It’s fine to take a public stand on an issue you feel strongly about. But don’t let your message turn into a fight. Some users will troll you, leaving negative comments. They’re hoping that you’ll respond in a snarky or unprofessional manner so you’ll damage your acting career.

If another user is harassing you or posting hate speech, you have two options. You can block the user or report them to the social network. But whatever you do, don’t respond in kind or it could backfire on you.

Inviting New Followers to View Your Resume

Some social media coaches will tell you to send a message to each new follower. Typically, the message is about you and your career along with a link to your resume or your acting history. This can instantly turn followers off and make it difficult for you to promote your acting brand.

Imagine this: you have a friend that throws parties regularly. She always invites you and one day you decide to show up. She spends the entire event telling you about her career. From the moment you walk in the door, she makes no attempt to deepen your relationship. She just wants to talk about herself.

Don’t be that friend! Your social media accounts are your “party”. In order for it to be successful, you need to show a genuine interest in others.

Yes, you should follow industry professionals online. But take time to get to know the person behind the username. Not only will your platform grow faster, you’ll also find social media is far more enjoyable this way.

If You Make Social Media Mistakes…

What if you’re reading this post and you’ve already made a few social media mistakes? How do you go about fixing them so you can prevent damage to your acting career?

First, you should remove the content. If you posted a rant filled with typos and expletives, delete it. Keep in mind that others may have taken screenshots of your post and you may not have control over those copies.

Next, apologize if necessary. Maybe you shared a joke that was offensive or made light of a serious issue. If some of your followers noticed and were offended, consider offering a genuine apology. If your following is small and no one mentioned it, then an apology may not be needed.

Finally, fill your feed with positive content. You can’t change a negative impression overnight. It will take a few weeks or months (depending on how big your blunder was) to restore your social reputation. But in the meantime, share posts that are uplifting or encouraging.

Remember, social media for actors is all about building your brand. So focus on keeping everything professional. You never know when a casting director or producer might be considering you for an acting role!