Anything Goes : Using Social Networking Successfully by Agatha Hergest

I agree entirely. Who's message isn't "I'm the best!"? Have to do something different. Give a bit of the story you want them to hear, they can choose to ask for the rest.

Not only that, but if you help them, they will likely help you - or at least bear you in mind when they find something which might be of benefit.

At least that's what has worked for me in the past. Currently, being out of an income, my only networking is online, whereas I'd much rather be networking face-to-face. Tho I am seeking cartoonists for a project - they draw for me in exchange for animating it in my project. We both get the same pay: exposure. BUT - trying to find anyone willing to talk to me about is mind-numbing. :/

But then business comes from the social. Look at it this way - we are all social animals, and if we're constantly being bombarded with the semantic equivalent of "give me your fookin money now!" or whatever St Bob of Geldof is supposed to have said on Live-Aid, without our peculiars being tickled - or at least acknowledged - then we're probably not going to be very happy bunnies at all. And if we're not happy, then we're not going to buy; if any transaction takes place, then we've been sold to, and that doesn't sit well with our egos, generally speaking. So we buy - but we buy only from those we know, like and trust. To engender that, we have to give of ourselves and maybe even help others.

I agree entirely, Andrew. Offhand, I see that same principle underlying two other things; employers mostly hire those they know, rather than advertise for strangers, and what woman wants prefers a pick-up line rather than a sincere compliment where absolutely nothing is expected in return?

But then the pick-up line/compliment thing is as much about the fact that he never bothered with something original in the first place. Look at it this way - we're all looking for something: show me someone who doesn't want anything at all and I'll show you a corpse. Thing is, wanting something is considered impolite or otherwise uncouth, so we devise a game called manners whereby we don't ask for anything overtly, because that hacks people off. We all, on this site, want clients, exposure or what-you-will. Some may be looking for love amongst like-minded people, or maybe just an appreciation that comes from a job well done.. We get it by keeping quiet about it! Yes, I know it sounds odd, but some things are so ephemeral that if you pounce on them they'll skiddadle like a hunted yeti. But while we're keeping quiet about them, we're also subtly pointing at them - my music, for example, is on my reel, I have an introduction, hells, even my writing should tell you I'm some kind of genius. So basically, if anyone looks at my contributions hereon and wants a genius on their team who composes music, writes beautifully, is devastatingly handsome and incredibly intelligent, makes good tea and does sudoku, then they flock to me. If someone knows someone who knows someone who.... who wants someone with the above qualities, then they will use that person to beat a path to my door, but only if I don't hack them off in the first place by doing Tony Blair impressions (you're quite safe - I don't do horror movies...)

I totally agree. I recently went through my Twitter account and axed everyone who used their feed as one big advertisement. Especially annoying were the accounts that tweeted a constant rerun of the same 5 tweets every twenty minutes. I can breathe again and actually see interesting tweets that I can interact with. It is through interaction that I have made relationships that will carry over when we meet in person. Not feeds of "here's a one line, out of context, piece of dialogue from my book. Buy it, buy it, buy it"

That's not funny. When people use their twtter/face-ache accounts as one big advertisement, saying buy, buy, buy, I usually say bye bye bye. We are social animals; yes we have needs to be satisfied, but we aren't bipedal banks for people to rip off every time we get too close...

I agree with the previous comments about the annoyance of social networking postings that are merely adverts. Do they work for the people who post them? Is the risk of being defriended balanced by people acting on the information in their postings? I don't know. I have a Facebook page about my writing. If I posted something interesting and included that address as a link in the signature of my message, would that be within the spirit of the social networking system? I would hope so, but I'm not sure. Perhaps it depends on the system and the participants in any given discussion.

Perhaps these people are ignorant of the true power of social media. To put it into some kind of perspective, it's a bit like getting hold of a high-performance car merely so you can use the dipstick to beat some eggs. Look at it this way, if you write articles, it's generally considered bad form to refer to yourself and your work and everything you do all the time. Even half the time is frowned upon - it's not an advertising forum for you; at least, not in the normal sense. It's for you to expound on other subjects, and thus expose yourself to an audience which wants to read your views. As I say, people don't generally want to be sold to, and if you're selling people generally don't want to know. However, if you're writing what they're interested in, then as sure as eggs some of them will enquire as to the identity and career of this masked crusader, and some of them will probably, eventually, buy your work.

