So you have a profile here, do ya? But you secretly think it’s a waste of time because nothing comes of it. You have minimal connections and those you do have don’t interact with you. No one seems to care about your work and hell, you’re not a famous writer/actor/filmmaker/author yet.

I get it.

But listen - this site can work wonders if you work the site. There’s a reason there are so many success stories and half a million members. So don’t give up just yet. As the Stage 32 Blog Content Curator, I see a lot of you come and go in these threads. And those of who stay and participate are the ones seeing the value. If you want to experience the same value, grow your career, and meet like-minded creatives here are 7 tips to make your Stage 32 profile work for you.

1) For the Love of God, Show Us Your Mug

Imagine walking into a store to purchase a new camera. From behind the counter emerges a guy who looks like this:

Don't be this guy.

Setting all Roswell jokes aside, this guy is not the kind of guy I want to buy equipment from, let alone a small chai latte. He seems to be hiding from me - unsure if he wants to commit to having any kind of worthwhile conversation. Yet at the same time, he wants my money. Hmmm….

When you set up a bio and leave your Roswell-like avatar sitting there, you’re essentially saying, “I want your connection and your advice, but it’s not important that you get the same in return.”

Just like face-to-face conversations, conversations online work best when one can visualize the person.

According to NGNG Enterprises, an online business dedicated to branding and marketing, “...when a visitor comes to your website for the first time, you have all of 3-5 seconds to make a first impression. That impression will either result in them staying on your site to learn more about you, or they will hit the back button, thereby increasing your bounce rate.”

This is true of social profiles as well.

So take a moment to share a profile image. You’ll get more conversations, more people staying on your profile page to learn about you, and more trust that you are a professional and expert in your field.

2) Don’t Create a Profile Just to Self Promote

I see this all the time. Too much, actually. And while I completely understand the need and desire to promote projects here on Stage 32, creating a profile on the fly and following two people to create the illusion that you mean business just isn’t going to fly.

Part of my job is to find post contributors. Sometimes I seek them out and other times they seek me out. Many times, I get an email from someone who wants to talk about their film premiere in a blog post. To be clear, we’re all for sharing the love. That’s why the site has various lounges. But the blogs themselves are to inspire and educate. So when I get an email from someone who isn’t a member yet, wants to promote his or her film, and throws a profile together just to do that, I cry a little inside.

Also, a cob-job profile has SPAM written all over it.

If you want to talk about your film, what you learned during the process, and become part of the community, I’ll publish your posts until the cows come home. But if you only want to create a post to self-promote, that’s not going to help anyone. Not even you.

Take the time to get to know the community. Connect with people. Talk. Have conversations, You’ll find that your contributor blog posts will go a lot further when your actively giving, inspiring, and educating.

3) Write a Blog Post for Stage 32

If you know anything about blogging, than you know writing a post for Stage 32 can greatly increase your credibility, visibility, and capability in your chosen field.

In 2016, I started as a contributor right here on Stage 32 with this post: Don’t Give Up Because it Didn’t Happen. Keep Going Until it Does. That single blog post drove tons of traffic to my personal website. I was like, “WOW. I should do this more often!”

And so I did. Still do.

I blog on my own site, too, and let me tell you, blogging has done wonders for my little ghostwriting business.

So if you have a nugget of info to share, a story that you think would serve other creatives, or some tips to help educate and inspire, write a blog post. Post it in your social profiles. Share it. Share it again a week later. A month later A year later. The more you show up in the world, the more people look to you as an expert.

4) Join the Conversation

Don’t be afraid to ask questions in the lounges. Yes, there are some bullies and know-it-alls that chime in from time to time. Frankly, they’re everywhere. Take their comments with a grain of salt. Pay attention instead to the people who are open to answering your questions patiently.

Let the grumpy ones be. Choose to engage in healthy conversations and debate. We don’t all agree and we never will. But we don’t have to hide because of it. Be brave and ask your questions. Share your stories. Your voice is needed.

5) Where the Hell is Your Bio?

****This is NOT a bio.

This goes hand in hand with the first tip. Don’t leave your bio blank. Nine times out of ten, when you send a request to connect with someone with an incomplete profile, they likely won’t accept. Again, it makes you seem uninterested in fully investing in yourself and the other members.

