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todd ellis A Zillion
Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Posts: 10494 Location: little egypt
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 10:23 am Post subject: |
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now, linkedin, i get. that one always throws me. i guess i don't really view it as "social media". i do really well on linkedin. DIRECT contact. _________________ "i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?
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Kristin Lennox Flight Attendant
Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 858
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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Bob Bergen wrote: | Between the 3 I found another 3000 plus other buyers, both within the same company as well as dozens of others. I then marketed to about 300 of em. All I had time to do. |
I'd like to get a little more detail on this, please, Bob...? So, you looked up the buyers on FB or LinkedIn, found other people in the same company or related companies, and... did what? Send friend requests/LI connection requests to them? Or sent personal messages to each person, through the messaging systems?
How, specifically, did you "market" to these people you have previously never contacted? 300 new contacts in one day boggles my mind, but if it was done with a few clicks for each, maybe I can wrap my brain around it.
(...and if I'm asking for the Keys to the Kingdom, feel free to call a Constable to cart me away... ) _________________ Always look on the bright side of life.
Dee doo. Dee doot doot doo dee doo.
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ConnieTerwilliger Triple G
Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 3381 Location: San Diego - serving the world
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Deirdre Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 13016 Location: East Jesus, Maine
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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I haven't got work from Linked In yet, but I don't do the same kind of work Bob does. My connections are with Game and Sound people who are likely to need something eventually, not immediately. However, I do bleeb I invest time on Linked In in a similar way. _________________ DBCooperVO.com |
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Bob Bergen CM
Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 942
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: | I'd like to get a little more detail on this, please, Bob...? So, you looked up the buyers on FB or LinkedIn, found other people in the same company or related companies, and... did what? Send friend requests/LI connection requests to them? Or sent personal messages to each person, through the messaging systems?
How, specifically, did you "market" to these people you have previously never contacted? 300 new contacts in one day boggles my mind, but if it was done with a few clicks for each, maybe I can wrap my brain around it. ) |
Well, the first thing I do is request to connect on all social media platforms. Finding their direct contact is a breeze. So they each get a personal note, mentioning our mutual connection, which is the buyer who just hired me. Then I allow their surfing of my world to seal the deal.
Now, if you are wondering how I got their attention with my email, the subject line says, “Just worked with so and so.” So and so was the buyer who hired me.
For those of you who fear the dreaded “spam” word, you are doing it wrong. Rarely do I get a spam rejection. It’s all in the approach. It ain’t spam if the intent is professional and you have the goods to back it all up.
And 300 contacts in a day is a breeze. You just have to have a business strategy organized and ready to go.
This is marketing 101 for most business people. But most actors are lousy business people.
If you have one job under your belt, you have dozens to market to. I would imagine most here have way more than one job on their resume. All that is holding you back from marketing for more is you.
And what I am doing is not a new business tactic . This is what our agents have been doing forever, years before the internet. And the internet makes contacting buyers so much easier.
Acting is a business all about relationships. Buyers don’t need us, we need them. It’s up to us to establish and nurture business relationships. |
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Philip Banks Je Ne Sais Quoi
Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 11049 Location: Portgordon, Scotland
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 12:23 am Post subject: |
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I often get caught up in the "yeah but what if ..." When that happens and remind myself of the following
"In order to activate your creative abilities, so that they perform at their best, you need to disengage from an emotional roller-coaster. If you care too much about what's at stake, you'll be distracted by the details. " |
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Lee Gordon A Zillion
Joined: 25 Jul 2008 Posts: 6844 Location: West Hartford, CT
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 12:59 am Post subject: |
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Bob Bergen wrote: | It ain’t spam if the intent is professional and you have the goods to back it all up.
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Even with these qualifications, it is spam if you are just carpet bombing potential buyers indiscriminately. But I gather each of your contacts is accompanied by a personal message tailored for that particular individual. And that's what makes it not spam, even if several people receive exactly the same message because it is relevant to each of them. _________________ Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice
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Bob Bergen CM
Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 942
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 6:19 am Post subject: |
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The subject line says "Just worked with SO and SO at Blah Blah Ad Agency." Or, I might even go one step further and ask for a referral from the buyer I just worked with.