It reminds me of giving a sincere compliment and not expecting anything in return; you have other places to be, and are simply sharing your genuine happiness. Independence is very attractive - specially in light of all the needy. As long as you really are bursting with enthusiasm, and their feedback is not seen as desperately needed, then those that you appeal to will come forward. Choose your favorite film or band, or the ones the critics love the most, or the ones who sell the most - and STILL - not 100% of the people will like them. When we see an intriguing movie poster, we want to be the first to explore it, to make it "ours", before the big commercial barrage takes hold. Anyway - just random thoughts.

When I say there is no such thing as pure altruism, this illustrates the point perfectly. Yes, people get all huffy because it's almost like taking a chainsaw to a puppy, but it isn't that at all. It may be a large needle filled with medicine, but that's only because the puppy suffers from the mange of fantasy, and said fantasy is a shibboleth of which people are reluctant to let go. But in all reason, we are sharing our genuine happiness - that in itself makes us the more happy, and thus we are getting something from the exchange. There was never a man who gave without receiving: the universe doesn't work like that. Even if the receiving is of a warm glow rather than filthy lucre, then we have received for what we have given. Of course, if we give in the expectation of receiving, especially receiving that which is not on offer, then of course we stand to receive nothing potentially - but then we haven't really given.

Further to the foregoing, when we receive a gift - such as the warm glow - which we see as of little use to us, think again. Whilst if all you're getting is warm glows when what you really need is a paycheque or a meal, it isn't very practical - and even with those warm glows, you can't really hire yourself out as a lightbulb - the warm glows you occasionally receive can have a beneficial effect. Warm glows boost your self esteem. Obviously, feeling better about yourself enables you to perform better. Performing better will usually lead to recognition and more and bigger salaries. That can't be bad, can it? The moral of this story is that, whiles you cannot always control that you receive - you always, always have the option of making what you want from it.

Not to be ham-handed, but (oh, dang, have I used a shibboleth or two already?) I'd say the moral is a bit more practical in these modern times. having been out of work for 2 years (I mean, the 9-5) I am gleaning from many sources the notion that the jobs advertised are really just the tip of the iceberg, and most open positions are never seen, as the bulk of the jobs are out of view, beneath the water's surface, so, it is those unseen jobs one is going after when "giving altruistically", in that when the need arises, an employer is many times more likely to hire someone they know rather than shift through the piles of applications to hire a stranger. Peace! :)

True - you do a favour to catch a favour down the line, and that's fine; but that throws the wild-card of time into the mix - and sometimes the card will never show up, or else like a policeman turn up at exactly the most inconvenient time. It is always better, if at all possible, to be in as much control of things as you can. Where that fits into our little scenario is that we do as much good as we can, then some of it will come back on us at a virtuous time.

It also opens the door a crack for us, and we can open it and look around. Take names, ask questions, be interested - make new connections - rather than sitting back and hoping that the lousy film you helped out on will take you where you want to go - when MANY projects just NEVER get finished, OR just do not get exposure. Be pro-active!

Indeed, it does spur action. And as anyone will testify readily, those who do nothing can expect just that in return - or at the very least, something which is not to their liking as others who do do something dictate events. However, my beef is that doing something should not include being a self-aggrandising arse, because that just pisses everyone off. People buy from those they know, like and trust, and if you fling yourself in people's faces without caring about them or their story, why should they give a flying butress about yours? That just isn't the way to be liked - and it won't score many trust points either...

I use social networking to get the word out about both my photography and my books.(I use two separate Facebook accounts for this). I have been finiding, however, that when professionals are ONLY using their social networking (such as Facebook or Google+ of whatever else) to push their latest work (or their backlist stuff) I will end up unsubscribing from their feed. Social networking is about more than just saying "Buy this!". It's about making a connection with current/future clients/fans and making them realize you're not just someone with a hand out. Your mileage may vary, of course.

