Did I use marketing and enjoyable in the same sentence?
 
Heck yes!!
 
Marketing can absolutely be enjoyable, especially if you hire a marketing coach like me to make reaching your next acting goal faster and easier!
 
Just kidding, this is not a sales pitch.
 
Anyway, I'd like to briefly discuss how you can make marketing your acting career fun. But to figure that out, we need to know what you already find fun.
 

 Today, we're going to ask a series of questions and specifically relate them to marketing yourself. 



Here's the list of questions to ask yourself if you want marketing to start feeling more fun:

1. From 1-10, what level of certainty do I have that I'm good at marketing? What would I need to do to make that a 10?
2. From 1-10, what level of variety and fun do I have when I'm promoting myself and marketing my career? What could I do to make that a 10?
3. From 1-10, what level of connection with others do I get when I focus on my marketing? What could I do to make that a 10?
4. From 1-10, what level of significance do I get when I promote myself and put my name out there? What needs to change to make that a 10?
5. From 1-10, what level of growth do I get when I focus on marketing my acting career? What could I do to make that a 10?
6. From 1-10, what level of contribution do I feel when I'm marketing myself? How could I make that a 10?

 
I challenge you to force yourself to come up with at least one (but ideally two) answers to each question.
Finding these answers can really help you because if you start enjoying the marketing process and it doesn't feel so laborious, you'll actually do it and start getting more and more paid work!
 
I'll start you off with a few suggestions:
You can read or study marketing programs or books, or work with a consultant to feel more certain.
You can have fun coming up with ideas to promote your work, and maybe do it with a group of other like-minded actors to have more fun.
You could work with a marketing consultant or group of friends who know about marketing so you feel like it's a team activity to feel more connected.
You could use your marketing to try to show how you're an expert in your specific brand so others know it and see your significance in that area.
You could make it a constant learning point by watching videos, reading articles, and learning from the best in the industry so you're constantly growing.
You could figure out ways to make your promotion pieces or marketing materials entertaining for others so you're contributing to their lives!

So what are your ideas? I'd absolutely love to hear them - Comment below!

After reading this article, you'll not only know where to find legitimate commercial auditions, but also what to do to book significantly more of them.

I've also included some bonus tips from casting directors, commercial agents, and even actors who've been in national commercials.

​You can see their advice towards the bottom of the article.​

The fastest way to get commercial acting opportunities is to get a commercial agent.

Luckily these types of agents are generally easier to sign with than legit agents (who find you acting auditions for movies) and you can get one without much experience or footage!

How to get a commercial agent quickly:

1. You can use this resource to find the contact info for a wide range of agencies, both in NY and LA (though most have mailing addresses in LA). Use the search bar at the top and type "commercial" so it only shows the agencies that do commercial work.
2. Visit the websites for each of the agencies you're interested in. Take note of any specific submissions guidelines and be sure to follow them when you start to submit.
3. Write out a very short and simple cover letter. Here are two free cover letter templates that have gotten responses for many actors. Remember, the shorter it is and the more it shows why they should work with YOU (as opposed to just any actor), the higher your chances of hearing back. ALWAYS include at least 1-2 sentences that are customized to that specific agency, referencing some of the projects they've been involved in or the type of work they do. It's extremely important that your cover letter not be more than six sentences, broken up into at least 2-3 paragraphs.
4. Be sure your headshot, resume, and footage are prepared. It's important that they are up to date and concise, easy for the agency to look at. Ideally, they should all be very professional and meet industry standards. Here are three videos if you're interested that go into detail on your headshot, resume, and footage.
5. Send your cover letter out to just five of the agencies on your list. Start with five that you don't care as much about just in case they don't respond. Wait three days and if you don't hear back, send a follow up email to inquire as to the status. It's a good idea to include at least one question so that hopefully someone responds with "Yes, we received it," etc.
   1. Example: Hi, just wanted to shoot a quick follow up email to my submission a few days ago. I understand you're probably extremely busy, so no rush, but I just want to make sure you received it. Did it come through? Thanks!
6. If no one responds, email out to the next five agencies on your list and continue repeating this process over a few weeks. Again, be sure to customize at least 1-2 sentences in each email so they're tailored to the agency you're contacting. Each time you email out to five agencies, modify your cover letter slightly based on what you think could be better or different to capture their attention.
7. After a few weeks, chances are high that you'll have received a few positive responses. As long as you do a good job and be yourself during your meetings/auditions, you'll probably get signed with someone soon!

As you can see, the process of getting an agent is based on YOU reaching out to THEM, not them reaching out to you.

Most actors are afraid to reach out to agencies, and that's what keeps them stuck! Remember – no risk no reward!

​Now, if you want to dive deeper and really give yourself the best shot at booking consistent commercial work and getting signed by a great agency, I invite you to check out the rest of this in-depth article.

​​"There's no other job where you’re asked to prepare so much - working unpaid - to go in for something that will most likely result in nothing."

"I shouldn't be going out tonight because I could be using that money for my acting career."

Have you ever felt like that?