Each email is sent individually and personalized. I don't ever do a mass email blast. That's a waste of time. And often I don't email at all. Just the social media connection will suffice. I want these buyers aware of my business activities. So if I post/promote my latest cartoon/promo/commercial, etc., it will also be in the buyer's feed. They may not take notice each time. But as our relationship organically builds, they will organically take note. |
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Eddie Eagle M&M
Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 2393
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:10 am Post subject: |
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It is a business to business approach. Having worked in movie, music and game licensing, marketing, and distribution for many years, creating new relationships is all part of the process. I look at Linked In like a tradeshow. I attended Consumer Electronics, E3, Video Software Dealers Assoc, Comdex, GDC and others for many years. Meeting new peers and trading business cards was always productive. It grew referrals, opened doors and resulted in sales. The network grows. If you present yourself in a friendly business-like manner you will get at least one shot and maybe that contact you made knows someone that wants what you have. It's intangible to a degree but can convert to a sale. |
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Matto Club 300
Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 387 Location: Vancouver Island, British Columbia
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:06 am Post subject: |
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Hey Bob - another question:
Is this a process that you clear through your agent ahead of time? I am assuming that any new work resulting from your efforts just goes straight through your LA agent. That would keep everything simple.
Is it a generally accepted approach to investigate the contact info for people that you've worked with on a project?
I work with a lot of ad agencies via my agents and it seems that in all correspondence talent agents try to cut out the details from the producer.
Snooping around on the internet to find stuff and people is no problem - I'm quite good at it - I've just hesitated to reach out directly as it seems like agents try to keep producer and talent separate. _________________ www.mattcowlrick.com |
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Tre M. Backstage Pass
Joined: 01 Nov 2017 Posts: 489 Location: Vegas, the desert part.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:35 am Post subject: |
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I guess it was meant to be that I saw this post....I just had an assessment with my agent, because I wanted feedback. She gave me some telling info, and suggested more coaching. While she lauded my voice, she felt that in some of the reads there wasnt a full connection with the copy.
So talking to more seasoned pros I've heard 3 or more time to hit up Dave Walsh for promo coaching....so he's on my radar. _________________ Tre@trespeaksforyou.com
Www.trespeaksforyou.com
Skype: TKM32246
Source Connect: http://source-connect.com/tremovo |
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Bob Bergen CM
Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 942
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:53 am Post subject: |
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Matto wrote: | Hey Bob - another question:
Is this a process that you clear through your agent ahead of time? I am assuming that any new work resulting from your efforts just goes straight through your LA agent. That would keep everything simple.
Is it a generally accepted approach to investigate the contact info for people that you've worked with on a project?
I work with a lot of ad agencies via my agents and it seems that in all correspondence talent agents try to cut out the details from the producer.
Snooping around on the internet to find stuff and people is no problem - I'm quite good at it - I've just hesitated to reach out directly as it seems like agents try to keep producer and talent separate. |
Well, I don't clear marketing with my agent. No agent has time to give the thumbs up on who/what/where we market to. But I don't book my own work. So if a buyer wants to hire me, yes they go through my agent.
Smart agents encourage their talent to market. Paranoid agents fear it as they fear the talent will book themselves and not pay their agent commission. I think this is more of a non union issue. The larger agencies in the major markets know their talent don't have the interest or the skills to take direct bookings. |
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Matto Club 300
Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 387 Location: Vancouver Island, British Columbia
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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Nice. I have a great relationship with my union agent here in Canada and I track where relationships originated in a CRM anyway - so I know where to direct bookings or commission back to if someone reaches out to me directly. I always grab the names of people after sessions and find them on LinkedIn and Twitter.
My own worry was about reaching out to a buyer directly (as if for the first time) only to find out my agent has already made them aware of me..sending demos...sending mp3 auditions etc.
I thought it might appear redundant and disorganized.
BUT...sounds like I'm overthinking it and should just start connecting with the producers at ad agencies directly. _________________ www.mattcowlrick.com |
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