With so much spam happening on various social sites, you run the risk of looking like a spammer yourself. I never accept a connection unless the profile is complete.

I’ll tell you a secret story. Many years ago I created a profile on a dating website. (Shut up. I’ll smack you.) I was pretty thorough with the details of my profile.

One day, a guy sent me a message. “Hey. Would like to connect.”

He was a handsome devil. Nice smile. I wanted to learn more about him, sooooo I went to his profile. And what to my wondrous eyes did appear? Half-assed answers that were rushed.

My favorite food: ask me later My favorite book to read: (left blank)
Hobbies: doesn’t matter Eye Color: yes My favorite time of year: (left blank)
My favorite holiday: ask me all of this shit if we talk

The impression? If he couldn’t take the time to complete his profile, than he couldn’t take the time to have an actual conversation with me in real life. I would be talking to a wall. I could just imagine sitting in front of this dude shoving chicken wing after chicken wing down his throat while I sat there trying to make conversation. And he would still probably say, “Ask me later.”

How you show up in your profile speaks volumes about you. So take the time to give us the scoop. Show us who you are. You’ll discover more connections that way.

6) Don’t be a D*ck

Now that we live in the Digital Age where anyone is free to speak their mind from anywhere in the world, we are constantly inundated with people who wait for that perfect moment to pounce.

It happens here. It happens everywhere.

If I can offer any bit of advice in this here yonder blog post, it would be: Don’t be a d*ck. Yes, people will sometimes be rude. And it will trigger you. But bear in mind that how you show up in front of others won’t be forgotten. I promise you that if you learn to respond with integrity and not with anger, people remember that.

Learn to respond from a higher place. Or don’t respond at all. Because when it comes down to it and someone sits down to seek out a screenwriter for help, they’re gonna choose someone with class and integrity.

7) Don’t Beg or Badger for Connections

I had a business coach once who told me, “People can smell desperation. And they don’t like it.”

When a member posts in a lounge or private message asking another member for advice, that’s one thing. But when that member takes it to the next level by badgering and begging, well then, that’s a problem.

A few years back I wrote a post that really resonated with people. It got some good feedback. Some folks even private messaged me on Stage 32 with some questions. I did my best to answer them. But one guy...one guy kept pushing.

“Can you show my script to producers?”

No, I’m not a manager.

“But I need help.”

Me too.

“But you must have connections. Why can’t you just help me? This is the greatest story ever.”

I don’t really have connections. I’m just networking at festivals and such. That’s what you need to do.

“But I am networking. With you.”

Nope. Doesn’t work that way.

“Can you just read my script and show it to someone?”

I damn near lost my mind.

Whether it be a private message or a post in the lounge, badgering someone for help is never going to take you to the next level. Take the time to create meaningful relationships. This is how life works. Period. It’s not about what you need and what you want. It’s about what you can give, and how often you can give it.

My point is, I want you to be successful. And to be successful, you have to take the time to show up as the very best version of you. Just like you would at a networking event.
We would see your face.
We would learn your name.
We would talk to you and learn more about you.

These are my 7 tips. What kind of advice or tips can you offer to help other members fully utilize Stage 32?

Other Stage 32 Posts By Joleene Moody:
Don't Give Up Because it Didn't Happen. Keep Going Until it Does
How to Network so Producers Choose You
Do You Need a Writing Coach? 5 Reasons to Help You Decide
How NOT to Land a Part in a Major Production
5 Reasons Why Newbie Content Creators Should Attend a Film or Television Festival

Joleene Moody is a published author, produced playwright, and indie screenwriter. When she’s not out in the wild auditioning for roles, she’s working madly on her original dramedy television series about a murderous television reporter, which, coincidentally, has nothing to do with the fact that she spent a decade as a TV reporter and anchor in Central New York. (DAWDY PUGG: KILLER REPORTER)

Joleene is currently in the process of producing a second original television dramedy, STICKS. (Follow the production here: joleene@stage32.com She's all ears.

Lastly, if you want to learn how to make more money as a creative entrepreneur, check out her Stage 32 webinar: 3 Ways to Create More Income as a Creative Entrepreneur/Artist

If you like to laugh, work hard, and wanna be a screenwriter when you grow up, connect with her. She'll talk to you in the first person when you do.

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As always, we welcome thoughts and remarks on ANY of the content above in the Comments section below.

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