I recently watched a long well-attended live seminar about music promotion in our new digital age - and the big key difference was that now artists can and MUST reach out to interact with the fans as they have never done before. For example, Louis CK the comedian released a comedy dvd independently and had at least one online Q&A session relating to this. Years ago actors, film-makers, musicians or comedians could not readily do this. What this accomplishes is being able to really connect more as if you were face-to-face (tho not quite), and when building these relationships, you are actually showing you are human, letting others in on the inner creative processes and in essence paying your dues - as opposed to just paying an agency for an expensive glamorous headshot, paying the most prestigious acting or filmaking school, and thinking that since you now have the shiny and credentialled ingredients that all the big-timers have, that that automatically means that you are now on the road to success, and that anyone who is a "real pro" will appreciate and recognize how much time and $$ you spent on headshots, &/or cameras, crew, etc. and how much heart and soul you poured into your latest space-epic that you just KNOW is going to be a major hit. As opposed to: 1. NOT being an asshole (PLENTY of them around), 2. being REAL (NOT: "Sincereity"? Yeah, I can fake that!), 3. and being genuinely enthused and interested in other's projects (not because you think that if you hang around the person working on the "high-profile"job that you think sucks that they will give you a job, but to help support those whose work you actually DO like - and through that you will make new connections, and when the rare "real" people see the "real" you, they will be much more apt to think of you or refer you when the need arises.) BUT - WTF DO I know????

Yes, Anna, I appreciate that. But it isn't really the best use of it. As far as I'm concerned, if you make an interesting comment, help someone else or act as matchmaker between a film-maker, for example, and a writer, then chances are you're going to be much more successful than if you go down the "here's me, buy me, notice me, just bloody well stop what you're doing and acknowledge me as your deity" kind of approach. Let me put it to you like this. I, like everyone else here, have a product to sell. Now, how do you feel about me, looking at my profile, seeing what I do etc., and so on per astra ad nauseam and on and on and on, seeing that I'm sharing wisdom which ostensibly doesn't benefit me in the slightest? Okay, so maybe you don't think much of me, and that's okay - you're entitled so to do. But if that's the case, if I came in with the "I'm Andrew and I'm writing anoperapleaseblahblahblah" you would probably regard me with ill-disguised contempt. Possibly that's what you expect on a site like this, I don't know - but to me it's a bit like having your very own aeroplane and using it as a flowerpot.

Thomas, I'm on Twitter: I link with quite a few celebrities like Dara o'Briain, Professor Brian Cox, Robin Ince - and with this particular trio I argue bitterly about the nature of science. I'm also linked with Roger Hodgson from the rock band Supertramp. You can tell that Roger doesn't actually tweet himself but rather gets a PA or other lackey to do it for him; mind you, he's not disabusing fans that it is actually him either. He's of a generation (born 1951) where computers were the size of cities with a memory which you could now get on a mobile 'phone, and social networking was associated with loose morals and yo-yo knickers. There are yet other celebrities (usually with a verified tick) who you'll never get a response from even if you write something mindblowing. So it's not usually the case that celebrities will interact. Then again, if you have a fan-base in the gazillions and you want to speak to them all, you'll never work again.

Andrew, I agree with what you're saying. I'm not sure where it may have seemed I was saying that's the only thing social networking is for, but I apologize for any miscommunication that way. I'm saying that I have issues with people on Facebook or Twitter (or the like) who are ONLY posting about their stuff and not actually interacting with the people who are following them. I've had some wonderful conversations with my fans (and other photographers and/or authors) about everything from kids to politics to furniture to whatever I'm currently working on. When I get forcibly "invited" (I hate that non-opt-out aspect of Facebook) to promotional "events" and the like, I get more than a little annoyed.

I don't believe sarcasm is called for, Kass... (insert withering glare smiley here)

Anna - I'm sorry if I gave the impression I thought you were only using social networking for advertising. Thing is, a modicum of advertising is okay, so long as it's rare and tastefully done. I, for instance, will occasionally drop in references to what I do, and how that relates to the matter at hand. Then you can bring in expertise to give people confidence that you know what you're talking about. Many times, too, the quality of my writing will often trigger a "hey, I wonder what this fellow charges?" sort of thing - or maybe people will just see what I post and wonder what sort of Divine being I am. Doesn't always happen, but it has done in the past. From there, obviously, if they like what they see, and they like what they read when they see it, then the world is the marine exo-skeletal being of your utmost fancy. And whilst it's not always convenient to combine business with pleasure, it can also be fun...

I suppose I mean, if I can be allowed a moment of glibness - by all means add me, just don't ad me.

