Let’s first look at how you view yourself in relation to your career. Do you realize that you are the CEO of your own company? What does your company sell? You! Essentially, you are the product and the brand. You are also the Vice President of Marketing/Advertising, Publicity, Finance and Public Relations. Your agents and managers are the VP’s of Sales and help sell you to potential buyers. (And if you don’t have an agent yet, then you are VP of Sales for now, too!) At first, you probably have to do most of the work in order for your small business to get off the ground or even to grow to the next level. As you become more successful you will hire people in these areas to assist you.

So, now that you are thinking like a CEO, how many hours a week are you putting into your company? If you think going to the gym and checking your e-mail on your laptop at Starbucks is a full day’s work, then you will probably be beaten by the competition. If you want your business to succeed, you must let the buyers of your product know who you are, what you’re selling, and how to find you, all of which requires good marketing.

Top 7 Marketing Tips

1) Know your niche now and be versatile later.
Casting directors like to categorize actors, which can work to your advantage if you really know what you play. Successful actors know their niche. So often actors fight against playing a certain type or a certain age at the expense of great success in that category. Be honest with yourself and how you are perceived! For example, if you can accept that you get cast mostly as a “young mom” (even if you aren’t one) and that you rarely get called in to play the “hot chick,” and you start to embrace this in your marketing materials, you’ve opened yourself up to many more opportunities just by knowing your niche. Once you become more successful, then you can use your marketing to change people’s minds.

2) Know your marketing goal.
Your goals will change as your career changes. Ask yourself, what message do I want to get across? In the beginning, you want to let people know you exist and what you play. Once you are getting out, you want to inform them of what you are up to, and keep up good relationships. Once you are booking jobs it is important to let everyone know! People want to hire actors who other people have already hired, and you are in charge of creating that buzz through your marketing. Or maybe you’ve changed your image and you want to be seen in a different light. Postcards are one of the most effective marketing tools for getting your message across.

3) Send postcards when you have something to say.
This is the easiest way to remind casting directors, producers and directors that you are acting! If you are working on your craft, then you should almost always have something to say. And if you don’t, then don’t send a postcard! If you don’t have an agent yet, then do a play, a short film, and study somewhere reputable. Make it your goal to have something to announce. Then when you do, put a postcard together and send it out. Never put your home phone or address on it, but rather a less personal number that you check often. Even if you do have an agent, you can’t expect them to let every casting director in town know what you’ve been doing. That is your job. Work begets work, so let them know of your latest TV episode airing, current commercials, a quote from a great review in a play, recent film roles, if you’ve changed agents, or drastically changed your hair or your weight through updated pictures. Postcards instantly put you in the front of their minds.

4) Figure out how to say it best.
Keep your postcard short and simple. Announcing more than three things can get confusing. If you’ve done something that has already aired, and you never marketed it, it’s not too late. Just say “Recently seen in…” On the flipside, if you just shot something and don’t have an air date yet, you can still put a postcard together saying “Coming up next in…” It’s better to list the airdate, channel and time for those who might want to watch it, but it will also show people that other people have been hiring you, which is just as important. If you have no credits to list right now, focus on your unique strengths and training (only list skills you feel confident in demonstrating!) and list them as bullet points:

• excellent physical comedy
• strong improv skills
• currently training at The Groundlings

5) Know your target market.
If you know what kind of television shows you’d like to work on, what film directors you want to work with, and what theatres you’d like to perform in, you can focus your marketing more often to those casting directors, producers and directors. You can begin to compile your own database that is specific to your career goals. The more often you market to them (when you have something to say) the more often you will be on their minds, the greater the odds of meeting them and eventually adding them to your fan list.

6) Compile a fan list.
Your fans are any casting directors who have called you in, called you back, or hired you on a job. Of the thousands of actors out there, just getting called in these days means your marketing or your agents have done something to make you stand out from the crowd. Keep in touch with them! What about directors and producers you have worked with? Often they go on to work on other projects where they might have an opportunity to hire you again. Why not keep them abreast of all the work you’ve been doing? They may end up requesting you for a job with a casting director you haven’t yet met. Keep your fans informed!

7) Be consistent and persistent.
So many actors do one or two mailings, don’t see any immediate results and call it quits. How many Bed Bath & Beyond coupons did you collect before you went there? How many times did you see a movie trailer before you decided to go see the film? Advertisers know the importance of repetition, and so should you. Eventually your name and face will be a brand that casting directors know, think of and rely on often. Every 6-8 weeks is a good time to do a mailing, as long as you have something new to say. If not, get busy!

This business is all about personal relationships with your agents, managers, casting directors, and those you work with on the set. Keeping in touch with people in a positive way is something every CEO would do for his/her company. Keep in mind that you have a certain amount of time to say thank you, get the word out on your next project, or contact someone who offered to assist you. Don’t let the coupon expire. Make a plan, set a date and get busy marketing yourself! It’s not bragging, it’s just good business.

About the Author Wendy Braun (www.wendybraun.com) recently guest-starred on Criminal Minds, Bones, and Navy NCIS, and has recurring roles on General Hospital and Night Shift. Get more inspiration at www.actorinspiration.com a site Wendy created to inspire, educate, and empower actors at every stage of their career. You'll find valuable articles, stories, tips, and tools to use to help assist you in moving your acting career forward. Working actress, author, and coach Wendy Braun's inspiring approach has helped thousands of actors believe, achieve, and enjoy the journey. Sign up for the free newsletter and get inspired every month! www.actorinspiration.com