Every day I see actors asking for “Likes” for their IMDb or Facebook Page. Somewhere in some “marketing” seminar someone has told us that this is how actors get work. We are told stories of how producers narrow down their choices to whoever has the greatest social media following. We are shown charts and statistics that “prove” their point. So every day I see actors scrambling  . . .  to get more “Likes”.

This concept never sat well with me. Something in my gut said, “No, this is not true. This is not how an actor gets work.” I couldn’t prove it, I couldn’t argue it, because there was always some random example of how it worked for “someone”. (Most likely because the producers needed the talent’s “friend” list more than their talent.) But here is what I have witnessed:

Working actors are “well liked”, while actors scrambling for “likes” are not working. 

It’s simply a reversal of events, and comes down to two things: working actors go out into the real world and grow their network (hence more “likes”), and they have something to offer their followers. We see production stills, personal stories, funny or insightful observations, photos from industry events, etc. The Non-Working Scrambler re-posts links and quotes from other sources and we only hear from them when they need an audience or money for their crowdfunding campaign. If we reverse our actions and maker better use our time by scrambling for work in the real world, our rewards will be far greater and more tangible than scrambling for “likes” in the virtual world.

I am writing this as I contemplate opening up my Profile Page to the general public. What to do?