Yes, but I'm marketing myself now, and you are marketing yourself. But you see, neither of us is saying "this is what I do, give me money" type of thing. We are spinning webs of intrigue in the minds of others, and intrigue leads to enquiry. It's then that we should be saying "I do such and such and so and so". You might even try closing deals at the time also, 'though I think the long game will yield better results. Realise that people are on here for different reasons. If you want to buy and they are trying to buy something from you, that doesn't work as well as if you see what their needs are, talk to them, engender trust and then, if there's a deal to be done, do it. That way everyone profits, nobody is discomfited and nobody becomes public enemy number 1.

I see social media as a big investment of time - I would say that well over half of your tweets / status updates etc should NOT be promoting you at all - rather conversing with people, and sharing information from others. At the end of the day, if people find you interesting, and know you will talk to them, they are more likely to click through to your profile to see what you are all about - I know I do when someone starts a conversation with me on twitter, rather than just tweets about themselves all the time.

Personally, I will mostly tweet about myself when it's germane to a conversation - as in "what I do in this situation is..." I will, I admit, advertise either works of art or classified adverts I have posted, but mostly I will tweet funnies or I will reply to someone else in a manner which does not say "never mind about your broken arm, let me tell you about these new blahblahblah", which is crass, insensitive and a bit silly if we're honest.

We just help fund 2 indiegogo/kickstarter short film campaigns. When you use words like 'me' 'I' 'my' it makes you sound like an arrogant, self-centered douchebag and no one is going to support your campaign. Suggest words like 'we' and 'our ' to pitch your film. Personalize your tweets and stay away from tweetdeck, except at night when you're sleeping...

I think many people treat social networking like a lottery, just like click & submit services, mass mailings, etc. They are hoping to "get discovered" vs. building a real relationship. Also they are just throwing info out there to anyone, everyone vs. targeting. I speak often on this. There is a free webinar on targeting at http://www.PerformerWebinars.com Called "Talent on Target". Also, self-promotion is what sells tickets and puts butts in seats. But you have to always remember to offer some valuable info. I have contributed to many articles at http://www.PerformerPages.com and will reference them in posts to help out. Just a side note...I loathe "Vote for Me" contests when I have to create accounts. If you do these, please reconsider sending a request to your fans every hour, or every day. Not kidding. I've had someone do it every hour. As a producer, I'd like to think you are out there working vs. sending mass requests. Good luck everyone. It's always been a relationship business.

@kristina - there's a wonderful scene in Pirates of the Caribbean 3, where a whole band of misfits is holed up on Shipwreck island. They have to elect a king in order that they can order to fight the East India Trading Company; the only problem is, they are all allowed to vote for themselves and, Pirate nature being what it is, that's what they do. Obviously, without a disinterested party with a vote, there's no majority and, therefore, no king. I think it's illustrative of the problem. For while we should all be "kings" of our profession by graft rather than by democracy, we should also remember that those other people make up our audience, as we make up theirs. If we concentrate solely on self-interest, why then should we expect others to give a damn about what we do? A wise lady once said to me: if you don't love yourself, how can others love you; if you love yourself only, why should others love you? Share the love...

Hi Andrew, I don't think that social media is 100% self-serving. I use social media to share tips, leads and promote what I am up to. Tips: shows that are renewed, sales for things people might enjoy, causes so they can finally get involved in something to give back. Leads: whose going to be speaking where, free networking events & seminars. Self-promotion: photos, interviews, reviews, bookings, etc. Folks for some reason are ashamed or afraid to promote what they are doing. I don't know why. If the quality is good and they worked hard for it, why not share it. Who wants to read of people wishing for this or that? I want to read that people are thriving. Tracking my social media and how it has turned into bookings shows to me that this works -a lot. I've booked shorts, web series, stage readings, vo gigs and feature films from my social media use and yes, for paying gigs. My suggestion is to get out there and do it b/c if you aren't other performers are too. ShowBiz Sender http://www.ShowBizSender.com has a free trial for newsletter/email blasts. This way you can track what people are clicking on, allow people to opt out, share your news with media for possible interviews, let others who hire see that there are folks hiring you, etc. IMHO sadly these misfits are like a lot of people out there who do only look straight in the mirror vs. having a 3 paneled mirror that might highlight or showcase others. I'd have no problem nominating the best person or, suggesting myself. Leadership by the right, or best people is essential in this or any business. I love myself but I ALSO genuinely love others.